A queer Nigerian streaming TV channel has initiated a global signature collection drive that demands YouTube restore its platform that was suspended this week under unclear circumstances.

Omeleme TV, which airs gay love movies in Nigeria, faulted YouTube’s action on Sept. 8 as “not only surprising but disappointing” to the LGBTQ community.  

The channel, established a year ago, launched its first short film “Nearly All Men” on Oct. 22, 2023, featuring notable Nigerian actors as leads. “Pieces of Love” went viral after its release on June 21.

The channel boasted more than 5,000 subscribers and YouTube monetized it.      

“We have never involved ourselves in any aspect that goes against YouTube policies and have always complied with their rules and regulations accordingly,” reads the petition. “So deleting our YouTube page is basically shutting the voice of the queer folks in the region.”  

The TV channel notes homophobia around consensual same-sex love is often shrouded in taboo in society and that Omeleme has been the only primary YouTube platform to debunk such discriminatory beliefs.

“Omeleme TV plays a crucial role in normalizing these relationships, providing visibility and affirmation for LGBTQ+ individuals, both young and old. And the only platform through which their voice can be heard and seen is YouTube,” reads the petition.

The channel’s spokesperson told the Washington Blade that YouTube did not indicate “the main issue” for terminating the platform and confirmed that initially there was a copyright claim on a song they received from an artist but the concern was settled.

“We immediately requested a review and informed the artist of the copyright. He immediately informed his distributors and after back and forth, the distributors based in Sweden approved that we got permission,” the spokesperson, who sought anonymity, stated.

The spokesperson also disclosed that while settling the copyright issue, they realized that “Nearly All Men” had not been monetized despite having the certificate. Concerned about YouTube’s delay in giving feedback when contacted, the channel pulled the film, recorded an original song, and uploaded the movie.    

“They (YouTube) flagged it also on Aug. 18,” the spokesperson said. “This time they claimed it is not ad friendly but it does not affect the channel and that we can only earn and be viewed by premium subscribers.”  

Although the channel complied by subscribing to Premium and received approval on Sept. 3, they were not comfortable with the condition since the film was only limited to some subscribers against their streaming expectation targeting everyone.  

“In all of these, YouTube never for once issued a strike on our channel, rather they kept assuring us that it does not warrant a strike if we request for reviews since we had copyrights and all,” the spokesperson noted.

YouTube under its user policies boasts a safer platform that allows viewers and creators around the world to express their ideas and opinions freely with an assurance that such “a broad range of perspectives ultimately makes us a stronger and more informed society, even if we disagree with some of those views.”

Under the copyright rules, the streaming platform provides that “creators should only upload videos that they have made or that they are authorized to use.”  

“So if this back and forth is what warranted the deleting of our channel, it remains masked as they did not in any way specify the actual violation or spam,” the Omeleme spokesperson said.    

The spokesperson noted many Omeleme viewers around the world who were happy watching the films feel disappointed by the suspension by YouTube and that the channel has also suffered online mentions and subscriptions.    

“It was a labor of love and YouTube remains our major source for distribution of these films to queer folks all over the world,” the spokesperson said, while asking the platform not to silence the voice of young indie queer filmmakers behind the movies. “We believe it could have been a mistaken scam identity and YouTube being a safe space for filmmakers all over the world will do the right thing by restoring our channel for their esteemed viewers.”

Reverend Jide Macaulay, a gay minister of Nigerian descent who was born in London and founded House of Rainbow, an LGBTQ-affirming fellowship, criticized YouTube’s move to suspend Omeleme, which he applauds for promoting a positive queer narrative.   

“Omeleme TV has been a critical platform for increasing awareness and visibility of same-sex relationships, particularly in regions like Nigeria where LGBTQ+ individuals face pervasive homophobia and discriminatory laws,” said Macaulay.

He reiterated the channel has been the only beacon of hope for the queer community to see their stories represented and heard in a hostile homophobic environment.

“By blocking Omeleme TV, YouTube is silencing an essential voice in the fight for equality and understanding, especially in countries like Nigeria where safe spaces for queer individuals are scarce,” Macaulay stated.

He called on YouTube to support queer people’s right to be seen and heard by reinstating the channel so it can continue streaming films to empower marginalized voices. Macaulay also appealed for global support in signing the petition to have the channel restored in defending freedom of expression and the right to share diverse experiences.

Uruguay’s LGBTQ community finds itself in a moment of strategic reflection and coordinated action in this crucial election year.

With presidential elections on the horizon, diverse voices inside and outside the Uruguayan political arena are advocating for representation. They are also working to confront the challenges facing the country’s queer population in obtaining positions in Congress. 

Uruguay is one of the first countries in Latin America to implement legislation and public policies to improve the quality of life of LGBTQ people. Uruguay, in fact, is considered one of the safest countries in the world for queer tourists.

In recent years, however, LGBTQ people been underrepresented in Congress and other political spaces. And activists see the Oct. 27 election as an opportunity to gain space. 

Diego Sempol, a renowned Uruguayan political scientist, told the Washington Blade that LGBTQ participation in national politics is important. 

