A priest is suing the gay dating and “hookup” app Grindr after the company reportedly failed to protect his data, leading to his resignation from a top position at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In July 2021, Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill resigned from his post as the general secretary of the USCCB ahead of a report by The Pillar alleging that he had engaged in inappropriate behavior and frequent use of Grindr.
The suit, filed in the Superior Court of California, claims the group Catholic Laity and Clergy for Renewal (CLCR) purchased the priest’s data from the app and sent it to The Pillar. In 2022 Burrill returned to active ministry as a priest in his home diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin, with then-Bishop William Callahan stating that the priest had “engaged in a sincere and prayerful effort to strengthen his priestly vows.”
The news of Burrill’s initial resignation was celebrated by comically bewigged homocon “ex-gay” Michael Voris, who himself has since been exposed for not actually being ex-gay, resulting in the collapse of his anti-LGBTQ hate group.
The Tennessee government has agreed to scrub sex workers who were unjustly convicted of being sex offenders due to an HIV diagnosis from the sex offender registry following a settlement this past Monday.
The lawsuit, OUTMemphis vs. Lee, concerns a Tennessee criminal statute regarding Aggravated Prostitution, which says that if any sex worker knows they are HIV-positive and has sex, they can be put on the state’s sex offender registry, regardless of whether the other party knew or if there’s proof of intent to transmit the infection. An additional lawsuit was filed by the U.S. Department of Justice earlier this year on the same issue.
“The Aggravated Prostitution statute does not provide for any inquiry into the underlying facts and circumstances in an individual case,” says the ACLU in their initial complaint in the OUTMemphis case. “For instance, the statute does not allow for consideration of the alleged sexual activity at issue; the degree of the risk of HIV transmission involved (if any); whether preventative measures such as a condom, PrEP, or PEP were used; the client’s HIV status; whether the accused individual has a suppressed viral load; nor whether their HIV status has been disclosed.”
The complaint continues, “A person with HIV can be convicted of Aggravated Prostitution for offering or agreeing to engage in sexual activity in exchange for compensation without actually engaging in that activity, or for engaging in, offering, or agreeing to sexual activity that carries no risk of HIV transmission”
At least 83 people are believed to have been affected by this, and most of them are Black and/or transgender women in the Memphis area, where police enforced this statute more and targeted marginalized individuals.
The settlement details how aggravated prostitution has been removed from the list of offenses that can put a person on the sex offender registry, and that notice of this must be given on the Tennessee sex offender website alongside letters sent to those affected by this law. The specific claims made by the plaintiffs regarding the illegality of the law are not going to be debated. Instead, the law will be overturned with the state paying legal fees for the plaintiffs.
“The General Assembly has also permitted anyone who is registered solely because of a conviction for one of these offenses to request termination of registration requirements with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation,” says the letter.
“Each of us, regardless of our race, our genders, or our HIV status, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and welcomed as full members of our communities,” said Milo Inglehart, staff attorney at Transgender Law Center, in a press release for the initial lawsuit. “With today’s filing, we join the ACLU, ACLU-TN, OUTMemphis, and our individual plaintiffs to challenge the counterproductive and discriminatory Aggravated Prostitution statute that unlawfully singles out people living with HIV, disproportionately impacts Black transgender and cisgender women, and places lifelong, punitive restrictions on those who are criminalized for trying to survive.”
The ACLU of Tennessee said in a statement, “We are pleased to share that today we entered into a partial settlement with the state of Tennessee on behalf of OUTMemphis and our individual plaintiffs. Through this settlement, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations has agreed to promptly, fairly, and efficiently facilitate the process of removing people from the sex offender registry who were on it due to convictions for aggravated prostitution.”
“Tennessee’s discriminatory aggravated prostitution statute irrationally targets people living with HIV who engage in sex work, regardless of whether they take steps to ensure against HIV transmission. This settlement is one step towards remedying those harms by addressing the sex offender registration. However, as aggravated prostitution remains a felony, our legal team will continue to fight to overturn this statute and ensure that no one in Tennessee is criminalized based on their health status.”
LGBTQ Nation reached out to OUTMemphis and the Tennessee attorney general’s office for comment. Neither responded before this article was published. This article will be updated if they respond.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is “no longer business-critical” at Microsoft, a leaked email claims.
The email was sent by a team leader following Microsoft’s decision to make all their colleagues redundant.
Sent to thousands of people on 1 July, the email, seen by Business Insider, said the entire team was let go because of “changing business needs”. The number of employees affected is unclear.
