| |
New Italian prime minister has anti-LGBTQ+ record
Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni—who has rallied against "[LGBTQ+] lobbies" and so-called "gender ideology"—is set to become Italy's first female prime minister, PinkNews reported. Meloni is expected to form Italy's farthest-right ...
|
| |
| |
Cuba legalizes same-sex marriage
Cuba has legalized marriage equality after Cubans voted in favor of a family code that increased protections for minorities on the island, CNN reported. With 94% of the votes counted as of 8 a.m. CT on ...
|
|
| |
| |
WORLD Bias claims, Qatar policy, AHF pledge, drag queen dies at 28
People of color have accused several LGBTQ+ venues in the heart of the Gay Village in Manchester, England, of racism and racial prejudice, VICE noted. Ten Black, Asian and Latinx people who identify as lesbian, gay, ...
|
| |
| |
Dozens arrested at EuroPride march in Serbia
Serbian police arrested more than 60 people as thousands of LGBTQI+ activists turned out for Belgrade's EuroPride march on Sept. 17—despite a governmental ban, The Guardian reported. The event had been intended as the culmination of ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Malta PM, Kenya official, Kharkiv Pride, sex-education campaign
Malta Prime Minister Robert Abela has promised reforms for the country's LGBTQ+ community, including free gender-affirming surgery for trans people, according to PinkNews. In an interview with ONE Radio, he said, "I believe that social reform ...
|
| |
| |
Elton John's 'last' U.S. show to air Nov. 20 on Disney+
The show being promoted as Sir Elton John's "last" U.S. concert—a Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour gig at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium—will livestream on Disney+ on Nov. 20, Rolling Stone reported. The streaming service officially announce ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Death in Bali, Chile constitution, Wales items, Israel petition
Video below
Bowing to pressure from activists, prosecutors in Peru launched an investigation into the suspicious death of a transgender man from Peru who died in custody in Bali after he was arrested for alleged cannabis possession, Gay ...
|
| |
| |
Queen Elizabeth II dies in Scotland at age 96
The Queen died peacefully on the afternoon of Sept. 8, the Royal Family announced on its social media accounts. Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952, on the death of her father, King George VI. She ...
|
| |
| |
Ban on same-sex relations overturned in Saint Kitts and Nevis
In a major advance for LGBTQ+ rights in the Caribbean, a court for Saint Kitts and Nevis struck down a colonial-era law that banned the "abominable" crime of "buggery," LGBTQ Nation reported. The same court overturned ...
|
| |
| |
Report: LGBTQ+-rights activists sentenced to death in Iran
Human-rights groups have said that two LGBTQ+-rights activists have been sentenced to death in Iran, the BBC reported. A court in Urmia found Zahra Seddiqi Hamedani, 31, and Elham Choubdar, 24, guilty of "corruption on Earth." ...
|
|
| |
| |
Liz Truss is the new UK prime minister and has a poor LGBTQ+ record
Britain will get its third prime minister in just over three years as the ruling Conservative Party announced Sept. 5 it had chosen Liz Truss to be its new leader. Truss—who had appointed as secretary of ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD India ruling, Hong Kong dismissal, fatal attack, Mr. Gay Europe
In India, a Supreme Court ruling affirmed that same-sex couples and other non-traditional families are entitled to social benefits—a decision that stands in stark contrast to recent moves by Singapore to exclude LGBTQ+ people from the ...
|
| |
| |
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launches Canada's first 2SLGBTQI+ action plan
The federal government unveiled what it described as a historic first as it announced a five-year, $100-million plan to support 2SLGBTQI+ communities across the country, CBC reported. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled the strategy, called "Canada' ...
|
| |
| |
Vietnam ends LGBTQ+ conversion therapy
Vietnam has said that being LGBTQ+ is "not an illness" and ordered medical providers to end controversial practices like "conversion therapy," UPI reported. The government's health ministry said that being a member of the LGBTQ+ community ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Trans activist killed, abduction, BlueCity, OutRight, trans golfer
Video below
The murder of a prominent transgender activist in Argentina has sparked outrage across the country, The Washington Blade reported. Clarín, an Argentine newspaper, reported Alejandra Ironici, 45, was found dead in her home in Santa Fe. ...
