Europe
Police In Russia Detain 25 LGBT Activists
Police in St. Petersburg, Russia on Saturday detained 25 LGBT activists. According to the BBC, the unsanctioned demonstration attracted 60 protesters, who gathered at the city’s main square holding banners and rainbow flags. In 2012, St. Petersburg approved a law that outlaws “gay propaganda” in the city. The following year, a nationwide ban was imposed.… Read more »
Istanbul police disperse gay pride march
Riot police have used tear gas to disperse hundreds of people at a gay pride march in Istanbul. The city’s LGBTI community and their friends had said they were determined to march. Police used tear gas, dogs and batons to push back crowds celebrating Istanbul’s 16th gay pride march on Sunday. People carrying rainbow flags… Read more »
Life as a trans woman in Russia: Meet Ksenya
“Transgender people are not very welcome and, most of the time, are forced to hide,” Ksenya tells PinkNews. Russian native Ksenya, who considers herself lucky for never having run into any kind of physical aggression and for having a supportive family, was forced to move to St. Petersburg, which she says is the most tolerant… Read more »
All you need to know about Pride Amsterdam’s suggestive Canal Parade
Rainbow barges floating down the canal? We’re on board! This year’s Pride Amsterdam week-long festival will kick off on 28 July, culminating in the annual Canal Parade on 4 August. More than 80 contingents will float down the canal, one of the most suggestive Pride locations in Europe. A pride on water in Amsterdam The… Read more »
Bulgaria recognises rights of married lesbian couple in historic first
A Bulgarian court has backed the right of a same-sex married couple to reside in the country for the first time in a landmark ruling. The Sofia City Administrative Court ruled that the French-Australian couple should be allowed to live in Bulgaria together, reports Australian TV network SBS. Cristina Palma, from Australia, married her partner… Read more »
Assessment of strategic information on men who have sex with men and trans people in Estonia
Introduction The first HIV case in Estonia was diagnosed in 1988, and since then a total of 9,711 (as of December 31, 2017). The rate of newly diagnosed cases of HIV has decreased over the last decade (from 46.0 cases per 100,000 in 2005 to 16.6 cases in 2017), but it has been quite stable… Read more »
Istanbul Pride goes ahead despite ban, police violence
Despite being banned by the authorities and threats to arrest anyone “looking gay,” Istanbul Pride went ahead with a party of love and celebration before being broken up by police. “We are here this year, as we are every year.” Istanbul’s Pride parade has been banned four four consecutive years, despite homosexuality not being illegal… Read more »
Tens of thousands attend Paris Gay Pride march
Tens of thousands of mainly young people flooded the streets of central Paris for the annual Gay Pride parade on Saturday, with plenty of exuberance but also calls to “carry on the struggle” against discrimination. The marchers wound their way through the French capital under the traditional rainbow colours of the LGBT community. Among the… Read more »
Gay men in Northern Ireland offered access to pardons
Men convicted of abolished gay sex offences in Northern Ireland can now seek a pardon and have their record cleared. The new law, which was approved by the assembly in 2016, comes into force on Thursday. It brings Northern Ireland into line with England and Wales. Convictions that are disregarded will be considered as never… Read more »
Czech Government Backs Same-Sex Marriage Bill
The Czech government on Friday announced that it will back legislation that seeks to extend marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples. The move likely means that the Czech Republic will become the first formerly communist country in Europe with marriage equality. According to Reuters, Prime Minister Andrej Babis announced that his government would back… Read more »
The Economic Cost of Homophobia
Foreword It is my pleasure to present the Peter Tatchell Foundation’s report into an often ignored consequence of anti-LGBT+ criminalisation – The Economic Cost of Homophobia. This report does not consider the important human rights arguments against criminalising homosexuality. Instead, it argues that in addition to the moral considerations, nations have a monetary and economic… Read more »
Thousands Attend LGBT Pride March In Ukrainian Capital Of Kiev
An estimated 5,000 people attended an LGBT Pride march on Sunday in Ukraine’s capital of Kiev. According to the AP, the march only lasted 20 minutes and was repeatedly interrupted by opponents. Russia’s Interfax news agency reported that far-right radical groups tried to block the march seven times. Reuters reported that police in riot gear… Read more »