“True systems-change work associated with DEI programmes everywhere are no longer business-critical or smart as they were in 2020,” the unidentified team leader wrote.
Jeff Jones, a spokesman for the multi-national tech giant, said: “Our D&I commitments remain unchanged. Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we are holding firm on our expectations, prioritising accountability and continuing to focus on this work.”
The rise and fall of DEI
Following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, and the resulting Black Lives Matter movement, businesses pledged to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Microsoft committed to doubling the number of Black leaders by 2025.
This recent news from Microsoft does fit the pattern of tech giants reducing their DEI initiatives.
Despite the promise of a more inclusive workplace, including extra representation for marginalised groups in leadership positions, other companies have also scaled back their DEI schemes. Bloomberg reported that online video-conference company Zoom laid off a team earlier this year.
Google and Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp, reduced their DEI programmes in 2023, according to CNBC.
Meanwhile, in the UK in May, then business secretary Kemi Badenoch took aim at DEI initiatives, claiming they “divide rather than unify” and advised companies to focus on making money rather than on politics and activism.
Last Thursday, a long-running HIV clinic, Rainbow Health in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Twin Cities area of Minnesota, abruptly closed its doors, laying off 85 employees and ending thousands of people’s access to LGBTQ+ focused HIV care.
The union representing the employees, Service Employees International Union, said in a statement, “We are shocked, saddened and angered by this news, both as staff dedicated to Rainbow Health’s mission and even more so for our clients and community. We are left with many huge questions: How could this massive decision come with no warning? What happened to the funding that the organization has been receiving? What was happening with leadership and the Board that got us to this point?”
The closure was announced suddenly, with employees being given only four hours’ notice before their jobs ended and the clinic shut its doors for good.
“I have clients, former clients, that are still calling on the official from which I’m bound to return anytime this week. I don’t have answers,” Uzoamaka McLaughlin, a former medical case manager with Rainbow Health, said in a press conference. “I can’t send them anywhere because I don’t know where to send them. We are here demanding that they pay us because the union is [fighting] on our behalf. We are here demanding that they do justice…. It’s unacceptable. We have not done anything wrong. We were just doing our job.”
In an announcement on Facebook, Rainbow Health said, “With a heavy heart, we announce the closure of Rainbow Health. Due to insurmountable financial challenges, we can no longer sustain our operations. We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for understanding during this challenging time. Your health and well-being remain our top priority.”
Staff was reportedly given no notice of this closure beforehand, being told in a last-minute meeting. This came just a few days after after the clinic’s Chief Financial Officer quit and the union voted to remove the CEO of the company, who had been receiving a rate of pay in the millions along with multiple bonuses.
“I learned a few minutes before one o’clock that I had until 5 p.m. to terminate services with my almost 40 clients, cancel all my sessions for the rest of the day. I was booked until 7 o’clock. I had a client in the waiting room while staff was just in the hallway sobbing,” said Lee Start, a psychotherapist formerly with Rainbow Health, in a press conference.
“We had a new therapist that was supposed to start today,” Start continued. “We have new staff from two weeks ago, from three months ago. This was all very, very sudden and shocking. As of a week ago, two weeks ago, there was a huge push for us to start to see more clients. I know there were a lot of new clients on the books. I know a new client started on Thursday. There were new clients scheduled for this week, for both the clinic and our PrEP pharmacy.”
McLaughlin also alleged that there was a culture of racist abuse at the company, with the union being created in 2022 following concerns about racial discrimination against Black and Indigenous employees. Cited in support of this was an open letter by employees from that time period.
“We’ve had issues of multiple lawsuits concerning the agency from individuals,” McLaughlin said. “So the truth is, there have been different levels of abuse. And the Board was not stepping up to address that because the Board equally was seeing the level of lawsuits against the agency. And yet, and yet they did not do anything…. They did not do anything to support or help Rainbow Health or even the staff come to terms with [the decision].”
The union also reports that the Board of Directors didn’t answer questions from staff regarding the decision to close the clinic during this meeting. A complete lack of money is the closest thing to an explanation that employees were able to come up with.
One employee, Rik Kutcher, described in a press conference how Rainbow Health had helped him move to Minnesota and get treatment for HIV and addiction.
“I was connected to a transitional housing program for two years that helped me get to a place in my life where I could elevate my life,” Kutcher said. “All of these services, I got food assistance, all of these services came from Rainbow Health. And had I not had those services, I don’t know if I would have gotten to a place in my life to elevate to where I am today.”
“And I’m proud to say that I have been seven years into a recovery and came to this agency four years ago being able to give back to the community with what I’ve received beyond the services, the support, the understanding of what it is to live with HIV. And I know firsthand how important these services are to our community,” Kutcher added.
