International

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Thousands march in Turkey to demand ban on LGBTQ groups

An anti-LGBTQ group marched Sunday in Istanbul, demanding that LGBTQ associations be shuttered and their activities banned, in the largest demonstration of its kind in Turkey. Several thousand people joined the demonstration dubbed “The Big Family Gathering.” Kursat Mican, a speaker for the organizers, said they had gathered more than 150,000 signatures to demand a new law from Turkey’s parliament that would ban what they called LGBTQ propaganda, which they say pervades Netflix, social media, arts and sports. Hatice Muge, who works as a nanny, came to the gathering from Bursa province. “People are here despite the rain for their […]

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LGBTQ+ activists fear Tories will try to ‘cement their power’ with new version of Section 28

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In July 2022, Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi sparked fears of a return to Section 28 when he promised to “protect” children from “radical activists”. The former education secretary, currently serving as equalities minister in Liz Truss’ cabinet, made his comments while launching a failed leadership bid to become PM. For LGBTQ+ people, alarm bells rang. Zahawi’s suggestion that children are being subjected to “damaging and inappropriate nonsense” sounded a lot like Margaret Thatcher’s infamous 1987 speech in which she said kids were being taught they had an “inalienable right” to be gay. Section 28, which came into effect in 1988, banned the […]

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Malta’s PM promises free gender affirming surgery as part of sweeping LGBTQ+ rights reforms

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Malta’s prime minister, Robert Abela, has promised reforms for the country’s LGBTQ+ community, including free gender affirming surgery for trans people.  According to local publication Lovin Malta, the prime minster attended Malta’s Pride march in Valletta on 10 September to share news that the government is committed to carrying out these reforms. In an interview with ONE Radio he said: “I believe that social reform gives the Labour Party its identity. “My presence yesterday, as well as that of ministers and MPs, symbolises the messages that while we have done a lot, more is yet to come. While we’re proud of what we […]

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Sri Lanka’s president says his government won’t oppose decriminalisation of homosexuality

The president of Sri Lanka has said his government won’t oppose a bill to decriminalise homosexuality – but added the bill must gain support before any laws change. On Sunday (11 September) president Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has held his role since July this year, said the government will not oppose a private member’s bill presented to parliament by MP Premnath C Dolawatte to decriminalise homosexuality. Same-sex relationships are currently illegal in Sri Lanka, and there are other discriminatory laws against trans people and sex workers. Dolawatte’s bill seeks to decriminalise same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults by amending sections 365 […]

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Is it illegal to be gay in Russia? Documenting Russia’s anti-LGBTQ laws

Since 2013, Russia has had a law in place that criminalizes the distribution of “homosexual propaganda” to minors. This vague and overly broad law can be used to punish anyone who speaks positively about LGBTQ relationships or displays any kind of pro-LGBTQ sentiment. As a result, Russia has become one of the most dangerous countries in the world for members of the LGBTQ community. Recently, Russian legislators have proposed to extend the LGBTQ propaganda law, which would criminalize anyone who promotes “non-traditional” sexual relationships to minors and adults. This, critics say, will further endanger the lives of Russia’s LGBTQ population, which […]

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Beleaguered EuroPride march banned by Serbian police amid mass anti-LGBTQ+ protests

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The EuroPride march route has been officially banned by Serbian police following mass anti-LGBTQ+ protests. The event, which takes place in a different European city each year, was due to take place in Belgrade on Saturday (17 September) as part of Serbia’s bid for membership to the European Union. But the event found itself under increasing scrutiny by religious and anti-LGBTQ+ protestors, including a march led by clergy from the Serbian Orthodox Church, who used rhetoric about “saving children” and “protecting family values” to push their hateful message. Now, several weeks after Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić said the event would be postponed indefinitely due […]

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How Targeting LGBTQ+ Rights Are Part of the Authoritarian Playbook

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In the last three decades, protections for LGBT people’s rights have advanced rapidly in many countries and regions. However, rising populist authoritarianism poses a significant threat to this progress because abolishing sexual freedom is often at the heart of repressive political projects. The progress and backsliding in my home country, Colombia, illustrates the process of using democracy to erode rights.   In 2016, Colombia seemed like a legislative paradise for LGBT people. That year, a pinnacle of legislative success was a Constitutional Court ruling that secured a range of family rights for same-sex couples, including marriage and adoption, and protection of LGBT students in […]

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A Push to Silence LGBT Rights in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

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On September 4, members of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq proposed an odious bill to Parliament that, if passed, would punish any individual or group who advocates for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The bill is reportedly gaining momentumamong parliament members. According to the “Bill on the Prohibition of Promoting Homosexuality,” anyone who advocates for LGBT rights or “promotes homosexuality” would face imprisonment up to one year, and a fine of up to five million dinars (US$3,430). The bill would also suspend, for up to one month, the licenses of media companies and civil society organizations that […]

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Caribbean court strikes down Saint Kitts and Nevis’ colonial-era gay sex ban

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Saint Kitts and Nevis’ colonial-era law banning same-sex relations has been struck down in a “historic moment” for the Caribbean country. On Monday (29 August), the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court struck down sections 56 and 57 of the Offences Against The Person Act which banned the “abominable crime” of “buggery”. The law carried a maximum penalty of 10 years with hard labour. While no evidence showed the longstanding provisions had been enforced in recent years, it seemingly justified the discrimination and violence LGBTQ+ Kittitians and Nevisians face due to societal stigma and shame. Judge Trevor Ward overturned the parts of the act that […]

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U.S. sees progress on LGBTQ rights but equality is lacking, U.N. expert says

Enormous progress has been achieved in the last 50 years for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in the United States but unfortunately “equality is not yet within reach and in many cases not within sight” for LGBTQ communities, the independent U.N. expert on sexual orientation and gender identity said Tuesday. Victor Madrigal-Borloz told a U.N. press conference after a 10-day visit to the United States that he applauds President Joe Biden for “very powerful” executive actions during his first days in office seeking to eradicate discrimination and violence against the LGBTQ community. But he said he is “extremely […]

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