The Swedish government will shell out compensation to transgender people who were victims of forced sterilization, the country’s public health minister has confirmed. Until 2013, Swedish law specified that people who wanted to change legal gender had to be “lacking the ability to procreate”. This meant that hundreds of transgender people were forced to undergo surgery to

Five homophobic and transphobic law projects in the Parliament agenda

On 15th of March Lithuanian Parliament confirmed their new agenda which lists 5 initiatives seeking to restrict LGBT* persons’ human rights once again. The proposal to change article 38 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania is of discriminatory nature and first registered at Seimas by the end of the year 2013. This amendment

Transgender woman elected to Venezuelan National Assembly

A lawyer on Sunday became the first openly transgender person elected to the Venezuelan National Assembly. Popular Will, a left-leaning Socialist party that is pro-LGBT, on its Twitter page announced that Tamara Adrián had been elected to represent the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. National Electoral Council President Tibisay Lucena announced the governing United Socialist Party

British Columbia prisons implement reforms for transgender prisoners

The Canadian province of British Columbia will no longer confine transgender people in the prisons that are meant for the gender they were assigned at birth Prisons in British Columbia will no longer jail transgender women in men’s prisons and transgender men in women’s prisons after its Department of Corrections changed its policies. Previously only

Association LGL Launches Informational Brochure on Domestic Violence for LBT* Women

What are the main causes and consequences of domestic violence? Is this problem relevant not only for the different-sex couples, but also for the same-sex couples? Where to seek for help, when encountering this negative phenomenon? Is the legal regulations, aiming at preventing domestic violence in Lithuania, is fully applicable to the LBT* women? According

Disappointment in Poland as gender recognition act vetoed

On Friday 2 October, Polish President Andrzej Duda vetoed the Gender Accordance Act, to the dismay of activists in Poland and all over Europe.   This was a prime opportunity for Poland to join their European counterparts, such as Malta and Ireland, who have improved gender recognition provisions in 2015. ILGA-Europe had previously urged President

Irish transgender rights law takes effect

An Irish law that allows transgender people to legally change their gender without medical intervention took effect on Tuesday.   The Gender Recognition Act 2015 took effect four days after Deputy Prime Minister Joan Burton, who is also Ireland’s minister for social protection, signed it. “The wait for legal recognition is finally over,” said Broden

Pentagon to lift ban on transgender soldiers

The Pentagon will end a ban on transgender troops within the next year, according to reports. A draft memo from The Pentagon has revealed that the United States government plan to lift the ban on transgender troops by May 27, 2016, reports USA Today. The Pentagon has come under increasing pressure to amend regulations and

City in Texas got its first gender identity clinic

El Paso, Texas just got its first gender identity clinic. The Texas Tech University Health Services Center has opened the clinic under the guidance of Dr Hector Granados. The paediatric endocrinologist works with trans children, as well as adults. He said:  “We are in diapers when it comes to transgender care in the United States,”

Puerto Rico governor bans anti-transgender discrimination

Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro García Padilla on Monday issued two executive orders that extend rights to transgender people in the U.S. commonwealth.One of the orders that García signed specifically prohibits hospitals from discriminating against potential patients based on their gender identity when they seek treatment in an emergency room. The second mandate allows trans Puerto