Front Line Defenders reports: On 29 August 2016, an unknown man physically assaulted LGBTI rights defender Mr. Bouhdid Belhedi in central Tunis, after the man recognised his affiliation to Shams LGBTI rights association. Bouhdid Belhedi is a LGBTI defender working on the defence of sexual minorities in Tunisia and against homophobia. He is a member … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: August 2016
Good news from Malaysia, Namibia, Ukraine
Recent weeks have seen advances for trans people in Ukraine and Malaysia and perhaps for all LGBT people in Namibia. The news items in this recap were excerpted with slight modifications from ILGA’s LGBulleTIn round-up of the world’s LGBTI-related news and UNAIDS’s Equal Eyes: In Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered the National Registration … Continue reading
After anti-trans attacks in Pakistan, abuse by doctors, police
Human Rights Watch reported: Pakistan: Attacks on Transgender Women Surge Promptly Investigate, Prosecute Those Responsible (New York, August 23, 2016) – Pakistani authorities should urgently investigate the surge in violent attacks on transgender women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Human Rights Watch said today. They should also investigate allegations that medical staff and police failed to … Continue reading
Caribbean: Anti-gay law is ripe for reversal, Antigua says
If LGBTI rights activists in the Caribbean nation of Antigua & Barbuda mount a legal challenge, the courts there would likely nullify that nation’s ban on sexual relations between men, according to Antigua’s cabinet. But the Antiguan government won’t take such action on its own. As Antigua’s Daily Observer reported: The government has said an … Continue reading
Belize fundamentalists hope to appeal sodomy ruling
In the Belize court system, the last word hasn’t yet arrived regarding the Aug. 10 victory by LGBT rights activist Caleb Orozco, who, with support from his United Belize Advocacy Movement (Unibam), successfully challenged the country’s anti-sodomy law. Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin ruled that the sodomy provisions of Section 53 of the criminal code were … Continue reading
Indonesians push to prohibit gay sex, unmarried sex
BuzzFeed world correspondent J. Lester Feder and contributor Rin Hindryati in Jakarta, Indonesia, report: Homosexuality Must Be Criminalized To Protect Indonesian Values, Court Told “Our country has legalized fornication, male rape and homosexual acts. We’ve allowed our constitution to become too liberal — is that what we want?” JAKARTA — A group of academics and activists … Continue reading
Nigeria: Feminine man provokes police raid
Police last weekend raided a celebration in Nigeria’s northwestern region in an attempt to break up a reported “gay wedding.” The owner of the wedding venue was reportedly arrested, but police on Monday acknowledged that the raid was based on a misunderstanding. They said they stormed the alleged gay marriage venue because they were informed … Continue reading
Q. Why expose gay celebrities? A. Bravery … Really?
By Yaw Amanfoh What leads a person to ruin the lives of other people for nothing but a paycheck? This year, on Feb. 26, Ghana’s Flex Magazine published an article called “Exposing Gays and Lesbians in the Showbiz Industry.” Its author, Ebenezer Narh Affum, stated in the article that there was a “dire need” to … Continue reading
3 musicians challenge anti-LGBT hate in Africa
Three courageous African musicians recently spoke to NoStrings about their personal struggles and their use of music to combat homophobia in Africa, despite strong oppositions and death threats. The three musicians who spoke to NoStrings are Mista Majah P, an African-American reggae artist from Jamaica; Grammo Suspect, a lesbian rapper from Kenya; and Chisom Iheangwaram, … Continue reading
Support for Iraqi rejection of anti-LGBT attacks
Human Rights Watch has endorsed Iraqi Shiite clergyman Muqtada al-Sadr’s call for an end to violence against sexual minorities, reported last month on this blog. HRW issued this press release: Iraq: Cleric’s Call Against Anti-LGBT Violence Fighters Should Heed al-Sadr’s Statement; Government Should Follow Suit (Beirut, August 18, 2016) – State and non-state actors in … Continue reading
