Europe
Albania to present same sex partnership legalization and gender recognition, government and opposition “on-board”
Albania will present tomorrow in a high level conference in Tirana a draft proposal to legalise the same sex partnerships and to introduce a complete law for gender recognition. This has been drafted after a full process of consultations between the Council of Europe, the Albanian government, the opposition, the civil society, the Ombudsman etc.… Read more »
Gay Man Granted Asylum In Malta Due To Persecution In Nigeria
An 18-year-old Nigerian migrant has been granted asylum in Malta due to persecution in his home country over his homosexuality. Consensual homosexual conduct is punishable by up to 14-years in prison under Nigeria’s federal criminal code. The man was granted asylum by the Refugee Appeals Board in Malta this month after his initial request had… Read more »
Croatia referendum votes for gay marriage ban
65 percent of Croatians answered ‘yes’ to ballot question banning same-sex marriage The referendum to forbid marriage equality in Croatia has won an overwhelming majority. The state’s electoral commission, citing close to complete numbers, noted that 65% of voters voted ‘yes’ on the following ballot question: ‘Do you agree that marriage is matrimony between a… Read more »
Gay rights supporters protest in Croatia
Hundreds of gay rights supporters in conservative and mainly Catholic Croatia have staged a protest, on the eve of a constitutional referendum that could outlaw same-sex marriage in the EU’s newest member state. More than 1000 people braved the cold and rainy weather to gather in a square in downtown Zagreb for a protest march… Read more »
Croatia rejects gay marriage in referendum: partial results
Agence France-Presse – A strong majority in staunchly Catholic Croatia voted Sunday to outlaw same-sex marriage in a referendum sought by a Church-backed group but strongly opposed by rights groups, partial results showed. A total of 64.84 percent of voters said “yes” to the question of whether they wanted to amend the constitution to include… Read more »
Greek Government backs down on civil unions
The Greek Government has dumped plans to provide civil unions for same-sex couples after a backlash from conservative MPs in its coalition but will attach anti-discrimination protections for sexual minorities to an anti-racism bill Greece’s Government will not comply with a European Court of Human Rights ruling to open its heterosexual civil unions scheme to… Read more »
From white water rafting to a white-knuckle ride for gay equality in the Balkans
Clark Turner continues his guided tour through the Balkans, finding a mix of natural beauty and a growing gay rights movement in the aftermath of war Monday morning and we are back on the road. We head deep into the mountains. The area is breathtaking. Peaks reach for the sky, while valleys plummet to oblivion,… Read more »
Gay rights could be major hurdle for Moldova’s EU bid
Moldova’s lack of protection for the LGBT community, which says it faces constant abuse and discrimination, is out of sync with EU standards for minority rights. Chisinau, Moldova — In late September Andrei, a middle-aged Moldovan, was set upon by two men in a park in the center of this city. They had found his… Read more »
Malta: Catholic bishop claims gay couples do ‘not have a role in society’
Malta’s Auxiliary Bishop has spoken out to express his displeasure at the lack of a clear difference between marriage and civil partnerships in the debate around civil partnerships for same-sex couples in Malta, saying that gay people do “not produce offspring” so do “not have a role in society”. Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna made the… Read more »
Moscow gay club attacked with poison gas
Four attacks have been made on Russia’s Central Station nightclub since the gay propaganda law was enforced this summer A Moscow gay club was attacked with poisonous gas, forcing several people to seek medical attention. On Saturday night (23 November), unknown attackers sprayed the chemical weapon inside club Central Station. Around 500 clubbers were escorted… Read more »
Pope Francis honors gay teen genius for cancer test
Jack Andraka, a 16-year-old prodigy, says being awarded by the Vatican proves how the world has grown to accept people who are gay Pope Francis has honored a gay teen science prodigy for his work developing a cost-effective method to detect pancreatic cancer. Jack Andraka, a 16-year-old teen from Maryland, is one of the most… Read more »
Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister will be gay as well
Luxembourg is set to become the world’s first country with both an openly gay leader and deputy leader after Prime Minister Xavier Bettel named Socialist leader Etienne Schneider as his Deputy Prime Minister The constitutional monarchy of Luxembourg is set to become the first ever country to have both a gay leader and deputy leader.… Read more »
Gay son of child abuse campaigner killed himself after years of bullying at school
Tearful Shy Keenan tells how she could not protect son Ayden who suffered years of abuse at school over his sexuality The son of a prominent child abuse campaigner killed himself after revealing that he was gay and being “bullied to death” at school, an inquest heard. Ayden Keenan-Olson, 14, took his own life three… Read more »
One Gay Man’s Russia