“It is crucial for the LGBTQ+ community to hold positions in Congress to make their issues visible,” he said. “This not only drives more inclusive legislative advances, but also challenges existing social prejudices.” 

“I think it would seem important to run for a position in Congress or in the Senate because it would contribute to make the LGBTIQ+ population visible at the political level, which is very good because it is still a great centrality for a large part of the population and therefore achieving voting places, important places voted for, confirms that there is an advance or a setback in social prejudices about dissident gender identities,” added Sempol.

Daniela Buquet, a spokesperson for Colectivo Ovejas Negras, a Uruguayan advocacy group, explained how the LGBTQ movement is approaching this electoral cycle.

“We find ourselves in a context where the major political discussions are still centered on traditional figures, mostly white, upper-class cis males,” said Buquet. “However, we are moving forward strategically, strengthening our demands as the campaign progresses.” 

The recent primaries showed a political dynamic marked by established figures and discussions that do not always address the needs of social movements. Buquey stressed “LGBTQ+ candidacies are scarce in high-level positions, but we see progress at lower levels of the legislature, where congressmen and congresswomen are beginning to incorporate our concerns.” 

The electoral panorama reflects a clear division between the main parties, the Frente Amplio and the Partido Nacional, while parties such as Cabildo Abierto, known for its conservative and homophobic stance, are also part of the scenario. 

“We have seen attempts of setbacks by sectors such as Cabildo Abierto, but also resistance and social mobilization that have prevented significant negative changes.” said Buquet. 

The current government has faced criticism for its lack of compliance and progress on critical issues for the LGBTQ community. 

“The comprehensive law for trans people is still not fully implemented, and educational and health programs remain insufficient,” Buquet noted. 

The debate on inclusion and sexual diversity in Uruguay is not limited to the legislative arena, but encompasses the effective implementation of inclusive social and educational policies. LGBTQ activists expect the next government to take concrete steps to guarantee rights and improve the quality of life of all citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 

With the diversity march scheduled for this month, LGBTQ social organizations and collectives will continue to push for more equitable representation and effective public policies. The challenge is clear: “Transform visibility into tangible political action that benefits all of Uruguayan society.” 

Two gay men in Zimbabwe are facing a year in prison after authorities charged them under the country’s sodomy law.

The National Prosecuting Authority says Tavimbanashe Chawatama, 28, and Leonard Nyakudya, 25, appeared in the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Sept. 2. 

The NPA said the men began a relationship last August, lived together, and at times recorded themselves having sex. The couple on Aug. 27 had an altercation involving infidelity, which prompted one of the men to move out of the house. One of them was accused of stealing money as he was about to leave, which prompted the police to respond.

The two men while filing reports at the police station inadvertently provided details about their relationship and living arrangements, which resulted in their arrest for sodomy.

The men have been granted a $50 bail. Their sentencing is expected this month.

HQ Collective ZW, a Zimbabwean advocacy group, said the NPA treated the men unfairly, noting the police ignored their initial reason for approaching them.  

“The issue that was reported and the issue that they are being prosecuted for is a direct reflection of how the LGBTQ community in Zimbabwe is stripped of its human rights. It’s unjust and unfair,” said the group. “We have had cases of sexual assault, corrective rape, pedophilia, and gender based violence within the community, but the community can never take these issues to the police because at the bottom of it, awaits the prosecution of LGBT individuals despite the circumstances at hand.” 

Section 73 (i) of the country’s penal code states “any male person who, with the consent of another male person, knowingly performs with that other person anal sexual intercourse, or any act involving physical contact other than anal sexual intercourse that would be regarded by a reasonable person to be an indecent act, shall be guilty of sodomy and liable to a fine up to or exceeding level 14 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both.”

Pakasipiti, another Zimbabwean advocacy group, said LGBTQ people in the country constantly need to prove their humanness.

“When the human rights discourse is juxtaposed with developmental agendas it loses its luster,” said the group. “We see the far reaching effects of discrimination from entities such as religious groups and anti-rights groups purporting to protect the family. The lives of people are easily turning into song and dance against another’s humanness.” 

“As minority groups and people who have had to analyze and criticize one’s own existence, our understanding of oppression is not hinged on propaganda nor the subjective moral compasses of the masses. Queer people, more so, LBQ (lesbian, bisexual, queer) women have the burden of proving their humanness twice, if not thrice, to other women too,” added Pakasipiti.

Pakasipiti added it is “constantly reviewing our politics, work and organizing to be cognizant and accommodating of the nuances that we experience and must challenge.” 

“Our work is to ensure that LBQ women are respected and understood within the Zimbabwean society,” it said. “It is neither to beg for recognition. We are, unashamedly, unapologetically, queer Zimbabwean citizens.” 

Although the existence of the LGBTQ community is well known in Zimbabwe, there is currently a huge backlash against this acknowledgment that makes many LGBTQ people and activists vulnerable. 

Hate speech and arbitrarily arrests are common in most parts of the country because of religious and cultural beliefs. 

