Europe
All the top 10 happiest countries in the world have the best LGBTI rights
They’re gay in both senses of the word The World Happiness Report 2019 has been released and all of the top ten countries have an exemplary record on LGBTI rights. The report, produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in partnership with the Ernesto Illy Foundation, has ranked 156 countries on how happy their citizens… Read more »
Romanian senators just slammed down two civil partnership bills
It’s the latest defeat in the 11 year-long battle to legalize civil partnerships The Romanian Senate rejected by majority two civil partnership bills yesterday (18 March). Both bills proposed by pro-LGBTI parties were defeated in the Senate, Romania Insider reported. This is the latest defeat in an 11 year battle to legalize civil partnerships in… Read more »
A trans social worker from Mumbai just became a state ambassador
While the trans community has far to go, this is a huge step in representation In a groundbreaking first for the country, the Election Commission of India appointed their first trans ambassador today (19 March). The EIC elected Gauri Sawant, a Mumbai-based trans activist, as one of the 12 election ambassadors from the state. Speaking… Read more »
Russia cancels youth festival for promoting LGBTI agenda
Festival organizers also received death threats Police hauled the organizer of a youth festival in Russia in for questioning as she received online death threats. Yulia Tsvetkova put together the Colour of Saffron festival in the far eastern town of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Due to run this weekend, local authorities cancelled the event over concerns one of… Read more »
Homophobic arsonists torch HIV testing center in Athens
HIV testing is continuing in a mobile unit parked outside the torched building The Greek government has condemned an arson attack on a LGBTI sexual health organization in Athens. Unknown assailants set fire to the Athens headquarters of Checkpoint during the early hours of Monday morning. Located in the central and tourist area, Monastiraki, fire… Read more »
Royal Ascot relaxes dress code to make the races more LGBTI-inclusive
Elegant racegoers of the Royal Ascot will now be able to dress for the gender they ‘feel most comfortable with,’ it was announced today (5 March). The policy is part of a diversity drive to be more LGBTI-inclusive, according to The Telegraph. Visitors can dress according to their true selves, but must nevertheless not break… Read more »
This is what it’s like to be tortured in a Chechnya gay concentration camp
LGBTI activists on the ground are willing to try and evacuate as many as gay men as they can You hear a rapid knock on the door. Your eyes dart to the window, your heart beats faster. ‘It’s the police – open the door,’ a man says loudly from outside. You do – there are… Read more »
LGBTI crisis in Chechnya: People tortured in ‘gay purge’ need to flee the country
‘LGBTI people in Chechnya urgently need our help to save them from imprisonment, torture and murder’ LGBTI people are being rounded up, detained, tortured and executed in Chechnya. The ‘gay purge’ has been happening periodically since the end of 2016. What we know is that Chechen authorities have targeted human rights defenders, their critics and… Read more »
Partner of Serbia’s lesbian PM Ana Brnabic gives birth to a baby boy
Brnabic is the first openly gay politician and the first woman to serve as Prime Minister in Serbia The partner of Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabic has given birth to a baby boy. Her office has announced the same-sex couple has welcomed a boy named Igor on 20 February. ‘Ana Brnabic is one of the… Read more »
French Writer Alleges Vatican Is One Of The World’s Largest Gay Communities
Author Frederic Martel is claiming Catholic priests publicly denounce homosexuality while privately leading double lives. Vatican City (AP) — A gay French writer has lifted the lid on what he calls one of the world’s largest gay communities, the Vatican, estimating that most of its prelates are homosexually inclined and attributing much of the current… Read more »
Memories of Britain’s First LGBT+ Pride in 1972
Way back in the early 1970s, I was a member of the newly-formed Gay Liberation Front. It was Britain’s first direct action human rights movement of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. To combat the invisibility and denigration of the queer community, we decided to organise a ‘Gay Pride’ march, with the theme of… Read more »
Turkey: End Ankara Ban on LGBTI Events
Governor Extends Restrictions Beyond State of Emergency (Berlin) – The ban in Turkey’s capital Ankara on public events focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) issues discriminates against LGBTI people and violates their fundamental rights, and should therefore be immediately lifted, Human Rights Watch said today. The ban was originally imposed in November… Read more »
Gay computer hero Alan Turing named greatest person of 20th Century
The father of computer science beat Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela to be named BBC Two’s Icon Alan Turing, the father of computer science who was also gay, was named the most ‘iconic’ figure of the 20th Century on Tuesday (5 February). Public voting during a live broadcast of BBC Two’s Icons: The… Read more »
Number of people identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual hits record high, figures show
