Taiwan has asserted its status as one of Asia’s most progressive countries after granting same-sex couples the right to adopt earlier this month. The Same-Sex Marriage Act, which was passed in 2019, made Taiwan the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage. The new section allowing same-sex couples to jointly adopt, comes in the form of an extension upon the 2019 legislation. According to Pink News, up until this point, if same-sex couples wanted to adopt, only one of them could register as a child’s legal parent. The current legislation was introduced after a court ruling in late 2021 granted…
Author: Lauren Mulvey
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has released their official 2024 Social Media Safety Index. The index, one of the leading reports on anti-LGBTQ online hate and discrimination, is intended to increase safety for LGBTQ+ people according to the report’s official release. “As we have seen over and over again, there is a direct line from dangerous online rhetoric and targeting to violent offline behavior against the LGBTQ community,” according to GLAAD. The report analyzes various popular social media platforms based on user safety, and rates them accordingly. These Platform Scorecard ratings provide an overview of “the current…
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) has fired Black queer comedian Amber Ruffin, who was slated to deliver an address at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner this month. Ruffin was removed after the WHCA’s nine-member executive board voted unanimously to do so last week after announcing her as the dinner’s host in February. According to LGBTQ+ Nation, Ruffin said she had refused to follow the WHCA’s instructions in mocking both Republicans and Democrats in her address. Ruffin called the Republican administration “kind of a bunch of murderers” and claimed that criticizing their Democratic opponents “makes [the administration] feel like…
The Caribbean is known as a tropical paradise and plays host to sunny vacations for tourists year-round, but are countries in the Caribbean a paradise for LGBTQ+ residents and tourists? One of the only countries in the Caribbean region where same-sex marriage is legal is Puerto Rico, but this is only because it is a U.S. territory. In 2015, when the Obergefell U.S. Supreme Court decision made it legal for same-sex couples to get married, couples in PR were granted the rights to make medical decisions for their spouses, become stepparents to their spouses children, and file for joint adoption…
The Provincetown Pride Center has recently celebrated the opening of their new location on Bradford Street next to Town Hall and the base of the Pilgrim Monument. The relocation, which occurred over the winter months, saw the center move from a tiny cramped space to a bigger property with the help of the Palette Fund, a local civil rights foundation that owns the building. The center celebrated their opening on Provincetown’s annual Pride weekend, and for the month of June on Fridays and Saturdays visitors can enjoy an exhibition entitled “Flag in the Map,” a collection of photographs and stories…
The Senate passed the highly anticipated Respect for Marriage Act yesterday with a 61-36 bipartisan vote, sending the bill back to the House of Representatives before it will go to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. According to the bill’s summary on Congress’s official website, the bill more specifically will “repeal and replace provisions that define, for the purposes of federal law, marriage as between a man and a woman and spouse as a person of the opposite sex with provisions that recognize any marriage that is valid under state law.” Furthermore, it promises federal recognition of marriage…
Nemo, a singer from Switzerland, is the first non-binary artist to win the Eurovision song contest. Thirty seven countries in Europe are invited each year to debut a new song at Eurovision to compete for first prize. This year, the 68th annual competition came to Malmö, Sweden and invited some of Europe’s most popular musical artists. Nemo Mettler who is just 24 years old won the competition with their song “The Code.” Nemo told interviewers, their song is the first they have written about queer joy and feeling comfortable in their own skin. “To stand here at the end and…
Republican lawmakers in West Virginia’s state legislature have passed a terrifying bill allowing health care providers to examine children’s genitals to identify their “biological sex” without parental consent. The bill seeks to confine gender within a binary, defining “sex” based on whether a person produces eggs or sperm, and demanding that gender-segregated spaces such as restrooms and locker rooms be used based on an individual’s sex assigned at birth. The bill would also require transgender students to face examinations at school. The West Virginia House of Delegates approved an amendment from Delegate J.B. Akers to officially allow childrens’ health care…
As Trump and his administration wreak havoc on the rights and freedoms of Americans, three Unitarian churches in upstate New York came together just ahead of inauguration day to host a “Big Gay Wedding” event for LGBTQ+ couples hoping to get married quickly. In Rochester, New York LGBTQ+ couples were invited to participate in the wedding ceremony by First Universalist Church of Rochester, First Unitarian Church of Rochester, and Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua. Those in attendance enjoyed donated cakes and flowers from local vendors and even had their photos taken for free. Minister of the First Universalist Church of…
Washington state has mandated that public schools begin teaching LGBTQ+ history. Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington signed a new law last week that will ensure the state’s public schools introduce new curriculum detailing LGBTQ+ history by 2025 In signing this bill into law, Washington joins six other progressive states which have already implemented similar mandates for public schools. These states include: California, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Illinois and New Jersey, according to LGBTQ+ think tank, Movement Advancement Project. The new law seeks to encourage feelings of safety and acceptance at school for students of all races, gender and sexual identities. NBC affiliate…