|
| |
| |
Singapore to decriminalize same-sex relations, but will ban marriage equality
Singapore will decriminalize sex between men by repealing a colonial-era statute but will amend the constitution to ensure same-sex marriage is not allowed, ABC News reported. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he believed repealing the ...
|
| |
| |
Dennis Rodman planning to visit Russia for Brittney Griner
Former NBA player Dennis Rodman is reportedly planning to visit Russia to help imprisoned WNBA player Brittney Griner, NBC News reported. "I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl," Rodman told NBC News ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Trans activist, COVID surveys, Michael Sam, Saudi Arabian sisters
Some people in London, Ontario, Canada's LGBTQ+ community reacted strongly to how a popular trans activist was treated by London Police Services earlier this month, CBC reported. Clara Sorrenti, 28, known as Keffals on the online ...
|
| |
| |
Suspect arrested in rape/murder of Kenyan non-binary lesbian
The family of Sheila Lumumba—who was raped and murdered in Nyeri County, Kenya, in April—stated that a suspect has been charged in connection with their death, according to openDemocracy. A man was arraigned in court in ...
|
| |
| |
In a first, gold-medal Olympian comes out as transgender
During the Aug. 16 opening address of the international LGBTQ+ rugby competition The Bingham Cup, taking place in the Canadian capital of Ottawa through Aug. 21, Ellia Green came out as trans—and is the first Olympian ...
|
|
| |
| |
Brittney Griner appealing conviction
Russian news agencies have reported that attorneys for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner have filed an appeal of her nine-year Russian prison sentence for drug possession, according to PBS Newshour. Griner, an eight-time all-star center with ...
|
| |
| |
10th biennial Bingham Cup taking place through Aug. 21
The LGBTQ+ rugby tournament known as the Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament—or the Bingham Cup—is taking place in Ottawa, Canada, through Sunday, Aug. 21. According to a press release, "The Bingham Cup is the largest amateur ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Vietnam's pro-LGBTQ+ move, Grindr kidnappings, Taiwan event
Video below
Vietnam took a major step forward in the recognition of LGBTQ+ rights with the country's Ministry of Health stating that being gay, bisexual or transgender is not a disease and urging medical practitioners to end discrimination ...
|
| |
| |
PASSAGES Singer/actress Olivia Newton-John dead at 73
Olivia Newton-John—the Australian singer who charmed generations of viewers in the 1978 blockbuster movie Grease and had such music hits as "Physical," with both garnering many LGBTQ+ fans—died Aug. 8 at age 73, according to media ...
|
| |
| |
Montreal Pride Parade is canceled
Citing security concerns, the organizers of the Fierte Montreal Pride Parade abruptly canceled the Aug. 7 event at the last minute, The Washington Blade reported. The other events scheduled at the Esplanade of the Olympic Park—T-Dance ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Zelensky, French position, UK drag-queen shows, triathlons
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed he will ask Ukraine's government to look into legalizing same-sex marriage after the war with Russia ends, PinkNews reported. Ukraine's constitution defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Last ...
|
| |
| |
Uganda government forces LGBTQ+ group to shut down
An LGBTQI+-rights group in Uganda said the country's government forced it to shut down, according to The Washington Blade. Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), in a press release, said Uganda's National ...
|
| |
| |
Brittney Griner found guilty, sentenced to nine years
On Aug. 4, a Russian court found out WNBA star Brittney Griner guilty of drug smuggling and possession charges—and sentenced her to nine years in prison. The widely expected verdict came after a monthlong trial ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Cuban referendum, Gay Games, Berlin attacks, Indian trans men
Cuba's parliament announced that the country will hold a referendum on the legalization of same-sex marriage and surrogate parenthood, Deutsche Welle reported. The referendum on the new family law is scheduled to be held Sunday, Sept. ...
