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Pope Benedict admits mistake in sex-abuse case
On Jan. 24, retired Pope Benedict XVI admitted that he did attend a meeting in Munich in 1980 where an abusive priest was discussed, saying an earlier denial was the result of an editing mistake, according ...
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WORLD Namibia ruling, crimes, LGBTQ+ film festival, blogger sentenced
Namibia's High Court ruled against two same-sex couples fighting for recognition of their marriages, with Judge Hannelie Prinsloo saying she agreed with them but was bound by the nation's prohibition of same-sex relations, Reuters reported. Daniel ...
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Chile president-elect names LGBTQ+ people to his Cabinet
Chilean President-elect Gabriel Boric—who won a runoff election on Dec. 21, 2021—named two openly LGBTQ+ people to his Cabinet on Jan. 21, the Los Angeles Blade reported. Marco Antonio Avila, a gay man, will be the ...
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Former pope faulted in report on sexual abuse in German diocese
A long-awaited report on sexual abuse in Germany's Munich diocese faulted retired Pope Benedict XVI's handling of four cases when he was archbishop in the 1970s and 1980s, The Chicago Tribune reported. Westpfahl Spilker Wastl, the ...
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WORLD Archbishop demoted, Israel ruling, Denmark petition, tennis icon
Pope Francis demoted Archbishop Giacomo Morandi, the number-two official in the doctrine office, due to the belief that he is responsible for the controversial document that bars blessings for same-sex couples, according to Newsweek. Morandi is ...
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Pope Francis thanks U.S. nun for advancing LGBTQ+ rights
In a recent letter to Sister Jeannine Gramick, Pope Francis thanked her for her 50 years of advocacy and ministry to LGBTQ+ Catholics, The Hill reported. The pope in his letter, dated Dec. 10, said Gramick ...
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French gay and bisexual men can donate blood starting March 16
Starting in March, gay and bisexual French men will no longer be restricted from donating blood, The Hill reported. "We are ending an inequality that was no longer justified," French Minister for Solidarity and Health Olivier ...
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Duval Princess, 24 year old Black trans woman, found shot to death in Florida
--From a NBJC press release
FLORIDA — The National Black Justice Coalition mourns the loss of Duval Princess, a 24-year-old Black transgender woman. Princess was found shot in a car at Highland Square shopping center in Jacksonville, Florida, on January 3, ...
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Global reports show pervasiveness of conversion therapy info
Two reports released from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) expose how tech companies have failed to de-platform anti-LGBTQ+ conversion therapy disinformation and ban providers pushing the discredited ...
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WORLD German official, museum items, cake case
WORLD COMPILED BY WCT STAFF In Senegal, lawmakers stopped from passing to parliamentary vote a draft bill that sought to toughen already severe laws against same-sex relations, Openly News reported. Gay sex is punishable by up ...
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Conversion therapy now illegal in Canada
The conversion therapy ban has taken effect in Canada, CTVNews.ca reported. After parliamentarians came together to unanimously pass legislation to eradicate the harmful practice in late 2021, the Criminal Code sanctions came into force on Jan. ...
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Israel allows surrogacy for same-sex couples, trans people and single men
Israel Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced that, starting next week, same-sex couples, single men and transgender people will be able to parent children through surrogacy, an option that was previously banned for them in the country, ...
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WORLD Trans model dies, museum exhibit, Tunisia case
April Ashley—reportedly the first Briton to undergo gender-confirmation surgery—has died at 86, according to an Out item that cited The Liverpool Echo. Ashley, who was born in Liverpool, was the first known trans model to appear ...
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LETTER Remembering Archbishop Tutu
Archbishop Desmond Tutu passed away in Cape Town, South Africa, on Dec. 26 at the age of 90. In 1984, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his efforts to bring about a peaceful transition to a society with ...
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WORLD Croatia MP, missing student, French president's wife, Senegal bill
The boyfriend of Croatian MP Domagoj Hajdukovic shared a picture of the pair kissing, according to PinkNews. Matija Stainer shared a picture of himself with Hajdukovic to Facebook, thanking followers for their support. In June 2020, ...