One employee hosted a name change clinic pro bono after the layoffs, which featured over 50 people attending. Others were working to contact clients who were on food and rent assistance.
According to the union, these mass layoffs violate their contract with Rainbow Health, which specified the need for at least 30 days notice before any layoffs occurred. A separate layoff of three to four people occurred in April, when financial concerns were initially discussed. These employees were also given same-day notice, but they had their paid-time-off paid out, unlike the currently laid-off employees.
Staff were only vaguely made aware of financial issues in the nonprofit. Discussions were had as far back as April during previous layoffs, but the Board and other executives did not respond to questions about the future of the company and what the financial findings were.
“We saw a pattern emerge that executive leadership at Rainbow Health were unwilling to actually answer questions directly relating to our finances. As the picture grew more clear over the months we kept demanding answers,” said former employee Ash Tifa. “There it was clear that we weren’t being given the full story. We knew that when we opened, staff were aware there was serious financial turmoil. If you look at the fundraising numbers, we were not pulling in what we were expecting.”
“We were not communicated with any of their findings until Thursday last week. We had corridor conversations about our financials, but nobody had actually come out to tell us this was their findings. And this was the reason that they shut us down. No, we don’t know anything about why or the reason they took their decision,” said McLaughlin.
The union still plans to support both former employees and clients, regardless of how the Board continues to act.
“The union approach is twofold. We are going to continue demanding that we are paid out our paid time off and also paid for the 30-day notice that we were never given. And then we [demand they have] a meeting with the union, which our contract stipulates,” said Tifa.
“The second thing we’re doing for union staff is being a place together,” Tifa continued. “We are still standing in solidarity and support for each other. And we are going to continue to have these conversations about how we show up for one another as former staff, not just the former unionized staff, but managers, non-union staff, former employees. Rainbow Health is an organization that had a really large impact on a lot of people. And we are going to continue to work with the queer and HIV-centered nonprofits that continue to do this work.”
“There are union staff and managers who are working pro bono to ensure a continuity of care for clients and patients. Individual members are going really, really far to ensure that clients are as taking care of as they can be. And as a union we stand with them and are here to support them in any ways we can,” Tifa said.
A German man has probably been cured of HIV, a medical milestone achieved by only six other people in the more than 40 years since the AIDS epidemic began.
The German man, who prefers to remain anonymous, was treated for acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, with a stem cell transplant in October 2015. He stopped taking his antiretroviral drugs in September 2018 and remains in viral remission with no rebound. Multiple ultra-sensitive tests have detected no viable HIV in his body.
In a statement, the man said of his remission: “A healthy person has many wishes, a sick person only one.”
The case, which investigators said offered vital lessons for HIV cure research, is expected to be presented Wednesday by Dr. Christian Gaebler, a physician-scientist at the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, at the 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich.
“The longer we see these HIV remissions without any HIV therapy, the more confidence we can get that we’re probably seeing a case where we really have eradicated all competent HIV,” Gaebler said.
As with all previous cases of potential HIV cure, experts are eager to temper public excitement with a caveat: The treatment that apparently thwarted the virus in the seven patients will ever be available to only a select few. All contracted HIV and later developed blood cancer, which demanded stem cell transplants to treat the malignancy.
The transplants — in most cases from donors selected because their immune cells, the cells that HIV targets — boasted a rare, natural resistance to the virus and were instrumental in apparently eradicating all viable, or competent, copies of the virus from the body.
Stem cell transplants are highly toxic and can be fatal. So it would be unethical to provide them to people with HIV except to treat separate diseases, like blood cancer.
HIV is monumentally difficult to cure because some of the cells it infects are long-living immune cells that are in or enter a dormant state. Standard antiretroviral treatment for HIV works only on immune cells that, typical of infected cells, are actively making new viral copies. Consequently, HIV within resting cells stays under the radar. Collectively, such cells are known as the viral reservoir.
At any moment, a reservoir cell can start producing HIV. That is why if people with the virus stop taking their antiretrovirals, their viral loads typically rebound within weeks.
A stem cell transplant has the potential to cure HIV in part because it requires destroying a person’s cancer-afflicted immune system with chemotherapy and sometimes radiation and replacing it with a donor’s healthy immune system.
In five of the seven cases of definite or possible HIV cure, doctors found donors who had rare, natural defects in both copies of a gene that gives rise to a particular protein, called CCR5, on the surface of immune cells. Most HIV strains attach to thatprotein to infect cells. Without functional CCR5 proteins, immune cells are HIV-resistant.