Far-Right Protesters Arrested at Kiev Gay Pride March
Kiev, Ukraine — More than 50 Ukrainian far-right activists were detained in Kiev on Sunday after they tried to disrupt a gay pride march, the police said. As around 5,000 people gathered for the march amid a huge security presence, about 150 members of a far-right group tried to block the route. Several threw gas… Read more »
Gay Pride parades split Catholics across Europe
Rome – While clergy in the United States debate different approaches that Catholics should take on gay pride parades that will hit the streets in June, faithful in largely Catholic European countries are also split. For some Catholics, the festive parades were “a demonstration of sin” and “blasphemous, iniquitous and detestable offences,” while others called… Read more »
Spain’s new PM appoints two gay ministers to cabinet
Cabinet now has more women and gay men than heterosexual men Spain’s newly installed government has appointed two openly gay men as cabinet ministers. It’s the first time the country has had such a large LGBT representation in the government’s cabinet office. Mariano Rajoy, the previous prime minister, stepped down last week. He left following… Read more »
Gay pride colours Rome despite Italy’s lurch to the right
Thousands of people took to the streets of Rome on Saturday to celebrate Gay Pride just days after Italy’s new families minister caused a storm by saying that homosexual families do not legally exist. The annual march in the Italian capital comes at a tense time in the country after a coalition government took power… Read more »
The Latest: Romania gay pride parade builds on court ruling
The Latest on LGBT pride events in Europe (all times local): 4:45 P.M. People in Romania’s capital are gearing up for a gay pride parade that will feature calls for same-sex couples to receive more rights and acceptance. Before the parade taking place in Bucharest on Saturday, choreographer Emil Rengle wanted fellow Romanians who oppose… Read more »
Rome Pride attracts a 500,000-strong ‘Rainbow Brigade’ in Italy
Organizers wanted a march to celebrate the fight against fascism – at a time when far-right politicians have taken position of power in the country Organizers of this year’s Rome Pride say 500,000 people participated in today’s event in the city. The celebrations commenced at 4pm at the Piazza della Repubblica and passed such classic… Read more »
How cute is this Pride-inspired rainbow brick road in Iceland?
The rainbow path is one of the ways the small town of Seyðisfjörður shows support for its local Queer Parade As if Iceland wasn’t picturesque enough, tourists and Instagrammers are loving a recently painted rainbow brick path. It can be found in the town of Seyðisfjörður in eastern Iceland. Iceland is known for being particularly… Read more »
Former Mafia home to become shelter for LGBTI community
The local council decided to give the former Mafia house to a LGBTI group to promote acceptance LGBTI people and migrants fleeing persecution will be able to call a former Mafia villa home. The city of Castel Volturno had opened bids for organizations to take over a three-storey house in the coastal town. Mafia boss… Read more »
EU Court: Member States Must Recognize Marriages Of Gay Couples
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Tuesday ruled that member states must recognize the legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples performed within the European Union (EU). The case involves a Romanian man, Adrian Coman, and his American husband, Clai Hamilton, who married in 2010 in Brussels. Romania had refused to recognize Hamilton as… Read more »
LGBTQ Russians Are Fleeing To NYC, But They Still Face Hostility
Following Russia’s 2013 anti-gay “propaganda” law, applications for U.S. asylum from Russia have increased every year. Anastasia Orlova and her wife, Anna Elvira Brodskaya, were asleep in their apartment in St. Petersburg, Russia, when bullets hit their window. Male neighbors were shooting at them, angry that the women had previously refused their advances. It was… Read more »
The government’s treatment of gay refugees shames Britain
The Home Office is deporting desperate people to places where they face persecution – often because of colonial-era laws “My neighbours will put a tyre around my neck and set it on fire.” That is what Rosemary fears will happen if she, a lesbian, is deported by Britain back to Nigeria. She fled her homeland… Read more »
Thousands of gay and bisexual men are to be formally pardoned after a new law was passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament.
