Journalists investigating the abuse of gay men in Chechnya have made a gruesome discovery. Respected newspaper Novaya Gazeta originally reported that gay men were being held in two concentration camp style prisons in the region. Reports initially centred on two jails in the villages of Argun and Tsotsi-Yurt. However journalists from the area now say
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Under the initiative by the members of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has condemned the persecution of homosexual persons by the Chechen authorities (Russian Federation) and called for ‘a special investigation’. The resolution was submitted to the Council of Europe by Emanuelis Zingeris and
On April 26th, 2017 Aurelijus Veryga, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, met with the representatives of the National LGBT* rights organization LGL, including the members of the local trans* community, and the Human Rights Monitoring Institute (HRMI) to discuss gender reassignment legislation in Lithuania and other important healthcare issues relevant to
Last weekend, Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta published an article reporting that over 100 people have been detained on suspicion for being gay in Chechnya, and suffered torture and humiliation. At least three men were killed. At his opening statement today, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani MEP condemned the attacks: “I will confirm once
On March 23rd, 2017 the Government of the Republic of Lithuania placed two Lithuanian ministries, i.e. the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice, under obligation to prepare legal acts that would enable gender reassignment procedure in Lithuania. However, developments regarding gender reassignment procedure in Lithuania are slow. Aurelijus Veryga, the Minister of Health
On 24 March 2017, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) issued a report entirely dedicated to the situation of LGBTI asylum seekers. ILGA-Europe welcome this report, which clearly shows that Member States need to step up their efforts to make sure that EU standards are respected and applied correctly with regard to LGBTI asylum
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is set to sign legislation that would enable taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to deny placement to LGBT families out of religious objections. The legislation, known as House Bill 24, is titled the “Child Placing Agency Inclusion Act,” but instead of encouraging child placement would permit agencies to deny placement of children into
Many trans people in Vietnam buy their hormones illegally from Thailand and self-medicate, but they’re hoping the government will change its laws soon. Many of Vietnam’s trans community are turning to the black market to buy hormone medication. Hormone replacement therapy and gender reassignment surgery are not legal in Vietnam. Many trans people have resorted to
The Finnish Ministry of Justice has launched a project called Rainbow Rights Promoting LGBTI Equality in Europe, which aims to support the implementation of the legislation on non-discrimination. The project seeks to promote non-discrimination at local level both in Finland and in other EU Member States. In addition to the general aim of promoting non-discrimination,
Far-right French politician Marine Le Pen, who has pledged to abolish same-sex marriage, to is tipped to do well in the first round of the country’s Presidential election this week. France is set to go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new President to replace outgoing Socialist François Hollande. From the crowded field
By Izabelė Švaraitė Although LGBT+ people in Lithuania are in no enviable situation, the community is supported by law, visibility initiatives continue to increase, and more and more people, especially youth, are choosing to come out and openly discuss their experiences. But how are our neighbors in Belarus? Though we may hear about Alexander Lukashenko,
Last week, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that requiring trans people to undergo sterilisation in order to have their gender recognised, violates human rights. In the case A.P. and Others v. France, three transgender people attempted to change the entries on their sex and forenames on their birth certificates, and were refused so