|
| |
| |
Biden reportedly offers arms dealer in exchange for Griner, Whelan
After months of internal debate, the Biden administration has offered to exchange Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms trafficker serving a 25-year prison sentence in Illinois, as part of a potential deal ...
|
|
| |
| |
Greece bans 'normalizing' surgeries for intersex babies
Greece's parliament has banned "sex-normalizing" surgeries on intersex babies, Reuters reported. Intersex individuals have atypical chromosomes that affect their bodies in a way that does not fit with the normative definitions of male or female. Under ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Women's rugby, EU vs. Hungary, S. Korea festival, Berlin Pride
Trans women could be barred from playing women's rugby in England under new recommendations from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) that will be voted on soon, PinkNews reported. The move is a U-turn from the governing ...
|
| |
| |
Andorra passes civil marriage for same-sex couples
On July 21, lawmakers in the tiny European country of Andorra voted unanimously to extend civil marriage rights to same-sex couples, The Los Angeles Blade reported. Andorra is a small country known for its ski areas ...
|
| |
| |
Pro Russian woman tennis player says she's in same-sex relationship
Russia's highest-ranked women's tennis player, Daria Kasatkina, said in a video interview released July 18 that she is dating a woman, according to ESPN. The 25-year-old French Open semifinalist's comments come as the Russian parliament discus ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Argentina report, Gay Games, conversion therapy, Ukraine petition
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), in partnership with Instituto de Políticas Publicas LGBT, released its first-ever, Argentina-focused HRC Equidad AR: Global Workplace Equality Program report, a press release noted. ...
|
| |
| |
Griner's lawyers say she was prescribed medical cannabis
Lawyers for WNBA star Brittney Griner told Russian judges on July 15 that she was prescribed medical cannabis for "severe chronic pain," CNN reported. Griner's defense team submitted to the Russian court a letter from a ...
|
| |
| |
Kevin Spacey pleads not guilty in London in sexual-assault case
On July 14, two-time Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey pled not guilty of sexual assault in London's Central Criminal Court, according to WAGM-TV. The former House of Cards star, who ran London's Old Vic theater between 2004 ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Slovenia marriage item, Antigua and Barbuda, Berlin mosque
In Slovenia, the Constitutional Court legalized same-sex marriage and adoptions after finding a law under which only heterosexual partners can marry and same-sex couples cannot adopt children to be in contravention of the constitutional ban on ...
|
| |
| |
Index lists safest, most dangerous countries for LGBTQI+ travelers
The Star Observer noted that Brunei edged past Nigeria to emerge as the most dangerous country in the world for LGBTQI travelers, according to the annual LGBTQ+ Safety Travel Index. And for the second year in ...
|
| |
| |
Former Japanese prime minister dies after being shot
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on July 8 after being shot while giving a campaign speech on a street in central Japan, CNN reported, citing public broadcaster NHK. Japanese publication Nikkei also reported that ...
|
| |
| |
Brittney Griner pleads guilty in Russian court
Out WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner pled guilty to drug charges in a Moscow court on July 7, NBC News reported. This development leaves her facing the prospect of up to 10 years in prison as ...
|
| |
| |
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigns
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned, ending an unprecedented political crisis over his future that has paralyzed Britain's government, USA Today reported. He said he will stay in office until the Conservative Party selects a new leader who will ...
|
| |
| |
British PM Boris Johnson deals with multiple resignations
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's leadership is hanging by a thread after the resignations of two of his most high-profile ministers and several other top officials and ministerial aides in the last 24 hours, CNBC reported. ...
|
| |
| |
Brittney Griner pleads to Biden for release
Brittney Griner has appealed to President Joe Biden in a letter passed to the White House through her representatives, NPR reported. In the letter, Griner said she feared she might never return home and asked that ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD KyivPride, Romanian bill, marriage items, Cynthia Erivo
Ukraine's largest LGBTQ+-rights event, KyivPride, went ahead as a peace march—in Warsaw, Poland, CNBC reported. It joined Warsaw's yearly Equality Parade, the largest such event in central Europe, using it as a platform to keep international ...
