Activists on Gauteng hate stats: Homophobia must become a priority
The Love Not Hate campaign has reacted with shock at new statistics that show a sharp increase in homophobia in South Africa’s most populous province. On Tuesday, the 2015 Gauteng City-Region Observatory Quality of Life Survey revealed that 14% of Gautengers agree that it’s acceptable to be violent to gay and lesbian people. That represents […]
Shameful! South Africa abstains in key UN LGBTI vote
South Africa has betrayed its human rights values by abstaining in a landmark vote at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to appoint a global LGBTI watchdog. On Thursday, the council voted in Geneva to establish the first Independent Expert on Protection against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. Similar experts […]
Gay men beaten in Ivory Coast after supporting Orlando nightclub victims
A group of gay men in Ivory Coast have been attacked, beaten and verbally abused after they signed a condolence book for victims of the Orlando massacre. The men took part in the ceremony at the US Embassy in the capital Abidjan two weeks ago, on the same day that the country’s Prime Minister Daniel […]
Watch: 49 Hollywood stars pay tribute to Orlando massacre victims
A remarkable tribute to the 49 victims of the Orlando gay nightclub massacre has been released by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The 18-minute video – directed by Emmy Award-winning Ryan Murphy and Ned Martel – features a star-studded cast of 49 entertainers who recount individual stories of the people killed in America’s deadliest mass […]
India’s Supreme Court rejects latest bid to repeal gay sex ban
In another blow to India’s LGBT community, the country’s Supreme Court has refused to hear a new petition to end the ban on gay sex. The petition was filed by five well known LGBT Indians: journalist Sunil Mehra, dancer N.S. Johar, chef Ritu Dalmia, hotelier Aman Nath and business executive Ayesha Kapur. They asked that the […]
South Africa should keep standing up against violence against LGBT persons – at home and abroad
As the spotlight falls on the adoption of South Africa’s landmark Constitution, 20 years ago this year, one of its striking features — the inclusion of the first-ever constitutional guarantee of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation — is also under global scrutiny. The scene is set at the current session of the United Nations (UN) […]
1.26 million Gautengers approve of violence against gays & lesbians
Levels of homophobia are on the rise in Gauteng, with a shocking spike in the number of people who support anti-gay violence and discrimination. According to the latest Gauteng City-Region Observatory Quality of Life Survey, an astonishing 14% of the province’s citizens say it is acceptable to be violent to gay and lesbian people. This […]
Pakistani transgender marriage fatwa welcomed
Transgender activists in Pakistan have welcomed a religious ruling allowing transgender people to marry someone of the opposite sex. The fatwa was issued by 50 Islamic clerics and was a largely positive call to respect transgender people. The ruling said that a transgender individual with “visible signs of being a male” can marry a woman […]
So why do LGBT tourists like to visit Cape Town?
An online survey aims to find out more about LGBT travellers to Cape Town, seen as one of the world’s gay tourism capitals. Created by Capetonian Chris Hattingh as part of his PhD, the survey is being run in collaboration with Cape Town Tourism. Targeting both local and international LGBT tourists, it is set to […]
Will South Africa vote for LGBTI expert at the UN?
South Africa has been urged to vote in favour of creating a UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. A resolution to create the position has been tabled by six Latin American countries at the current session of the UN Human Rights Council. According to activists, the expert would help address human rights […]