The German man’s donor had just one copy of the CCR5 gene, meaning his immune cells most likely have about half the normal quantity ofthat protein. In addition, he had only one copy of the gene himself. Together, those two genetic factors may have upped his chances of a cure, Gaebler said.
While having two copies of the defective CCR5 gene is rare, occurring in about 1% of people with native northern European ancestry, having one copy occurs in about 16% of such people.
“So the study suggests that we can broaden the donor pool for these kinds of cases,” Dr. Sharon Lewin, director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia, said in a media briefing last week.
Interestingly, a man treated in Geneva whose possible HIV cure was announced last year had a donor with two normal copies of the CCR5 gene. So his transplanted immune cells were not HIV-resistant.
Those two recent European cases raise critical questions about the factors that actually contribute to a successful HIV cure.
“The level of protection one might have predicted from transplant should not have been enough to prevent the virus from surviving and rebounding,” Dr. Steven Deeks, a leading HIV cure researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who is not involved with the German man’s care, said of his case. “There are several testable theories, so I am optimistic we will learn something here that could shape the next generation of cure studies.”
Gaebler said having HIV-resistant immune cells in the mix surely greatly improves the chances of success in curing the virus with a stem cell transplant. And yet, he said, lacking that safety net, or having one with some holes in it, as with the German man, does not preclude success.
“We need to understand how the new immune system successfully grafted into his body and how it successfully eliminated HIV reservoirs over time,” he said. Suggesting that the transplanted immune cells may have attacked the viral reservoir, he said, “The donor’s innate immune system might have played an important role here.”
The 6 others cured or possibly cured of HIV
All were initially known by pseudonyms based on where they were treated.
Adam Castillejo, aka the “London patient.” Castillejo, 44, a Venezuelan man living in England, received a stem cell transplant for AML in 2016 and stopped HIV treatment in 2017. He is considered cured.
Marc Franke in November. Horst Galuschka / dpa via AP file
Paul Edmonds, aka the “City of Hope patient.” Edmonds, the oldest potential cure case at 63 when he received a stem-cell transplant for AML in 2019, received reduced-intensity chemotherapy because of his age. Off antiretrovirals since March 2021, he will be considered cured when he hits five years with no viral rebound. In an interview, he expressed excitement over the new case of a man probably cured, as well, and said, “My vision is clear: a world where HIV is no longer a sentence, but a footnote in history.”
Paul Edmonds with City of Hope doctors.Business Wire
The“New York patient.” The first woman and person of mixed-race ancestry possibly to be cured, she was diagnosed with leukemia in 2017 and received a stem cell transplant augmented with umbilical cord blood, which allowed for a lower genetic match with her donor, thus broadening the donor pool.
The “Geneva patient.” In his 50s, he was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in 2018 and has been off of HIV treatment since November 2021. Researchers remain cautious about his cure status because his immune cells are not HIV resistant.
Franke, Edmonds and Castillejo, who have become friends, are expected to attend the HIV conference in Munich.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed two anti-trans measures into law Friday that will limit transition-related care for transgender minors and bar some trans students from competing on school sports teams that match their gender identities.
The health care measure, H.B. 619, will prevent trans minors from receiving transition-related surgeries and bar physicians from referring patients for out-of-state procedures. It does not ban other forms of gender-affirming care, such as puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy. The law takes effect at the start of next year.
The sports measure, H.B. 1205, will require the state’s students in grades 5-12 to compete on school sports teams that match the gender marker on their birth certificates. This law takes effect next month.
Supporters of the legislation argue that children are not mature enough to authorize life-altering surgeries, and that trans girls have physical advantages over cisgender girls in sports.
“New Hampshire always takes a balanced approach, and HB 619 and 1205 reflect commonsense, bipartisan solutions that reflect the values of parents across our state,” Sununu said in a statement. “The vast majority of Granite Staters share in this approach — because it is fair, balanced, and void of political considerations.”
He added, “By enacting these measures, we continue to uphold the principles of safety, fairness, and common sense for all our citizens.”
The governor also vetoed legislation on the same day that would have effectively prohibited trans people from using bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identities.
Sununu’s signature on the health care measure makes New Hampshire the final of 23 Republican-controlled states in the country — where Republicans control the governor’s mansion and both chambers of their state’s legislature — to ban or limit transition-related care for minors. In total, 26 states now have laws limiting or banning such care, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ rights think tank.
