Norwegian Health Minister promises change to gender recognition law

Norway’s health minister has pledged to push through laws to allow transgender people to change their gender in the country’s population register without being castrated or otherwise sterilized. “I am clear that the present system is not acceptable,” Bent Høie told the country’s national broadcaster NRK. “The system we have in Norway today in this

Ukraine: Kyiv Pride cancelled after authorities refuse to police event

This year’s Pride March in Kyiv, Ukraine – which was due to take place on July 6 – was cancelled after authorities told the organizing committee they could not protect participants from homophobic violence. The Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klichko, claimed that this was not the time for “entertainment events” in Ukraine, following unrest in the

LGBT groups officially received by Spanish king and queen for the first time

The newly enthroned King and Queen of Spain have received representatives of the LGBT community for the first time. Highlighting that the groups’ work “deserves to be better known and acknowledged,” King Felipe and Queen Letizia officially received representatives of Spain’s State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals (SFLGTB), and the Triangle Foundation. Boti Garcia,

Ukraine: KyivPride 2014, June 30-July 6

From June 30 to July 6 the International LGBT Forum and Festival KyivPride2014 will take place in Ukraine. It is an annual social, political and cultural event, which is organized this year for the third time. “Today when Ukraine has faced external aggression, when they try to divide our society by incitement of hatred between

On 19 June 2014 the Lithuanian Parliament Seimas refused to drop the controversial amendment to the Criminal Code, which would remove criminal liability for homophobic hate speech. 18 MPs voted in favor of considering this amendment further while 11 MPs abstained (29 MPs in total), thus outnumbering 25 MPs who voted against the proposal. According

Luxembourg passes equal marriage bill

Luxembourg’s parliament has overwhelmingly passed a same-sex marriage bill, by a vote of 56-4. The bill introduces equal marriage, in addition to granting adoption rights to same-sex couples. According to the Chamber of Deputies, the law is expected to be in force by early 2015. Green MP Viviane Loschetter said: “Gay people should have the same rights

Kyrgyzstan: human rights group passes ‘gay propaganda’ bill

A Kyrgyzstan human rights group has passed a ‘gay propaganda’ bill in parliament. The bill, similar to Russia’s own anti-LGBT law, will make it illegal to spread information about ‘non-traditional sexual relations’ in the former Soviet country. This means it will be a crime for anyone to discuss anything related to LGBTI people in public spaces either

Spain’s biggest department store chain El Corte Inglés are selling three books titled ‘Gender confusion in childhood’, ‘I want to stop being gay’ and ‘How to prevent homosexuality’. The American author is Joseph Nicolosi, a leading advocate for gay conversion therapy. State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Trangenders and Bisexuals (SFLGTB) spokesperson Uge Sangil said: “You can’t cure homosexuality, the

Austria: MEP Ulrike Lunacek attacked with acid at Vienna’s Rainbow Parade

Openly lesbian Greens MEP and co-president of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights Ulrike Lunacek was attacked at Vienna’s Rainbow Parade on Friday, marring an event in which 150,000 marched for LGBTI equality. Police are still searching for the perpetrator who threw butyric acid on Lunacek. Never before has there been an attack at the