‘My journey as a transgender Nigerian’

Rizi Timane, a Nigerian-born transgender life coach, singer/songwriter and author, now naturalized in the United States, speaks about his life and struggles as a transgender person. Rizi Timane was assigned female at birth, but at age 8 he came to realize that what he felt inside did not match how he looked on the outside. … Continue reading →

Don’t harm gays, Egyptian religious leader says

Grand Mufti Shawki Allam, a leading religious leader in Egypt, has spoken up against anti-gay violence. According to a report in Mamba Online: “Each person is equally inviolable,”  Allam said. “Even if we view homosexuality as a religious sin, that does not give anyone the freedom to injure another person in any way.” “Yes, it … Continue reading →

As Morocco reviews its laws, 2 jailed on gay-sex charge

Morocco has imprisoned two men on homosexuality charges at a time when the Moroccan parliament is considering changes in the Penal Code, Human Rights Watch reported today. Many local organizations are urging parliament to drop the law’s anti-LGBT provisions. This is HRW’s press release: Morocco: 2 Jailed for Homosexuality Parliament Should Decriminalize Same-Sex Acts Moroccan … Continue reading →

A busy month seeking LGBT rights in Cameroon

LGBT rights activists have worked hard this month seeking public recognition of the human rights of LGBT citizens of Cameroon. During the month, in programs organized by Camfaids (the Cameroonian Foundation for Aids), activists have been: Marching against violence A peaceful march on July 13 challenged and educated policymakers and society in general about the … Continue reading →

New hotline is for LGBT Nigerians seeking help

Mike Daemon, the founder and host of the NoStrings podcasts and NoStringsNG website, announces the launch of a hotline for LGBT Nigerians: NoStrings launches its official hotline for LGBT Nigerians Good news everyone! Here at NoStrings, we believe that all lives matters, and LGBT persons are humans, and so their lives matter. We have decided … Continue reading →

Seeking to limit gay sex, Tanzania bans lubricants

Tanzania is cracking down on import and sales of sexual lubricants on the theory that, without them, homosexuality will decrease, Agence France-Press reports. It’s a misguided idea that’s likely to make matters worse in the fight against HIV / Aids. As the AIDS Foundation of Chicago states about both homosexual and heterosexual intercourse: “Using condoms … Continue reading →

LGBTQ magazine publishes in Arabic, not without opposition

The Jordan-based online LGBTQ magazine My.Kali has introduced an Arabic edition, which provoked a strong negative response from anti-gay conservatives in the Middle East. My.Kali describes itself on Instagram as an “online social & conceptual Arab webzine [which] covers issues of LGBTQI, sexuality, & gender, through art-therapy, photography, psychology, new media.” Continue reading →

Russian ‘cat and mouse’ game targets LGBT protesters

The government of St. Petersburg has begun routinely denying freedom of assembly for Russian LGBT activists, the LGBT rights organization Coming Out reports. The situation has deteriorated sharply from previous years. The group states: Freedom of assembly in St. Petersburg: A game of cat and mouse Marsovo Polye (the Field of Mars)  is supposed to … Continue reading →

Jamaican official appeals: Let me join gay-rights case

Jamaica’s official Public Defender, Arlene Harrison-Henry, has appealed her exclusion from a lawsuit before the Jamaican Supreme Court that seeks to overturn the country’s anti-LGBT sodomy law. Earlier this month, the court blocked the LGBT-friendly Public Defender from participating in the suit as an interested party, but opened it to nine conservative Christian groups. Harrison-Henry alleges … Continue reading →

Tunisian activist in coma after 2nd suicide attempt

Ahmed Ben Amor, vice president of the Tunisian LGBT rights association Shams, is in critical condition after making his second suicide attempt in a month, his friends report. Speaking to Tunisia Live, Shams executive board member and spokesperson Belhedi Bouhdid, said that on July 16, “We were with him at his house following the first attempt. … Continue reading →