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International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia theme announced
--From a collective press release
LGBTQI+ networks from around the world have announced the theme for this year's International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia: "Together: Resisting, Supporting, Healing!" We are inspired by this very ...
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SPORTS Rapinoe, Morgan lift U.S. to victory over France
The U.S. Women's Soccer National Team beat France 2-0 on April 13 in a friendly match against France behind goals by veterans Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, The Olympic Channel noted. The duo won Olympic gold ...
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Groups respond to death of queer refugee after attack on Kenyan camp
LGBTQ+ people living in a refugee camp in northwestern Kenya have had to deal with a series of homophobic attacks by other residents and locals—and, now, one individual has passed away after an arson-related attack in ...
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WORLD Trans women arrested, death threats, Russian film, leader apologizes
Two transgender women facing charges of "attempted homosexuality" (as well as public indecency and not carrying identification) in a high-profile case in Cameroon will spend more than two months behind bars without a trial after a ...
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Russian leader Putin officially bans same-sex marriage
On April 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a series of constitutional amendments that, among other things, formally defines marriage as between a man and a woman in the country, The Washington Blade reported. ...
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WORLD Uzbek activist, hate-crimes report, Ghana arrests, Chely Wright
Uzbek activist Miraziz Bazarov was hospitalized after he was attacked by unknown men hours after his public event was disrupted by dozens of aggressive men in Tashkent, RFERL.org reported. Physicians at the Tashkent Traumatology Hospital said ...
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Global momentum for marriage equality surges,"Freedom to Marry Global" website created
--From a freedomtomarry.org press release
April 1st marks twenty years since the Netherlands ended the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage, becoming the first of so far 30 countries worldwide to affirm the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. Now, two ...
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WORLD Pride in London, racist drag shows, Korean defector, Alan Turing
Pride in London announced that its five most senior members, including its co-chairs, will step down following damning accounts of racism and bullying, PinkNews reported. The non-profit has been deluged by demands for new leadership after ...
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WORLD Landmark ruling, Montreal's Gay Village, acid attack, anti-LGBTQ laws
In a landmark ruling, a Japanese court ruled that the government's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, NPR noted. Article 24 of Japan's constitution defines marriage as based on the "mutual consent of both sexes," which ...
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LETTER The Vatican's words and actions do not echo love
The LGBTQA community is responding with shock, anger and frustration at the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith statement concerning same-sex unions. Many in our community can't understand why Pope Francis would allow such a ...
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DignityUSA: Vatican denying same-sex blessings "Exacerbates pain and anger"
--From a press release
March 15, 2021. DignityUSA, the organization of Catholics working for justice, equality, and full inclusion of LGBTQI people in the church and society, is deeply disappointed by the Vatican's statement unequivocally denying blessings to same-sex coupl ...
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Vatican won't bless same-sex unions
The Catholic Church said it cannot bless same-sex unions, adding that it is "not licit" to bless relationships that involve sexual activity outside of marriage, according to an NBC News item. The Congregation for the Doctrine ...
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WORLD Adoption ban, trans soldier, Belgium killing, archbishop
Same-sex couples will be barred from adopting children in Poland even as single parents, under a new law announced by a nationalist ruling party that has made anti-gay policies a major part of its governing platform, ...
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WORLD Court rulings, trans kids' books, activist dies, Naomi Campbell
A Chinese court upheld a ruling that a textbook description of homosexuality as "a psychological disorder" was not a factual error but merely an "academic view," according to the South China Morning Post. The Chinese LGBT ...
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Lesbian Amanda Nunes defends UFC title
Amanda Nunes—a Brazilian lesbian who many consider to be the great women's mixed-martial artist of all time—successfully defended one of her UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) titles on Feb. 6. Nunes—who ...
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WORLD Ghana turmoil, Malaysia case, Copenhagen 2021, Brazil churches
Anti-gay outcry has forced Ghana's first LGBT+ community center to temporarily close to protect its staff and visitors three weeks after it opened, Reuters reported. Church groups, politicians and anti-gay rights groups have called on the ...