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Human-rights champion Archbishop Desmond Tutu dies at 90
Archbishop Desmond Tutu—a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was known for his stances for human rights and against South Africa's white minority rule—died Dec. 26 at age 90. According to Reuters, the presidency conveyed news of ...
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WORLD Chile's marriage law, Tokyo's move, Iran arrest, Mr. Gay World resigns
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera signed a historic bill legalizing same-sex marriage into law, days after the measure was approved by Congress, Al-Jazeera reported. The law "puts all love relationships between two people on an equal footing," ...
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France bans conversion therapy
On Dec. 14, France's parliament voted to ban so-called conversion therapy, joining a handful of countries that have taken steps to outlaw practices that seek to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, according to ...
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WORLD Conversion therapy, Tunisia attack, Bolsonaro, 'West Side Story'
In Mexico, LGBTQ activists in Sonora are spearheading a call for a national ban on so-called conversion therapy, Fronteras reported. The Coalicion Mexicana LGBTTTI+ Sonora gathered more than 18,000 signatures for a petition demanding the Mexican ...
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Chile's political houses approve marriage equality by landslide margin
Chile approved marriage-equality legislation in a landslide vote on Dec. 7, NPR reported. Both houses of Chile's Congress authorized the measure with overwhelming majorities, making it the eighth Latin American country to allow same-sex marriage, as ...
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WORLD Court rulings, Dutch apology, trans candidates win, Global Black Pride
Botswana's Court of Appeal upheld a 2019 ruling that decriminalized gay sex, effectively striking off two sections of the penal code that had outlawed homosexuality, according to Reuters. Before the 2019 High Court ruling, which was ...
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Canada's House of Commons unanimously votes to ban conversion therapy
Canada's House of Commons voted unanimously to ban so-called LGBT conversion therapy, the BBC reported. The legislation would make it illegal to have a child undergo the practice or have anyone unwillingly undergo it. Conversion therapy—which ...
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Recap: Mogul's holds first-ever International ERG Day
Employee resource groups (ERG), affinity groups, business networking and diversity councils have helped unite likeminded tribes of people throughout the workplace for more than 30 years. ERGs are aligned with one clear focus in mind: fostering ...
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WORLD Queer mountaineers, race-car driver, Australian bill, German reforms
At the end of this year's mountaineering season, a group of climbers raised LGBTQ+ symbols on top of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe, as part of the Pink Summits campaign, a press release ...
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New COVID variant discovered in South Africa
Global authorities reacted with alarm to a new coronavirus variant detected in South Africa, with the European Union and Britain among those tightening border controls as scientists tried to find out if the mutation was vaccine-resistant, ...
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WORLD HIV case, Ireland items, Kim Petras, actress' illness
A woman in Argentina has become only the second documented person whose own immune system may have cured her of HIV, NBC News noted. Researchers have dubbed the 30-year-old mother, who was first diagnosed with HIV ...
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Spain to host Gay Games in 2026
After months of preparations and a final presentation before the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) in the seaside city of Brighton East Sussex, Valencia, Spain was chosen to host the 2026 edition of the Gay Games. ...
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Thailand, Switzerland go in opposite directions regarding marriage equality
Thailand's Constitutional Court ruled a law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman in the country is constitutional, The Washington Blade reported. The Foundation for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Rights and Justice, ...
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IOC announces framework for trans, intersex athletes
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a new framework for transgender and intersex athletes, dropping controversial policies that required competing athletes to undergo "medically unnecessary" procedures or treatment, NBC News ...
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WORLD China clinic, lesbian couple, Mr. Gay World, Ghana bill
China launched its first medical clinic to treat transgender children and adolescents, NBC News reported. The Chinese state-backed media outlet The Global Times recently reported that the clinic opened at the Children's Hospital of Fudan University ...
