Police in the Russian city of St Petersburg have seized a number of pieces of art, including a satirical portrait of President Vladimir Putin wearing women’s underwear, for violating undetermined laws. Officers also removed a painting of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church with his torso covered in prison tattoos, and two other pictures
News / Human Rights
Russia may bring back its ban on gay blood donors, and offer an additional gay-to-straight conversion therapy service. 32-year-old Mikhail Degtyarev, who is a candidate for mayor of Moscow, said since 65% of all HIV-positive people were homosexuals, the proposal could not be considered discriminatory. Read more at gaystarnews.com A young gay man in Ireland, Tomás
On Monday, August 19, 2013, New Zealand became the fifteenth country to welcome same-sex marriage. Some newlyweds, estimated at three dozen, took advantage of the new law such as Rachel Briscoe and Jess Ivess as well as Richard Rawstorm and Richard Andrew in Rotorua, New Zealand. Activist Ferguson, with his new husband laywerJustin Mikita, who were married in New
Gay rights campaigners say making homophobia as unacceptable as racism is a step towards an environment where gay players will be able to come out. Homophobic British football fans are being warned they will face prosecution under new police guidelines. For the first time, anti-gay slurs are being included in a Crown Prosecution Service policy
A US reporter invited onto Russian state-funded TV to talk about Bradley Manning who used his time to speak out against the repression of LGBT people in the country was cut off by the host, but not before saying “we’re not going to be silent of horrific repression”. Describing the RT channel (formerly Russia Today),
The United Nations has launched “Free & Equal” – an unprecedented global public education campaign for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality: “In 76 countries it’s illegal to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. And in at least five, it can be punished by death. The UN is here to make it clear that
IKEA Taiwan releases divisive advert, urges gays to go for younger model. Advert has divided viewers with some calling it offensive and homophobic and others saying there is an element of ‘self-ridicule’. Read more on www.gaystarnews.com
From November this year, Germany will become the first country in Europe to introduce a third option for assigning gender on birth certificates, giving parents the choice to leave the child’s gender indeterminate. Read more on www.pinknews.co.ok
Members of the Lithuanian Evangelical Reformists Church have dismissed the decision of the German Evangelical Church to marry persons of the same sex as an offense undermining Christianity, Kauno Diena daily said. „We think it is an offense. The decision made by the Church is not Christian, we do not want to have anything to
Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission on Monday refused registration to a steering group for the collection of signatures in support of a referendum on restriction of the dissemination of information on homosexual individuals. The registration was supported by four members of the committee, five were against, two abstained. The 22-member steering group was proposed by Kaunas
Lithuanian Minister of Justice Juozas Bernatonis has suggested deleting from the Civil Code the requirement to envisage gender reassignment procedure by law. On 26 March 2013 the Parliament approved the relevant amendment for deliberation. It will now go to parliamentary committees. Under the amendment, the Civil Code should contain the provision that „an unmarried adult
The freedom of expression for LGBT people conference organized by the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination of the PACE will take place in the Conference Room Dom Poselski in the Polish Parliament in Warsaw. The opening session will start with the a welcome speech by the Chair of the Conference, Ms Tina Acketoft, Chairperson of