Asylum seeker again shares his story with D.C. audience In the comfortable second-floor meeting space of Dupont Circle’s Le Mirch restaurant Wednesday evening, Nov. 13, the conversation had zero to do with anything so pleasant as fine dining. Instead, a small handful of organizers tried to give a group of about 20 locals better insight… Read more »
Luxembourg to become first country to have gay prime minister and gay deputy PM
Luxembourg is tipped to become the first country in the world to have both an openly gay prime minister and deputy prime minister. Xavier Bettel, the mayor of Luxembourg City, has officially been appointed prime minister designate by Grand Duke Henri, the country’s head of state. This means he’s in charge of forming a coalition… Read more »
Russian Government Spies On LGBT Activists To Portray Them As Part Of Western “Homosexualist Invasion”
Human rights activists warn these “KGB-like” tactics are an ominous escalation in the assault on LGBT rights ahead of the Olympic games. Russian officials bugged a private strategy meeting convened by Russian LGBT activists and four major international human rights organizations in October, an intensification of the campaign to clamp down on LGBT rights ahead… Read more »
Gay South African Student Latest Victim of Russian Skinhead Violence
One of the ugliest faces to emerge in the wake of Russia’s gay propaganda law is that of a group of neo-Nazis, who proudly post videos of gay men being tortured on social media. Although it is almost inconceivable today, that face got uglier in a video posted by the group featuring the racist taunt… Read more »
Russian Gay Activists Wrapping up Visit to Portland
A pair of gay rights activists from the Russian city of Archangel are wrapping up a five-day visit to their sister city of Portland, Maine. They’ve been trying to raise awareness about the struggles faced by Russia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender – or LGBT – community, in light of the recent rise in anti-gay… Read more »
Russia Anti-Gay Attack Leaves One Injured After Shooters Open Fire at LGBT Center in St. Petersburg
An attack on an LGBT center in St. Petersburg left one person injured, after two men opened fire on a weekly meeting Sunday evening. The two shooters entered the Laskai Center, a safe space for LGBT citizens in one of Russia’s largest cities. Wielding traumatic pistols – high powered, widely sold air guns that are… Read more »
These Gay Russian Love Stories Will Not Be Televised
Sometimes the absurd details are what stand out the most when Russians describe the effects of the new and ill-defined anti-gay “propaganda” law on everyday life. One gay couple I spoke with, newly arrived in the U.S., recently posted photos to Facebook of their wedding day at New York City Hall. Their parents back in… Read more »
These Gay Russian Love Stories Will Not Be Televised
Sometimes the absurd details are what stand out the most when Russians describe the effects of the new and ill-defined anti-gay “propaganda” law on everyday life. One gay couple I spoke with, newly arrived in the U.S., recently posted photos to Facebook of their wedding day at New York City Hall. Their parents back in… Read more »
Sochi’s Furtive Gay Clubs
As Sochi prepares for the Olympic Games, the city’s gay scene is quietly thriving—by keeping mum about Putin’s crackdowns on LGBT rights. Anna Nemtsova reports. With just over 100 days left before the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, the city was buzzing with activity. And so was Sochi’s only gay club, Mayak (or “The Beacon”).… Read more »
Facing life or death at home, gay activist seeks asylum in Vancouver
To Zdravko Cimbaljevic, the choice came down to being dead in Montenegro or alive in Canada. So the 30-year-old activist referred to as the first openly gay man in the southeastern European nation of about 680,000 people came to Canada last month and is seeking refugee status, driven out of Montenegro by what he describes… Read more »
Gay rights activists stage first Montenegro march
Podgorica (Reuters) – Montenegrins staged their first gay pride march on Sunday in the capital under heavy police guard, part of the Balkan state’s efforts to bolster its application to join the European Union by showing its commitment to human rights. After a tense but incident-free march by around 150 people, guarded by almost 2,000… Read more »
EC report criticises EU applicants Turkey, Kosovo and Serbia on LGBT rights
A European Commission report detailing the nature of LGBT rights in several countries looking to join the European Union has criticised Macedonia, Montenegro and Turkey. The reports show that LGBT people continue to face discrimination, threats and violence throughout south-eastern European and Turkey. Widespread hate crime against LGBT people were noted in Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia,… Read more »
Moldova Overturns ‘Gay Propaganda’ Ban In Anticipated EU Membership Move
The Republic of Moldova, a country in Eastern Europe landlocked between Ukraine and Romania, overturned its “gay propaganda” ban on Friday in an effort to gain European Union membership. Having passed the legislation in June, lawmakers voted to repeal the clause that prohibited “relationships [other] than those linked to marriage and the family,” largely advocated… Read more »
Moldova Overturns ‘Gay Propaganda’ Ban In Anticipated EU Membership Move