Ireland’s national parliament has taken action against a recent increase in hate crimes by passing The Criminal Justice (Hate Offenses) Act. The newest legislation combating hate crimes was passed in 78-52 vote in late October. Once enforced it will add stricter penalties for crimes motivated by hatred based on race, color, nationality, religion, national or ethnic origin, descent, disability, gender, sex characteristics, and sexual orientation, according to The Washington Blade. Up until passing the act, Ireland remained an outlier across the globe in lacking hate crime legislation. However, the law faced difficulty in passing through Ireland’s government, facing backlash in…
Though New York’s Staten Island has not fully decided to cast aside its antiquated exclusionary rules and welcome LGBTQ+ groups into the borough’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, a separate inclusive parade will now allow these groups. In recent years, one of New York’s most controversial boroughs has sparked a whole lot of debate in maintaining the hateful exclusion of LGBTQ+ groups and people from its biggest parade. According to CBS News, Staten Island parade organizers have been denying applications from groups like Pride Center of Staten Island and the Gay Officers Action League for years. And despite many LGBTQ+…
A new study from the American Cancer Society (ACS) has found that “minority stress” experienced by LGBTQ+ people can lead to cancer. ACS’s 2024 Cancer Facts and Figures report published in January, produced data on the rates of cancer in all people According to Pink News, minority stress is the physical stress response that is triggered by experiences of discrimination and prejudice. ACS’s report finds that enduring these hardships can affect people on a “cellular level.” “Psychological stress influences biochemical changes such as increased cortisol levels, which can lead to chronic inflammation that increases the risk of cancer and other…
A new iteration of Marvel’s famous Hawkeye character appears in the franchise’s latest volume of “The Ultimates” set in Earth-6160. “The Ultimates” presents an alternate version of the Avengers. A character called Iron Lad, “creates ready-to-go superpowers in a portable form called ‘origin boxes’ and sends them into the past,” according to Inverse. However, a box meant for the original Hawkeye, Clint Barton, reaches him and is thrown in the trash instead, in a rejection of the task. Instead, a stranger named Charli Ramsey takes the gear and begins using the superpowers. After some investigation by other lead heroes Captain…
As the newest season of the hit Netflix series “Bridgerton” hits screens across the country, heartthrob of last season, Jonathan Bailey, raised over £30,000 after running the Hackney Half Marathon. According to Pink News, over 20,000 runners participated in the half marathon which stepped off from the Hackney Marshes and passed through the Regent’s Canal and London Fields. Bailey ran hoping to raise 25,000 for charity Just Like Us, which provides queer youth the tools to raise awareness for LGBTQ+ issues in schools, and helps prevent bullying through an ambassador program. A day before the race Jonathan posted to his…
California’s State Assembly made history when it declared August their official Transgender History Month. House Resolution 57 reads: “Supporting the transgender community by designating August as Transgender History Month will create a culture led by research, education, and scholarly recognition of the contributions of transgender Californians to our great state’s history, and will educate future generations of Californians on the importance of this history.” The resolution was announced on Wednesday, Sept. 6, outside the California State Capitol by Assembly member Matt Haney and activists Honey Mahogany and Jupiter Peraza who according to Them, are the co-founder and program associate of…
A mass shooting at a Colorado gay club has left 5 dead and 25 injured. The tragedy occurred on Saturday night when 22-year old Anderson Lee Aldrich entered the bar, Club Q, in Colorado Springs. Reports say he was stopped when club patrons subdued him by hitting him with one of his guns. Since 2002, Club Q has stood as one of Colorado Springs’ only gay clubs and acted as a safe space for queer people to gather and celebrate their identities. But Colorado Springs has a hefty conservative population and acts as headquarters for a conservative Christian group called Focus…
Students at a high school in Indiana have raised more than $80,000 to put on a play featuring LGBTQ characters after it was banned by school administrators. Earlier this year, the theater department in Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana had gotten all necessary approvals from the school board to put on “Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood,” a play which includes queer characters. But after rehearsals began, the school’s principal, Cleve Million, canceled the production when parents complained about the play’s content. According to MetroWeekly, after news of the cancellation spread, a petition was started on…
A senior UN official has announced that anti-LGBTQ laws are impeding the fight against AIDS by preventing people from accessing lifesaving health services. According to The Guardian, currently 67 countries have laws that criminalize gay sex, nearly half of which are in Africa “the continent most affected by HIV” where prevalence rates for the virus are five times higher than in countries where same-sex relations are legal. Though much of the world is making slow progress in expanding LGBTQ+ rights, African countries are putting down harsh legislation in the opposite direction. This year Uganda made gay sex a crime punishable…
Florida Republican House Rep. Dean Black has introduced a bill that would require “biological sex” affidavits for all Floridians. According to Them, the bill “amends various state codes to mandate that all identification documents adhere to the assigned sex on a person’s original birth certificate.” It goes further to require those applying for ID cards sign an affidavit promising they marked the sex category according to their birth certificate. Under this bill, “male” and “female” are the only state-recognized categories, and the word “gender” is to be replaced with the word “sex.” The bill even mandates that insurance companies cover…