Zimbabwe currently does not have a law that specifically targets LGBTQ people. Some politicians and religious leaders, however, support one. 

Venezuela’s LGBTQ community is in an extremely vulnerable situation due to the increasing repression and systematic human rights violations that President Nicolás Maduro’s regime has perpetrated after July 28’s disputed election.

Local activists and international organizations have widely documented the situation, and the queer community is one of the groups most affected by this wave of repression.

A prominent Venezuelan LGBTQ activist, who has requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, has described the situation as desperate. 

“In Venezuela, unlike most Latin American countries, no meaningful recognition has been achieved for the LGBTIQ+ population,” she said in an interview with Washington Blade from Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. “There is no equal marriage, no identity recognition for trans people, and existing anti-discrimination laws are never enforced in practice. This has led the community to seek new forms of resistance, such as supporting opposing candidates.”

The activist highlighted the lack of recognition and protection of rights has led to a consolidation around presidential candidate Edmundo González and other opposition figures. 

American Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other global figures say González defeated Maduro in the July 28 election. González on Sept. 8 arrived in Spain where he received asylum.

The Maduro regime since the disputed election has launched a fierce crackdown on human rights.

Hate speech from Attorney General Tarek William Saab, who has called transgender people “human aberrations,” and others has intensified the climate of hostility.

Diosdado Cabello, the political head of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, has launched systematic attacks against LGBTQ activists who are fighting for civil and democratic rights. Repression has increased in the wake of the election, with more than 1,500 arbitrary arrests and summary convictions.

The situation is even more critical for LGBTQ activists, who have been targeted for illegal searches and arbitrary arrests.

Among the prominent cases is that of Yendri Velasquez, an activist who authorities detained at Caracas’s Simón Bolívar International Airport after they arbitrarily revoked his passport. Although he was released, his case highlights the dangerousness of the situation. 

“Other cases, such as that of Nelson Merino and the recent raids on the homes of Koddy Campos and Leandro Viloria, underscore the imminent risk faced by LGBTIQ+ rights defenders,” said the activist who spoke anonymously with the Blade 

In a context of increasing repression, the Venezuelan National Assembly recently passed a law that severely limits the operations of NGOs, endangering many organizations working to defend human rights. 

“This law follows the model of repression observed in Nicaragua, where civil society organizations have been dissolved en masse,” said the activist from Caracas. “The cancellation of more than 23,000 passports without legal justification has been reported, a measure that affects numerous citizens, including the LGBTIQ+ community seeking asylum abroad.” 

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has denounced the situation in Venezuela as a case of “State Terrorism.”

“The LGBTIQ+ community in Venezuela, already one of the most vulnerable, now faces exacerbated risk due to systematic repression and human rights violations,” said the activist, who urged the international community to intervene. “The situation is critical and international pressure is our only hope to stem this wave of repression and protect those on the front lines of defending our rights.”

“In this context of oppression and violence, Venezuela’s LGBTIQ+ community continues to face monumental challenges in its struggle for equality and justice, while the government appears increasingly authoritarian and repressive,” she added.

South African LGBTQ organizations have condemned the tragic murder of a lesbian couple in Dambuza near Pietermaritzburg on Aug. 27.

Reports indicate the couple — Nombulelo Thandathina Bixa, 28, and Minenhle Ngcobo, 22, — were shot dead by Ngcobo’s ex-boyfriend who was reportedly not happy with her recent relationship with Bixa. 

Bixa was laid to rest on Sept. 5. Ngcobo was buried on Sunday.

ILORA, an LGBTQ rights organization, says the couple’s murder has left their families, friends, and the broader community in profound grief.

“We stand in solidarity with all those who are mourning and call for justice for our fallen siblings,” said ILORA. “Together, we must continue to fight against the violence and hatred that threaten our lives and communities.”

Uthingo Network, another LGBTQ rights organization, said the couple’s death was a horrific incident that could have been averted, noting Ngcobo’s ex-boyfriend had been harassing them and ignored a protection order.

“This brutal act highlights the deep-seated homophobia and violence that persists in South Africa, especially in rural areas where LGBTI+ individuals are often marginalized and under protected,” said the group in a statement. “The systemic lack of awareness and understanding in these communities contributes to an environment where such hate crimes can occur frequently and with little consequence.” 

“The fear of further victimization often silences those who seek justice, perpetuating a dangerous cycle of violence and impunity,” added the Uthingo Network.

The Uthingo Network also said it is calling for urgent and comprehensive action at all levels — including more vigorous enforcement of hate crime laws, training for police officers on LGBTQ issues, and community-based education programs to challenge harmful prejudices. 

“Uthingo Network urges the government, civil society, and individuals to stand together against all forms of hatred and violence, working towards a future where no one is targeted for who they are or who they love,” said the group.

Gay man killed outside his home on Aug. 18

Xolani Xaka, a 32-year-old gay man from Gqeberha, was murdered outside his home on Aug. 18.