Idaho became the first state in the country to enact a law limiting trans students’ participation in sports in 2020, and Arkansas became the first state in the country to enact a law limiting gender- affirming care in 2021. The enactment of the measures reflects rather quick adoption of the Republican Party’s position on the related policy issues that only began to be debated in state legislatures across the country a handful of years ago.
“There’s been a really strong push nationwide to block access to medical care for transgender people and to pass other laws that will impact the rights of transgender people to live publicly, to access health care, to go to school like anyone else,” Chris Erchull, a staff attorney at the Massachusetts-based LGBTQ advocacy group GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, or GLAD, said in an interview before Sununu signed his state’s bills into law. “That political movement has been impacting New Hampshire politics for years, but the swell has just gotten to the point where now, for the first time, legislation is actually passing in New Hampshire.”
Sununu’s signature also marks a turnaround for the Republican governor who signed measures into law in 2018 and 2019 expanding anti-discrimination protections for the state’s trans residents in employment, education, housing and public spaces.
The governor referenced the anti-discrimination protections in a statement regarding the bathroom bill he vetoed, HB 396.
“In 2018, Republicans and Democrats passed legislation to prevent discrimination because as I said at the time, it is unacceptable and runs contrary to New Hampshire’s Live Free or Die Spirit. That still rings true today,” Sununu said on Friday. “The challenge with HB 396 is that in some cases it seeks to solve problems that have not presented themselves in New Hampshire, and in doing so invites unnecessary discord.”
Zach and Sara Tirrell live with their trans daughter, Parker, in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Parker, 15, came out two years ago and began slowly receiving gender-affirming care — first puberty blockers and more recently hormone replacement therapy — at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Parker and her parents said that the teen is not currently seeking transition-related surgery before becoming an adult, as the procedures are exceedingly rare for minors globally. However, the family worries that the state’s new health care law will make it easier for lawmakers to rationalize enacting wider limits on transition-related care.
“This particular bill seems to us that it’s a little bit of them getting a win on the scoreboard against this marginalized population rather than enacting legislation that truly has any meaningful effect,” Zach Tirrell said in a phone call before the legislation was signed. “Oftentimes, if you’re intentionally targeting a marginalized group, if you can get a series of small victories, it’s easier to start eroding those broader freedoms. For us that’s what it feels like.”
The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation said in a statement that it was “extremely disappointed” that Sununu signed the sports measure into law.
“We need our leaders to address real challenges, like the mental health crisis of our youth, especially girls,” the group said Friday. “Transgender, nonbinary and intersex people deserve equitable treatment in school, athletics and all facets of public life.”
Some of the trans sports and health care measures in other states have been temporarily blocked from taking effect while they are challenged in court. It is unclear if the New Hampshire laws will result in litigation.
Last month, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a Biden administration appeal of a court ruling that upheld Tennessee’s measure prohibiting all gender-affirming care for the state’s minors. The court’s ruling on the Tennessee law, which is expected during the court’s next term, which begins in October, will affect similar laws in other states. The White House told media outlets recently that while it believes gender-affirming surgeries should be “reserved for adults,” it opposes “attempts to limit healthcare for transgender individuals in the courts or through legislation.”
Sara and Zach Tirell said they have “deep roots” in New Hampshire, noting that Parker’s brother is set to attend University of New Hampshire in the fall and that they have been very involved with several of their local nonprofits. However, they added that if future legislation or court rulings threaten Parker’s ability to receive medication she is currently being prescribed, they will seriously consider relocating to another state.
“Anytime there is a bill or law in place that prevents us from providing care for Parker, we’ll have to pull up those roots and think about moving somewhere safe,” Sara Tirrell said.
It’s no secret that living in the UK as a trans person right now sucks.
Whether it’s politicians not letting up on their attacks against trans people or the Cass Report spelling uncertainty for the future, the transgender community in Britain has had it tough over the past decade.
But never fear, it turns out that there are other countries in the world – many of which are doing far better on trans rights than the land some have colourfully called “TERF Island.”
Several countries have passed Britain when it comes to trans equality, with many offering self-ID laws, a conversion therapy ban and medical waiting times for hormone therapy that don’t range from years to decades.
Here are just a few of the countries way better than the UK.
Spain
Spain’s “trans law” makes it a great place to live. (Getty)
Spain is quite possibly one of the most popular and famously great places for trans people to live. Not only does the country have self-ID laws and anti-discrimination policies, but it has also become a popular destination for private surgery services.