Young people most likely to identify as LGB, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) The number of people identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) has hit a record high in the UK, new figures show. Data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the figure increased by 50,000 in 2017, with… Read more »
Activists: Chechen Authorities Order Families to Kill LGBT Family Members, Also Pay Ransoms
According to campaigners, families in Chechnya are being ordered to kill their LGBT relatives, with authorities also demanding money for the release of detained LGBT relatives. Russian campaigners have told The Daily Beast that Chechen authorities have ordered people to kill LGBT members of their own families, and have demanded ransoms for the release of… Read more »
‘It is possible to be Muslim and a lesbian’
Miriam hid her sexuality from her strict Muslim parents for years. When she eventually did come out to them, she found it impossible to translate “lesbian” into Punjabi or Urdu. She explains how the conversation put an end to her double life “playing the straight woman” but caused a rift so deep that her father… Read more »
Lithuania’s top court grants residence permits for same-sex foreign spouses
The landmark ruling comes despite the fact that same-sex unions are still not legally recognized in Lithuania Lithuania’s top court has ruled that foreign spouses of gay citizens must be granted residence permits. The Constitutional Court ruled that denying residency permits to the spouses of gay Lithuanian citizens who had married abroad was discriminatory and… Read more »
Activists warn of a new wave of anti-gay attacks in Chechnya
Exclusive: Activists say authorities ‘have increased their activity’ Activists are warning of a new wave of anti-gay attacks in the Russian republic of Chechnya. According to a social media post last night (10 January), activists are urging LGBTI Chechens to flee immediately, amid a new crackdown against LGBTI people. It is understood authorities received new… Read more »
Christian leaders and MP in the Netherlands sign anti-LGBTI manifesto
The manifesto says homosexuality is ‘unclean’ Hundreds of Christian leaders and one member of parliament have signed a manifesto expressing their opposition to LGBTI people. Some of the points on the manifesto included expressing their belief that marriage is between and a man and a woman. The manifesto also expressed a disapproval of transgender identities… Read more »
Marriage equality campaigners urge UK govt. to extend rights to Northern Ireland
Activists want to see marriage equality reach in Northern Ireland in 2019 Marriage equality activists have urged the UK government to extend same-sex marriage laws to Northern Ireland. Campaigners said they will increase the pressure on Westminster to spread marriage equality to all parts of the UK. Stephen Donnan, a campaigner with LGBTI rights group… Read more »
Iceland has made it illegal to pay women less than men
A new law in Iceland making it illegal to pay women less than men came into effect on January 1, 2018. Companies will now have to obtain certification for demonstrating equal pay. Iceland has been ranked the best in the world for gender pay equality for 9 years in a row.Iceland has made it illegal… Read more »
LGBTI group lodges criminal complaint against newspaper for inciting hate
The newspaper printed comments such as ‘homosexual perverts who define themselves as LGBTI’ Turkey’s leading LGBTI group, Kaos GL, has filed a criminal complaint against a major newspaper in the country. Kaos GL filed the petition with the Prosecutor’s office claiming the newspaper, Yeni Akit. It claimed the newspaper had incited hate against the LGBTI… Read more »
Abortion is now legal in Ireland as president signs bill
Abortion is an issue that affects many LGBTI people he Republic of Ireland’s president has signed a bill which legalizes abortion on the Emerald Isle. President Michael D Higgins signed the Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Bill into law today (21 December). The Irish people voted to legalize abortion in a referendum earlier this year.… Read more »
EuroPride 2019 is the perfect time to discover Vienna’s coolest LGBTI bars
Vienna’s gay and lesbian bars are some of the suavest in Europe Vienna’s reputation as an LGBTI hot spot just keeps growing and growing. From the Austrian capital hosting EuroPride 2019 to the passing of equal marriage, 2019 is shaping up to be its gayest yet. Which also makes it the perfect time to explore… Read more »
No Support
Russia’s “Gay Propaganda” Law Imperils LGBT Youth Summary Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth in Russia face formidable barriers to enjoying their fundamental rights to dignity, health, education, information, and association. In Russia, antipathy towards homosexuality and gender variance is not new—LGBT people there have long faced threats, bullying, abuse inside their families, and… Read more »
Love letter between nuns shows the true story of queerness in the Middle Ages
Exclusive: GSN speaks to Professor Erik Wade about historical queerness A professor at the University of Bonn in Bonn, Germany recently posted a love letter between two medieval nuns on Twitter. GSN covered the letter and how pure it was. In looking to learn more about the two women, and their possible love story, GSN… Read more »
Poland and Hungary veto inclusion of LGBTI rights in EU statement
In response, 19 other European Union members states sign pledge calling on the European Commission to enshrine protection of LGBTI rights Poland and Hungary have infuriated LGBTI rights supporters across Europe. Officials from the two countries insisted on the removal of ‘LGBTIQ’ from a common European Statement. It is not the first time the two… Read more »
