Europe
Albania gay groups’ pride not to be hindered by opposition
Tirana, Albania – Gay rights organizations in Albania say they have been assured their annual pride event will not be hindered on the day when the opposition also has planned a national protest. The organizations on Monday said opposition Democratic party leader Lulzim Basha assured them there would be “no incidents or threat” during their… Read more »
Gay teen in Chechnya pushed from 9th floor balcony and killed by his family
The 17-year-old boy was murdered by his uncle after learning of his homosexuality. Russian magazine Snob has reported that a 17-year-old Chechen boy has been pushed from a 9th floor balcony and killed by his uncle, after families are being encouraged to “wash the shame” away from gay relatives. Snob was approached by a gay… Read more »
Chechnya gay rights: Putin backs inquiry into hate crimes
Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed an inquiry into a reported crackdown on gay people in the republic of Chechnya, in the North Caucasus. He said he would personally ask the prosecutor general and the interior minister to check the reports. German Chancellor Angela Merkel this week urged the Russian authorities to help protect gay… Read more »
Chechnya’s police are telling parents to kill their gay sons – or they’ll do it themselves
A horrific new account about the ongoing persecution of gay men in Chechnya has revealed that authorities are asking parents to kill their own gay children. According to one survivor who managed to escape the gay torture camps the country has set up, police are telling parents of gay men to “sort it out” or… Read more »
Russian police round up LGBT activists demonstrating against persecution of gay men in Chechnya
Officers in riot gear forcibly arrest protesters on day of worldwide action against autocratic governmet, poor pay and conditions for workers, and austerity Russian police have detained LGBT activists attempting to raise awareness about the persecution of gay men in Chechnya. The demonstration was held during a May Day march in St Petersburg, with a… Read more »
Russian reporter who exposed Chechen ‘detention and torture of gay men’ goes into hiding as allegations widen
Novaya Gazeta says at least six prisons used in brutal campaign as reporters receive threats One of the Russian reporters who exposed the detention and torture of gay men in Chechnya has gone into hiding amid fears of retribution as the scope of alleged abuse widens. Both the Kremlin and Chechen government have dismissed “provocative”… Read more »
Four more prisons for gay men have been found in Chechnya
Journalists investigating the abuse of gay men in Chechnya have made a gruesome discovery. Respected newspaper Novaya Gazeta originally reported that gay men were being held in two concentration camp style prisons in the region. Reports initially centred on two jails in the villages of Argun and Tsotsi-Yurt. However journalists from the area now say… Read more »
BBC’s ‘bold and provocative’ Gay Britannia set to rule the airwaves
The BBC will air a “bold and provocative” season of LGBT programming to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality. Actors Vanessa Redgrave and Simon Callow, Sandi Toksvig and Years and Years singer Olly Alexander will feature in TV and radio shows about the LGBT community. Viewers will see the stories of… Read more »
A Gay Russian Violinist Comes Out On Social Media
Artem Kolesov, first violinist of the Chicago-based Yas Quartet, has been outraged by reports of gay oppression in Chechnya. So he decided to publish a video testament on being young, Russian and gay. Artem, 23, has addressed his statement in Russian (with English subtitles) to his homeland, aware that in doing so he could face… Read more »
U.N. Experts Condemn Killing and Torture of Gay Men in Chechnya
London — United Nations experts demanded on Thursday that Chechnya halt the abduction, detention, beating and killing of gay and bisexual men, after weeks of reports about violent repression there. “These are acts of persecution and violence on an unprecedented scale in the region and constitute serious violations of the obligations of the Russian Federation… Read more »
Journalist who broke news of Chechnya’s gay purge forced into hiding after ‘jihad’ death threats
The Russian journalist who broke the news of Chechnya’s homophobic purge has been forced into hiding after the region’s largest mosque declared jihad. Russian opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta broke the news earlier this month that more than 100 gay men have been detained in Chechnya “in connection with their non-traditional sexual orientation”. The disturbing reports,… Read more »
Hungarian town’s gay and Muslim ban deemed unconstitutional
A Hungarian village which banned openly supporting same-sex marriage, as well as building mosques and wearing headscarves, has been told it can’t do that. Laszlo Toroczkai, the mayor of southern Hungarian border village Asotthalom, posted on Facebook last year about the proposals which were adopted by his council. He wrote: “Instead of looking for a… Read more »
Falkland Islands introduces full marriage equality
PinkNews Exclusive The Falkland Islands has passed historic legislation to legalise same-sex marriage. The Legislative Assembly also voted overwhelmingly to approve civil partnerships for both same-sex couples and heterosexual couples. The British Overseas Territory, which has a population of around 3,000, passed the law with seven votes in favour, and one against. The extention of… Read more »
Two men jailed for 30 years for trafficking gay sex-slaves
A Miami court sentenced two Hungarian men to 30 years in prison for forcing young gay men into sexual slavery The two men, Gabor Acs and Viktor Berki, were given their sentence on Friday after being convicted of human trafficking, conspiracy and racketeering in February. They kept up to eight Hungarian men in their 20s… Read more »
US, UK and and EU leaders condemn homophobic ‘purge’ in Chechnya
