Lydia Smith

/ /

Trans Woman Murdered in Ecuador Sparks Fears of Anti-LGBT Violence

he body of a 40-year-old trans woman known as ‘La Gata’ was found by her family in the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas in the South American country. This is the eighth case of murder or violent death of a trans person in the country this year, according to Thomson Reuters Foundation. Diane Rodriguez, the first trans woman elected to Ecuador’s National Assembly, told Reuters: “Once again, the LGBT community in Ecuador is in mourning. We thought (the attacks) were going to decrease, but on the contrary, we’ve been surprised by this year’s statistics.” The killing has sparked fears […]

Trans Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera to Get New York Monument

Transgender activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera will be commemorated with a monument in the city of New York. It may be placed down the street from the Stonewall Inn, where the 1969 Stonewall Riots took place led by Johnson and Rivera. The two transgender women of colour led the uprising against homophobic police raids, an era-defining moment in the struggle for LGBT equality. Rivera and Johnson also later co-founded the organisation STAR, or Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, a group dedicated to helping homeless young drag queens and trans women of colour. The monument will mark the 50th anniversary of the […]

/ /

All-male Morehouse College to start Accepting Trans Students

An all-male, historically black college in Atlanta, Georgia, will start admitting some transgender students in 2020. Morehouse College announced that it will begin to accept transgender men, but not trans women. “In a rapidly changing world that includes a better understanding of gender identity, we’re proud to expand our admissions policy to consider trans men who want to be part of an institution that has produced some of the greatest leaders in social justice, politics, business, and the arts for more than 150 years,” Terrance Dixon, Morehouse’s vice president for enrollment management, said in a statement. “The ratification of this policy affirms the […]

/ /

Americans Comfortable with Gay Presidential Candidate, Poll Finds

A majority of Americans say they are comfortable with or enthusiastic about a gay presidential candidate, according to a survey. A poll by NBC and the Wall Street Journal, published in March, found 68 percent are either enthusiastic (14 percent) or comfortable (54 percent) with a candidate who is gay or lesbian. Seventy-five percent of American voters under 35 now say they would be enthusiastic or comfortable with a gay presidential candidate, according to the poll. According to the poll, 56 percent of voters above the age of 65 are now either enthusiastic about or comfortable with the possibility. A previous survey conducted […]

/ /

Brunei to Bring in Stoning to Death under New Anti-LGBT Laws

Brunei is reportedly planning to introduce anti-LGBT laws next month that could see people whipped or stoned to death for same-sex activity. Homosexuality is illegal in the east Asian country and punishable by up to ten years imprisonment. Under the upcoming changes to Brunei’s penal code, punishments could include whipping and stoning to death for people found guilty of adultery, sodomy and rape, according to human rights groups. The country introduced Islamic criminal law in 2014 when it announced the first of three stages of legal changes that included failing to pray on Friday or pregnancy outside of marriage. A subsequent […]

/ /

Bangladesh May be Set to Get its First Transgender MP

Bangladesh may be set to get its first transgender MP, following the national elections last year. The ruling Awami League (AL) is considering a transgender candidate for one of the parliament’s 50 seats reserved for women, according to local media. Eight transgender women have filed their nominations with the party, the The Dhaka Tribune reported. Falguni, one potential candidate, said: “We are citizens of Bangladesh but we have no representation in the parliament. “There is no one from our community who can understand and raise our concerns. That is why we are running for the seats.” Last year, Bangladesh appointed […]

/ /

LGBT Charity Calendar Banned on Facebook for ‘Sexual Activity’

The Naked Rugby Players calendar (Facebook) An LGBT charity calendar has reportedly been banned on Facebook for containing “sexual activity” despite it not containing any. The calendar by The Naked Rugby Players, which aims to raise money for the testicular cancer charity Balls To Cancer and LGBT+ inclusive rugby, was banned from the social media platform for containing explicit content. The calendar reportedly went against Facebook’s community standards on nudity and sexuality activity, which bans content containing nudity (showing genitals), sexual activity, sexually explicit language and female nipples (except in the context of breastfeeding, birth, health and protests). However, the […]

/ /

More than 70% of LGBT people have experienced mental Health Issues Because of Work

Nearly three-quarters of LGBT people have experienced mental health issues because of work, a survey has found. The poll, commissioned by Business in the Community with HR firm Mercer, found 72 percent of LGBT people have experience problems as a result of work. A quarter of LGBT employees (26 percent) said they had hidden their identity at work in the last year because they were afraid of discrimination, it also found.The survey, conducted by YouGov, was published ahead of World Mental Health Day and shows LGBT people are disproportionately affected by mental health issues. The results show only 60 percent of LGBT […]

/ /

Thousands of Transgender People May be Prevented from Voting in Election

An estimated 78,000 transgender Americans may be barred from voting in the upcoming US elections due to strict voter ID laws, according to a new report. Research by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law found people without identification or documentation that accurately reflects their gender identity are at risk of losing their ability to vote in November. Eight states require voters to provide a government-issued photo ID at polling places, where officials decide whether the ID photo matches their registration information.The rules could prevent trans people from voting in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. […]

/ /

Teenage LGBT First-time Offenders Have Higher Rates of Drug Abuse and Poor Mental Health, Study Finds

LGBT+ teenagers who are first-time offenders are more likely to have substance abuse or mental health problems than their heterosexual or cis-gendered peers, according to new research. The study, carried out by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, suggests higher rates of stress among LGBT+ adolescents—often triggered by family problems or rejection by their peers—could be to blame. The researchers emphasised that a teenager’s sexual orientation or gender identity alone does not put them at increased risk of breaking the law, as a range of factors contribute to offense rates.Dr Matthew Hirschtritt, lead author of the study, said: […]

1 2