A family representative said Xaka heard noises at the gate of the home he shared with his uncle. He went to investigate, and three men confronted him, repeatedly stabbing him until he was dead.

The three men fled.

“LGBTIQ+ people should not have to live in fear of discrimination and deadly violence simply because of who they love or their gender identity,” said OUT Civil Society Engagement Officer Sibonelo Ncanana. “We call on the authorities to act with urgency to arrest and prosecute the men alleged to have callously taken another queer life.” 

Ncanana said no arrests have been made, even though authorities continue to investigate Xaka’s murder. A motive remains unclear.

Crimes against LGBTQ South Africans remain prevalent, even though the country is the only one in Africa that constitutionally recognizes rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and President Cyril Ramaphosa in May signed the Preventing and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act. Activists say homophobic and transphobic religious and cultural beliefs contribute to continued attacks against LGBTQ South Africans.

Steve Letsike, a lesbian who won a seat in the South African National Assembly earlier this year, on June 30 became the country’s deputy minister of women, youth and people with disabilities. Activists are hopeful she will work to raise awareness for the need to protect LGBTQ South Africans.  

SERBIA

Thousands of people marched through the Serbian capital on Sept 7 in what organizers are calling the largest Belgrade Pride yet. The march went off peacefully under the protection of a heavy police presence, a marked contrast to previous years that have seen the march threatened or canceled due to violent anti-LGBTQ protestors.

This year’s Pride marchers were demanding that the government pass laws to expand LGBTQ rights, including a long-promised same-sex partnership law and a law to facilitate legal gender recognition.

The march route took participants past the Serbian parliament, where organizers read out a list of demands and an unidentified participant hung a rainbow flag from an office window.

“Politicians, with political will, could easily fulfill the demands. Of course, it is also important that these laws are then applied,” Goran Miletic, one of the Pride organizers, told media.

A civil union bill has been under discussion by the Serbian government since 2019, under former Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, who is openly lesbian. But after years of consultations, President Alexander Vucic announced in 2021 that he would veto the bill if it passed parliament. While consultations have continued, the bill has been effectively stalled since then. 

Serbia is also required by the European Convention on Human Rights to provide some legal recognition to same-sex couples.

Serbian European Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic attended the Pride event and told media that the government is still considering civil union legislation, though she offered no timeline to implement it.

“The issue is protecting the rights of various citizens, which must be equalized with the rights that we all have,” Miscevic told media at the event.

Belgrade Pride was first celebrated in 2001 with a march that was attacked by right-wing organizations, leaving more than 40 people injured. After several failed attempts to hold a second parade, the next Belgrade Pride was held in 2010, which led to street battles between police and anti-LGBTQ protestors, with more than 100 officers injured and more than 250 arrests. Pride was banned by authorities in 2011 and 2012, before being revived in 2014.

In 2022, Belgrade was due to host EuroPride, but authorities denied permits at the last minute, citing security concerns, and only a shortened march was held.

ALBANIA

A conservative member of the Albanian parliament is stirring up a homophobic controversy over a third grade language textbook that depicts a wizard in a rainbow robe on its cover.

The controversy was first kicked up by right-wing commentator Auron Kalaja, who posted the cover of the textbook “Gjuha Shqipe” on Instagram with a caption directing parents to “reject this book.”

“What is the meaning of the rainbow and its colors on the cover of the most beautiful subject?! Will this creature holding a magic wand change the children’s minds so that the latter ones change sex or … ?!” Kalaja wrote.

Tritan Shehu, an MP from the right-leaning Democratic Party, claimed that the textbook was an attempt by the government to “deform” children, in a Sept. 6 Facebook post. 

“The cover of the official text of ‘Gjuha Shqipe’ for children is a cynical insult on children, their development, their future and their vision for life and family,” he writes. “A child appears there and on top of that a ‘man’ with a beard wearing a dress of ‘rainbow’ colors, dancing barefoot like a woman!!! Here we are not dealing with coincidences, but with a strategy of the regime, dangerous gender for sexual orientation in the new female age.” 

While the comments have stirred up outrage in the predictable circles, the book’s publisher Albas backed the design in a statement, noting the book has been used in schools for eight years without any complaints from parents or educators.

Albas’ statement explains that both the rainbow and the wizard relate to stories contained in the textbook.

“The tendentious and discriminatory interpretations, the more they spread on social networks and in the media, the more they deepen the crisis we are going through as a society, damaging the mental health of children,” Albas’s statement reads.

GEORGIA

The government got one step closer to passing its draconian anti-LGBTQ “propaganda” law last week, as the bill secured passage at second reading in parliament. A final vote is scheduled for Sept. 17.

The ruling Georgian Dream party introduced the bill this summer, drawing swift condemnation from Western allies. Analysts believe the government is using the bill to foment division among the opposition ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for late October.

The bill, inspired by similar legislation passed by Russia in 2013, would ban any gathering, product, or educational program that “popularizes” LGBTQ people or identities, bans gender-related care for trans people and legal recognition of their gender, bans any legal recognition of same-sex couples, bans adoption by same-sex couples, and bans any marriage by non-heterosexual or non-cisgender people. 

