Europe
Russia Adds ‘LGBT Movement’ to ‘Terrorists and Extremists’ List
Russia’s state financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring has added the so-called “international LGBT public movement” to its list of terrorists and extremists. Being added to the registry allows the authorities to freeze designees’ bank accounts without a court order. It was not immediately clear how Rosfinmonitoring planned to enforce its rules against the vaguely defined “LGBT movement,”… Read more »
Greece approves marriage equality
The approval came despite opposition from the Greek Orthodox Church and makes Greece the 16th country in the European Union with marriage equality. Greece has approved marriage equality, the first Orthodox Christian country to do so. Parliament voted Thursday to legalize same-sex marriage, with 176 members in favor, 76 against, and two abstaining, major media… Read more »
Russia makes first convictions for ‘LGBT extremism’ following ban
Russia’s Supreme Court banned the “LGBT movement” in November, continuing a pattern of increasing restrictions on expressions of sexual orientation and gender identity. Two Russian courts have meted out the first convictions in connection with what the government calls the “international LGBT social movement” and which was designated as extremist last year. On Thursday, a… Read more »
‘You will not replace us’: a deadly attack on a Slovakian gay bar – and its link to a fast-spreading racist ideology
Fifteen months after two men were shot in Bratislava, evidence suggests the killer may have been helped by an unidentified US-based extremist The October evening was warm and sunny. At about 7pm, two young men stepped out of the Tepláreň bar on Zámocká Street in the centre of Bratislava, to sit on a concrete bench… Read more »
Greece to legalize same-sex marriage after opposition agrees to support it
Greece is slated to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption, but surrogacy will remain restricted. Greece’s government is slated to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption after the country’s left-wing political party withdrew its opposition. Stefanos Kasselakis, the out gay leader of Syriza, said Thursday that he would instruct the 38 lawmakers in his party to vote… Read more »
Gay refugee warns Georgia ‘cannot be considered safe’ as UK government tries to add to safe list
The UK government’s own guidance warns of anti-LGBTQ attitudes in Georgia A refugee has given a stark warning: “Georgia cannot be considered a safe country.” It comes as the UK government tries to add the Eastern European country, as well as India, to the list of those considered safe to return people seeking asylum to.… Read more »
Russia Outlaws LGBTQ+ Rights Activism and Labels Organizations ‘Extremist’
The move effectively eliminates LGBTQ+ support networks and signals a larger crackdown on the country’s already vulnerable queer community. The Russian Supreme Court granted a request from the country’s Ministry of Justice to label the “international LGBT social movement” as “extremist,” a move advocates and the local LGBTQ + community fear will lead to a… Read more »
Catholic Layman Launches “Queer Bible” in Switzerland; And More News
This fall, the Synod on Synodality’s October assembly dominated news coverage as perhaps the most significant Catholic event since Vatican II. As a result, some Catholic LGBTQ+ news did not make it onto Bondings 2.0—yet. The posts today and tomorrow feature stories and commentaries not yet covered, with links provided if you would like to… Read more »
UK museum says Roman emperor Elagabalus was transgender
According to research, emperor Elagabalus asked to be called “lady”, and the museum will be referring to the ruler as “she” from now on. A UK museum has reclassified the ancient Roman emperor Elagabalus as transgender and will subsequently be referring to the ruler as “she” in its displays. The North Hertfordshire Museum will use… Read more »
UK museum reclassifies Roman emperor as transgender
According to research, Elagabalus asked to be called “lady” and preferred other feminine addresses A UK museum says that it will be heeding research that reveals the ancient Roman emperor Elagabalus was transgender and will subsequently be referring to the ruler as “she” in its displays. According to the Telegraph the North Hertfordshire Museum will… Read more »
Lesbian Artist Receives Multi-Year Prison Sentence for Criticizing Putin, Military
The judge handed down a harsh sentence for Alexandra Skochilenko, who switched out price tags with antiwar messages in a supermarket protest last year. To the shouts of “Shame!” in the courtroom, a judge in Russia last week sentenced a lesbian artist who criticized the country’s military actions in Ukraine in a supermarket protest last… Read more »
Russia seeks to outlaw LGBTQ movement as ‘extremist’
Justice Ministry files lawsuit in Supreme Court to ban ‘movement’ in most drastic step against the community so far. Russian authorities have filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court to outlaw the LGBTQ “international public movement”, in the latest crackdown against the country’s beleaguered community. The Ministry of Justice said it had “lodged an administrative… Read more »
Austria to compensate gay men convicted under discriminatory laws
A historic proposal by the Austrian Ministry of Justice sees €33m set aside to compensate those who were wrongly convicted – but critics say the amount on offer is not enough. The Austrian government is set to pay tens of millions of euros in compensation to gay people who were persecuted or convicted of consensual… Read more »
Turkey Introduces ‘Family’ Course in Schools to ‘Fight’ Homosexuality
