Europe
Dad, who killed his gay son, jailed for life
A Turkish court has found a father and two uncles guilty over the manslaughter of a 17-year-old teen A father who killed his gay son for ‘shaming the family’ is facing life in prison. On 2 July 2012, 17-year-old Rosin Çiçek was found beaten, bloody and with a bullet wound in his head at the… Read more »
In Addressing Olympic Committee, UN Chief Decries Attacks On Gays
In an address to members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned discrimination and attacks against LGBT people. “We must all raise our voices against attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex people,” Ban said. “We must oppose the arrests, imprisonments and discriminatory restrictions they face.” The run-up… Read more »
Cyprus to hold its first ever Gay Pride this year
To celebrate the north becoming the last part of Europe to decriminalize homosexuality, Cyprus will celebrate gay rights in a ‘long overdue’ event Cyprus will be holding their first ever Gay Pride this year. To celebrate the north being the last part of Europe to decriminalize homosexuality, the country will celebrate gay rights for 15… Read more »
Channel 4’s Hunted – the Russian gangs who hunt gays for sport
A few days before the opening of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, the safety of the Russian gay community is worse than ever. Channel 4’s harrowing new documentary, Hunted, follows the Russian gangs that hunt gay men for sport. Investigative journalist Liz MacKean got inside the St Petersburg branch of Occupy Paedophilia, an anti-gay organisation… Read more »
‘This country is rampant with homophobia’, this Irish politician deserves a standing ovation
Independent Senator David Norris has delivered a remarkable, blistering polemic against “rampant homophobia” to the Irish senate this week. Watch Mr Norris come out blazing against members of the chamber who he accuses of putting down motions that “are effectively apartheid.” The speech was prompted by the Irish broadcaster RTE paying damages to anti-gay rights… Read more »
Bosnia: Attack on LGBT Activists
Ensure Justice, Protection for Activists Bosnian LGBT activists and their supporters should be able to gather without being the targets of homophobic attacks. The Bosnian authorities need to make clear that the attackers will be found and prosecuted.-Lydia Gall, Balkans and Eastern Europe researcher (Budapest) – Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina should publicly condemn an… Read more »
Scotland Approves Gay Marriage Bill
The Scottish Parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a gay marriage bill. After more than 4 hours of debate, lawmakers approved the bill with a 105 to 18 vote. “Today is one of those rare days where you can say as a politician ‘I’ve made a difference,’” MSP James Dornan told colleagues during the debate at… Read more »
Three Russian men found guilty of brutally murdering a 29-year-old man they believed was gay
Trio brutally beat and stabbed victim to death in country’s far east region then put his body in a car they doused with gasoline and set on fire Three men in Russia were found guilty on Monday (3 February) of brutally murdering a man because they thought he was gay. They have been sentenced to… Read more »
Russian gay expat: No gay people in Sochi? ‘I laugh because I’ve been to Sochi’
A gay Russian expatriate who sought asylum in the US has spoken out against the Sochi mayor who claimed there are no gay people in his city, saying “I laughed out loud, because I’ve been to Sochi.” In an interview with NYDailyNews, 26-year-old Gleb Vakrushev spoke against Russia’s notorious anti-gay “propaganda” laws, which he said… Read more »
France: Tens of thousands protest in Paris and Lyon against ‘family phobic’ equal marriage
Tens of thousands of protesters were reported to have marched in Paris and Lyon on Sunday against the French government’s legalisation of same-sex marriage. According to AFP, protesters accused French President Francois Hollande’s government of “family phobia” following new laws easing abortion restrictions and legalising equal marriage. Police reported that around 80,000 people had taken… Read more »
Finnish Olympic swimmer comes out to highlight Russia’s anti-gay laws
Ari-Pekka Liukkonen swam in the London Olympics and took the bronze in the 2012 European Championships ‘I wanted to start a broader discussion in connection with Sochi, because it’s sad that the legislation in Russia restricts the human rights of young people and others,’ Liukkonen told Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company. Liukkonen competed in the… Read more »
3 injured after hooded attackers storm gay film festival screening in Sarajevo
Three people were injured after hooligans wearing hoods and balaclavas stormed a movie theatre hosting a gay film festival in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo on Saturday A police official, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP that “several” hooligans entered the Art Cinema Kriterion on the second day of the 3-day Merlinka festival, which… Read more »
Russian anti-gay gang violence seen for the first time on camera
Forthcoming C4 documentary reveals disturbing methods used by homophobic groups as Olympics near Shocking footage of the violent groups that target gay men and lesbian women in Russia will reveal the dangerous levels of homophobia in the country in the runup to the Sochi Winter Olympics this week. A Channel 4 documentary, Hunted, to be… Read more »
Bulgarian Parliament rejects gay propaganda ban law