Consenting sexual activity between men over the age of 21 was only decriminalised in Scotland in 1981. It was a further 20 years before the age of consent for gay men was lowered to 16. The new law will pardon men convicted of having consensual sex with other men before it was decriminalised. It will… Read more »
Tchaikovsky and the secret gay loves censors tried to hide
New volume includes once-hidden passages about the composer’s homosexuality The words are tender and passionate, describing in raw detail the powerful emotions felt by one of the world’s best-loved composers. But until now some of the letters of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, in which he tells of his sexual desires, have been hidden from the world… Read more »
Northern Ireland can’t and won’t follow Ireland’s footsteps – the UK must act
Opinion: Don’t waste time on Northern Irish referendums on abortion or same-sex marriage. It would delay crucial human rights laws and could be ignored The Irish referendum result over the weekend was a truly amazing moment. It shows Ireland is a united country, with both urban and rural, behind social progress and human rights. But… Read more »
Sweden votes in law to make sex illegal without consent
Sweden has passed a law to make sex illegal without explicit consent. The historic vote marks a victory for campaigners who have worked to implement the legislation for more than a decade. ? “Today’s vote marks a huge victory for women’s rights activists in Sweden who have been campaigning tirelessly for this change for more… Read more »
Ireland becomes first country to legalise gay marriage by popular vote
Referendum result gives yes vote 62% and no 38% as equality minister declares he is proud to be Irish Ireland has voted by a huge majority to legalise same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in the world to do so by popular vote in a move hailed as a social revolution and welcomed around the… Read more »
Belarus hits out at British Embassy for flying a rainbow flag for IDAHOBIT
Belarus has hit out at the British Embassy in Minsk for flying a rainbow flag to mark an international day against anti-LGBT discrimination. As part of IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, the British Embassy in the Belarusian capital flew a rainbow flag, posting a video of it on their Instagram account.… Read more »
Police in Moldova use tear gas on anti-LGBT protesters trying to disrupt Pride march
Police in Moldova fired tear gas at anti-LGBT protesters to keep them away from a Pride march. LGBT activists feared a repeat of violent scenes at the annual Moldova Pride solidarity march, which took place in the country’s capital Chisinau on May 19. ? Last year’s march was marred by clashes between anti-LGBT Orthodox Christian… Read more »
Belarus hits out at British Embassy for flying a rainbow flag for IDAHOBIT
Belarus has hit out at the British Embassy in Minsk for flying a rainbow flag to mark an international day against anti-LGBT discrimination. As part of IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, the British Embassy in the Belarusian capital flew a rainbow flag, posting a video of it on their Instagram account.… Read more »
Ukraine: Threats of violence block LGBTI event; police just watch
Police in Kiev (Kyiv), Ukraine, stood by on May 10 as opponents of LGBTI rights disrupted a planned panel discussion about reasons not to adopt a Russia-style ban on “gay propaganda.” Human Rights Watch reported on May 16: Ukraine: Radical Groups Disrupt LGBTI Event Police Should Hold Those Responsible to Account (Kyiv) – Members of… Read more »
Chechnya ‘gay purge’: Russia claims it can’t find any evidence of LGBT people or violence
Russia’s justice minister has claimed officials can’t find any LGBT people in Chechnya after it was alleged they were being kidnapped, tortured and beaten by security forces. Alexander Konovalov told United Nations representatives on Monday that Russia had undertaken an investigation after shocking allegations emerged last year. ? A report in Novaya Gazeta, a Russian… Read more »
Greece allows gay couples to foster children in landmark move
Gay couples will now be able to foster children in Greece. The groundbreaking legislation was passed by 161 votes to 103 on May 9. ? It will enable same-sex partners who are in civil partnerships to become foster parents – though adoption is still off-limits for gay people. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras welcomed the result… Read more »
Anti-Putin Protests Sweep Across Russia
Russian police on Saturday arrested dozens of protesters rallying against President Vladimir Putin ahead of his inauguration. At least 15 people including a journalist were detained in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, according to an independent monitoring group. “Detentions were conducted in a rough manner,” said the monitor OVD-Info. Read more: Alexei Navalny: ‘ …… Read more »
Czech Court Recognises Gay Parents For The First Time
The Czech supreme court has ruled for the first time that two gay partners should be legally recognised as the fathers of a surrogate child, the daily Mladá Fronta reported on Saturday. The child was born a few months ago to a surrogate mother in California through artificial insemination. In its ruling, issued at the… Read more »
Russia tightens gay website crackdown and bans HIV health website
Russia’s media regulator is shutting down a HIV health website as it continues to target LGBT+ websites in a media censorship crackdown. The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, known as Roskomnadzor, has ruled that LGBT+ portal and health website Parni PLUS (Guys Plus) can no longer run as it “promotes unconventional sexual relations.” ?… Read more »
Commonwealth of homophobia: One billion live under anti-gay laws exported by Britain
As royals, politicians and diplomats gather in London for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), millions of their LGBT citizens continue to suffer under oppressive discriminatory laws. British colonists made laws outlawing homosexuality that reflected Britain’s own Victoria penal code, transplanting them on to every country they conquered. ? While British politicians have largely… Read more »
In Italy, Lesbians Can’t Be Legal Moms Without Saying They’ve Had Straight Sex
Italy’s retrograde laws, pushed by the Catholic Church, force LGBT parents to lie about the way their children were conceived. Rome—Chiara Foglietta did not have sex with a man to conceive the healthy baby boy she and her partner Micaela Ghisleni delivered in Turin last week. And she says she’s not going to pretend that… Read more »
Poll finds overwhelming support for equal marriage in Czech Republic
A large majority of voters in the Czech Republic now support equal marriage – as pressure grows in the country to end a ban on same-sex weddings. 16 countries across Western and Northern Europe have now introduced same-sex marriage, but progress has been slower across Central and Eastern European countries, where polls suggest a majority… Read more »
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