The Republic of Moldova, a country in Eastern Europe landlocked between Ukraine and Romania, overturned its “gay propaganda” ban on Friday in an effort to gain European Union membership. Having passed the legislation in June, lawmakers voted to repeal the clause that prohibited “relationships [other] than those linked to marriage and the family,” largely advocated… Read more »
Gay rights protest in St. Petersburg ends in clashes, arrests
St Petersburg, Russia (Reuters) – Police arrested 67 people after a fight broke out between gay rights activists and their opponents at a demonstration in the Russian city of St Petersburg on Saturday. Gay rights campaigners in Russia have held several small protests since the adoption of a law in June banning homosexual “propaganda” directed… Read more »
Gay rights rally in St. Petersburg ends in violence
Scuffle starts after anti-gay protesters take rainbow flag away from a woman A gay rights rally in St. Petersburg ended in scuffling. According to the Associated Press, dozens of gay rights protestors were confronted by approximately 200 conservative and religious activists. A fight broke out after one conservative activist ripped a rainbow flag out of… Read more »
Fabulous Queer Russia News Portal Launches English-Language Si
Ruslan Porshnev, pictured, is a gay Russian activist with an excellent command of English and was responsible for organizing the Queer Russia group on Google in March 2011. It’s a terrific listserv of Russian and Western activists sharing information and ideas, which I’ve been a part of since it started. In recent weeks, Ruslan launched… Read more »
From Russia With Love: Lesbian couples speak out on life under Putin
In a new photography project for Muff Magazine, four gay female couples speak out on love and anti-gay laws ‘From Russia With Love’ is a new photography project looking at lesbian loving couples living under Putin’s ‘gay propaganda laws’. Photographer Anastasia Ivanova wanted to look at the country’s anti-gay culture means for the women living… Read more »
Montenegrin LGBTs to defy violence and hold second pride event this year
The LGBT community in the former Yugoslav republic of Montenegro has vowed to march again to test the authorities’ resolve to protect them after the country’s first LGBT pride march was violently attacked in July The LGBT community in Montenegro has pledged to march through the streets of the capital Podgorica after the country’s first… Read more »
Gay Montenegrins to hold second parade despite attacks
The Montenegrin capital will host a Gay Pride parade in late October in defiance of violent attacks on activists during the first such march this summer, organisers said Thursday. “Preparations are underway” to hold the march on October 20 in Podgorica, organiser Danijel Kalezic told AFP. Kalezic said the parade in Podgorica would be a… Read more »
A Russian Gay Activist Speaks Out
Nikolai Baev, 38, is a veteran Russian gay activist born and raised in Moscow. He founded the first gay group in the city of Novosibirsk when he was a university student there, and is one of the original organizers of the efforts to stage the banned Moscow Gay Pride. Baev has been on the front… Read more »
Russia ‘gay propaganda’ law may fall after historic court ruling
A Russian judiciary court has agreed with an international ruling, a sign they could be forced to in years to come to repeal the federal law A historic ruling in Russia could be the key to finding an end to the ‘gay propaganda’ laws. Back in March 2009, gay activist Irina Fet protested against the… Read more »
Speaker of Russian Parliament invites MEPs to visit Moscow’s gay bars
The Speaker of Russia’s Parliament has invited members of the European Parliament to visit Moscow’s gay bars in an attempt to show Russia accepts the LGBT community. According to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin told a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Tuesday: “We… Read more »
Serbian President says start planning 2014 Belgrade Pride now
Serbia’s President Tomislav Nikolic has said preparations for Belgrade Pride in 2014 should begin immediately after his country’s national security Bureau banned the event for the third year in a row Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has warned that banning LGBT pride events may damage his country’s efforts to join the European Union after authorities banned… Read more »
Gay Pride Ban In Serbia Sparks Spontaneous March
A spontaneous march took place in Belgrade, Serbia after the government announced its decision to ban a gay pride march for the third consecutive year. According to several reports, dozens of LGBT rights activists gathered in front of the prime minister’s office after learning that the parade, originally scheduled for Saturday, had been called off.… Read more »
Amid Putin’s crackdown, Sochi gay scene thrives
Sochi, Russia (AP) — A man named Ravil catapults onto the dance floor and starts stomping out the lezginka, the arrogant rooster strut of the Chechen national dance. Ravil’s spontaneous performance is made even more unusual by the fact he’s in one of the two gay clubs in Sochi, the southern Russian town that will… Read more »
Leading Russian gay activist behind Moscow Pride dies
Alexey Davydov, 36, has died in hospital after a short life dedicated to LGBT rights Alexey Davydov, a leading Russian LGBT activist, has died in hospital. One of Russia’s most prominent LGBT activists, Alexey Davydov, has died at just 36 years old after a prolonged illness. Davydov passed away at 5.40am local time today (27… Read more »
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