The passage at second reading was strongly condemned by the European Union in a statement.

“This package undermines the fundamental rights of Georgian people and risks further stigmatization and discrimination of part of the population,” the statement reads. “The EU calls on the Georgian authorities to entirely reconsider this legislative package.”

Georgian Dream has taken an increasingly authoritarian and anti-Western stance in recent years, positioning itself and its patron Russia as a bulwark against liberal and inclusive European values that it portrays as promoting LGBTQ rights.

This turn has come despite the public’s overwhelming support for EU membership, and the government’s stated goal of joining the bloc. The country was given candidate status last year, but recent anti-democratic actions have led the bloc to threaten to suspend its candidacy.

Earlier this year, Georgia passed a “foreign agents” bill, requiring any organization that receives funding from abroad to register as an agent of a foreign power or face stiff fines and sanctions. Critics said the law, also inspired by a similar Russian law, was an attempt to silence and discredit opposition groups, the media, and civil society organizations.

Several Eastern European countries have adopted or considered “LGBT propaganda” bills recently. Lithuania and Hungary both have laws banning promotion of LGBTQ issues to minors on the books, though Lithuania’s has been ruled in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. A similar bill has been proposed in Slovakia. 

HONG KONG 

NGOs serving the LGBTQ community have faced deep cutbacks in funding from the government over the past year, putting services and events the queer community relies on in jeopardy.

The Hong Kong Free Press reports that groups like Gay Harmony and PrideLab have had to cut back staff and resources in the wake of surprise cuts to grants they have received from the government.

That’s led the groups to cancel HIV awareness and outreach programs, and the annual Pride Market.

These groups had received money from the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau’s Equal Opportunities (Sexual Orientation) funding scheme since 1998. Between 2018-2023, CMAB had allocated funding to between 18 and 24 organizations, with a budget of HK$1.3 million (approximately $170,000). But for the current fiscal year, that’s dropped to 10 organizations from a budget of just under HK$700,000 (approximately $90,000).

Compounding the damage, the CMAC also allocates funds to three anti-LGBTQ organizations that promote conversion therapy — New Creation Association, Post Gay Alliance, and the Hong Kong Psychosexual Education Association.

Additionally, the city’s AIDS Trust Fund has also drastically reduced funding to LGBTQ organizations.

Hong Kong’s queer activists say this reflects an overall shift in attitudes from the city’s government. 

While previously, the Equal Opportunities Commission attended LGBTQ events in support of the community, the EOC has announced it no longer considers it “suitable” to engage in activities in support of possible legislation on banning anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

The situation in Hong Kong has become complex for LGBTQ people, since Beijing has moved to exert greater control over the former British colony. 

NGOs are reluctant to accept funds from foreign governments, lest they be branded a potential national security threat. Public demonstrations and Pride events have also become more difficult to plan and receive approval for. 

AUSTRALIA

CANBERRA, Australia – After a decision not to ask questions about LGBTQ status in the national census sparked widespread backlash, the Australian government has flipflopped and will ask a single question about “sexual preference” on the 2026 survey.

Australia’s governing Labor Party, which has been in power since 2022, had pledged to count LGBTIQ+ people in the national census in its 2023 party manifesto. 

But last week, the Australian Bureau of Statistics announced that testing of the voluntary questions it was developing on sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex status would not go forward, as the government had decided not to include.

That sparked criticism from prominent LGBTQ activists and rights organizations, as well as the country’s sex discrimination commissioner, and a Labor cabinet minister from Victoria state.

“Put simply — all LGBTIQA+ people deserve recognition. Equality means not leaving anyone behind, but if you don’t count us, we don’t count,” says Harriet Shing, Victoria’s minister for equality.

The government took another blow when six of its own MPs openly criticized the decision.

There were even calls to exclude the prime minister from the Sydney Mardi Gras festival over the census and a previous broken promise to close a legal loophole allowing religious schools to discriminate against LGBT teachers and students. 

“[Prime Minister Anthony] Albanese says he wants to promote social cohesion and prevent division, but by pushing LGBTIQA+ Australians back into the statistical closet he is doing exactly the opposite,” says Rodney Croome, a spokesperson for Just.Equal Australia.

“Our communities will continue to feel invisible and demeaned because the federal government hasn’t taken this opportunity to finally reflect the diversity of Australia and gather crucial information about the kinds of services people need,” Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown says.

On Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the government was working with ABS to include a single question on sexuality in the census and distanced himself from the decision-making process behind the original announcement.

“We want to make sure that everyone is valued regardless of their gender, their race, their faith, their sexual orientation. We value every Australian and we’ll work with the ABS,” Albanese says.

But some activists not that a single question on sexuality will still leave certain segments of the LGBTIQ+ community uncounted. The survey won’t ask about transgender or intersex status.

“Trans and gender diverse people and those with innate variations of sex characteristics deserve to be recognised as much as anyone else,” Brown said in a statement.

ABS is continuing to develop the survey, so final phrasing of the question, as well as its ultimate inclusion, remains to be seen. The draft question has not been released.

