Tag Archives: LGBT rights

Gay Man Kills Himself After Protesting Drag Queens

Buzzfeed News reports: A young man has died in an apparent suicide the day after footage of him leading a protest against drag queens, alongside members of a right-wing student group, went viral. Wilson Gavin, who was president of the University of Queensland’s conservative Liberal National Club, was heavily criticised for his part in the protest after the footage was …

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Same-Sex Marriage Now Legal In Northern Ireland

The BBC reports: From Monday, same-sex couples will be able to register to marry, meaning the first ceremonies will take place in February. For couples who are already married, their marriage will now be legally recognised in Northern Ireland. However, those who are already in a civil partnership will not be able to convert it to a marriage at this …

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UK Rapist Spawns Anti-LGBT Action In Indonesia

The Jakarta Post reports: In response to reports that the family of Reynhard Sinaga, an Indonesian convicted serial rapist in the United Kingdom, lives in Depok, West Java, the city’s mayor has instructed his administration to conduct raids against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Reynhard, a 36-year-old PhD student, was sentenced on Jan. 6 by a court …

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Michigan Sees Push To Place LGBT Protections On Ballot

Michigan Bridge reports: A coalition of civil rights, business and political leaders is launching a petition drive initiative to expand Michigan law by including anti-discrimination protections for gay and transgender residents. Organizers who announced the effort Tuesday hope to spur action by the Republican-led Legislature, whose leaders have cited religious freedom concerns in resisting similar legislation, or put the issue …

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Govt Poll: 92% Of Canadians OK With Gay Neighbors

Canada’s Global News reports: The federal government measured how “comfortable” Canadians felt with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people playing significant roles in their lives, Global News has learned, part of what the government says was a preliminary assessment to better understand the challenges faced by Canada’s LGBTQ2 community. And the answer, so far, is encouraging: 91.8 per cent of …

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UN Official: Past Decade Saw Human Rights Backlash

The Associated Press reports: The past decade has seen a backlash against human rights on every front, especially the rights of women and the LGBT communities, according to a top U.N. human rights official. Andrew Gilmour, the outgoing assistant secretary-general for human rights, said the regression of the past 10 years hasn’t equaled the advances that began in the late …

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Travel Site: Nigeria Is Most Dangerous For LGBTs

USA Today reports: Travel safety blog Asher & Lyric has ranked the worst countries for LGBTQ travelers in 2019. The site looked at the 150 countries across the world that had the most international tourists and created an index based on factors such as legality of same-sex relationships and morality laws. See the full report.

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Interior Dept Cuts “Sexual Orientation” From Guidelines

The Huffington Post reports: President Donald Trump’s Interior Department removed “sexual orientation” from a statement in the agency’s ethics guide regarding workplace discrimination. “You shall adhere to all laws and regulations that provide equal opportunities for all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, or handicap,” reads one of 14 principles of ethical behavior in the agency’s 2017 guidelines. …

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Hallmark Channel Reverses, Apologizes On LGBT Ads

CNN reports: The Hallmark Channel is reversing its decision to pull advertisements featuring same-sex couples and apologizing for removing them in the first place, a network spokeswoman told CNN Business. The decision comes after Hallmark parent company Crown Media Family Networks faced calls for viewers and advertisers to boycott its television channel. The ads, from online wedding planning company Zola, …

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Gabon Is 70th Nation To Criminalize Homosexuality

Reuters reports: Gabon has passed a law against gay sex, becoming the 70th country to ban the practice, an official confirmed, as the global pace of reform falters. The central African country banned “sexual relations between people of the same sex” in a new penal code earlier this year, according to copies of the law online. A government official who …

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GOP Rep Floats “Compromise” Version Of Equality Act

The Associated Press reports: As Democrats champion anti-discrimination protections for the LGBTQ community and Republicans counter with worries about safeguarding religious freedom, one congressional Republican is offering a proposal on Friday that aims to achieve both goals. The bill that Utah GOP Rep. Chris Stewart plans to unveil would shield LGBTQ individuals from discrimination in employment, housing, education, and other …

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ZAMBIA: US Ambassador Threatened After Objecting To 15-Year Prison Sentence For Two Allegedly Gay Men

The BBC reports: The US ambassador to Zambia has said he has been threatened over his comments on the sentencing of a gay couple, deepening a diplomatic row. Daniel Foote said he was “horrified” by the jailing of Japhet Chataba and Steven Samba. A judge quashed an appeal against their conviction last week, sentencing them both to 15 years in …

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US Rebukes Zambia For Imprisoning Two Gay Men

Bloomberg News reports: The U.S. ambassador to Zambia said a high court ruling sentencing two men to 15 years in prison for homosexuality was horrifying. Ambassador Daniel Foote [photo] urged the government to reconsider laws that punish minority groups. “I was personally horrified to read yesterday about the sentencing of two men, who had a consensual relationship, which hurt absolutely …

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Hungary Pulls Out Of “Homosexual Flotilla” Eurovision

The Telegraph reports: Hungary has pulled out of next year’s Eurovision song contest amid speculation the decision was triggered by a backlash to the competition’s LGBT-positive messaging. While no official reason has been given for the withdrawal, sources within Hungary’s public broadcaster reportedly believe it is due to a rise in homophobic rhetoric within the country around the contest, with …

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Indiana Haters Lose Challenge To LGBT Rights Laws

The Associated Press reports: An Indiana judge has canceled a trial challenging limits on the state’s religious objections law, finding conservative groups failed to prove they were harmed by changes the Republican-dominated Legislature approved shortly after then-Gov. Mike Pence signed it. Their lawsuit challenged changes to a 2015 law prohibiting any government actions that “substantially burden” a person’s ability to …

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Hate Group Leader Celebrates North Carolina’s Poor Ranking On LGBT Rights Index: “That’s A Good Thing!”

Pastor Mark Creech writes for the Christian Post: According to a press release from the HRC in partnership with the Equality Federation Institute, the “average score for cities in North Carolina is 52 out of 100 points, which falls below the national average of 60.” HRC President Alphonso David said the MEI represents “a true American value.” Rebecca Isaacs, executive …

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NJ Poised To Be 9th State To Ban “Gay Panic” Defense

Politico reports: New Jersey could soon bar a legal defense tactic in murder cases known as “gay panic,“ under a bill the state Assembly approved on Monday without opposition or debate. The defense has been used to attempt to downgrade charges against defendants who argued that they killed because they were provoked by the disclosure of the victim’s gender identity …

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INDONESIA: Govt Bans LGBTs From Civil Service Jobs

Agence France-Presse reports: Several Indonesian ministries are banning pregnant, disabled, or LGBT job hunters in favour of what one called “normal” applicants, the Ombudsman said Friday, slammed as “arbitrary and hateful restrictions” by a rights group. The report comes as the world’s biggest Muslim majority country takes applications from millions of candidates who are applying for some 200,000 civil-service jobs …

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LIST: 31 Ways Trump Admin Rolled Back LGBT Rights

From the opening of an exhaustive list by ProPublica: When he campaigned for president, Donald Trump posed with the rainbow flag and became the first GOP nominee to mention LGBTQ citizens in his convention speech. In his first month as president, he signed an executive order stating he was “determined to protect the rights of all Americans, including the LGBTQ …

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Salvation Army “Saddened” By New Chick-Fil-A Policy

Fox News reports: The Salvation Army has responded to Chick-fil-A’s announcement Monday that the fast-food chain’s charitable arm will not be donating to the faith-based organization in 2020, despite providing donations to the organization for several years. “We’re saddened to learn that a corporate partner has felt it necessary to divert funding to other hunger, education and homelessness organizations — …

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