|
| |
| |
U.S. House passes resolution urging Griner's release
The U.S. House passed a bipartisan resolution calling on the Russian government to immediately release WNBA star Brittney Griner, CNN reported. "Not a day goes by that we aren't thinking of Brittney and working to get ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Japanese ruling, Pride events, Colombia election, Boris Johnson
A Japanese court ruled that the country's ban on same-sex marriage does not violate the constitution, and rejected demands for compensation by three couples who said their right to free union and equality has been violated, ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Pride disruption, trans journalists, Tunisian play, marriage bills
Turkish police officers carrying clear-plastic riot shields, wielding batons and deploying pepper powder balls as well as tear gas violently broke up a Pride parade that Middle East Technical University students organized in the capital of ...
|
| |
| |
Kevin Spacey granted bail at UK hearing
On June 16, embattled actor Kevin Spacey was granted unconditional bail at a magistrates court hearing in Westminster, London, as the sexual-assault case against him was referred to Southwark Crown Court, Deadline reported. Deputy Chief Magistrate ...
|
| |
| |
Russia extends Brittney Griner's detention again
On June 14, prosecutors in Russia were granted another extension in the case of U.S. women's basketball player Brittney Griner, ESPN reported. The extension is a procedural move that was expected and should have little effect ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Pride events, Darren Hayes, Virgin Mary poster, LGBTQ+ Scotland
A celebratory march made its way through the Thailand capital of Bangkok—the first of its kind in almost 16 years, DW.com reported. The "Naruemit Pride 2022" event, using the Thai word for "creation," was the result ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Grindr ads, British mayor, Billie Jean King, Australian awards
In Australia, a retail worker-turned-Greens politician credited catchy ads on gay hookup app Grindr for his stunning victory in Brisbane, The Daily Mail noted. Stephen Bates defeated Liberal-National Party incumbent Trevor Evans in the inner-city seat ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Canadian law, GLAAD, Pride Flag situation, German story hour
Members of Canada's LGBTQ community, Indigenous people and minority groups fear a proposed law tackling online harm could disproportionately curtail their online freedoms and even make them police targets, The Toronto Sun reported. Plans for an ...
|
| |
| |
Church of Scotland votes to allow same-sex marriages
The Church of Scotland has voted to allow same-sex marriages after recent warnings that its historical opposition had increased the church's decline toward irrelevance, The Guardian reported. The church's general assembly voted 274-136 to allow it ...
|
| |
| |
Kevin Spacey charged with sexual assault in the UK
In the United Kingdom, embattled actor Kevin Spacey has been charged with four counts of sexual assault and one count of "causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent," Variety reported. The decision ...
|
| |
| |
OUTBermuda hires first-ever executive director
Bermuda's LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit OUTBermuda has hired its first-ever executive director—Tiffany Paynter—as it looks to expand its impact and strengthen its sustainability as a resource. A social entrepreneur and longtime ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Nigeria protest, 'Flag in the Map,' Belgium, McDonald's
Dressed in rainbow-colored vests, members of the LGBTQ+ community marched in a dangerous demonstration in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, to protest a bill introduced by lawmakers in Nigeria's lower house of parliament last month seeking to ban ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Eswatini ruling, Toronto deaths, Greece, blood donations
The High Court in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) rejected an appeal for legal recognition by the local LGBTQ+-rights group Eswatini Sexual & Gender Minorities, citing "laws … prevailing in the kingdom" ...
|
| |
| |
Report: Malta is the best European country regarding LGBTQ+ rights
An annual report courtesy of ILGA-Europe stated that Malta remains the best country in Europe for LGBTQ+ rights, Euronews noted. The association said that Malta (which scored 92 out of a possible 100) has maintained the ...