This isn’t the first time counting the LGBTQIA community has been controversial in Australia. In 2021, ABS issued a “statement of regret” for failing to consult with or count the community in its 2021 census. That led to the initial strategy to count the community on the 2026 census.

Other countries have begun asking questions about sexual orientation and gender identity in their national censuses. Canada updated its questions on sex and gender to better count transgender people for the 2021 census. Scotland first included questions about sexuality and trans identity on its 2022 census, while New Zealand did so on its 2023 census.

GREECE

CHANIA, Greece – Opposition SYRIZA Party leader Stefanos Kasselakis had a ceremonial marriage to his partner Tyler McBeth in a ceremony on Friday.

Kasselakis and McBeth, who is American, were legally married last October in a small ceremony at Brooklyn City Hall in New York, shortly after being elected leader of the left-wing SYRIZA party. At the time, same-sex marriage was not legal in Greece. Kasselakis had lived in Miami until 2023, when he returned to Greece to run for the SYRIZA leadership. 

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had pledged to introduce same-sex marriage during his term in office, and finally introduced and passed the law this February. 

That allowed the planned celebration in Kasselakis’ hometown of Chania, on the island of Crete, to become a full-blown wedding celebration. 

The couple held their wedding at the Chania Botanical Gardens, following a four-day-long  celebration for guests who had travelled to the destination wedding, and a farewell party the following day.

Kasselakis has previously told the media that he and McBeth hope to have two children via surrogacy. But while gay couples are allowed to adopt in Greece, it is not currently legal for them to use surrogates to have children. 

The SYRIZA party has been in disarray since Kasselakis won the party leadership, with several MPs abandoning the party to form the New Left Party, and the party recording its worst result in European Parliament elections in June. There have been several calls from party members to hold a second leadership contest to replace Kasselakis before the next election, scheduled for 2027.

SLOVAKIA

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – The far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), which is part of the current governing coalition, has announced plans to introduce a law banning “LGBT propaganda” in schools, mirroring similar bills introduced in Russia, Hungary, and Bulgaria, and a significant escalation of the government’s crackdown on LGBT expression.

While a draft of the bill has not yet been released, SNS leader Andrej Danko says he intends to introduce it this month. 

SNS has long been described as neo-fascist and deeply homophobic. 

Although SNS is part of a government coalition that has long expressed antipathy to LGBT people, the bill faces an uncertain ride through parliament. 

The current Education Minister Tomáš Drucker, who is part of the Hlas Party, says he will refuse to apply the proposed legislation in schools, noting that SNS is not in charge of the education portfolio.

“The educational content will be decided exclusively by experts and teachers during my tenure as a minister of education,” Drucker said at a press conference Wednesday, as reported by Politico. “I absolutely reject any politicization of education and impetuous interventionsin education.”

SNS has picked several fights with the queer community through the ministries it does control, particularly under culture minister Martina Šimkovičová, who has sacked the leaders of the National Gallery and National Theatre and shut down the public broadcaster over alleged political activism. 

In August, deputy environment minister Štefan Kuffa, also of SNS, got into an altercation at a theatre production of the Irish play Little Gem. Kuffa interrupted the show to denounce its sexual themes as being inappropriate for children. Police are now investigating complaints he harassed the theatre company and a complaint from the minister that security assaulted him in trying to get him to leave.

And SNS has also proposed a Russian-style “foreign agents” law, which would require organizations and media that receive funding from outside the country to register as “foreign agents.” These laws are meant to silence and intimidate opposition groups, civil society, and the media. A similar bill was recently passed in Georgia.

TAIWAN

TAIPEI, Taiwan – A Taiwanese-Chinese same-sex couple is challenging a law that effectively prevents them from getting married, even though Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2019.

Righ and Ryan met in 2016 when Righ was visiting Kaohsiung on Taiwan, and they began a long-distance relationship. They hoped to marry one day, and they thought their dreams would come true when Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage. But they soon learned that an obstacle remained in their path.

Taiwanese law that requires cross-strait couples to marry in mainland China before they can return and settle in Taiwan. Since China does not allow same-sex marriage, queer couples are out of luck.

Taiwan says the policy on cross-strait couples is necessary for national security. Spouses from mainland China are vetted for possible security issues.

While Taiwanese citizens are allowed to live and work in mainland China, Ryan and Righ’s relationship would still lack legal recognition, and they would lack other freedoms that LGBTQ people have in Taiwan.

Ryan and Righ got married in the United States and have sued the Taiwanese government for recognition of their marriage so that Righ can stay in Taiwan.

Last month, a court ruled that the Immigration Department should begin the interview process to recognize their marriage, but the department has yet to schedule an interview. Activists believe the government is stalling, nervous about addressing a controversial issue.

But there are some signals that the policy could soon change.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party told The Guardian that a new law could address this legal lacuna. 

“Taiwanese citizen’s freedom to marry shall be respected and protected by the law regardless [of] the nationality of their fiance. We believe the government will propose a draft of law balancing people’s right to marry and national security,” The DPP statement says.  