International figures have urged the Russian government to intervene over reports that authorities in Chechnya are ‘purging’ the gay community. Early reports emerged last week that gay people are being targeted in the region, which is part of Russia but has substantial autonomy. Russian newspapers and human rights groups report that more than 100 gay… Read more »
Vatican welcomes world’s only gay leader and his husband to meet the Pope
The gay Prime Minister of Luxembourg and his husband have been welcomed to the Vatican. Xavier Bettel, who married his husband, Gauthier Destenay, in 2015, was welcomed by Catholic officials. Archbishop Ganswein, a leader of the Catholic church and personal secretary of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, met Bettel and his partner as they arrived for… Read more »
Gay men “do not exist”
Chechen spokesman responds to reports that 100 gay men have been rounded up, and some killed “You cannot detain and persecute people who simply do not exist in the republic.” That’s what a spokesperson for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said in response to reports that at least 100 suspected gay men had been rounded up… Read more »
Honor killings
How ambitions known LGBT activist in Chechnya awakened terrible ancient custom “Novaya Gazeta” has learned about the mass detentions of Chechen residents on account of their sexual orientation – or suspicion of such. At the moment, we received information about the arrest of more than a hundred men. “Novaya Gazeta” has already known the names… Read more »
Gay men “do not exist”
Chechen spokesman responds to reports that 100 gay men have been rounded up, and some killed “You cannot detain and persecute people who simply do not exist in the republic.” That’s what a spokesperson for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said in response to reports that at least 100 suspected gay men had been rounded up… Read more »
Tate Britain celebrates 50 years of gay freedom
This week an exhibition opens of ‘queer’ art whose specific perspective was not always recognised or accepted It is not just the beauty of art, it turns out, that lies in the eye of the beholder, but also its “queerness”. Tate Britain is preparing its first show dedicated to “queer art”, a term long understood… Read more »
Chechen Authorities Arresting and Killing Gay Men, Russian Paper Says
Moscow — First, two television reporters vanished. Then a waiter went missing. Over the past week, men ranging in age from 16 to 50 have disappeared from the streets of Chechnya. On Saturday, a leading Russian opposition newspaper confirmed a story already circulating among human rights activists: The Chechen authorities were arresting and killing gay… Read more »
Russia wages legal & cultural war on LGBTIs
The ‘enemy within’: Victims of Putin’s ‘gay propaganda’ law Although Europe has generally seen some progress in achieving LGBTQI+ rights over the last two decades, the skies have recently been darkening over certain parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where legislation has been introduced with the aim of silencing LGBTQI+ voices. The Russian Federation… Read more »
Russian government warns citizens not to be homophobic while on holiday in Europe
Russia has warned homophobic citizens to refrain from homophobic attacks… while on holiday in other countries. The advice comes from the Russian Foreign Ministry, which has updated its travel advice for visitors hoping to holiday around the world. The guidelines, which are aimed at preventing Russian tourists from causing offence, warns them that they may… Read more »
Sinn Féin makes equal marriage a ‘key issue’ in Northern Ireland power-sharing talks
Sinn Féin had set out demands on same-sex marriage as part of attempts to reach a fresh power-sharing deal in Northern Ireland. Assembly elections were held earlier this month in Northern Ireland after the collapse of the previous government, with Democratic Unionist Party losing ground after a corruption scandal. The anti-gay marriage DUP, which is… Read more »
Germany to overturn convictions of gay men prosecuted after war
Men who are still alive will get compensation for what they suffered under Paragraph 175 against homosexuality Germany’s cabinet has approved a bill to overturn the convictions of thousands of gay men who were prosecuted after the second world war. Gay men convicted between 1949 and 1969 who are still alive are expected to be… Read more »
World’s leading publisher of gay media, known for its sexy art books, goes bust
Bruno Gmünder also publishes Spartacus International Gay Guide, the world’s best-selling gay travel book A global market leader in LGBTI publishing has gone into administration. German publishing house Bruno Gmünder is best known for publishing Spartacus International Gay Guide, the world’s best-selling gay travel book, as well as sexy art books. Last week, it was… Read more »
UK government refuses to make ‘gay cure therapy’ illegal
The UK government has refused to make gay cure therapy illegal. It has responded to a petition signed by 33,000 Brits asking for the process, which has been widely debunked, to make the process illegal. The creator of the petition, Mollie Mantle, wrote: “This therapy often includes electric shocks, counselors encouraging suicide, and damaging ideology… Read more »
Over a billion people are living under British anti-gay laws as 40th Commonwealth Day celebrated
People from around the globe are celebrating the 40th Commonwealth Day – as more than a billion people in ex-British colonies continue to live under anti-gay laws. To mark the anniversary the Queen revealed that a baton will “visit people living in the nations and territories of our Commonwealth family in every continent and ocean.”… Read more »
Niviaq Korneliussen: HOMO sapienne
The title itself is a neologism, a kind of female declension of homo sapiens – with the emphasis on “homo” as in homosexual. The novel’s five main characters comprise two lesbians, a gay man, a bisexual, and a transsexual. The novel is fundamentally about love, friendship, and family ties, portrayed through people who don’t exactly… Read more »
Same-sex marriage is legal in Slovenia from Today!
