‘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
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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
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.
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
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
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
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
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić has appointed an openly gay politician to his cabinet, in a historic first in the conservative country. Mr Vučić, who leads the right-wing Serbian Progressive Party, has been Prime Minister since 2014 and recently won re-election. This month he has been outlining his new government and re-appointing his Cabinet. As part of the
Same-sex couples are to be allowed to adopt children in the state of Queensland, if proposed amendments to its Adoption Act are passed. The amendments, which will be introduced in August, would allow same-sex couples to adopt as well as single people and those undergoing IVF treatment. Unveiled by Communities Minister Shannon Fentiman, the amendments
A Chilean Senate commission last Wednesday approved a proposal that would allow transgender adults to legally change their name and gender without going before a judge. The Senate’s Human Rights Commission voted 4-1 in favor of the proposal. The proposal would allow unmarried trans Chileans over the age of 18 and those who have permanent
Thousands who took to the streets of Belfast last Saturday for the city’s annual Pride parade have called for same-sex marriage to be legalised in Northern Ireland. Revellers at Belfast Pride chanted “What do we want? Equal marriage. When do we want it? Now!” Referring to the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Arene
Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity has no place in our society, but for many people in Europe, it is a daily reality. The European Commission is standing against discrimination, against prejudice and against hate. We’re showing Europe that no matter who we love or who we are, we all share