There are an estimated 100 cross-strait same-sex couples affected by the government’s policy.

Taiwan’s same-sex marriage law was originally even more restrictive. As originally passed, Taiwanese citizens could only marry a same-sex foreigner if the marriage would be recognized in the foreigner’s home country, but that restriction was repealed in 2023. Restrictions barring same-sex couples from adopting were also repealed in 2023.

The Israeli government on Sunday announced a gay man’s sister-in-law and five other hostages were killed in the Gaza Strip before they could be rescued.

The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry in a press release said members of the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday “located” Carmel Gat’s body. The IDF also found the bodies of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Eden Yerushalmi.

The Associated Press said IDF forces found the bodies in a tunnel underneath Rafah, a city in southern Gaza that borders Egypt. Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, reported Israeli officials said the hostages “were shot at close range” by Hamas militants on Aug. 29 or Aug. 30.

“This is a difficult day for us,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video message. “Together with all citizens of Israel, I was outraged to the depths of my soul by the horrific, cold-blooded murder of six of our hostages.”

“I say to the Hamas terrorists who murdered our hostages and I say to their leaders: You will pay the price,” he added. “We will not rest, nor will be silent. We will pursue you, we will find you, and we will settle accounts with you.”

Gat was visiting her parents in Be’eri, a kibbutz that is near the border of Israel and Gaza, on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack against southern Israel from the Palestinian enclave it governs. 

Hamas militants killed Gat’s parents. 

They kidnapped Gat and her sister-in-law, Yarden Roman, and brought them to Gaza. Roman’s husband, Alon Gat, with their young daughter, Geffen, jumped out of the car in which the militants had placed them and escaped before it drove into Gaza. Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization, released Roman on Nov. 29, 2023.

The Jerusalem Post reported Carmel Gat, an occupational therapist, while in Gaza taught other hostages yoga and meditation to help them endure their captivity.   

Her brother-in-law, Gili Roman, a teacher who is a member of Israel’s Nemos LGBTQ+ Swimming Club, included a broken heart emoji in a brief email exchange with the Washington Blade on Sunday.

The Israeli government says Hamas militants killed roughly 1,200 people on Oct. 7, including upwards of 370 partygoers and others at an all-night music festival in Re’im, a kibbutz that is a few miles southwest of Be’eri. Carmel Gat was one of the upwards of 250 people who Hamas militants took hostage. 

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says more than 40,000 people have died in the enclave since the war began. 

The Washington Post reported an 11-month-old boy in Gaza contracted polio last month, and there are several other suspected cases. UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, and the World Health Organization on Sunday began a mass polio vaccination campaign.

Hezbollah, which the U.S. and Israel have designated a terrorist organization, has launched rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel. The Houthis have also launched rockets towards Israel and have attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea.

Iran, which backs the Houthis and Hezbollah, on April 13 launched a drone and missile attack against Israel in response to a suspected Israeli air strike killed two Iranian generals in Damascus, Syria. 

An Israeli air strike on July 30 in Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander. A suspected Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, the following day killed Ismail Haniyah, Hamas’s top political leader.

Goldberg-Polin’s parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 21.

‘We did not do enough to save our Carmel’

Hundreds of thousands of people on Sunday took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and other cities and towns across Israel to demand Netanyahu agree to a ceasefire that would secure the remaining hostages’ release.

Carmel Gat’s family in a statement to the Jerusalem Post on Sunday said it refused to meet with Netanyahu.

“We have no interest in speaking with the person responsible for Carmel’s death or in being part of his media circus,” said the family. “We will not allow him to use us as justification or legitimacy for the murder of the next hostage. The blood of the hostages is on his hands.”

“We did not do enough to save our Carmel,” it added. “We ask that for the memory of Carmel and for the rescue of the hostages still in captivity — take to the streets and shut down the country until everyone comes home.”

A Wider Bridge in an email it sent to supporters on Sunday said “the horrifying news of the Hamas murder of six hostages — Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Eden Yerushalmi — cuts deep.” 

“In a sense, they are all our family,” reads the email. “The six were found executed in a tunnel in Rafah as their rescue was becoming a possibility.”

A Wider Bridge said it also “came to know Hersh through his parents’ advocacy, which brought his story and the plight of all the hostages to millions.” The email also notes A Wider Bridge “has also grown close to the family of Carmel Gat” since Oct. 7.

“She was stolen from Kibbutz Be’eri along with her sister-in-law, Yarden,” said A Wider Bridge. “Yarden’s brothers, Gili and Nili, are gay men active in the Israeli LGBTQ community and involved in the hostage families group. They have spoken with our community on several AWB programs. We exhaled a little when Yarden was released from the hellscape in which her cousin remained, and we are devastated by their pain today at the execution of Carmel.” 

Kenya’s LGBTQ community has decried homophobia in the country’s places of worship leaving some of them with the option of embracing a new queer-friendly church in the capital Nairobi.