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WORLD Canadian groups, Moroccan refugee, LGBT+ Rights Ghana, trans heroine
From $400,000 in funding for a national initiative aimed at expanding two-spirit advocacy, to $239,000 to improve LGBTQ youth housing access in the Prairies, 76 Canadian community groups are being sent nearly $15 million from the ...
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Commission: Jamaica should repeal same-sex ban
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the top rights body of the Americas, said in a symbolic landmark ruling on Feb. 17 that Jamaica should repeal its colonial-era gay sex ban, Reuters reported. Two Jamaicans ...
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WORLD School items, Olympics, Angola law, Dutch senate
Toronto's Catholic school board reinstated the link to an LGBT support phone line on its website following outrage from the community, according to Yahoo! News, citing The Canadian Press. The school board removed LGBT YouthLine from ...
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WORLD Turkish items, Gibraltar couple, lesbian lawmaker dies, Australia
In Turkey, four students were arrested over artwork that reportedly depicted LGBT rainbow symbols alongside an image of a sacred Islamic site, the BBC reported. Students at Bogazici University in Istanbul have been protesting against the ...
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Biden issues global pro-LGBTQI memorandum
On Feb. 4, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a presidential memorandum aimed at expanding protection of the rights of LGBTQI people worldwide, including potentially through the use of financial sanctions, U.S. News & World Report reported. ...
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WORLD Trans honoree, Sophie dies, famous Africans come out, Leo Varadkar
In India, the list of Padma awards recipients this year included a transgender individual from Karnataka who has, over the past many decades, practiced and single-handedly popularized rural folk arts, according to NDTV. For Manjamma Jogathi, ...
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Removing "Global Gag" will benefit millions of women worldwide, leaders comment
--From press releases
On Jan. 28, President Joe Biden signed a presidential memorandum that will reverse restrictions on abortion access domestically and abroad imposed and expanded by the Trump administration, CNN.com reported. ...
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Pioneering AIDS researcher Dr. Joseph Sonnabend dead at 88
--From a media release by HIVPlusMagazine
Pioneering AIDS researcher and clinician Joseph Sonnabend, 88, died Jan. 24, 2021 at the Wellington Hospital in London, after suffering a heart attack on Jan.3, 2021. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to a physician mother and ...
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WORLD Global Fund, Croatian case, Poland items, Hillsong
In 2020, the Global Fund signed 157 grants for a total of $8.54 billion for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programs and to strengthen systems for health—and this is the highest number of grants the program ever ...
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WORLD Workplace index, Japan survey, stories of the year, Buttigieg
Two years after the India's Supreme Court decriminalized homosexuality, employment for the LGBTQ community is slowly gaining acceptance in the private sector—to the point where there is now an India Workplace Equality Index, RFI.fr reported. The ...
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Gay influencers called out for partying in Mexico during pandemic
A social-media account called GaysOverCovid has been exposing the gay men of the world for continuing their hard-partying, jet-setting lifestyles in the midst of a pandemic, according to media outlets such as DListed.com. For instance, Chicago-based ...
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WORLD Lithuania outlook, HIV/AIDS and COVID, lawyer arrested, trans youth
Lithuania appears set to legalize same-sex civil partnerships next year, but same-sex marriage could be up to a decade away, according to Tomas Raskevicius—the country's only openly LGBT+ lawmaker, Reuters reported. "We're going to submit t ...
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WORLD Gender-identity studies, religion items, Hungary's ban
Romania's Constitutional Court overturned a ban on gender-identity studies voted through by lawmakers but which rights groups and universities said would infringe on human rights and fuel discrimination, Openly News ...
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Switzerland's parliament okays marriage equality,
residents to have final say
On Dec. 18, the Swiss parliament approved a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry, finally bringing the nation in line with much of Europe on LGBTQ rights, TheLocal.ch reported. However, the Swiss residents themselves will have ...