Bulgarian lawmakers have thrown out a law which would have ended LGBTI people’s freedo m of expression and freedom to assembly with even more severe punishments than Russia’s ban on so-called homosexual propaganda Lawmakers in Bulgaria have rejected a proposal which would have banned any public discussion or display of LGBTI identity. The proposal to… Read more »
Russian editor fined 50,000 roubles for printing ‘being gay is normal’
A journalist had interviewed a gay geography teacher who had been fired from his position for his sexuality A journalist had interviewed a gay geography teacher who had been fired from his position for his sexuality A Russian editor was fined yesterday (29 January) for printing an interview with a gay teacher who said ‘being… Read more »
Northern Cyprus votes to repeal gay sex ban
Politicians in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus have voted to repeal a ban against homosexuality. Monday’s second reading approval by Turkish Cypriot deputies of an amendment to the island’s colonial era ban on gay sex marks the end of a long crusade by the Turkish Cypriot LGBT community, human rights activists and London Conservative… Read more »
The ‘enemy within’: A gay Russian writer talks about homophobia and libel under Putin
“All this noise you guys have been making since the anti-gay law was signed is doing its job.” -Sergey Khazov, writer and journalist In times of crisis, Russia hunts for the enemy within; that’s what Sergey Khazov tells me when I ask him why there is so much anti-gay sentiment in his country. “The recession… Read more »
Homophobia spreads in Russian media
The Russian authorities have been widely criticised for enacting a law banning the promotion of homosexuality among children. A rising tide of homophobia in parts of the media has accompanied and followed the adoption of that law, including attempts to implicate homosexuals in a recent series of terror attacks. The controversy surrounding the so-called “anti-gay”… Read more »
Sir Ian McKellen leads 27 Nobel laureates in protesting Russia’s ‘gay propaganda’ law
Sir Ian McKellen and his friend the chemist Sir Harry Kroto have penned an open letter to the Russian Government signed by 27 Nobel prize winners, protesting its ban on so-called ‘homosexual propaganda to minors’ Sir Ian McKellen has joined forces with the noted chemist Sir Harry Kroto to co-write a protest letter to the… Read more »
Vice Releases ‘Young And Gay In Putin’s Russia’
When Russian legislators passed anti-gay “propaganda” legislation last summer, they effectively institutionalized homophobia and transphobia throughout the nation. In the months since, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have become targets of violence, with self-proclaimed “vigilantes” subjecting Russian queers to public acts of brutality and private acts of torture. In anticipation of the upcoming 2014… Read more »
Vladimir Putin’s attack on homosexuality is shattering the lives of Russians
Nikita Guryanov, a high-school student in Moscow, has been dubbed a “propagandist”. But what is the hateful doctrine that he is spreading? He summed it up best in his YouTube show: “No matter who you are – gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender – you are a human being,” he said. “You are an individual. You… Read more »
Russia’s ‘anti-gay’ law pushes gay community into shadows
Moscow, Russia (CNN) — Pavel Petel was once an open, flamboyant bisexual man from Ukraine who built up a career as a model, performance artist and DJ in Russia. Photographs of him semi-naked while riding a horse and brandishing a gun are a feast for web surfers. But after he and his partner Sergey Ostrikov… Read more »
Orthodox Church of Russia: Homosexuality must be banned and excluded from society
Russia’s powerful Orthodox Church has proposed a referendum on banning homosexuality. On Friday, spokesman Vsevolod Chaplin pointed to polls showing more than a third of Russians view homosexuality as an illness. “There is no question that society should discuss this issue since we live in a democracy,” Mr Chaplin told the online edition of the… Read more »
Russia’s Church urges gay sex ban referendum
Russia’s powerful Orthodox Church proposed Friday a referendum on banning gay relations in the face of Western pressure over human rights ahead of next month’s Winter Olympics in Sochi. The Church’s abrupt intervention came amid a growing debate over whether the Kremlin should mount a stronger defence of traditional values that many in the overwhelmingly… Read more »
Gay-Rights Advocates Prepare For The Sochi Olympics
Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Sochi this past weekend to inspect and oversee preparations for the Winter Olympic Games, which are now just a month away. He has made no secret of his plan to use the Games as a showcase for modern Russia. International human-rights and L.G.B.T. activists, however, are focussed on raising… Read more »
Homophobia vs Homosocialism: The Fear of Being Perceived Gay
In India, in Italy, In China, in fact all around the world it is perfectly acceptable for men to hold hands in a show of affection. For a society that advertises itself as a paradigm of acceptance, and it is, men in Britain and the US are scared, nay petrified of bodily contact lest they… Read more »
Former Vatican guard: I was regularly asked for gay sex by priests
A former Swiss guard claims cardinals, priests and bishops asked him for sex at least 20 times during his time serving the Vatican One of the Pope’s former personal bodyguards has claimed he received several sexual advances from priests while serving at the Vatican. He claims he received 20 to 25 explicit sexual advances from… Read more »
