Stories from Quick Reads and LGBTQ+
Defending Human Rights in Jamaica
When JFJ [Jamaicans For Justice] began, extra-judicial killings by police were commonplace. Yet, not a single police officer had ever – not in the entire history of Jamaica – been ever held accountable for one of these murders. It was a matter that desperately needed addressing. The death of Mario Deane...
Accessibility and Lack of Appreciation for Young HIV Carriers Fighting AIDS
Under the premise that AIDS is the second cause of teenager deaths in the world and the nvisibility for vulnerables populatons in this field, Puerto Rican journalist Natalia A. Bonilla Berríos writes about the participation of L’Orangelis Thomas Negrón, HIV carrier from birth, on the XX 2014 AIDS International Conference...
The Hypocrisy of Outrage Against LGBT Rights in Jamaica
An off-colour comment by a Jamaican sports commentator who “dampened the moment of post World Cup celebrations with his shouts of ‘Heil Hitler’ on national television” leads author and blogger Kei Miller to pen a letter to the editor illustrating why his countrymen are living a double standard – outraged...
A Documentary That Allows Transgender People's Voices to Be Heard
Though gays and lesbians are gradually gaining more acceptance in Puerto Rico, the same cannot be said yet of transgender people. That is why a film like Mala Mala, a documentary in which trans people speak freely about their stories, is so important. The film, directed by Dan Sickles (@dan_sickles) and...
On Being Young, Black and Queer in South Africa
Leila Dee Dougan shares a music video from the latest album by the South African artist Umlilo: Umlilo (previously profiled on Africa is a Country here) continues to push societal boundaries, crushing the norms of sexuality and gender roles with ‘Magic Man’, a track from his latest album, which will...
Homosexual Asylum Seekers from The Maldives Face Prosecution Upon Return
Same-sex relationships, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are illegal in the Maldives under Sharia law and there are several cases of prosecution against persons of same-sex orientation. Ibrahim Muaz, a spokesman at the President’s Office recently said that Maldivians seeking asylum abroad on grounds of religion or sexuality can be...
Kyrgyz Parliament Considers Anti-Gay Law
The parliament of Kyrgyzstan is considering a bill that criminalizes any activity seen as promoting “a positive attitude toward non-traditional sexual relations”. Very similar to Russia's anti-gay propaganda law, the bill is expected to become law soon. Meanwhile, a Kyrgyz blogger argues [ru] that the bill which is targeting the...
China Clamp Down on Slash Fiction
China recently launched a crackdown on online pornographic content: “Cleaning the Web 2014″. According to the campaign, all online texts, pictures, videos, and ads with pornographic content will be deleted in order to “create a healthy cyberspace”. According to Offbeat China, since the launch of “Cleaning the Web 2014″, many Chinese fiction-sharing websites...
Digging into Uganda's Anti-homosexuality Bill
Kristoff Titeca looks beyond a single explanation on Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill: A crucial point is that President Museveni has never been an outspoken supporter of the bill, instead being rather dubious about it: he was fully aware of the disastrous international consequences. In his first public reaction after the introduction...
Academics and Experts to Discuss Digital Discrimination in Barcelona
The ICUD International Conference: Digital Discrimination and Social Networks takes place on March 13 and 14, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. It will be a discussion space for academics, researchers, Internet and sns experts, NGOs, knowledge providers, and anyone interested in the issues surrounding discrimination on the Internet, especially in regards...
A Slogan on March 8 Anti-Nuke Protest in Taiwan
In the anti-nuke protest on March 8, 2014, a demonstrator promoting marriage equality held a sign saying: “Why can 23 millions citizens in Taiwan decide whether we can get married and why cannot the same 23 millions people decide whether we want the fourth nuclear power plant or not?” The...
Caribbean: Discrimination is Discrimination
Groundation Grenada has partnered with Trinidad-based artist Joshua Lu “to create a visual campaign to draw analogies between sexual orientation/gender identity discrimination and other forms of discrimination.” Check out the first few installations in the campaign, here.
Mozambique's LGBT Community: Tell Your Story
Lambda, the Mozambican Association for the Defense of Sexual Minorities, invites [pt] adult members of the LGBT community to participate in a short documentary. “Your story in the first person” is the title of this film project which aims at “documenting our trajectories of self-acceptance, our battles and conquests as LGBT people in...
Gender-Based Violence Epidemic Hits Sex Workers in Honduras
Despite the fact that sex work is legal in Honduras, many groups and individuals view their actions as immoral. Those who murder sex workers believe they can literally treat these human beings as garbage to be disposed of. Such violence takes place against the broader backdrop of widespread gender- and sexuality-based violence...
Why Homosexuality Should Be Encouraged in India
Amit at Mashed Musings thinks that the decriminalization of homosexuality would have turned Indians into better humans over the coming decades and would solve a lot of problems like overpopulation, lesser dowry deaths, fewer female foeticide, etc. The Indian Supreme court recently reversed a Delhi High Court judgment and reinstated...
Taiwan: Protest Against Legislation on Marriage Equality
The Legislative Yuan in Taiwan passed the first reading of the “marriage equality“ bill [zh] on Oct 25, 2013. On Nov 30, more than 300000 people protested against this bill, in particular against the proposal on same-sex marriage. J. Michael Cole, a Taipei-based freelance journalist, described what he observed in...
LGBT-Friendly Coloring Books for Russians
Activists from the LGBT equality T-shirt company FCKH8.com are planning to send 10,000 copies of a pro-gay coloring book titled “Misha and His Two Mothers” to families with children in Moscow and Sochi, prior to the 2014 Winter Olympics. The book's core message, captured by the catchphrase “Gay Is Okay!”...
Hong Kong Pride Parade 2013
Here is a video uploaded by Ares Ng from Youtube showing the empowering and happy rally scene of Hong Kong Pride Parade 2013 which has taken place in Hong Kong during the weekend on November 9, 2013.
Kyrgyzstan: “It is Impossible to Propagandize Homosexuality”
Prominent Kyrgyzstani blogger Bektour Iskander reflects [ru] on on the recent law banning gay ‘propaganda’ in Russia and speculations that some Kyrgyz human-rights NGOs are engaged in such propaganda: It is impossible to propagandize homosexuality. Because a heterosexual cannot turn into a gay, even if she/he communicates with hundreds of...