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Taiwan's Kaohsiung Pride to host WorldPride in 2025
InterPride announced that Kaohsiung Pride, in Taiwan, has won the bid to host WorldPride in 2025. With this vote by InterPride members, a WorldPride event will be held in East Asia for the first time. The ...
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Russia labels LGBTQ+ group 'foreign agents'
On Nov. 8, Russia declared the main group defending LGBTQ+ rights a "foreign agent" as part of a continuing crackdown on media outlets and rights groups, The Moscow Times reported. The Russian LGBT Network, which was ...
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Iceland, Norway, Netherlands have highest levels of LGBTI acceptance
--From a press release
The updated Global Acceptance Index ranks LGBTI acceptance in 175 countries and locations New research from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that the average levels of acceptance for LGBTI people and their ...
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WORLD Mexico City altar, Bulgaria situation, hacker group, 'Eternals'
Mexico City honored the LGBTQ+ community with an altar called "'Phobias That Kill: The Colors That Hurt," Yahoo! News noted. It featured colorful skulls painted in Mexican hues as well as an elaborate arrangement of bright ...
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Israeli LGBTQ-rights activist accused of sexual misconduct
In Israel, LGBTQ-rights activist Etai Pinkas Arad has been accused of sexual misconduct, with two men saying he had sexual relations with them when he met them as teens through a youth group, The Times of ...
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WORLD Italian senate, Polish bill, LGBTQ+ Afghans, soccer player
Italy's senate killed a bill that would have made violence against LGBTQ+ and disabled people, as well as misogyny, a hate crime, The Guardian reported. The 315-member senate voted 154 to 131 to block the debate ...
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WORLD Indian commission, queer royals, MTV, Putin, attack in Jamaica
India's National Medical Commission has ordered publishers and medical schools to edit their textbooks and curricula to exclude discriminatory and unscientific portrayals of LGBTI people, according to Human Rights Watch. ...
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MUSIC Elton John's 'The Lockdown Sessions' now out
Elton John's The Lockdown Sessions is now out, courtesy of Interscope Records. An album of collaborations recorded remotely over the last 18 months, The Lockdown Sessions features UK #1 single "Cold Heart (PNAU remix)," with Dua ...
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WORLD Plus magazine, The Guardian, Dutch princess, anti-trans ruling
The largest circulated HIV publication in the country, Plus, unveiled its 25 Amazing People of the Year, per a press release. Just a few of the individuals are actor Billy Porter; Mandisa Nikita Dukashe: South African ...
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WORLD Japan politics, video games, lesbian tennis player, Mr. Gay World
LGBTQ+-rights activists were hoping Japan would finally allow same-sex marriage if Taro Kono, who has publicly supported same-sex marriage, became the country's next prime minister—but their hopes were dashed. Japan's ...
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Equality Now's virtual global gala Oct. 12
Equality Now announced that its annual Make Equality Reality Gala will be held Tuesday, Oct. 12, at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT. Since 1992, Equality Now has worked to ensure that laws treat men and women ...
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WORLD Movie items, tennis survey, German politics, Thai court
Kenya's Film Censorship Board (KFCB) banned I Am Samuel, claiming the documentary—which has a gay protagonist—contravenes Kenyan values, Human Rights Watch noted. In a statement, the KFCB denounced the film ...
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Nearly two-thirds of Swiss residents vote for marriage equality
Almost two-thirds of Switzerland's voters backed the government's plan to introduce same-sex marriage in a referendum held Sept. 26, with campaigners calling it a historic day for gay rights in Switzerland, Yahoo! News reported, citing AFP. ...
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WORLD Marches, world leaders, Swiss marriage, soccer match
Thousands of people including soldiers and diplomats marched peacefully through the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in an annual Pride parade despite some opposition to an event called off last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters ...
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WORLD Germany's compensation, Lyra McKee, LGBTQ Afghans, tennis player
Germany has compensated almost 250 people who were prosecuted or investigated under a Nazi-era law criminalizing homosexuality, according to euronews. By September, 317 people had applied for compensation for their ...