In late 2022, legislative body the Congress of Deputies of Spain passed a “trans law” which, among other details, allows unrestricted gender self-determination of minors from the age of 16. Those aged 14 and 15 are able to change sex on documents against the will of their parents if they win a legal case, with the support of a legal defender provided by the authorities. Children aged 12 and 13 can do the same change if a judge permits it.
Medical transition is also easily accessible through healthcare services.
The law also bans conversion therapies even when the person has asked for them, with anyone continuing the practices facing large fines.
And Spain’s citizens are overwhelmingly accepting of trans people, with 71 per cent of people saying they support gender-affirming care access for everyone, including teenagers.
Iceland
The Icelandic capital Reykjavik holds Pride celebrations in August. (Getty)
Iceland’s acceptance of transgender people has increased greatly over the past few years, making it one of the best countries in Europe – arguably the world – to transition.
Not only does the public overwhelmingly support LGBTQ+ individuals, including trans people, but a set of policies enacted since 2019 has made it one of the safest places for transgender men and women to live.
Equaldex, a community-driven equality index for LGBTQ+ rights, ranks the Nordic country as the best place to live as a queer person.
Transgender Europe, a not-for-profit organisation, which focuses on trans rights in the continent, has listed it as one of the best places to transition, with 30 of 32 indicators met – including non-discrimination laws, healthcare and legal gender recognition.
Canada
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau joined Pride in Toronto. (Getty)
Canada’s reputation as an inclusive country for trans people has become all-the-more-welcome given the rise of transphobia in the neighbouring US.
The country is widely known as a refuge for trans Americans seeking to escape the volatility of politics in their homeland.
It’s reputation is more than justified, with protective laws and recognition of trans people spanning across legislation, including the recognition of non-binary people, housing discrimination prevention laws, and no restrictions on changing gender.
If that’s not enough, 78 per cent of Canadians support protecting trans people, while 58 per cent back trans healthcare for everyone, including those under the age of 18.
Chile
Queer Chileans have protections and support that people in the UK can only dream about. (Getty)
Chile’s long list of pro-trans and pro-LGBTQ+ laws speaks for itself. Not only has the South American country implemented self-ID, it also offers easily accessible trans healthcare, and even officially recognised non-binary people’s right to change gender two years ago.
Interestingly, Chile’s acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights as a whole seems to have lagged behind its protections for trans people, with the country electing its first transgender politician even before same-sex marriage was legalised.
Nonetheless, the overwhelming support for both trans and queer people is abundantly clear, with 80 per cent of people backing trans discrimination protection legislation.
Australia
Laws vary from Australian state to state but there’s always Sydney Mardi Gras. (Getty)
While Australia’s treatment of trans people and LGBTQ+ people at large varies from region to region, overall rights are far more widespread than in the UK.
Although things such as changing legal gender and anti-discrimination laws vary widely depending on which part of the huge county you’re in – some states require a year-long wait for gender recognition – on a federal level, Oz is widely supportive, with gender-affirming care access and discrimination protections.
Australia showed its feelings for trans people during the infamous visit of anti-trans pundit Posie Parker, with politicians and the majority of the public telling her to “get in the bin“.
Norway
Despite some negatives, Norway has laws that are beneficial to LGBTQ+ people. (Getty)
With its representation, anti-discrimination and right to healthcare laws, Norway is one of the best European countries to be in if you’re looking to transition.
While the country is still behind on things such as recognising non-binary people and gender-affirming care for under-18s, it offers housing discrimination bans, no censorship laws, adoption rights and self-ID.
Unfortunately, the country has begun restricting gender-affirming care for minors, citing an “uncertainty” and “lack of comprehensible research”, despite the overwhelming view of the public that it should be accessible.
Uruguay
Pride in Montevideo is a riot of colour. (Getty)
If you are looking for a place to live in South America as a trans person, look no further than Uruguay. The country is widely considered one of the safest places in the continent to be transgender and its laws play a large part in that.
Like many other countries, it is behind on recognising non-binary people on legal documents, but its laws on self-ID, discrimination protections and gender-affirming care access are among some of the best.
Uruguay lifted its requirement for surgery to recognise a trans person’s gender identity in 2018 and has implemented other pro-trans legislation since then.
Malta
Malta is widely considered a safe haven for LGBTQ+ people. (Getty)
Widely considered to be one of the best places to live not just as a trans person, but as an LGBTQ+ person in general, Malta is a safe haven for transgender people looking to live their life in peace, free from harmful rhetoric.
The small island, located in the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, features trans rights legislation that is, by the measure of several organisations, considered to be some of the best.
Non-binary gender recognition, housing discrimination protections, self-ID, gender-affirming care and censorship laws are just some of the policies implemented in a country where the public is incredibly tolerant to boot.
