Barack Obama has told Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta that gay people must be treated equally under the law, or else “bad things” will happen. The US President, whose father was from Kenya, is currently visiting the country for the first time as President. During an interview with the BBC’s John Sopel prior to his visit Africa, President Obama
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‘It was the first time we heard policymakers recognizing that trans citizens need to have their dignity assured’. The Polish parliament’s lower house has passed the country’s first transgender recognition legislation. Poland’s first transgender MP, Anna Grodzka, introduced the Gender Accordance Act in May 2012, and it was finally passed on Thursday (23 July) by 252 votes to 158, with 11 absentations. Under
Italy joins Argentina, Denmark, Malta and Ireland in acknowledging the right of trans people to self-determine their own identity. Italy has become the fifth country in the world to acknowledge that trans people are allowed to identify as trans without medical, surgery or genital intervention. Following a historic decision by the Italian Supreme Court this week,
A Ugandan presidential candidate has made history – by affirming that he opposes homophobia. With the 2016 election approaching, former prime minister Amama Mbazazi has stated that he opposes homophobia – making him one of the only Ugandan politicians to ever do so. In an interview on NBS Television, he said that, while he still believes in traditional
A European court on Tuesday ruled same-sex couples in Italy face human rights violations because the country has not “sufficiently” recognized them. A seven-judge panel with the European Court of Human Rights issued its unanimous ruling in a case brought by three gay couples who are unable to marry under current Italian law. The decision
The New Zealand government is changing the way it records gender – allowing people to identify as “gender diverse”. The government’s official data collection body Statistics NZ announced the change, which will be the new standard across government agencies. It explained: “‘Gender diverse’ will join ‘male’ and ‘female’ categories in a new gender-identity classification released today
‘Some things you should not need to camouflage’ The Swedish Armed Forces have launched a new Pride campaign, calling on all service members to be free to serve openly. With new posters being put up across the country, it shows a woman in uniform against a camouflage background. But there is one thing that stands
From the 4th to the 12th of July, 2015 the representatives of the national LGBT* rights organization LGL participated to the international project “Open Your Mind 2” under the ERASMUS+ programme, youth exchange for young people on human rights and equal opportunities, organized in Rustavi, Georgia. The project “Open Your Mind 2”, gave the opportunity
‘It means that we exist in the eyes of the state, and I think that cannot be underestimated’. The Irish parliament Wednesday (15 July) passed the Gender Recognition Bill. This means transgender people will now be able to change the gender on their birth certificate and passport without a letter from a medical practitioner. Ireland is the fourth country
On the 9th of July the European Parliament voted to put human rights, including of LGBTI people, at the heart of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The Parliament emphasises the “need to focus on strengthening and consolidating … respect for diversity and the rights of minorities, including … the rights of LGBTI persons.” (see par. 22)
The Vice President of the European Commission has said he wants all 28 EU countries to recognise or legalise same-sex marriage. Speaking at an Equality Gala in Brussels hosted by ILGA-Europe and attended by Executive Director of the national LGBT* rights organization LGL Vladimir Simonko, Dutch politician Frans Timmermans said the ultimate goal was to get all
In a last-minute move, the governor of Istanbul banned Sunday’s Pride Parade, using the month of Ramadan as a justification. In previous years, Prides were also held during Ramadan, without obstruction by the state and tens of thousands people participating. As demonstrators gathered to start the Pride Parade, defying the ban, they got violently attacked