Outdoor lovers will fall for the deep caves, enchanting lakes, white peaks and white horses of Slovenia
From Lake Bled to Lipica, from the Skocjan caves to Medieval castles, Gay Star Travel explores the world away from the capital’s buzzing life The countryside of Slovenia, a small state nested between Italy, Hungary, Austria and Croatia, stuns with its beauty and diverse attractions: Exploring a cave, swimming in an Alpine lake, eating some… Read more »
European Parliament overwhelmingly adopts reports condemning LGBT situation in Serbia and Kosovo
The European Parliament today overwhelmingly adopted two progress reports which condemned the treatment of LGBT people in Serbia and Kosovo and recommended the two countries improve the situation. A report on each of the two countries was adopted by the parliament today. On Serbia, the report “strongly condemns the authorities’ decision to ban the planned… Read more »
Far From Russia’s Biggest Cities, Being Gay Means Being Always Under Threat
Konstantin was kidnapped and threatened with death. Mikhail was beaten by a friend when he came out. Oksana fears she may be forced to flee Russia. These are their stories. Tolyatti, Russia — The last two years have been brutal for Konstantin Golava, a 22-year-old environmental activist and the only publicly out gay person in… Read more »
Germany gets its first out lesbian cabinet minister
In low key fashion, Germany’s new Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks came out this week in a newspaper interview – making her the country’s first openly lesbian cabinet member. Ms Hendricks, a member of the Social Democrats for 20 years, mentioned in an interview with the Rheinische Post that she would “be spending New Year’s Eve… Read more »
Sweden looks into underage sex changes
The Swedish minister with LGBT rights in his portfolio will look into whether Swedes younger than 18 should have access to changing their gender in official documents. Integration Minister Erik Ullenhag, whose office also has responsibility for questions concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, has appointed a review into whether people in Sweden whose… Read more »
Bulgaria Court rules claim gay men are more dangerous than smoking is unlawful
The Supreme Administrative Court of Bulgaria has ruled that comments by Bulgarian film director Andrey Slabakov constitute unlawful harassment, ordering the country’s Commission for Protection against Discrimination to take action against him Bulgaria’s Supreme Administrative Court has ruled that comments made on national television by actor and director Andrey Slabakov saying homosexuals were more dangerous… Read more »
Photos: What It’s Like In The Gay Bar At Ground Zero Of The Russian Olympics
It’s hard to imagine running a gay club under the threat of government crackdown, terrorist attacks and abduction, but somehow the owners of the Mayak in Sochi are soldiering on. Reuters photographer Thomas Peter paid a visit to the nightclub and snapped a few shots, as well as portraits of brave members of the LGBT… Read more »
Gay Russians are equal? One club asks Putin to take closer look.
In an open letter to Vladimir Putin, the owner of Moscow’s biggest gay nightclub says it has come under repeated attack recently, but that police refuse to help. Moscow — President Vladimir Putin contends that Russia’s gay citizens are “absolutely full-fledged and equal in rights” with all other Russians. But critics argue that’s legalistic window-dressing… Read more »
Two weeks after Croatia banned gay marriage, PM proposes civil unions
Zoran Milanovic is determined to bring in more rights for gay couples after 65% of Croatian voters said they were against equal marriage While Croatia may have voted at the ballot box to ban gay marriage, the liberal Prime Minister is determined to bring in rights for same-sex couples. The government has presented ‘life… Read more »
Two weeks after Croatia banned gay marriage, PM proposes civil unions
Zoran Milanovic is determined to bring in more rights for gay couples after 65% of Croatian voters said they were against equal marriage While Croatia may have voted at the ballot box to ban gay marriage, the liberal Prime Minister is determined to bring in rights for same-sex couples. The government has presented ‘life partnership’… Read more »
Belarus activist threatened and beaten by police for trying to register gay group
Amnesty International Australia has called on authorities in Belarus to properly investigate the beating of gay activist Ihar Tsikhanyuk by police in response to his trying to register an LGBTI rights group with the government Amnesty International Australia is campaigning for an investigation into a Belarusian gay activist being beaten and threatened by police after… Read more »
Turkey’s gay groups dismayed LGBT abuse not a hate crime
Istanbul(AFP) — Gay rights groups in Turkey voiced dismay Friday that proposed legislation fails to make it a hate crime to target people because of their sexual orientation. “The definition of hate crime must immediately be broadened. The government has to guarantee our right to live,” Ebru Kiranci, an official from Istanbul’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual… Read more »
London Pride 2014 to honor New York’s Stonewall Riots
Event in June will mark the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots with the theme of ‘Freedom to…’ Pride in London 2014 will pay tribute to the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York, a turning point for the LGBTI liberation movement. Organizers have set the theme as ‘Freedom to…’ and are holding… Read more »
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