Conservative lawmakers around the USA are focusing much of their energy on restricting the rights of the LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities. These politicians have been trying to subvert these communities with disruptions of the culture surrounding them. One of their primary takedown methods? Banning famous books. There are many books new and old which discuss LGBTQ+ topics, and conservatives are making attempts to ban incredible literary classics, along with new educational commentary. But this is no new tactic. Conservative parents have long been complaining to schools about their children reading books with even a mention of sexuality, race or…
In a historic step forward for the LGBTQ+ community in Poland, new legislation has been introduced to support the legal recognition of partnerships between same-sex couples. Presently, only five countries in the EU (Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovakia) do not offer legal recognition for same-sex couples despite a recent ruling from the European Court of Human Rights in 2023 that these countries are violating civil rights. Though the majority of Poland’s ruling coalition support the bill, it is also suspected that conservative groups will reject it. What’s more, the bill could be approved in parliament but may still be…
Following an extreme alt-right backlash in 2023, Target has announced it is limiting Pride month merchandise, which will now only appear in select stores. In a recent press release, the mass retailer announced it would be limiting the number of stores where customers can purchase Pride merchandise this year. In addition, stores who are including LGBTQ+ merchandise will not have Pride apparel for children this year. Despite citing “historical sales performance” as their primary reason for discontinuing the sale of Pride merch, it seems uncanny that these actions follow a boycott of Pride products in 2023, when alt right groups…
The United Nations has taken a big stride in LGBTQIA+ rights by passing a resolution to stop intersex discrimination. According to Pink News, this resolution is the first of its kind recognizing that “persons with innate variations in sex characteristics,” have faced discrimination in “all areas of life.” The resolution was published last week with no opposition from any member states. The resolution officially calls on all member states to “combat discrimination, violence, and harmful practices against intersex people. This is the first of its kind for the United Nations,” according to the Office of the High Commissioner of Human…
Across the nation, many U.S. voters are mourning the arrival of yet another Trump presidency, this one laden with the misogynist, transphobic, and homophobic agenda of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. However, this week’s election still brought victories for the LGBTQ+ community, as some winning candidates make history. Big wins across the country include Keturah Herron who was elected to the Kentucky State Senate. Herron will become the first out LGBTQ+ person of color in a seat of this kind. Over in Georgia’s State legislature, Rashaun Kemp becomes the first gay black man elected. We also saw Gabby Salinas become…
Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) voiced their support for gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth in the face of years of legislative attacks on the trans community. AAP represents 67,000 pediatricians throughout the U.S. and has been voicing their support for transgender medical care for years, also voting in 2018 to support transgender medical treatments. A release from the group on Aug. 4 with statements from the organization’s CEO and Executive Director Mark Del Monte reads “As part of its mission, the AAP will continue to ‘ensure young people get the reproductive and gender-affirming care they need,…
Enjoy some of the world’s most beautiful mountain slopes during Switzerland’s Arosa Gay Ski Week January 18-25, 2025. Certainly one of the highlights for LGBTQ+ skiers during winter in Switzerland is the annual Arosa Gay Ski Week that is happening from January 18 – 25, 2025. Some of last year’s signature events included a Break The Ice Welcome Party, the Fabulous Downhill Skiing Arosa Drag Race Competition, the Splash Pool Party, and a variety of other entertaining events. Friendship Dinners throughout Arosa Gay Ski Week consisted of a Fire & Flame Dinner Show, Night Sledging & Cheese Fondue, a Frostok…
Uzbekistan in Central Asia has joined a growing list of countries with anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda laws including Russia, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Leader of Uzbekistan’s ruling Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival) Party, Alisher Qodirov, announced on his Telegram channel that the country’s governing body was drawing up legislation to ban LGBTQ+ content, according to The Times of Central Asia. Qodirov also shared a post from Ivanka Trump discussing her father Donald Trump’s intentions to cut federal funding for schools that promote “inappropriate sexual content” and “transgender ideology.” Homosexuality is still illegal in the Central Asian nation with penalties of up to three years…
What teams are you cheering on at The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris? According to OutSports, at least 155 out athletes from 25 countries around the world are competing in many categories, including basketball, field hockey, gymnastics, tennis, volleyball, and more. Big names competing this year include track star Sha’Carri Richardson, trans nonbinary runner Nikki Hiltz, and British diver Tom Daley. Hiltz made history as she qualified for the games this year, finishing in record time for a 1500m race in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials. “I wanted to run this one for my community,” they told OutSports. “All…
Twitter has lost more than a million users following Elon Musk’s buyout of the popular social media platform as the CEO goes on a political tweeting frenzy. Musk, who recently bought the app for $44 billion, has been in hot water with users and advertisers since taking over the company. In addition to his mass layoffs, Musk has backed Republican candidates and poked fun at various public figures. According to the New York Times “his recent tweets have covered an increasingly broad range of topics. Over the last four days, Mr. Musk, 51, needled the comedian Kathy Griffin and beefed…