Despite relative progress in diversity, a new report highlights that the many British retailers still have mainly white boardroom members and inclusion is still a tough “nut to crack”.
Published by the British Retail Consortium, the 2024 Diversity and Inclusion in UK Retail Report revealed that despite dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), 35 per cent of British retailers still have an all-white boardroom and more than half lack any ethnic diversity on executive committees.
However, the report does paint a picture of progress, not least for queer members of staff: 67 per cent of retailers now have at least one queer person in a leadership role.
Meanwhile, the number of women in the boardroom have jumped from 32 per cent in 2021 to 42 per cent in 2024, while ethnic-minority representation has risen from 4.5 to 12 per cent.
On the flip side, the report highlights the lack of role models for disabled employees with only 11 per cent of companies having a disabled senior leader, down from 17 per cent in 2023.
Pinpoint policies towards trans inclusion and social mobility
UK retailers are choosing to ignore recent comments from equalities minister Kemi Badenoch – who believes DEI initiatives “divide, rather than unify” – with 98 per cent having a co-ordinated strategy towards such campaigns and policy.
And eighty-eight per cent of companies have LGBTQ+ initiatives woven into their DEI strategy, with specific initiatives dedicated to the experience of trans and non-binary employees.
The report points out some respondents mentioning that launching trans-inclusive activities is a strong symbol of support to the wider LGBTQ+ community.
Inclusion is ‘nut the industry still needs to crack’
There is still much work to be done, however.
The UK retail sector has an estimated 3.5 million employees, with most working at store level and many feeling a lack of inclusion.
Those feelings are most prominent among those who chose “other” or “prefer not to say” when it comes to their sexual orientation, Black/African/Caribbean employees, and those aged between 25 and 34.
The chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, Helen Dickinson, said:“I am proud to see the strides retailers have made in three years to improve diversity, especially at a time when D&I could easily have been relegated to the side lines in the face of a turbulent economic backdrop.
“But inclusion is the nut the industry still needs to crack. The progress made on diversity will only be meaningful and effective when it happens in tandem with a workforce where every employee feels happy and included.”
Emisil.com conducted research to find out the best LGBTQ+ party destinations for 2024. The study analyzed data such as safety scores, LGBTQ+ friendliness, average drink price, average closing time, and the number of gay clubs and bars in each city. Data was sourced from Numbeo, Equaldex.com, TripAdvisor, and Yelp. These metrics were then integrated into a composite score to highlight the best cities where the LGBTQ+ community can enjoy the night out.
Findings summed up:
City
Country
Safety Index
Safety Level
World Equality Index (LGBTQ+ friendliness)
Average drink price
Number of Gay Bars and Clubs Listed on Yelp
Average Closing Time
Composite Score
Madrid
Spain
72.87
High
81
$3.80
73
6:00 AM
91.3
Copenhagen
Denmark
74.15
High
85
$8.72
29
5:00 AM
84.4
New York
United States
49.24
Moderate
73
$8.00
440
4:00 AM
83.3
Amsterdam
Netherlands
71.68
High
80
$7.05
52
5:00 AM
81.2
Berlin
Germany
55.45
Moderate
80
$4.88
105
5:00 AM
78.5
Vienna
Austria
69.80
High
77
$4.88
31
4:00 AM
74.7
Lisbon
Portugal
70.19
High
75
$3.25
21
4:00 AM
71.9
Taipei
Taiwan
84.55
Very High
66
$2.48
22
4:00 AM
70.1
Helsinki
Finland
75.43
High
78
$8.68
9
4:00 AM
69.0
Toronto
Canada
56.75
Moderate
81
$5.86
71
3:00 AM
68.2
First up on the list of LGBTQ+ party destinations is Madrid, Spain, with a composite score of 91. The city is highly gay-friendly, with a World Equality Index score of 81. It has 73 gay bars and clubs, where the parties go on until 6 AM in the morning. The average drink price is one of the lowest at just $3.80.
Second on the list is Copenhagen, Denmark, scoring 84 out of 100. The city has a World Equality index of 85, which is the highest on the list. Copenhagen offers more than 20 gay party spots open until 5 AM, with an average drink price of $8.72.
The third LGBTQ+ party destination is New York, United States, with a composite score of 83. When it comes to LGBTQ+ nightlife, New York is unmatched, with over 400 bars and clubs staying open until 4:00 AM.
Amsterdam, Netherlands, is the fourth destination for LGBTQ+ partygoers,scoring 81. The city is highly LGBTQ+ friendly, with a score of 80 on the World Equality Index and a safety index of 71.68. Parties go on until 4 AM, with the average drink costing $8.
