This same sex couple are both biological parents to triplets

A South African couple have been blessed to become fathers to, not one, not two but three children after their surrogate gave birth to triplets. The couple met their surrogate during the Oscar Pistorius murder trial, having been his neighbour. The two men, Theo and Christo Menelaou, are the biological parents of the children, having

California lawmakers pass inclusive unisex bathroom bill

Vote takes place on same day judge in Texas blocks similar federal guidelines. California moved a major step closer on Monday (22 August) to having the most inclusive restroom access law in the US. The bill, AB 1732, has now passed both houses of the state legislature and becomes law if signed by Governor Jerry

Now same-sex couples can officially get married in Antarctica

Same-sex couples will now be able to marry officially in the British Antarctic Territory. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has announced plans to launch a consultation in order to review same-sex marriage legislation in the British Antarctic Territory (BAT). Although same-sex marriage became legal in the BAT at the same time as the law

There is now a record 51 openly LGBTI athletes competing in the Rio Olympics. Olympic swimmer Rachele Bruni has won silver in the 10km marathon, and she decided to come out by dedicating the medal to her supportive girlfriend. Thanking her ‘beloved’, Diletta Faina, who had accompanied Bruni to Rio, after her second place finish.

Homosexuality and the Olympic movement: towards better Games

Ian Jobling, Director of the Centre for Olympic Studies at the University of Queensland, looks at the history of gay Olympians. Sport remains “one of the last bastions of cultural and institutional homophobia” in Western societies. The first openly gay Olympians did not compete until the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. But the first known gay Olympic

Ukraine just celebrated its first LGBTI Pride outside Kiev

‘Now the whole world sees that Odessa is really an open and safe city. A city in which there is a place for all.’ Ukraine held its first Pride March outside Kiev at the weekend – and it went without any major incidents. On Saturday (13 August), between 50 and 100 marchers came together on

Rainbow staircase brightens up historic Reykjavik school for Pride

This amazing rainbow staircase was unveiled in the heart of Iceland’s capital ahead of this month’s Pride parade. Reykjavik Pride took place over the last weekend, with thousands flocking to the parade through the city centre. Ahead of the event, the steps to one of the city’s oldest institutions, Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík school, were lit up

Lithuanian Government Pushes Opposite-Sex Partnership Bill

On August 11th, 2016 the Government of the Republic of Lithuania gave approval to the changes proposed by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania to the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania which would legalize civil partnership of opposite-sex couples and further exclude same-sex couples from legal recognition of same-sex relationships.

Georgian President blocks referendum on constitutional gay marriage ban

The Georgian President has shot down a proposed referendum on a new constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. A petition calling for the referendum in the country had gathered 200,000 signatures. However, in a press conference this week, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili flatly rejected the proposal to hold a referendum that would constitutionally define marriage as

LGBT activists from Arab world to meet in Rehoboth Beach

More than half a dozen LGBT activists from the Arab world are expected to attend a first-of-its-kind meeting this weekend in Rehoboth Beach. The meeting — which will include advocates from Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the Gaza Strip who live in the U.S. — will take place at a private home

Pennsylvania Updates Birth Certificate Gender Change Policy

Great news for transgender people born in Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania just became the 12th state in the U.S. to modernize their birth certificate policy! Under Pennsylvania’s new policy, individuals no longer need to provide proof of surgery to update the gender marker on their birth certificate. That removes a significant hurdle for many transgender people. Under Pennsylvania’s

EVS volunteer Veronika supported LGBT* organization in Slovakia “Saplinq”

Our EVS volunteers are not volunteering just for equality of LGBT* people in Lithuania, but they stay in contact with their homeland LGBT* organizations and support them from abroad. Our current EVS volunteer Veronika from Slovakia is a good example of this practice. One of her learning goals on her EVS is to improve her