CAUTION: This week’s column mentions gruesome details of a killing.
A Dutch court upheld the decision to reject U.S. trans woman Veronica Clifford-Carlos’ application for asylum after she challenged the decision earlier this year, LGBTQ Nation noted. Clifford-Carlos, a visual artist from California, applied for asylum amid President Trump’s continued targeting of trans rights and villainization of the trans community. The court disagreed that Clifford-Carlos personally faces a legitimate risk of persecution, Reuters reported; the judge also said she did not prove she lacks protection or access to vital services.
The photography project Trans Is Human—which showcases the eclectic existence of trans people—marked Trans Awareness Week on Nov. 17 with a new London exhibition, PinkNews noted. The exhibit was at Outernet London, the UK’s most visited cultural attraction, to showcase the faces and stories of trans people across the country. Featuring photos taken by renowned photographer Mariano Vicanco and music from quer alt-rock singer-songwriter Yungblud, the exhibition aimed to show the world that trans people are simply just that—people.
A Tokyo Review article looked at a decade of the LGBTQ+ partnership system in Japan. In 2015, Setagaya and Shibuya became the first two municipalities in Japan to issue certificates that recognized LGBTQ+ couples’ relationships. In January 2021, Akashi City became the first place in Japan to widen the policy’s scope by introducing a “familyship system” recognizing children living with the couples as family of both partners. At the time of the article’s publication, there were at least 541 individual partnership systems (also often referred to as “same-sex partnership systems” or “partnership oath systems”).
Pope Leo continued Pope Francis’ tradition of inviting transgender women to the Catholic Church’s annual “lunch for the poor”—but he did not continue his predecessor’s tradition of sitting with them, The Advocate noted. Francis began inviting a group of trans women as his guests for the annual World Day of the Poor lunch in November 2023. The current pontiff did not sit with any of the women this year, with all the women sitting at separate tables instead. Alessia Nobile, a trans woman and Italian author at the lunch, told The Washington Post that she gave the pope a letter on behalf of the trans community, and he responded with a smile.
A suspect was held in police custody in connection with the death of “warm-hearted” London-based scientist Alessandro Coatti, whose body parts were found scattered across a city in Colombia, according to PinkNews. Coatti, 38, was last seen leaving his hostel in Santa Marta in April. Two days later, his head, hands and feet were found in a suitcase near the Sierra Nevada stadium while other body parts were discovered miles away by the Minuto de Dios bridge. Police now believe he was lured to his death by a group of thieves who target their victims on Grindr, and authorities arrested Uber Etilvio Torres García, 42.
LGBT Ireland recently condemned recent assaults on members of the LGBTQ+ community in Ireland, per Yahoo! In October, Cork drag queens Krystalqueer and Queen Lucina were assaulted while filming a promotional video. Separately, authorities are investigating an alleged homophobic assault in Limerick in which one person sustained non-life-threatening injuries. LGBT Ireland called these incidents “shocking,” and said the attacks “underscore the urgent need to actively combat hate and prejudice in Ireland and ensure the safety and dignity of all people.”
Mara Klein (they/them)—a nonbinary person who is a leader of Germany’s Synodal Committee—recently talked about their recent participation in the Jubilee of Synod Teams in Rome, per New Ways Ministry. In an interview with Katholisch.de, Klein said the biggest takeaway from the meeting was the “atmosphere: this huge number of people united by the cause of synodality.” They described the World Synod as being a more “power-free space” than other synodal forums.
Openly gay former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on television that France is ready to elect a gay or lesbian president, EurAsia Daily noted. “I think it’s possible, of course. Since we are a country that has made extraordinary progress, that we have French people who are open and tolerant, I don’t think this is an obstacle,” he said.
In Mexico, Tijuana is opening a facility that will help members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as women and children who are victims of abuse—including migrants deported from the U.S. or have just arrived in the city, per Border Report. The center will be run by a group called Ayuda Acción México and will provide people with a home for up to three months as they remain in transition, according to agency director Tania Rodríguez Zafra.
Lesbian Russian-turned-Australian pro tennis player Daria Kasatkina shared a heartfelt reflection during her off-season, acknowledging that she had been suffering from stress and anxiety over the past few weeks, per Tennis Up to Date. The former world number eight did not have the best end to the season, finishing the year at number 37. She recently posted, in part, “[This is] the time I really needed. It took me almost 3 weeks to disconnect my brain from [the] stress and anxiety I’ve been feeling for a while and finally realized what a lucky person I am.”
In Canada, Windsor-Essex Pride Festival President Wendi Nicholson reportedly stepped down after outcry following comments about transgender athletes that she made on a local radio show, the CBC reported. Nicholson said on an AM800 radio show that trans athletes shouldn’t compete at an elite level, and that men might transition to be better at sports. The segment was about the International Olympic Committee considering banning trans women from competing in women’s sports. The Windsor-Essex Pride Fest board of directors posted a statement saying the organization was “shocked and disappointed” by Nicholson’s comments.
Durham Pride Chair Mel Metcalf was invited to represent the annual Pride event in northeast England at the unveiling of a Blue Plaque for Liberal Democrats Councillor Sam Green, the UK’s first openly gay elected politician, according to Scenemag. The tribute was installed outside Green’s former home, marking his historic achievement in 1972 when he won a seat on the now-abolished Durham City Council for the Crossgate ward as a Liberal councillor. At the time, Green was only 31 and he unseated an incumbent who had held the position for 18 years.
According to AFP Fact Check, fabricated quotes attributed to athletes on queer issues continue to gain traction online, with Australian swimmer Kyle Chalmers being the most recent target. Baseless posts claim that he threatened to withdraw from the national team while criticizing “stupid pride.” Australia’s top swimming body refuted the claim and said it had asked Meta to take down the accounts where the falsehood originated. AFP earlier debunked rumors that five-time gold medallist Mollie O’Callaghan will not participate in the Olympics if trans U.S. swimmer Lia Thomas were allowed to compete; however, a recent Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling dashed Thomas’ chances of being in the Olympics.
Italian actor and 2020 Dancing with the Stars Italy winner Gilles Rocca recently discussed his sexuality, according to Queerty. In the past, Rocca has only dated women. However, on the Italian TV show Ciao Maschio, he said, “If I were to be attracted to a man, there wouldn’t be any problems. Would I give myself to a man? Well, if I liked a man, yes, absolutely, I’d accept his advances; I wouldn’t have any problems.” He added, “I like women. But I’m absolutely open; in fact, I don’t even think it’s a question of openness, but rather that it’s a natural thing—that is, respecting your instincts, what you like, what you feel.”
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and Durek Verrett responded to claims that they have a “lavender marriage,” according to People. A social-media post opened with a shot of the couple standing together as audio rolled of a voice asking, “What’s a lavender marriage?” and they looked at one another in disbelief. The princess then put her hand over the camera and, to the tune of twinkle music, she and Verrett reappeared in lavender outfits. In the documentary Rebel Royals, Verrett said he is bisexual and the princess said she initially introduced him to her daughters as a friend who they thought was gay. For the first time in his career, Bad Bunny won the Latin Grammy for album of the year, USA Today noted. He was nominated for 12 awards at the 26th annual Latin Grammys that took place on Nov. 13 in Las Vegas, and he swept four other categories: best urban music performance, best urban song, best urban music album and best reggaeton performance. Some of the other winners included Alejandro Sanz, Karol G, Paloma Morphy, Trueno, and CA7RIEL and Paco Amoroso.