With a composite score of 79, Berlin, Germany, is the next destination for queer nights. The city offers more than 100 gay bars and clubs, with an average drink price of $4.88, which is among the lowest compared with most European cities on the list.
Vienna, Austria, is the sixth destination for LGBTQ+ nightlife, with a composite score of 75. The city has a high safety index of 69.8. In terms of the average drink price, it mirrors Germany.
Lisbon, Portugal, ranks seventh on the list of LGBTQ+ party destinations, scoring 72. The city has a high LGBTQ+ friendliness score of 75. Like Vienna, parties last until 4 AM, but Lisbon has a slightly lower number of gay bars and clubs, with 21 venues overall.
Taipei, Taiwan, is the ninth-best city for gay parties, with a composite score of 70. Regarding the safety of walking home at night, the city has the highest score on the entire list, at 84.55. There are more than 20 gay bars and clubs, where the average drink price is the most affordable, costing only $2.48.
Ninth-ranked Helsinki, Finland, has a composite score of 69. In its 9 gay-friendly clubs and bars, the party goes on until 4 AM, with drinks costing on average higher at $8.68. Compared to Taipei, Helsinki has a higher World Equality Index score of 78.
Toronto, Canada, closes the list of LGBTQ+ party destinations with a composite score of 68.2. The city has the same World Equality Index as Spain, but it has slightly fewer gay bars and clubs overall, with 71 venues partying till 4 AM.
It is frustrating, alarming, sad, and more than a little scary that this still needs to be said in 2024, but here we go, once again, for the record:
Trans. Rights. Are. Human. Rights.
Some so-called “leaders” throughout the country have decided that the trans community—including gender non-conforming, non-binary and intersex folks—make an easy target as political pawns in their hate-filled culture wars. Which is why it is more important than ever for the entire LGBTQ+ community and our allies to stand up boldly on behalf of the entire trans family.
Simply stated, there is no LGB without the T.
Do not for a second delude yourself into thinking that this latest attack on the trans community is “not your fight.” Ignoring transphobia does not make cisgender queer people any safer. They are coming for all of us. Look at the ominous historical precedents. The Weimar Republic was one of the most accepting political climates in recorded history. It took but a few, short years for the Nazis to take power. And where did they begin? The offices of Magnus Hirschfeld, renowned sexologist whose Institute for Sexual Science supported the rights of sexual and gender minorities, most notably the trans community. The historical parallels to today are dark indeed. Rev. Martin Niemoller famously stated of the progressive inaction during the Holocaust, “Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
We cannot allow passivity and apathy to define our future. It is incumbent and imperative for all of us to stand up for the transcommunity because it is the right thing to do. While those who seek to marginalize the TGNCNBI community attempt to position it as a recent phenomenon, trans folks have existed since the beginning of time, just like the rest of the LGBTQIA+ rainbow.
Intersectionality is more than just an intellectual buzzword when it comes to our civil rights movement. It means that an attack on reproductive autonomy is an attack on trans men and bisexual women, for example. It means that Black LGBTQ+ Lives Matter, too.
For us at the Leonard Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation, it means whether you identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary, intersex, or anywhere on the rainbow spectrum, we stand with you. Today, Tomorrow, and Always.
Last year, we were pleased to announce the launch of the Leonard Litz TransPLUS initiative. In response to the unprecedented challenges facing transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and intersex (“TGNCNBI”) members of the LGBTQ+ community, the program is providing support for organizations and individuals whose work focuses on those most impacted in this current environment.
As we all continue to embrace the nuanced, socialized, and evolving experiences of gender identity and expression, the Leonard Litz TransPLUS Initiative seeks to center and uplift those voices in our community that have historically been relegated to the far margins of the movement.
In addition to grant funding, the TransPLUS Initiative amplifies voices of TGNCNBI leaders and builds greater awareness of the community’s socio-economic and political challenges. For example, at the Creating Change Conference held in New Orleans this past winter, we were thrilled to present the Transgender Leadership Award to the very deserving Mariah Moore, who has fought tirelessly on behalf of the trans community, especially Black transgender women. At a time when more and more of our trans friends and family are being singled out for discrimination and abuse, Mariah has chosen to step up and lead the fight for human rights.
It is time for all of us to step up. We are grateful for the opportunity to lead this effort at Leonard Litz, and look forward to helping to recognize, support, and celebrate the most impactful programs, services, and advocacy efforts for the TGNCNBI community.
