International

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India inches closer to becoming next country to legalise same-sex marriage

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The Indian Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in favour of same-sex marriage this week. As part of a set of petitions issued by two same-sex couples, the New Delhi court will hear arguments for the recognition of same-sex marriage on Friday (6 January). The lead petition, filed by gay couple Supriyo Chakraborty and Abhay Dange, has argued that denying LGBTQ+ citizens the right to marry is an affront to their right to equality. Currently, India does not officially recognise same-sex marriage, but allows couples to engage in an “unregistered cohabitation.” Advertisement Remove ads This effectively means that same-sex couples aren’t […]

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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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Spain’s parliament passes bill allowing trans children to legally change their gender

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Spain’s parliament recently passed a bill that makes it easier for people to change their legal gender. The bill allows people older than 16 to legally change their gender without medical supervision or a judge’s approval. It removes the previous requirements that applicants provide a doctor’s diagnosis of gender dysphoria and additional proof that they have lived as their gender identity and undergone hormone treatment for the past two years. The bill requires minors below the age of 13 to still get a judge’s authorization before legally changing their gender. Minors below the age of 16 will still need parental […]

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Indonesian soldiers jailed for having gay sex as anti-LGBTQ+ crackdown continues

Two Indonesian soldiers were kicked out of the army and have been sentenced to seven months in jail for having gay sex. Gay sex is currently legal for civilians in most of the country, according to the South China Morning Post, however it is banned for members of the military. Soon, though, it will be banned for everyone, as the country just passed a new law banning sex outside of marriage, and same-sex marriages are not legal in the country. The news you care about, reported on by the people who care about you. The law will not take effect for three years but will […]

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Trans people face agonising 10-year wait for healthcare in Ireland

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Ireland has been ranked the worst place in the EU for accessing trans healthcare, with the system being “bogged down by waiting times” cited as an area of concern. Transgender Europe (TGEU), a network of more than 200 trans-rights organisations, found of 27 EU member states, Ireland had the worst provision of healthcare for trans people, with Malta coming out on top. The countries, laid out on a colour-coded map, were ranked by six criteria, with Ireland scoring just one point out of a potential 12. The countries were ranked on the types of trans healthcare available, if a psychiatric diagnosis is […]

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Indian trans men who took on the system and won: Powerful tales of survival, defiance and liberation

Trans men in India are often made to feel invisible – but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist, and that they can’t thrive. In 2014, India’s Supreme Court ruled that trans people should be recognised as a “third gender”, and that they should not be denied fundamental human rights. However, some still struggle to access education, healthcare, and employment. In 2019, a law was passed to prohibit discrimination in these areas, but requires trans people to provide proof of gender-affirming surgery before they can gain legal recognition, something activists have said goes against the 2014 ruling. The law also makes abusing trans […]

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In Latin America, mothers of LGBTQ children fight against prejudice

Fabu Olmedo is so nervous about clubs and restaurants in Paraguay that before a night out she often contacts one to make sure that she’ll be let in and won’t be attacked or harassed. Olmedo doesn’t know if she can go out in public safely because daily life is hard for transgender people in the capital, Asunción. Now, a new group of allies in Latin America is trying to make life better by changing minds in this socially conservative and often highly religious region. Founded in 2017, the Latin American Movement of Mothers of LGTB+ Children lobbies governments to eliminate […]

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‘Terrified’ trans royal fled from Qatar to UK, leaked documents reveal

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A trans royal reportedly fled from Qatar to the UK in 2015, fearing persecution in his home country. According to leaked documents obtained by The Sunday Times, the unnamed royal is a trans man who escaped from his security during a family trip to London in 2015 and went into hiding with his girlfriend. He was then granted asylum in Britain.  The leaked documents showed that the royal told the Home Office that “growing up in Qatar has been the most difficult thing I have had to do”, because “I never wanted to be put in this body”. He added: “I […]

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Transgender politician wins Indian election in big step for LGBTQ+ representation

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A trans woman won a major Delhi region for her party during an election on Wednesday (7 December). Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Bobi won the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election after votes were counted this week. The trans politician won Sultanpur-A ward against Congress candidate Varuna Dhaka by 6,714 votes according to Indian Express. Her win came just hours before it was announced that the AAP crossed the finish line with 134 seats, winning against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The win means that the AAP now holds a strong majority over the municipal corporation, which makes up one […]

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