Kazakhstan following Russia’s lead?

Homophobic rhetoric is on the rise in Kazakhstan, and members of the country’s gay and transsexual community are bracing for a possible legislative assault on their rights. President Nursultan Nazarbayev so far hasn’t seemed keen to press ahead with Russia-like restrictions. Even so, several verbal outbursts by prominent politicians have heightened concerns among LGBT activists.

A group of the parliaments proposed to amend Lithuania’s Criminal Code by inserting a provision that “critics or discussion of sexual behaviour, sexual practices, convictions and views, or attempts to persuade to change such behaviours, practices, convictions and views, is not to be regarded in itself as sneer, belittlement, discrimination or incitement to discriminate”. The

ILGA – Europe holds its 17th Annual Conference in Zagreb, on October 24 – 26 2013

At a crossroad between legal progress and increasing social hostility: European LGBTI movement gathers for its largest annual conference in Zagreb. On 24-26 October 2013, ILGA-Europe holds its 17th Annual Conference in Zagreb. Our Annual Conference is the largest event on LGBTI political agenda in Europe. 290 participants from 40 countries are attending the Conference. The

First Same-Sex Couple Adopts in France

Married in June, One Adopts the Other’s Children Last May, France became the fourteenth country to legalize gay marriage and gay adoption. (Other European Nations that allow gay adoption include Belgiium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Britain). Many Parisiens, particularly rural Catholics, did not cotton to the law that was

Amid heightened security, several hundred participants carried banners and rainbow flags, and blew whistles on the city’s streets. The chief organizer, Daneijel Kalezic, told marchers that gay people would “not give up” until homosexuals had obtained freedoms “like everyone else.” The police in Podgorica used tear gas against opponents of the city’s first ever gay

No More Bullies: Wear, Share and Go Purple on #SpiritDay October 17

Spirit Day was started by a high school student in 2010 as a way to prevent bullying and show support for LGBT youth. Roughly eight out of 10 LGBT students experience harassment while at schools and as many as 63 percent of them report they also feel unsafe, according to GLAAD.(Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against

Lithuanian Justice Ministry proposes law on unregistered opposite-sex partnership

Lithuania’s Justice Ministry has drafted yet another bill on introducing the institution of partnership between an unmarried man and a woman. Under the proposal, the Civil Code should envisage partnership as factual cohabitation with family relations. Such partnerships would not have to be registered. Partnership would only be allowed between persons of different sex, while

MEPs welcome the annulment of Moldovan ‘Propaganda Law’

Members of the European Parliament are welcoming the decision by the Moldovan Parliament to annul the law prohibiting the “propagation of any other relations than those related to marriage or family”. Adopted by surprise only three months ago, the annulment of this law brings Moldova back on track for closer relations with the European Union. The

Russian police intimidate LGBT activists

Staunton, October 14 – Police in St. Petersburg told a group of LGBT activists attempting to hold a demonstration in the northern capital that Cossacks, Orthodox and Muslim clergy, and other opposed to homosexuality would beat them so badly that the gay group would “not be able to stand up again before the [Sochi] Olympics,”

Turkey’s Democracy Reform Package fails LGBT citizens

At the end of last month, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented a‘Democracy reform package’, including constitutional reforms, an anti-discrimination bill and a proposal for an amendment to hate crime and hate speech law. Unfortunately, the package leaves out measures that would protect LGBT people from violence and discrimination. Sexual orientation and gender identity

14 men arrested in Cairo for ‘homosexual acts’

Group of men aged between 18 and 57 were detained following allegations of committing sexual acts in a medical center According to Egyptian media, the suspects have been detained pending investigations into allegations that they committed ‘homosexual acts’ at a medical centre in the al-Marg district of Cairo. An Egyptian prosecutor ordered on Saturday (12

Christian group: ‘Better to die than live in pro-gay world’

The Family Leader has admitted the Western world is getting more and more LGBT friendly A Christian political organization has said it is better to die than live in a world welcoming of gay people. The Family Leader, a US social conservative group, made the claim after noting nine recent wins for the LGBT community. ‘All