Patrick Kelleher

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Government guidance to force teachers to out trans kids to parents

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Teachers who become aware that a child intends to transition will be expected to tell their parents, the UK government’s long-awaited guidance on the topic is expected to say. After months of speculation, the government is expected to issue guidance this week on how schools should respond if a child says they plan to socially transition. According to The Guardian, teachers in England will not have to “out” children to their families if they are simply asking questions about gender identity – the Tories’ right-wing faction apparently pushed to make this a feature of the guidance. In the end, the government […]

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Here’s how to protect yourself and stay safe from mpox this summer

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As mpox cases start to rise again in some key areas, experts are urging queer people to remain vigilant and get vaccinated. Mpox cases are down significantly since the epidemic reached its peak in the summer of 2022. The shift prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare that the outbreak was no longer a public health emergency on 11 May – but that doesn’t mean the virus has disappeared. The WHO is now warning that mpox cases could rise again during the summer months as queer people congregate for Pride festivals and other gatherings. “[Mpox] still is circulating, it still is […]

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Tory immigration bill could condemn LGBTQ+ refugees to death: ‘Immoral, disgraceful and indefensible’

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The UK government is facing fierce condemnation from opposition MPs and senior Tories over its “immoral, ineffective and incredibly expensive” Illegal Migration Bill. The bill has been devised by the Tory government to reduce or stop “small boat crossings”across the English Channel.  If it becomes law, all adults who arrive in the UK via the Channel or in the back of a lorry will be detained for 28 days. They would then be sent back to their country of origin or on to a third country like Rwanda. Families with children could also be detained and deported. Opposition MPs, human rights advocates, […]

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Brave Afghans risk their lives to stage powerful LGBTQ+ protest ‘under the noses of the Taliban’

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LGBTQ+ activists have staged a defiant protest in Afghanistan to draw attention to the United States’ failure to offer protection from the Taliban. At a private residence on Wednesday (1 February) in the country’s capital Kabul, around a dozen Afghan people from the Behesht Collective, an LGBTQ+ group, congregated to show the world that their lives are still in jeopardy. Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, reports have circulated of LGBTQ+ people being beaten, raped and even murdered in Afghanistan.  It’s a dire situation, but finding a route to safety isn’t always easy – numerous western governments have introduced policies making it harder for […]

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Gay asylum seeker recalls devastating moment he knew he had to flee: ‘My parents wanted to kill me’

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It’s almost four years since Paul fled Uganda and travelled to Kenya to claim asylum.  Life at home wasn’t easy for Paul. He had known he was gay for some time, but he kept his sexuality a closely guarded secret – especially from his parents. It wasn’t just that he feared not being accepted, he was afraid he would be subjected to violence if they knew he was gay. When they eventually discovered the truth, Paul’s home life took a dramatic turn for the worse. He knew he had to get out. “My parents wanted to kill me,” Paul tells PinkNews. He would ultimately like […]

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Brave lesbian refugee raped by her own uncle says she’s now ‘ready to give love to the world’

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Growing up, Nyasha knew she was different from her peers. By the time she was just eight or nine years old, she knew with certainty that she was a lesbian. The problem was that she was living in Zimbabwe, where homosexuality is not accepted. Once her family found out about her sexuality, she started suffering the consequences. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, Nyasha was subjected to the abusive practice known as “corrective rape” by her uncle.  Corrective rape is essentially a form of conversion therapy – the idea is that a person’s sexuality can be changed through sexual assault.  She got away […]

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LGBTQ+ Liberal Democrats quitting over party’s controversial definition of transphobia

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LGBTQ+ Liberal Democrats are quitting the party after senior officials revised a transphobia statement to protect “gender critical” views. There was outcry among LGBTQ+ Liberal Democrats and allies when the party’s revised “formal definition” of transphobia leaked online. Days later, the party formally published its new statement during Trans Awareness Week. On their website, the Liberal Democrats say the definition was revised in light of “recent legal cases” which have brought “greater clarity to the interpretation of the law in this area”. The new definition says the party rejects “all prejudice and discrimination based upon race, ethnicity, caste, heritage, class, religion or belief, age, […]

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Lesbian refugee on fleeing Zimbabwe, brave way she found acceptance and joy of finally being out

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Developing your first crush as a teenager should be an exciting experience, but for Beverly, it was terrifying. The problem was that the person she harboured feelings for was a girl. Growing up in Zimbabwe, Beverly knew same-sex relationships were not accepted. Like so many before her, Beverly tried to convince herself that it was just a phase, but a couple of relationships with men between the ages of 19 and 21 left her with no doubt that she was a lesbian. That realisation was a painful one for Beverly. Homosexuality is criminalised in Zimbabwe, and public attitudes to queer people are unkind. She […]

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Gay Rwandan man who found safety in the UK warns LGBTQ+ asylum seekers will be ‘seen as criminals’

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Growing up gay in Rwanda was like “living in prison” for Innocent. As a child, he was singled out by children and adults alike because he was seen as “feminine”. Teachers who should have tried to put a stop to homophobic bullying instead encouraged it, saying Rwandan culture didn’t accept queer people. Innocent fled Rwanda and arrived in the UK as a refugee. He’s built a new life for himself as an openly gay man. For the first time, he feels free. That’s why he was so shaken when he heard that the UK government is planning to deporting asylum […]

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Gay Afghan man brutally murdered by the Taliban

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A young gay man has been shot dead by the Taliban in Afghanistan because of his sexuality.  Hamed Sabouri, from Kabul, was killed in August, local activists have told PinkNews. He was just 22. He was reportedly kidnapped by the Taliban and a video showing his murder sent to his family days later. Bahar, another gay Afghan who knew the victim personally, told PinkNews Sabouri had dreams of becoming a doctor, but his hopes were stolen from him when the Taliban seized power in August 2021. He described Hamed as a “shy” gay man with an infectious laugh. “Life is hell for every LGBT Afghan,” Bahar said. “Taliban terrorists […]

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