Major EU fund for employment and social inclusion will combat discrimination

Today, the European Parliament adopted a regulation defining the priorities of the European Social Fund (ESF) for the period 2014-2020. For the first time, the Fund will contribute to combating discrimination based on sex—including discrimination against transsexual persons—and sexual orientation. Today’s binding resolution specifies that discrimination based on sex should be interpreted broadly, including discrimination against transsexual

Gay. Let’s get over it! A message from the popstar Will Young

Dear friend, I’m delighted to be part of Stonewall’s new campaign to tackle homophobic language, which launches today as part of Anti-Bullying Week. I wanted you to be one of the first to hear about it and I’d also like to ask for your help! We know that 99 per cent of lesbian, gay and

On 12-13 November 2013 the Fundamental Human Rights Conference (FRC) “Combating hate crime in the EU: Giving victims a face and a voice”, organised by the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency is taking place in Vilnius, Lihuania. The conference focuses on fighting hate crimes and seeks to establish and promote international cooperation among the EU

Minsk Pride needs your help

According to the website GayRussia.ru, organizers of Minsk Pride 2013 are collecting signatures on a petition supporting their efforts to hold a Pride event this year in Belarus. “The organizing committee of the Minsk Gay Pride 2013 , issued a statement calling on all concerned people all over the world to sign the online petition in

Killers of Chile gay man Daniel Zamudio sentenced

The 24-year-old Chilean was found beaten unconscious, swastikas carved into his skin, part of his ear cut and had cigarette burns all over his body – Patricio Ahumada Garay, who prosecutors say masterminded the attack back in 2012, received a life sentence. The court also sentenced Raúl López Fuentes and Alejandro Angulo Tapia to 15

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.

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

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