Erasing 76 Crimes noted that eight gay men and two lesbians have been set free this year in Cameroon and Nigeria because of readers’ donations to Project Not Alone, which helps victims of African homophobia. Those 10 individuals were the focus of this year’s Project Not Alone, which built on the project’s previous work that won early release for 46 LGBTQ+ prisoners in Cameroon and Nigeria during 2019 through 2024. Project Not Alone only works for prisoners who have been incarcerated for their sexual orientation.
Authorities in Senegal recently arrested 15 queer people on charges of “unnatural acts,” continuing a series of anti-LGBTQ+ arrests that stretches back at least to last summer, per Erasing 76 Crimes, citing the Tribune of Senegal. Under current Senegalese law, people convicted of an “act against nature” with another person of the same gender can receive one to five years in prison and/or be fined. The Tribune article used the word “gordjiguene”—a pejorative term that means “man-woman” in the Wolof language.
And also in Africa, Ghana is close to enacting a draconian anti-LGBTQ+ law similar to Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) 2023, Erasing 76 Crimes noted. The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill is already being debated in the Ghanaian Parliament, with House Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin being its leading architect. Ghana President John Dramani Mahama has said he will definitely sign the bill into law if it’s passed by Parliament.
Tasmania, the smallest state in the country/continent of Australia, became the first there to make available reparations for men who were charged with or convicted of historical homosexuality and cross-dressing offenses, The Straits Times noted. The government compensation ranges from A$15,000 (about $10,000 U.S.) each for the men who were only charged, to A$75,000 (about $49,800 U.S.) each for those who were convicted and served prison sentences—after they have applied for the charges and convictions to be expunged. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Tasmania in 1997, making it the last Australian state to do so—more than two decades after South Australia became the first; however, men were barred from cross-dressing in public until 2001.
A month after the lower chamber of Kazakhstan’s parliament voted for a ban on “LGBTQ+ propaganda,” the country’s Senate announced that the legislation would be delayed for an indefinite period of time, per LGBTQ Nation. The Senate Press Service said, “The consideration of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan ‘On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Issues of Archival Affairs and Limiting the Dissemination of Illegal Content’ has been postponed to later dates. … [In part,] given that the law also regulates issues related to the protection of children’s rights, this is always a matter requiring special consideration and increased attention.”
British health officials identified a newly evolved strain of mpox in a person who recently returned from traveling in Asia, per The Advocate, citing the BBC. The new virus variant contains genetic elements from clade Ib, which has been linked to more severe illness; and clade IIb, the strain responsible for the 2022 global outbreak. “It’s a watch and wait situation at this point,” Dr. Demetre Daskalakis (who previously served as the White House National Mpox Response Deputy Coordinator under President Joe Biden) told The Advocate. “It’s hard to say what it means other than vigilance needs to continue for mpox and [this] highlights the importance of a strong public health system to detect changes in the virus.”
Iran and Egypt have reportedly objected to participating in a so-called “Pride match” during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, PinkNews noted. A match taking place June 26 in Seattle between the two nations would be designated a “Pride match” in recognition of the city’s Pride weekend celebrations. However, Mehdi Taj, the head of Iran’s Football Federation, has said both countries have raised “objections.” According to The Straits Times, Taj called the match an “irrational move that supports a certain group.” The other option had been a match between New Zealand and Belgium.
Out gay Australian soccer player Josh Cavallo (who currently plays in the UK) has said he has been mentoring a group of “closeted” footballers since coming out, per PinkNews. Cavallo said on the We Need to Talk podcast that he currently helps to support closeted athletes who “aren’t out and don’t want to be out,” including Olympic athletes and fellow football players. He added that many of the athletes he helps to support want to keep their sexuality “separate” from their public life and still need time to accept their truth before they can tell it to the world.