Russian judge says the country should legalize same-sex unions
The judge said Russia should ‘create family relations different from the usual understanding of the union between a man and a woman’ A judge from Russia said his country should legalize same-sex unions. Dmitry Dedov sits on the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). He shared his official ‘dissenting opinion’ in a written statement. Dedov… Read more »
Gay man refused justice after torture in Chechnya concentration camp
He says he remembers hearing the screams of other gay men in his blood-soaked cell A gay man is speaking out after suffering torture in a Chechnya concentration camp. Maxim Lapunov was one of the first victims of the ‘gay purge‘ in March 2017. Unknown thugs grabbed and dragged him into a car one night.… Read more »
Russia cannot continue to ban LGBTI events, top European court rules
Russian media describe the Court’s ruling as ‘the single biggest case to date’ A top European court ruled today (27 November) Russia can no longer ban LGBTI events. The ruling comes about after a group of seven Russian activists filed 51 applications with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). They allege discrimination and a… Read more »
Kyiv March For Transgender Rights Canceled After Violence By Far-Right Radicals
Kyiv — Activists for transgender rights were forced to disband a demonstration in Kyiv after counterdemonstrators assaulted several protesters and attacked a Canadian journalist trying to cover the event. The organizers of the event criticized Ukrainian police for failing to protect about 40 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights activists who had planned to… Read more »
Scotland to include mandatory teaching on LGBT inclusion within its school curriculum
In what is likely a ‘world-first’, Scotland is set to become the first nation globally to include teaching of LGBT rights and inclusion within the mandated state school curriculum, without exceptions. This appears to be very good news indeed! This important development comes after Scottish Government ministers decided to follow the recommendations of a working… Read more »
Lithuania bans music video because it includes same-sex couples kissing
Pop singer, originally born in Ireland, slams the broadcaster for the decision Lithuania has banned a music video because it includes same-sex couples kissing. Skamp, a multiple award-winning band with a career spanning two decades, released their new song today (6 November). Love Me Like There’s No Tomorrow is a beautiful song, sung in English,… Read more »
Finland Police is getting a LGBTI network to help fight homophobia
Police officers took it upon themselves to start the group Police in Finland are getting their own LGBTI service, even though many of its officers still remain in the closet. The LGBTQ group comes a year after the Finnish police marched in Helsinki Pride for the first time. Senior police officer, Linnea West, told Yle… Read more »
Court finds 16-year-old charged with ‘gay propaganda’ in Russia innocent
The teenager was charged for uploading photos of men without tops to a social media website The teenager arrested for spreading ‘gay propaganda’ in Russia has won his appeal. In July, 16-year-old, Maxim Neverov, was charged with ‘promoting non-traditional sexual relations’ for publishing several photos on the page on the social media network VKontakte. In… Read more »
‘Kill the Gays’ Uganda MP receives award at Britain’s Parliament
Despite her notorious homophobic views, Rebecca Kadaga received the award for being one of only a few female leaders in Africa A British thinktank has defended giving an award to the politician from Uganda behind the infamous ‘Kill the Gays’ bill. Rebecca Kadaga is the House Speaker in the Ugandan parliament and was recently award… Read more »
Crimea attack: Gun attack at Kerch college kills 19
At least 19 people have been killed and dozens more wounded in a shooting at a college in Russian-annexed Crimea. An 18-year-old student ran through the Kerch technical college firing at fellow pupils before killing himself, Russian investigators say. Witnesses have also spoken of at least one blast caused by an unidentified explosive. The motive… Read more »
Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru elects its first openly gay leader
Adam Price is the first ever out gay politician to serve as party leader in Wales Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru has elected its first openly gay leader. Adam Price won the leadership challenge from the party’s incumbent leader Leanne Wood. He received 2,863 votes, while Wood got 1,286. Price served as MP from 2001… Read more »
Queer legend Oscar Wilde honored with portrait on wing of Boeing aircraft
A tribute Wilde would both love and mock Irish poet, playwright, and queer icon Oscar Wilde is being honored with a portrait on two Boeing aircraft. Norwegian airlines have launched two aircraft – a Boeing 737 MAX and a Boeing 787 Dreamliner – ahead of the legendary poet’s birthday on 16 October. The airliner often… Read more »
Austria sees in its first same-sex marriage in lead-up to full legalization
Two of the women who successfully challenged Austria’s top court to legalize same-sex marriage tied the know in Vienna this week Two Austrian women are celebrating being the first couple to tie the knot in Austria. The happy couple married in a private ceremony on Friday (12 October). This comes about 10 months since from… Read more »
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