Outgoing President Barack Obama has delivered a passionate call for equality in his farewell speech. The Democrat, elected President in 2008 and re-elected in 2012, has been a proud supporter of LGBT rights, leading a quiet revolution on equality in the US and around the world. He is set to leave power on January 20,
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‘We strongly oppose discrimination of any kind toward anyone’. IBM, a longtime supporter and ally of the LGBT community, is affirming its commitment to diversity, acceptance and inclusion with a new rainbow color brand logo. Chief Diversity Officer, Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, says that the new symbol represents IBM’s ongoing push for equal opportunity for all their employees and
Any anti-gay laws enacted in US states after 29 June 2015 will be subject to a complete ban. From the start of this year, California has banned state-sanctioned travel to US states that have enacted anti-gay laws since 29 June 2015. Assembly Bill 1887, sponsored by Equality California and the National Center for Lesbian Rights,
A transgender prisoner in California underwent gender-reassignment surgery paid for by the state this week, a first case of its kind in America. Shiloh Quine was promised that the state would pay for the procedure in 2015 after a settlement was made which stated that the US must offer treatment. Under its terms, the state
On January 9th, 2016 homophobic rhetoric was aired on Lithuania’s national television “LRT”. During a TV show “Good Morning, Lithuania” a journalist inquired people on the streets of Vilnius about their view on Eurovision song contest. One interviewee declared that it is “a meeting of European pederasts”. Although the reportage has been edited, the expression
A Kurdish advocacy organization has launched an LGBT-inclusive human rights campaign. The Rasan Organization on Nov. 25 began to paint murals on the walls of three high schools in Sulaymaniyah, a city in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Staffers and volunteers of the Sulaymaniyah-based organization painted the murals with the help of a
The Vilnius City District Court will have to rule on absent legal gender recognition procedure in Lithuania. On December 22nd, 2016 two transgender men – T.K. and M.V. – lodged a legal complaint with the view of obtaining legal gender recognition without undergoing the compulsory gender reassignment surgery. The newly appointed Government is skeptical about
Denmark on Sunday became the first country in the world to officially remove transgender identities from its list of mental health disorders. The decision, supported by all parties in the Danish Parliament, was originally made back in May 2016 following a lack of progress from the World Health Organization. “This very encouraging move from Denmark
The President of Taiwan has said that the process to introduce same-sex marriage in the country has moved on from “conflict” into the “dialogue” phase. President Tsai Ing-wen on Saturday said that the debate around same-sex marriage, which in December passed the first hurdle to be legalised in Taiwan, has moved on. He said: “We
Welcomes trans students who have dropped out of school. India’s transgender school in Kochi, Kerala is the first of its kind. Saraj International opened its doors on Friday and aims to help transgender adults aged 25 to 50 who have dropped out of school to finish their education. There are currently six students enrolled in the
AIDS Healthcare Foundation float provided one of parade’s most emotional moments for many. A float titled ‘To Honor & Remember Orlando’ was among the emotional highlights of the 2017 Tournament of Roses Parade on Monday, 2 January 2017. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s float featured a magnificent floral white dove soaring high above a field of
On December 22nd, 2016 two transgender men – T.K. and M.V. – lodged a legal complaint before the Vilnius City District Court with the view of obtaining legal gender recognition without undergoing the compulsory gender reassignment surgery. The applicants claim that non-existent gender reassignment procedure in Lithuania violates their constitutional right to respect for private