Italian resident Julio Spatola, 40, was crowned Mr. Gay World 2025, per Instinct. This year’s competition (in the Philippines) involved contenders from the Philippines, Great Britain, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands, the United States, South Africa and more. Spatola soared to the top, winning the Best Swimwear and Best Formal Wear awards along the way. Spatola had previously won Mr. Gay Street, Mr. Gay Rome, Mr. Gay Italy and Mr. Gay Europe titles.
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)—a global U.S.-based organization accused of peddling anti-gay hate—is backing a South Australian (SA) woman who says her daughter was exposed to inappropriate sexual content at school, The Guardian noted. Nicki Gaylard—who is considering legal action against the SA education department—alleges that girls at Renmark high school, including her daughter, were exposed to inappropriate material referring to incest and bestiality during a presentation by Headspace Berri on inclusivity last year. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has designated the ADF as a hate group—a label the ADF rejects.
Queen Latifah, Vin Diesel, Michael Caine, Ana de Armas, Nina Dobrev and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are among the international celebrities appearing at the Red Sea International Film Festival, according to Gulf News. The festival—in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia—runs through Dec. 13, and is screening more than 100 films from dozens of countries.
Queer actor/playwright Jeremy O. Harris—known for the Tony-nominated Slave Play—was arrested last month at a Japanese airport on suspicion of attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country, Reuters reported. A spokesperson said Harris was stopped Nov. 16 at Naha Airport after a customs officer discovered 0.78 grams of crystal containing the synthetic narcotic MDMA in his tote bag. Per Variety (citing The New York Times), Japanese authorities said that Harris had been released on Dec. 8, but didn’t say if he had been officially charged.
At the 2025 Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan, LGBTQ+ U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn redeemed herself in the free skate portion of her competition to finish fourth overall, per Olympics.com. After a botched triple axel attempt in the short program left her in last place, Glenn bounced back in the long program, landing eight triple jumps to score a 144.65 to total 211.50. “[This skate] put that belief back in myself going forward,” Glenn said. “[When I arrived], I started doubting not only my ability, but that I even belonged here. I had to remind myself that I do and that I’ve worked for this.”
After learning that trans women are banned from competing in an upcoming tournament for the video game Dead by Daylight, many female professional gamers announced they will drop out of the event scheduled to take place next year, per Out. Streamer/artist Julia Canda was the first to draw attention to the story, posting on X on Dec. 3 that she is withdrawing from Team USA in the tournament, officially known as the Dead by Daylight Women’s World Cup. Twitch streamer Jiggledeath—who recently announced that she was going to be captain for the U.K.’s team in the DBD Women’s World Cup—announced the following day that she will withdraw from the event as well.
LGBTQ+ Pussy Riot co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova will release her book Police State: Beyond the Streets on Dec. 12, per a press release. The book documents the Russian activist/performer/artist’s 10-day performance exhibition at MOCA in Los Angeles (in June 2025), featuring photographs, prison letters, etchings, artwork by fellow Russian political prisoners, and documentation of the ICE and No Kings Day protests held outside the museum during her exhibit.
Current top-ranked women’s tennis player Aryna Sabalenka shared her view on the inclusion of trans athletes in sport, saying, “it’s not fair” for women to face “biological men,” according to PinkNews. Sabalanka, who’s from Belarus, offered her opinion on the “tricky questions” while appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored alongside male tennis player Nick Kyrgios, who she will actually play against in an upcoming match. Kyrgios, an Australian, said, “I feel the exact same way.” The Women’s Tennis Association currently allows trans women to participate if they provide a written and signed declaration that their gender is female or non-binary and have had a certain blood testosterone level .London’s National Gallery announced plans to raise almost a billion dollars for what it calls Project Domani—the expansion of its collection into the 20th and 21st centuries, and the development of a new wing to house these works, per The Art Newspaper. The figure, around half of which has already been pledged, is among the most ambitious fundraising targets ever for a UK museum. Six architectural groups are on the gallery’s shortlist to build the new extension, whittled down from 65 international applicants.