Turkey’s education minister announced that an optional course called ‘The Family in Turkish Society’ has been introduced to the school curriculum in order to help combat “LGBT values”. Turkey’s National Education Minister Yusuf Tekin said in a TV interview on Monday that the authorities have a responsibility to “fight” homosexuality and that a new optional… Read more »
Watch: Hundreds attend Belgrade’s Pride march in Serbia
Hundreds of Pride activists gathered in the Serbian capital Saturday amid a heavy police presence and anti-gay messages sent by the country’s conservative leadership and far-right groups. Last year, the LGBTQ+ event was marred by skirmishes between the police and anti-Pride groups who believe the event goes against traditional Serbian Christian Orthodox values and should… Read more »
Most Church of England priests back gay marriage, survey finds
Major shift in attitudes in England since 2014 survey, when only 39% approved of same-sex weddings Most Church of England priests want the C of E to allow same-sex weddings and to drop its opposition to premarital and gay sex, according to a survey. In a major shift in attitudes over the past decade, a… Read more »
How queer-friendly Berlin sets itself apart
Germany is ranked among the most LGBTQ-friendly countries in the world, and its capital is the queer-friendliest city. DW’s Chiponda Chimbelu reports. Berlin is Germany’s most LGBTQ-friendly city. And yes, I can’t count how many times people (mostly straight) have asked me if Cologne isn’t Germany’s LGBTQ-friendliest city, but my conclusion is based on research… Read more »
Gay Ukrainian soldiers believe war with Russia is changing attitudes at home
As Estonia becomes the first former part of the Soviet Union to legalise same-sex marriage there are hopes Ukraine could be next When Borys matched with Valentin on Tinder, he knew their first date would be unusual. It was just a few weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the pair met at a coffee… Read more »
Gay Ukrainian soldiers believe war with Russia is changing attitudes at home
As Estonia becomes the first former part of the Soviet Union to legalise same-sex marriage there are hopes Ukraine could be next When Borys matched with Valentin on Tinder, he knew their first date would be unusual. It was just a few weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the pair met at a coffee… Read more »
Hundreds detained at banned Pride marches in Turkey: ‘They are aware of our strength’
More than 100 people were detained by police at banned Pride marches in Turkey at the weekend. On Sunday (25 June), members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies sought to hold a march in the western coastal city of Izmir, as well as stage the Istanbul Pride March in the country’s capital – which has… Read more »
Istanbul gay pride activists rally despite ban
Istanbul (AFP) – Turkish activists on Sunday defied a ban to stage an annual gay pride march in Istanbul one month after Turkey’s election followed a homophobic hate-filled campaign. A few hundred demonstrators waving rainbow flags held rallies including in Istanbul’s upscale Nisantasi neighborhood after being banned from the iconic Taksim square — the venue… Read more »
University of Oxford appoints UK’s first LGBTQ+ history professor
The University of Oxford has appointed the UK’s first permanently endowed professorship in LGBTQ+ history, in a huge step for queer representation in academia. Mansfield College announced on Monday (5 June) that historian professor Matt Cook will become the first Jonathan Cooper Chair of the History of Sexualities at the university. Cook will leave Birkbeck,… Read more »
Latvia elects Edgars Rinkevics as president – the first openly gay head of state in Europe
Latvia has elected a new president – making history the first openly gay head of state in Europe. The country’s parliament elected Edgars Rinkēvičs to be its next president, Reuters reported prime minister Krišjānis Kariņš saying. Rinkēvičs has spent a long time in Latvian politics, serving as the country’s minister of foreign affairs since 2011,… Read more »
After Erdogan’s Attacks, Fear Spreads Among L.G.B.T.Q. People in Turkey
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vilified gay people during his re-election campaign, calling them a threat to society and rallying conservatives against them. It has left people feeling threatened, and alone. When Yasemin Oz, a lesbian lawyer in Istanbul, heard President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claiming victory after a runoff election on Sunday, she said she feared… Read more »
Romania breaching LGBTQ+ couples’ human rights, European court rules
Romania is breaching the human rights of same-sex couples by refusing to legally recognise their relationships, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled. Currently, Romania doesn’t recognise same-sex marriage or civil partnerships. On Tuesday (23 May), the ECHR ruled that as a result, Romania’s government is in breach of article eight of the… Read more »
Report on scheme to disregard historic convictions of gay and bisexual men in Ireland finalised
The working group has finalised its report on possible disregard schemes for historic convictions of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. The report from the working group established by the Department of Justice to examine the ‘Disregard of (historic) Convictions for Certain Qualifying Offences Related to Consensual Sexual Activity between Men’… Read more »
‘A Quick Death or a Slow Death’: Prisoners Choose War to Get Lifesaving Drugs