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International LGBTI Assn reports on criminalization, 69 countries have bans
--From a press release
Geneva, 15 Dec. 2020 — Despite considerable progress in legal protection for lesbian, gay and bisexual people, 69 UN member States continue to criminalise consensual same-sex activity, ILGA World (The ...
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WORLD: Bhutan's pro-gay move, LGBTQ+ refugees, official comes out
A joint sitting of both houses of Bhutan's parliament approved a bill to legalize gay sex, making the tiny Himalayan kingdom the latest Asian nation to take steps toward easing restrictions on same-sex relationships, Reuters reported. ...
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England allows gay and bisexual men to donate blood
England has relaxed blood-donation rules for gay and bisexual men. Gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood more easily from next summer following a landmark policy change, The Guardian reported. Men in a ...
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WORLD Dutch apology, Swiss gov't, Victory Institute, 'Queer Japan'
The Dutch government issued a formal apology to transgender and intersex citizens who were required to undergo sterilization surgeries to legally change their gender and agreed to compensate some of those who underwent the procedures, The ...
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WORLD German soldiers, UK HIV rates, OutRight, Chopin
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government agreed on a draft bill that would compensate gay soldiers who faced discrimination in the armed forces between 1955 and 2000, TheLocal.de reported. Under the proposed law, which needs to be approved ...
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WORLD European Union, groundbreaking case, Caster Semenya
The European Union announced its first strategy to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people, out.com noted. Many saw the development as a response to the rising anti-LGBTQ+ hate and rhetoric in Poland and Hungary. The new ...
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WORLD Trans deaths, China census, Rob Halford, Hungary measure
Globally, at least 350 transgender people have been killed this year (2020)—a figure that has risen since last year's total of 331, Forbes noted. The annual list, released for Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20) by ...
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WORLD Canada museum, gay NZ leader, marriage items, 'Drag Race'
The embattled Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) said it's planning sweeping changes to rebuild the organization more than four months after staff came forward with shocking allegations of racism and LGBT censorship, CBC.ca reported. The ...
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WORLD Taiwan marriages, Nigeria court, protests, GQ Awards
Two women became the first military officers to marry their same-sex civilian partners at a mass military wedding in Taiwan—marking another landmark for LGBTQ+ rights in Asia, CNN.com reported. The island's defense ministry called it an ...
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VIEWPOINT Is Pope Francis' support of civil unions just lip service?
Pope Francis has expressed support for civil unions in the Catholic Church. Once again, the pontiff has sent shockwaves across the globe to 1.3 billion of his followers with another LGBTQ- affirming statement. However, this one ...
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WORLD Church leaders, Amnesty International, students
Pope Francis included a U.S. archbishop who has made several strong, positive statements about LGBTQ people in the group of 13 church leaders named cardinals; there are also a bishop from the island nation of Malta ...
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Pope calls for same-sex civil unions in documentary (UPDATED)
In a departure from the position held by the Vatican's doctrinal office, Pope Francis called for the passage of civil union laws for same-sex couples in a documentary that aired in Rome, NBC News noted. "Homosexuals ...
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WORLD French plan, 'gay panic' defense, trans youth case, Northern Triangle
The French government unveiled a national plan to combat hatred and discrimination against LGBTQ people, and the initiative emphasises the importance of inclusive education in stamping out homophobia, RFI.fr reported. The three-year plan aims to make ...
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WORLD India couple, Japan items, pro-trans writers, Nigeria job fair
In India, a same-sex couple approached the Delhi High Court seeking legal recognition of their marriage under the Foreign Marriage Act, India.com reported. The petitioners, an Indian citizen and an overseas citizen, are two gay men ...
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Threat to marriage equality looms at Supreme Court, Lambda Legal responds
--From a press release
(Washington, D.C., October 5, 2020) — Today, in a statement in Davis v. Ermold, authored by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and joined by Justice Samuel Alito, the Justices indicated a desire to overturn Obergefell v. ...