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Pope again refuses to bless same-sex marriages
Pope Francis told reporters recently on a return flight from Hungary that the Catholic Church is unable to bless same-sex marriages because marriage is a divine sacrament between a man and a woman, per The Advocate. ...
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SOCCER Lloyd scores five goals as U.S. women rout Paraguay
Scoring five goals in a soccer match can be called a glut or even a "repoker." Whatever it's called, Carli Lloyd accomplished that incredible feat as the U.S. women's national team routed Paraguay 9-0 in Cleveland ...
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Gay Games XI postponed because of pandemic
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the upcoming Gay Games XI have been moved from November 2022 to November 2023, Outsports reported. "Given the ongoing uncertainty regarding the state of travel restrictions internationally and in Hong Kong, ...
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WORLD False report, Indian activist dies, fashion exhibit, LGBT Awards
In Spain, a man who claimed eight hooded men carved an anti-gay slur on his butt using a knife in a horrific hate crime later said the act was consensual, according to out.com. According to police ...
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MUSIC 'Global Citizen Live' to run Sept. 25-26
International advocacy organization Global Citizen announced the expansion of "Global Citizen Live" to include Los Angeles and London with an outdoor event in L.A., which is presented by Verizon, and headlined by Stevie Wonder with Adam ...
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Dutch study: Transgender people face twice the odds for early deaths
A long-term Dutch study revealed that transgender people have double the odds of dying early compared to folks whose identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth (cisgender), according to the U.S. News & World ...
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Afghan LGBTQs in peril, with little help in sight
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of LGBT Afghan citizens, who dared to take modest steps toward living openly when their country was under the occupation and influence of a more tolerant "western culture," are now literally hiding in ...
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WORLD Anti-TGNC vote, #VeryGayRaptor, Brazilian governor, Scottish poll
In Australia, the government voted down workplace protections for transgender, non-binary and intersex people, OutInPerth.com reported. The senate was considering the Sex Discrimination and Fair Work (Respect at Work) Amendment ...
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Ukraine president promises to fight for LGBTQ rights
On Sept. 1, the president of Ukraine said his country will continue to fight anti-LGBTQ discrimination, The Washington Blade reported. "With U.S. support, Ukraine will continue to advance respect for human rights, civil liberties and fundamental ...
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WORLD WorldPride items, Afghanistan resident, Irish exhibit, Poland
The WorldPride 2021 Human Rights Conference that took place in Copenhagen was the largest in-person LGBTQ rights gathering since the pandemic began, the Los Angeles Blade reported. More than 1,000 LGBTQ activists from around the world ...
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U.S. falls to Canada in women's world hockey championships
At the women's world hockey championships, Canada stunned the United States 5-1 on Aug. 26, CBC.ca reported. Jamie Lee Rattray scored twice for the Canadian team as the U.S. squad's win streak ended at 29 games. ...
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WORLD Trapped in Afghanistan, lesbian pioneer, anti-gay crimes, Valencia's bid
Among the Americans trapped in the suburban areas of Kabul, Afghanistan, under Taliban control was Josie Thomas, 32, a transgender government contractor for the U.S. State Department and former U.S. Air Force Sergeant, The Washington Blade ...
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WORLD Kazakhstan protest, anti-gay attack, Taiwan wedding, Olympics
More than 100 people protested against an event planned by LGBT activists in Kazakhstan's northwestern city of Aqtobe, RFERL.org reported. The protesters said at the Aug. 8 rally that they would hand a petition to the ...
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WORLD Ghana's bill, Pride events, Gay Games, race-car driver
Ghanaian lawmakers are facing backlash over a bill before Ghana's parliament that aims to make LGBTQ-rights advocacy illegal, Voice of America reported. Eight lawmakers are sponsoring the bill, which would impose a maximum 10-year prison sentence ...
