(TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty) Hong Kong has made spousal visas available to same-sex couples for the first time in the wake of a court ruling—but the government has firmly ruled out permitting same-sex marriage. Hong Kong only recognises marriage as between a man and a woman, but the international business hub has come under pressure from employers and(…)
Steve Negron A Republican Congressional candidate has defended voting against a ban on gay ‘cure’ therapy. New Hampshire state lawmaker Steve Negron is the GOP candidate for the US House of Representatives in the state’s Second Congressional District. Negron picked up the Republican nomination in a narrow primary vote on Tuesday, just weeks after he publicly(…)
Maddison Kleeman Rose chose to speak publicly (HBO/VICE News) A 12-year-old girl who is being forced to flee her hometown after transphobic knife threats has spoken out about what’s happening. Police shut down schools in Achille, Oklahoma for two days earlier this month after threats emerged to a transgender student, Maddie. Messages had come to(…)
A protest in Berlin calling on Russian President to put an end to the persecution of gay men in Chechnya. (JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty) A group of countries have triggered an international action against Russia over the homophobic purge in Chechnya. Human rights monitors first reported in February 2017 that authorities in Chechnya – an autonomous region of(…)
Rufus Gifford A Democratic candidate has released a raw political ad opening up about his experiences of homophobia. Rufus Gifford is one of ten Democrats seeking election to the US House of Representatives to represent the solidly-Democratic Massachusetts District 3. Ahead of the party primary on September 4, Gifford has released a “groundbreaking” ad, focused(…)
Pope Francis has said that families shouldn’t shun their children for being gay, but should seek psychiatric help instead. The head of the Catholic Church made the comments while travelling back from a visit to Ireland, where LGBT+ rights had been a key dividing issue. The country’s leader Leo Varadkar called for acceptance of LGBT+(…)
LGBT advocates have demanded the release of documents detailing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s involvement in anti-LGBT policies – as Republicans seek to push ahead with his confirmation hearing. Trump has nominated the right-wing judge to replace centrist Anthony Kennedy, and campaigners fear he will demolish the court’s fragile majority on LGBT rights after several narrow(…)
Anti-LGBT Republican Congressman Jason Lewis faces Democrat Angie Craig A Republican lawmaker who compared gay people to rapists will face a married lesbian Democrat in his re-election battle. Congressman Jason Lewis, who is currently seeking re-election in Minnesota’s closely fought second congressional district, had made the comments on his nationally syndicated radio programme The Jason Lewis Show.(…)
Christine Hallquist (Christine for Vermont) A transgender woman has become the first trans person to win the nomination of a party for major political office. Christine Hallquist won a clear majority in the Democratic primary for the Governorship on Tuesday, besting three other candidates. The progressive candidate picked up 48.4 percent of the vote, more(…)
The Trump White House has issued a directive giving federal contractors free range to discriminate against LGBT+ people. There is no federal law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, but former President Barack Obama signed an executive order that required all federal contractors to abide by LGBT+ anti-discrimination principles. However, a broad new(…)