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WORLD Egypt arrests, Trans Legal Mapping Report, designer dies
In Egypt, authorities are accused of using dating apps and social media to track down and arrest queer folks in their latest attempt to "clean the streets," Out.com noted. Human Rights Watch interviewed 15 people who ...
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WORLD Iran report, Uruguay Pride parade, anti-gay terrorist
A new survey—"Hidden Wounds: A Research Report on Violence Against LGBTI in Iran," published by the Iranian Lesbian and Transgender Network, 6Rang—is shedding light on the atrocities LGBTQ+ Iranians face on a daily basis, Out.com reported. ...
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WORLD Barbados items, EU's criticism, Billie Jean King, Equality Act
Barbados is ready to grant legal status to same-sex couples, in a major breakthrough for gay rights lobbying in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region, The Jamaica Gleaner reported. Gov. General Dame Sandra Mason made the announcement ...
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WORLD Argentina pro-trans move, Canada survey, Uganda groups, sports items
Argentina President Alberto Fernandez is now requiring 1% of public sector jobs be set aside for transgender people, LGBTQ Nation noted, citing Pagina 12. Fernandez signed a decree that reads, "Every [trans] person has a right ...
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WORLD Vancouver protest, dating apps, Budapest Pride, N. Ireland marriages
In Canada, protesters held a beach dance party in Vancouver's West End night in a bid to disrupt an event by a Toronto preacher who has been accused of anti-LGBTQ hate speech, CBC.ca reported. David Lynn, ...
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WORLD Tom of Finland, India items, Denmark legislation, PrEP study
The works of the iconic Finnish artist Tom of Finland will be exhibited in Japan for the first time ever, a press release noted. The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the Finnish Institute ...
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WORLD Foreign aid policy, India trans council, torture claims, rainbow flag
The lead U.S. foreign aid agency has proposed a new policy on gender and women's empowerment that eliminates any mention of transgender people or contraceptives, ProPublica reported. The draft policy released by the U.S. Agency for ...
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WORLD Pride events, Queensland, Costa Rica refuge, George Michael
The pandemic may have forced Pride organizers to cancel their planned march this year in Sarajevo, but activists say they will compensate for this loss with many other activities, BalkanInsight.com noted. Preparations for the march—scheduled for ...
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World Rugby's proposed ban on transgender women sparks outcry
Citing recent research, a 38-page World Rugby transgender working group draft document is proposing a ban on transgender women from playing women's rugby. An anonymous leaked the draft document to The Guardian. Windy City Times was ...
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WORLD Israel incident, Cayman marriage, singer comes out, Poland arrests
The Israel Police arrested a 16-year-old from the central Israeli city of Lod on suspicion that he took part in a violent attack on two young gay men in the Jaffa Port, Haaretz reported. The suspect ...
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WORLD Human Rights Watch items, Indian prince, British Vogue
A Human Rights Watch report says that gay and bisexual men in Syria, along with transgender women, have been suffering horrific sexual violence in that nation during its civil war, Out.com noted. (The report is based ...
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WORLD Polish anti-LGBT zones, conversion therapy, HRC's Chile report
A Polish court annulled a town's LGBT-free zone declaration, Out.com noted, citing Polsat News. The provincial administrative court in Radom invalidated the Klwow Commune Council's resolution because the term "LGBT-free" refers to ...
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Panelists share anti-LGBTQ+ experiences in 'Torture' virtual discussion
The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) hosted a virtual event entitled "Reclaiming Identity: LGBTQ Experiences of Torture, Persecution, and Healing," on July 22. It showcased the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals who have been tortured and ...
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Activists fight against anti-LGBTQ+ zones and bias in Poland
There is a crisis happening in the LGBTQ+ community in Poland, as in many countries around the world. Poland's historically patriarchal and Christian values are deeply woven into social and political settings—and the effects on the ...