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Canadian becomes first out trans athlete to win Olympic medal
Canadian soccer star Quinn became the first openly transgender athlete to ever win an Olympic medal following their team's gold medal-winning win over Sweden on Aug. 6, NBC News reported. Canada's 3-2 win in penalty kicks ...
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Olympics: U.S. women's basketball team advances to semis
At the Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. women's basketball team advanced to the semifinals thanks to a 79-55 victory over Australia on Aug. 4. Last month in Las Vegas, the Australians stunned the Americans in an exhibition ...
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Olympics: Transgender weightlifter exits competition early
New Zealand transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard was knocked out of the women's 87+-kilogram competition early after failing on all three of her attempts, according to Yahoo! Sports. Hubbard was the only one of the 13 ...
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WORLD Central America migration, New Zealand, asylum, Olympics
A State Department spokesperson said the United States will continue to urge the governments of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to protect LGBTQ rights as part of its efforts to address the "root causes" of migration ...
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Olympics: U.S. women's 3x3 basketball team wins gold
The U.S. team of Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young won the first women's gold medal in the new Olympic sport of 3x3 basketball, The Chicago Tribune reported. Plum scored all five of ...
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Olympics: Japan tops U.S. in gold-medal softball game
In the Olympics, host country Japan beat the United States 2-0 to take the gold medal on July 27. Softball was added to the games at host country Japan's request, and from the moment it became ...
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Olympics: Women's soccer team advances to quarterfinals
United States women's national team (USWNT) forward Alex Morgan had a goal disallowed as the squad settled for a 0-0 tie with Australia in its final game of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics group stage, ESPN.com noted. ...
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Gay British diver wins Olympic gold
The British team of Tom Daley and Matty Lee narrowly won the 10-meter synchronized diving competition on July 26 at the Tokyo Olympics, upsetting favored China and keeping the diving powerhouse from any chance of a ...
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WORLD Marriage in Chile, Polish website, Toronto news, 'Reclaim Pride' march
On July 21, Chile's Senate approved an equal-marriage bill, DW.com reported. The regulations were presented during the second government of the socialist Michelle Bachelet (2014-2018) and last June 1, during ...
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Hungarian protesters defy prime minister with sizable march
In Hungary, approximately 30,000 people joined the annual Pride celebrations in the capital of Budapest on July 24, with attendees marching in colorful outfits in support of inclusion and freedom, according to CNN.com. However, this year ...
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WORLD Cameraman dies, order for Russia, French priest, 'Benedetta'
A Georgian TV cameraman who was among dozens of journalists attacked by a right-wing mob during chaos aimed at pro-LGBTQ campaigners has died, RFERL.org reported. Co-workers of Lekso Lashkarava, 37, said July 11 that he had ...
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Billie Jean King part of group inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame
Lesbian trailblazer and icon Billie Jean King was one of 12 people inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 17, according to the hall's website. The Class of 2021 includes coach Dennis Van ...
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Israel court: Surrogacy for same-sex couples should be allowed
On July 11, Israel's High Court of Justice ruled hat the state must allow same-sex couples and single men to become parents through surrogacy, after the government said last week that passing a law to this ...
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WORLD Anti-LGBTQ crimes, conversion therapy, out prime minister, Pakistan school
In England, police are treating the painting of a homophobic slur on an LGBTQ Pride mural as a hate crime, the BBC reported. The wall in St Helens, Merseyside, which was painted by volunteers and artists ...
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Spanish authorities arrest three in beating death of gay man
In Spain, authorities said they have arrested three men for the brutal beating death of a gay man July 3 that sparked widespread protests across the country, out.com noted, citing El Mundo. Nursing assistant Samuel Luiz, ...
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WORLD Historic ruling, Pope Francis, photo contest, Methodist Church
In a first-of-its-kind decision in Latin America, The Inter-American Court of Human Rights found the Honduran state guilty of the extrajudicial execution of transgender activist Vicky Hernandez, which occurred June 28-29, 2009, according to The Washington ...
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