Same-sex marriage has become legal for the first time in Slovenia today. Although the law will give couples largely the same rights as heterosexual ones, it still bans them from jointly adopting children. The law was passed around ten months ago, after a referendum rejected a draft that would have also granted adoption rights. Ksenija… Read more »
A third of Brits still think being gay is a choice
Unsurprisingly, UKIP voters were the most likely group to think being gay is a choice A third of British people still believe being gay is a choice. The YouGov study revealed 31% of Brits think gay men and lesbians ‘choose’ their sexuality, while 49% of people think they are born that way. 3% of respondents… Read more »
Is this gay-owned Swedish B&B the chicest ever?
Welcome to Lådfabriken, where heaven is an island near Gothenburg Do you ever crave real quiet? The sort of silence you can actually hear? If that’s the case, then you’re in luck. Lådfabriken, on the island of Edshultshall on Sweden’s west coast, provides exactly that. This unspoiled wilderness is just over an hour’s drive from… Read more »
Malta could introduce same-sex marriage this year
No time frame has been given, but it could happen this year Malta is looking to introduce same-sex marriage – and it sounds as if it could happen this year. Helena Dalli, Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs, and Civil Liberties, made the announcement on Tuesday (21 February). If the law passes, Malta will be… Read more »
Manchester to open the UK’s first LGBT retirement community
Manchester City Council has announced plans to create the UK’s first retirement community for LGBT people – with a hard limit on how many non-LGBT residents can live there. The project, a first in the UK, is intended to cater for the city’s older LGBT population, and is part of wider plans to provide high… Read more »
Caught With Their Pants Down – Italian Government Paid for Gay Orgies
The country’s anti-discrimination department used funds intended to combat homophobia to invest in private prostitution clubs. Rome—There is little question that Italy has been slow on the uptake when it comes to recognizing equal rights for the country’s LGBT community. Last year Italy was the last in western Europe to finally pass a same sex… Read more »
10 notable queer women in UK history that you should know about
February is LGBT History Month in the UK. Here are some women who made their mark on history Last year I presented a UK LGBT history session to our recent alumni of the Stonewall LGBT Allies program that we held at Thomson Reuters. The session was a whistle-stop tour from Roman times to modern day.… Read more »
Homophobes forced Finland into new same-sex marriage vote but it didn’t go as planned
Seems like they didn’t see that one coming The Finnish government has stopped an initiative seeking to block marriage equality at the last minute. On 1 March, Finland will become the last Scandinavian country to open marriage to same-sex couples. Parliament had originally voted on marriage equality in November 2014. It was a close vote,… Read more »
Synod victory for LGBTI love and equality
Bishops’ report endorsing discrimination is defeated Biggest setback for Anglican leaders in decades Report defended straight superiority & opposed equal marriage LGBTI clergy and lay people treated as second class “This vote to reject the Bishops’ report is a triumph for love and equality. It is the biggest defeat for the Anglican leadership in many decades.… Read more »
Hundreds attend pro-LGBTI protest after gas attack on Croatia gay club night
Two people were injured in the Sunday night attack Hundreds of people joined a pro-LGBTI protest in Zagreb after unknown attackers released tear gas during a gay club night. On early Sunday morning (12 February), someone threw a canister of tear gas into Super Super club, where a gay club night was in full swing.… Read more »
LGBTI activists go missing after attempting to hold Pride event in Ukraine
They were traveling to the Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine Two LGBTI activists have gone missing in separatist territory in eastern Ukraine. Grey Violet, a Russian agender activist, and Victoria Miroshnichenko, a 27-year-old listed in some reports as a girlfriend, vanished in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR). We do not know Violet’s preferred… Read more »
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