An estimated 20 percent of Russia prisoner recruits are H.I.V. positive. To some, the front lines seemed less risky than prisons where they said they were denied effective treatments. In Russian prisons, they said they were deprived of effective treatments for their H.I.V. On the battlefield in Ukraine, they were offered hope, with the promise… Read more »
Russia arrests LGBTQ+ YouTubers on ‘gay propaganda’ charges
Russian authorities have arrested a same-sex couple for allegedly violating the country’s homophobic ‘gay propaganda’ law. Bloggers Haoyang Xu and Gela Gogishvili, who originally hail from China and Georgia respectively, were arrested on Wednesday (5 April) over a YouTube video. The couple regularly document their lives as a same-sex couple in Russia in videos also… Read more »
Gay Irish Prime Minister Welcomed at White House on St. Patrick’s Day
The leader and his partner had earlier met with Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband. President Joe Biden welcomed Ireland’s gay prime minister, known as the Taoiseach, to the White House on St. Patrick’s Day on Friday. In a meeting between the countries that had been postponed due to the pandemic, the two leaders… Read more »
Gay Irish Prime Minister Welcomed at White House on St. Patrick’s Day
The leader and his partner had earlier met with Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband. President Joe Biden welcomed Ireland’s gay prime minister, known as the Taoiseach, to the White House on St. Patrick’s Day on Friday. In a meeting between the countries that had been postponed due to the pandemic, the two leaders… Read more »
Slovenia officially becomes first eastern European country to recognise same-sex marriage
The legalisation of same-sex marriage has officially come into effect in Slovenia, in a huge win for LGBTQ+ rights in eastern Europe. The bill, which saw Slovenia’s Family Code updated, officially took its place amongst the country’s other laws on Tuesday (1 February). In October 2022, Slovenia’s parliament passed an amendment making it the very… Read more »
Russia ordered to recognise same-sex relationships by Europe’s top court
The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Russia to recognise same-sex partnerships, but it’s unlikely Russia will implement protections for queer couples. The ruling came in response to a years-long fight by three queer couples for legal recognition and protection after they were denied the ability to marry by Russia. The applicants were originally… Read more »
Liechtenstein prelate cancels parliamentary Mass over gay marriage bill
Audio Rome – The New Year is off to a rocky start for parliamentarians in the tiny European nation of Liechtenstein, who are currently in a standoff with the country’s lone Archbishop, Wolfgang Haas, over the recent passage of a bill legalizing same sex marriage. In December, Haas announced via the official bulletin for the… Read more »
Ukrainian, Russian Nobel Peace winners slam Putin’s ‘insane’ war
The triple peace prize award was seen as a strong rebuke to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Following the awards ceremony in Oslo, the recipients of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize took turns criticising Russia’s continuing war in Ukraine. Jailed Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian organisation Memorial, and the Ukrainian Centre for Civil Liberties were… Read more »
‘Our mere existence is illegal.’ As Moscow toughens anti-gay law, LGBTQ Russians fear for the future
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 to connect with a trained counselor or visit the NSPL site.CNN—Young mothers Yana and Yaroslava don’t want to leave Russia with their 6-year-old son. But they fear a harsh… Read more »
‘Our mere existence is illegal.’ As Moscow toughens anti-gay law, LGBTQ Russians fear for the future
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 to connect with a trained counselor or visit the NSPL site. CNN – Young mothers Yana and Yaroslava don’t want to leave Russia with their 6-year-old son. But they… Read more »
‘Our mere existence is illegal.’ As Moscow toughens anti-gay law, LGBTQ Russians fear for the future
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 to connect with a trained counselor or visit the NSPL site. CNN—Young mothers Yana and Yaroslava don’t want to leave Russia with their 6-year-old son. But they fear a… Read more »
Ukrainian, Russian Nobel Peace winners slam Putin’s ‘insane’ war
The triple peace prize award was seen as a strong rebuke to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Following the awards ceremony in Oslo, the recipients of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize took turns criticising Russia’s continuing war in Ukraine. Jailed Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian organisation Memorial, and the Ukrainian Centre for Civil Liberties were… Read more »
Russia’s State Duma Approves Bill to Ban ‘LGBT propaganda’
Those found to be spreading so-called “LGBT propaganda” could face a fine up to $6,600. CNN – Russia’s lower house of parliament passed in the third reading amendments to a law on so-called “LGBT propaganda” on Thursday, expanding liability to all ages. The discriminatory law proposes to ban all Russians from promoting or “praising” homosexual… Read more »
Russia’s State Duma Approves Bill to Ban ‘LGBT propaganda’
CNN – Russia’s lower house of parliament passed in the third reading amendments to a law on so-called “LGBT propaganda” on Thursday, expanding liability to all ages. The discriminatory law proposes to ban all Russians from promoting or “praising” homosexual relationships or publicly suggesting that they are “normal.” The original version of the law adopted… Read more »
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