News

/ /

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 […]

/ /

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 […]

/ /

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

,

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 […]

/

Man dies in brutal stabbing outside gay bar

,

On Friday night, police were called to the scene of a stabbing outside popular Long Beach, California gay bar, the Mineshaft. Two men were attacked, and one has died. The perpetrator is still at large. The bar’s co-owner, Jeff Darling, said that around 11:30pm two patrons were standing outside the bar when an unidentified individual rode up on a bicycle. According to witnesses, an argument ensued. The incident escalated with the rider pulling a knife and stabbing both patrons in the chest. The attacker fled the scene. Police arrived soon after and administered aid. The two victims were taken by […]

/

SoCo Pride Hosts Second Chance Prom September 24

Dust off your bow ties, polish your pumps, & tease those bands for “A Queer Night to Remember”! Remember your prom? Here is your chance to have a fun night out, with that person you really wanted to attend your prom with, get dressed up, and dance all night at our 2nd Chance Prom. There will be a cash bar, photo booth, and raffle prizes! A Sonoma County Pride benefit.Due to venue capacity limits no tickets will be sold at the door. $35 a person For Tickets visit:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-chance-prom-a-sonoma-county-pride-benefit-tickets-405908682797

/ /

‘Drag Kids’ event at Boise Pride becomes subject of political pushback

When Joseph Kibbe attended the first Boise Pride Festival in 1989, he and about two dozen other participants wore paper bags over their heads to hide their faces from potentially violent onlookers. At the first festival parade two years later, Kibbe and his friends were greeted by protesters with nooses in front of the Statehouse. “Boise was a very different place back then — it was not a safe time to be LGBTQIA,” he said. Still, for Kibbe — then a junior high student who faced frequent beatings at school, now the vice principal of the Boise Pride Festival board […]

/ /

Supreme Court temporarily blocks ruling that required Jewish university to recognize LGBTQ group

 The Supreme Court on Friday temporarily allowed an Orthodox Jewish university in New York to deny official recognition to an LGBTQ student group, the latest in a series of decisions in favor of religious rights. Justice Sonia Sotomayor in a brief order granted an emergency request made by Yeshiva University, which claims that recognizing the group would be contrary to its sincere religious beliefs. Sotomayor has responsibility for emergency applications arising from New York. The dispute is the latest clash between religious rights and LGBTQ rights to reach the high court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority. Supreme Court ratings plummet after […]

/ /

How Targeting LGBTQ+ Rights Are Part of the Authoritarian Playbook

,

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 […]

/

Happening at Sonoma County Libraries This Month

Join the Sonoma County Library for in-person and virtual eventsthroughout the month of September, from bookbinding to live music. All events are free and you don’t need a library card to attend; registration is required for select events. See some of our September events below! Kids & Families Explore leaves and trees with our Seeds & Reads program at five library branches: Central Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Northwest, Petaluma, and Sebastopol. Decorate a box to take home and store your natural treasures! Advance registration required; supplies are limited. For grades K-6. Tweens & Teens Interested in space? Join the Young Astronomers Club on Thursday, September 22, at […]

«‹ 224 225 226 227›»