|
| |
| |
Griner's detention in Russia extended by a month
The lawyer for Brittney Griner said May 13 that the WNBA star's pretrial detention in Russia has been extended by one month, ESPN reported. Alexander Boykov told The Associated Press he believed the relatively short extension ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD South Africa, Greek ruling, soccer items, singer attacked
South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa praised his country for creating a conducive environment for LGB people to practice same-sex marriages and partnerships, according to Erasing 76 Crimes. Speaking at a Freedom Day celebration in Mpumalanga, ...
|
| |
| |
Brittney Griner gets new designation; Black LGBTQ+ group responds
The United States is now saying lesbian WNBA player Brittney Griner is wrongfully detained in Russia, NPR reported. The shift in language indicates the United States will work more aggressively to secure her release. The State ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Conversion therapy, Russian ruling, concert pianist, trans politician
A trans woman opened up about her horrific experiences of conversion therapy in the wake of the UK government's reviled U-turn that will see LGB conversion therapy banned but trans conversion therapy remain legal, PinkNews reported. ...
|
| |
| |
Canada lifts blood-donor ban for gay and bisexual men
Health Canada approved Canadian Blood Services' submission to eliminate the three-month donor deferral period for gay and bisexual men as well as some other people in the LGBTQ2S+ demographic, CTV National News reported. The national blood ...
|
| |
| |
Biden-Harris administration reports on efforts to support global LGBTQ+ rights, HRC applauds result
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, has commended the release of a report from the Biden-Harris ...
|
| |
| |
Rape, murder of Kenyan lesbian spark outrage
Kenyan authorities said six men who raped and murdered Sheila Adhiambo Lumumba, 25, on April 19 in her home in Karatina actually targeted her because of her sexual orientation, The Washington Blade reported. The body of ...
|
| |
| |
Calls to free Brittney Griner increase after prisoner release
As some people celebrate the April 27 announcement that Texas Marine veteran Trevor Reed would be released from a Russian prison, there were others urging the U.S. government to continue working behind the scenes—particularly regarding the ...
|
| |
| |
Same-sex couple have historic wedding in Antarctica
RRS Sir David Attenborough crew members Eric Bourne and Stephen Carpenter are now the first same-sex couple ever married in the British Antarctic Territory on April 24, The Maritime Executive noted. The Maritime Executive noted that ...
|
| |
| |
French President Macron defeats Le Pen, is re-elected
French President Emmanuel Macron comfortably won re-election to a second term on April 24, defeating far-right, anti-LGBTQ+ candidate Marine Le Pen in a runoff. The second five-year term for the centrist spared France and Europe from ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Soldiers, Everywhere Is Queer, soccer items
Video below
The South Korean Supreme Court ruled that soldiers of the same sex who have consensual sex in a private space cannot be charged with assault under the Military Criminal Act, The Hankyoreh reported. Previously, the court ...
|
| |
| |
Wimbledon banning Russian, Belarusian players
Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be banned from competing in Wimbledon (which starts June 27) because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Belarus' support of the ongoing war, USA Today noted, citing a New York ...
|
| |
| |
Gay Games 2023 announces updated sports list
Gay Games 11 Hong Kong announced an all-new line-up of 23 sports for the November 2023 Games—a global multisport, arts and culture event founded in 1982 that celebrates diversity and inclusion. Co-hosted with Guadalajara, Mexico, the ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Conversion therapy, director attacked, killings, Rwanda, Grag Queen
Thousands of LGBTQ+ people and allies across the United Kingdom recently protested the British government's refusal to ban anti-trans conversion therapy, Xtra Magazine noted. On April 10, demonstrators gathered at 10 Downing Street, the office of ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Conference canceled, Catholic event, India bills, Gertrude Stein
The United Kingdom canceled its first-ever international LGBTQ+ conference after a boycott by more than 100 organizations, the BBC reported. "Safe To Be Me" was scheduled to take place in London in June to promote LGBTQ+ ...
|
| |
| |
Singer Emily Sande comes out as part of the LGBTQ+ community
British pop singer/songwriter Emeli Sande has revealed that she's in love with a woman who might just be "the one," according to a Billboard item that cited her interview with Metro. Sande came out and said ...
|
| |
