International

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Stop Hooking-up for Casual Sex during Coronavirus Lockdown. Immediately

The UK’s national LGBT+ health adviser is urging people to stop hooking-up during the coronavirus lockdown – making clear that the only safe sex is with yourself or “someone within your household”. Dr Michael Brady, medical director at Terrence Higgins Trust, warned that hook-up culture could lead to the spread of coronavirus – which is not sexually transmitted, but can easily spread through close bodily contact. In a blog post, Dr Brady made clear that people should not be venturing outside for hook-ups during the lockdown. People need to stop having casual sex immediately, says LGBT+ health expert. He explained: “The […]

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Monster behind Chechnya’s Gay Purges, Says People with Coronavirus should be ‘Killed’

Anyone who breaks coronavirus quarantine should be executed, says Chechnya leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. The president of the Russian republic – who oversaw a brutal crackdown on LGBT+ people in Chechnya  – made the claim on March 24 at a government meeting as the region confirmed its first three coronavirus cases. “If you ask me, anyone who creates this problem for himself should be killed,” he said. “Not only does he get sick, [but he also infects] his family, his sisters, brothers, neighbours,” the regional Caucasian Knot news agency quoted Kadyrov as saying. Ramzan Kadyrov recommends Chechens drink water with lemon and honey […]

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Queer People still Considering Dates and Hook-ups despite Coronavirus

Around two in 10 queer people would consider hooking-up with someone even as measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic includes strict social distancing. The coronavirus pandemic has redefined day-to-day living for countless people as lockdowns and pleas to minimise contact with other people are enforced by world leaders. While the virus’ death toll bears down on all, around 28 per cent of LGBT+ people would still consider going out on dates, according to a report published Tuesday by Queer Voices Heard. Queer community ‘pessimistic’ about how coronavirus pandemic will impact them, researchers say. Survey takers for the social enterprise group described the “genuine […]

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UK Teen Gets Life Sentence In Brutal Grindr Murder

The Guardian reports: A teenager who lured a “gentle, kind-hearted” sales assistant to a remote beauty spot on a date and stabbed him to death has been locked up for a minimum of 24 years. Alex Davies, 18, was murdered in Parbold, Lancashire, by Brian Healless, also 18, after they agreed a rendezvous through the dating app Grindr. Healless, from Chorley, tried to set up similar outdoor meetings with four other men on Grindr in the days after the killing, Preston crown court heard. He had told Davies, from Skelmersdale, he was “not out yet” and suggested a “discreet spot” halfway […]

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Coronavirus Lockdown is Trapping Queer People with Abusive Families in the Middle East

Coronavirus lockdowns in the Middle East are trapping LGBT+ people with abusive families, advocacy groups have warned. Coronavirus is hitting the Middle East hard, and as the death toll passes 1,000 in Iran alone, governments in Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and Algeria have all implemented emergency restrictions. While it’s hoped these measures will be effective in slowing the spread of the virus, they’re disastrous for many LGBT+ people who are being forced to remain in unsafe home environments. The Thomson Reuters Foundation heard that many LGBT+ advocacy groups in the region are now having to step up […]

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Salvadoran Police Face Trial for Murder of Trans Woman Deported from U.S.

Three police officers in El Salvador will be tried for the murder of a transgender woman who was deported from the United States two years ago after failing to prove her life was at risk in the violent Central American country. The unidentified police officers face prison sentences of up to 30 years. They all deny the charges. Camila Diaz, a 29-year-old sex worker who fled from El Salvador following repeated threats on her life from a gang, was killed in early February after she was kidnapped and beaten. Judge Sidney Blanco said in court proceeding on Wednesday that sufficient […]

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Pride festivals Will Face Delays Due to Coronavirus

Pride festivals across Europe are facing the prospect of cancellation due to the threats posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Pride season, due to kick off in June, is likely to be impacted if measures are put in place to restrict large public gatherings amid the outbreak – which was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation on Wednesday. Organisers of Pride events across the continent joined an online meeting on Monday to discuss contingency plans for the coronavirus outbreak. Coronavirus disruption to Pride festivals is now ‘inevitable’. Kristine Garina, president of the European Pride Organisers Association, said that it is “inevitable” […]

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Ugandan Lesbian Granted Asylum in Germany

A lesbian from Uganda has been granted asylum in Germany, but the judge said that it will not set a precedent for future LGBT+ asylum seekers from the country. The 41-year-old woman, who remains anonymous, suffered repeated violence, death threats and an arson attack on her home in Uganda. She applied for asylum in Germany in 2011, but was rejected and forced to go to trial. However according to Deutsche Welle, during the trial at a Munich courthouse, the federal office for migration and refugees admitted that she did in fact qualify for refugee status, and the case was thrown out. […]

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The Heartbreaking Reality of being Queer and Living Inside Poland’s ‘LGBT-free Zones’

A 19-year-old queer woman from Poland has revealed the heartbreaking reality of living in the heart of one of the country’s ‘LGBT-free zones’. A third of Poland has declared itself to be an official LGBT-free zone as local municipalities sign a pledge adopting resolutions against “LGBT+ propaganda”. Nearly 100 Polish municipal or local governments have now proclaimed themselves to be “free from LGBT+ ideology”. Local authorities in these areas pledge to refrain from acts that encourage tolerance and must avoid providing financial assistance to NGOs working to promote equal rights. An “Atlas of Hate” map created by activists reveals the extent of Poland […]

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Russian Constitution must Define Marriage as Heterosexual, Putin Says

President Vladimir Putin has proposed amending the Russian constitution to spell out that marriage means a union between a man and a woman and nothing else, a senior politician was cited as saying on Monday by the RIA news agency. Putin, who has aligned himself with the Russian Orthodox Church and sought to distance Russia from liberal Western values, has proposed a shake-up of Russia’s political system that critics say may be designed to extend his grip on power after 2024, when he is due to leave the Kremlin. He and his supporters see that overhaul as an opportunity to […]

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