Ali Condon

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What are LGBTQ+ rights like in Romania now, and what could happen if far-right takes power?

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Romania has been described as being “in shock” today (25 November) after far-right candidate Calin Georgescu won the first round of the country’s presidential elections.  Calin Georgescu, an independent candidate who is a NATO critic, won with a 22.95% share, beating incumbent prime minister Marcel Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), who had been the favourite to win the first round. 62-year old Calin Georgescu will now go on to face Elena Lasconi of the centre-right Save Romania Union party on 8 December. It’s the first time in 35 years that the left-wing PSD won’t have a second round […]

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Gay man to be deported to Uganda after refugee status rejected: ‘I’ve run out of options’

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A gay man has expressed his horror and hopelessness after learning that he will be deported back to Uganda after living in Canada for five years. The 25-year-old man, who came to Canada in 2018 as an international student, and has since worked in Edmonton, Alberta as a nurse, ran out of options this year when his work visa expired and his application for refugee status was rejected. Uganda has become one of the most dangerous countries for LGBTQ+ people this year, with the introduction of its harsh Anti-Homosexuality Act. The act, which was signed into law in May, calls for […]

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Record-breaking number of businesses showing real LGBTQ+ allyship, figures show

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New data shows a record-breaking number of businesses are displaying true LGBTQ+ allyship to their employees, proving they “aren’t buying” mounting anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation issued its Corporate Equality Index (CEI) this week, and determined that the workforce is “more allied than ever before.” The CEI, launched by the HRC Foundation in 2002, is a survey that measures company policies and practices regarding LGBTQ+ equality.  In its first year, 319 businesses participated to determine if their policies were up to scratch. This year, 1,384 companies took part in the review – and the results were overwhelmingly positive. The CEI reports […]

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Majority of non-binary youth now avoid joining sports teams, study finds

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A new study has determined that a vast majority of non-binary youths in Canada now avoid joining sports teams over discrimination fears. The study, conducted by Trans Connect and Simon Fraser University, surveyed queer, non-binary, and transgender youth ranging from ages 14 to 26. It determined that only 11 per cent of non-binary youth in Canada currently take part in an organised team sport. “The experiences of non-binary youth in organized team sports in Canada have been drastically understudied,” said researcher Martha Gumprich.  “Our report found that many youths avoid team sports due to abuse and discrimination but there are some solutions that would make sport more […]

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Queer teens twice as likely to experience binge eating disorder, research finds

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Queer teens are twice as likely to experience binge eating disorders compared to their straight peers, a new study has found. Binge-eating disorder (BED) is, according to the study, the most common type of eating disorder in the US, affecting up to 16.6 million Americans.  The disorder can act as a precursor for serious physical and mental health problems like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, arthritis, depression, or anxiety, if not treated. Based on data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, a large-scale 2020 study that recorded 10,000 adolescents aged 10-14, researchers were able to determine […]

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Vivek Ramaswamy describes being transgender as a ‘mental health disorder’

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US presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has caused uproar among the public after describing being transgender as a “mental health disorder.” The comment, which came during Wednesday night’s (27 September) second GOP debate, completely disregards official guidance from all major medical and mental health associations. As transphobic rhetoric continues to sweep across the United States, it was likely that the topic of LGBTQ+ rights was going to crop up at some point during the presidential election run, but those tuned into the debate were disgusted to hear the Republican candidate’s views. Candidates were asked their opinions on the contentious parental rights debate, which has seen a […]

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Tennessee & Kentucky bans on gender-affirming care for minors upheld by appeals court

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Both Tennessee and Kentucky have been given the go-ahead by a federal appeals court to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors. Earlier in 2023, both states passed legislation to restrict a number of rights for transgender youth, including access to gender-affirming care. Both were challenged in court by the families of transgender children in each state and the American Civil Liberties Union, who had argued that bans on gender-affirming care discriminated on the basis of sex. Trial court judges initially blocked both the Tennessee and Kentucky ban, but the 6th Circuit court ruled in July that Tennessee’s ban would be permitted to take effect while it considered […]

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UK Official: Being LGBTQ Is Not Grounds For Asylum

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EuroNews reports: Suella Braverman questioned the United Nations Refugee Convention in a speech in Washington, arguing that “simply being gay, or a woman” should not be by itself grounds for international protection. The British government has made the fight against illegal immigration a priority. With a general election due next year, which the opposition party Labour is widely tipped to win, the ruling Conservatives’ stance against asylum seekers is becoming increasingly hardline. Speaking at the American Enterprise Institute, the UK home secretary questioned the role of the 1951 Geneva Convention, which defines refugee status. In 12 countries around the world, people […]

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Florida LGBTQ+ ‘safe places’ program under threat from Republican lawmakers

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A number of Republican lawmakers in central Florida have warned against the state’s LGBTQ+ Safe Place Initiative and said they are considering “all legislative, legal and executive options available” to prevent it from going ahead. The city-sponsored program, which is in operation in the town of Mount Dora, gives local business owners the option to display rainbow decals in their windows to inform members of the LGBTQ+ community who feel threatened that they are a ‘safe place’. “The mission of the Safe Place Initiative is to provide the community with easily accessible safety information and safe places throughout the city they can […]