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MOVIES Film probes Chechen's anti-LGBTQ atrocities
The Toronto-based LGBT-rights advocacy Rainbow Railroad hosted an online discussion of the HBO documentary Welcome to Chechnya on July 16. That film, which premiered last month, details both hostilities facing LGBTQ persons in that Russian state, ...
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WORLD Israel's lawmakers, Poland, Pride flag, Global Pride grants
Israel swore in its latest openly gay lawmaker recently—marking a record for the country considered a regional pioneer on LGBT rights despite opposition from religious conservatives, VOA News reported. Yorai Lahav Hertzanu ...
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WORLD Conversion therapy, Thai measure, gay bars vandalized, Global Pride
The United Nations' Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity called for a global ban on the practices of so-called "conversion therapy," ...
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Instagram excludes harmful conversion therapy groups, Born Perfect applauds
--From a press release
MENLO PARK, CA — Instagram announced today that it will exclude content that promotes the harmful practice of conversion therapy — a step taken by the Facebook-owned social media platform to curtail online hatred and harmful ...
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Activists fight against anti-LGBTQ+ zones and bias in Poland
There is a crisis happening in the LGBTQ+ community in Poland, as in many countries around the world. Poland's historically patriarchal and Christian values are deeply woven into social and political settings—and the effects on the ...
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United Nations call for a global ban on conversion therapy, Born Perfect comments
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — Today, the United Nations' Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity called for a global ban on the practices ...
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WORLD African country's pro-LGBT move, Pride marches, lesbian singer
In a landmark decision on July 6, the Senate of Gabon voted to decriminalize same-sex relations with 59 votes in favor, 17 against and four abstentions, Outright International noted. The move to decriminalize was supported by ...
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World-first Global LGBTQIA+ Pride viewed by 57M+
--From a press release
Global Pride, the 27-hour virtual Pride that took place on June 27, reached a worldwide audience of 57,050,978 viewers in at least 163 countries, organisers have confirmed. Broadcast on the YouTube channels of Todrick Hall and ...
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WORLD Russian trans woman's win, Pride marches, museum CEO resigns
In Russia, a transgender woman won a landmark decision for trans rights and recognition after being fired from her job—but is now living in fear after her personal information was made public by Russian media, according ...
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Global divide on homosexuality persists but acceptance has grown over two decades
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 25, 2020) — Despite major changes in laws and norms surrounding the issue of same-sex marriage and the rights of LGBT people around the world, a new ...
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LGBTQIs face rampant bias in Venezuela, sparking asylum in nearby countries
In the United States, Pride Month is known for widespread festivities, parade floats, rainbow-colored everything and celebration of self-identity. In Venezuela, Pride Month looks quite different for those who are part of the LGBTQI community. In ...
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WORLD Israel news, Egyptian activist dies, Spanish singer comes out
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers behind the four largest pride parades in Israel—Haifa, Jerusalem, Be'er Sheva and Tel Aviv-Yafo—jointly decided to postpone their prospective parades, hoping they will be able ...
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WORLD Global Pride, trans woman attacked, Poland items, singer comes out
Organizers of the June 27 virtual event Global Pride said that former U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ireland Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and artists Laverne ...
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WORLD Trans woman's death, NZ trans politician, cyberattack
In Colombia, trans woman Alejandra Monocuco died with coronavirus symptoms after paramedics learned she was HIV-positive and allegedly refused to treat her, PinkNews reported. She lived in the Santa Fe neighborhood of Bogota and was a ...
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WORLD Zambia pardon, fashion house, HIV+ mayor, Costa Rica marriage
Zambia's president pardoned a gay couple sentenced to 15 years in prison in November under colonial-era sodomy laws in a case that caused a diplomatic conflict with the United States, Reuters reported. Japhet Chataba, 39, and ...
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WORLD New HIV news, Catholic event, conversion therapy, Hungary anti-trans bill
A global trial stated that a new HIV drug injected every two months effectively reduces the rate of infection, and provides longer and stronger protection, than taking pills, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. The four-year trial—conducted ...
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