The queer people, while sharing homophobic experiences they encountered in Kenyan churches, stated that clerics and other believers have weaponized religious faith as a tool of violence against them.

This hate and discrimination, according to the LGBTQ community, has driven most of them into religious trauma and they are seeking spiritual refuge in the Cosmopolitan Affirming Church (CAC), which is open to queer individuals.   

“As a pastor, I have worked in a [religious] space that as someone who I identify myself as a queer priest, I have been excluded from that very space out of lies that lack the truth to justify my exclusion,” said Godfrey Adera, an associate pastor at CAC.   

Adera spoke during the International Day commemorating victims of violence based on faith and belief marked last Thursday where more than 1,700 queer Kenyans engaged in an X forum.

The forum organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) noted that Uganda’s enactment of the draconian anti-homosexuality law last year has contributed to an increase in homophobic hatred and discrimination in Kenyan churches.

“I have seen a queer person talk about how he was in a church just last week and there were overtly no queer undertones going on in the church and the pastor unprovoked spoke about how he supports President Yoweri Museveni’s decision to deal with gays in Uganda, which is basically calling for a lot of homophobic violence,” said Elle Khaoma, the forum’s moderator from NGLHRC.

The queer community also noted that the plan by Kenya’s opposition MP Peter Kaluma to introduce a punitive anti-homosexuality draft law in parliament and supported by religious leaders and others has increased homophobic hate and stigma in places of worship.

Such actions have seriously impacted the LGBTQ community in terms of religious trauma, mental health, falling away from faith, feeling discriminated against and being perceived as outcasts, and battling stigma to the point of dying by suicide, according to experiences shared by several queer persons.

Some disclosed they decided to flee their homes after being disowned by their parents and siblings for identifying as LGBTQ contrary to religious faith and belief their families and churches subscribe to.

“After the hate and discrimination, I started to recognize my religious trauma. My motivation to overcome it has been that I’m not alone as a queer person to be impacted by religious trauma,” said Wanjiku, a journalist and lawyer.

She reiterated that sharing experiences with other queer persons about religious trauma from various churches, how they have dealt with it, and deconstructing hateful religious ideologies have helped her overcome the stigma.

Pastor Adera affirmed that queer persons should first acknowledge that religion and belief are used as a tool of violence in diversity to target them.

“After acknowledging, it is important to ask critical questions by interrogating the scriptures and finding alternative messages of love, justice, fairness, and God the creator of all humanity then making these messages more heard than the messages of hurt and hate that come with religious narratives,” he said.

He stated that alternative and balanced scriptures that promote inclusivity, diversity, and love that every church should stand for are what the Cosmopolitan Affirming Church teaches to demystify religious narratives of hate against queer individuals in mainstream churches.    

“Religion comes with social control in terms of shaping what morality and norms look like and how we relate to each other, which is not a positive thing as it forms the basis of excluding other people like the queer,” Adera said. “It needs to be talked about and challenged in queer forums and advocacy by calling out people using religion to fuel bigotry, hate, and hurt in the nation.”

The CAC cleric asked the queer persons to take religion seriously since it has a huge influence on society and also urged them to examine it critically to push for inclusive conversations and accommodative norms to enhance social cohesion.  

Adera assured the queer Christians that CAC is one of their alternative religions with resourceful materials like theological books, articles, and scriptures that are interpreted to suit their faith and belief.   

“Mainstream churches have been more of gatekeepers by barring us, the queer persons, from experiencing our religious beliefs like other believers,” he opined.       

During the forum, the queer persons were advised to have trusted and supportive allies who readily come to their protection and deconstruct religious narratives of hate and homophobia passed from generation to generation.     

The LGBTQ community was further urged to be alert and proactive in countering legal, social, and cultural norms or violence that come with religious stigma both at small and large scale.

AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY, Australia – A federal court in Australia handed down a historic victory for trans women on August 23, in a discrimination case that establishes for the first time that existing protections against sex discrimination extend to transgender women.

The case was filed by Roxanne Tickle, a trans woman who claimed she was discriminated against when she was barred from using an app for women. 

In 2021, Tickle had downloaded the app “Giggle for Girls,” an online forum that billed itself as a safe space where women could share their experiences and men were not allowed. In order to gain access to the app, Tickle had to upload a photo of herself to confirm her gender. 

Nevertheless, seven months after joining the platform, she was removed.

Tickle claimed she was discriminated against due to her gender identity, and sued the platform and its CEO for 200,000 Australian dollars (approximately $135,000), citing anxiety she suffered due to the misgendering, and the hateful comments she received due to Giggle CEO Sall Grover’s public comments about the case.

Grover is a self-declared trans-exclusionary radical feminist and refused to refer to Tickle as a woman or use female pronouns and titles for her throughout the case. 

Giggle claimed that the app was entitled to discriminate against Tickle based on her biological sex, in order to create a space for women only. But the federal court rejected that argument, finding that case law has consistently found sex is “changeable and not necessarily binary.” 

The court also rejected Giggle’s argument that the federal government did not have the constitutional authority to ban discrimination.

It found that that Giggle indirectly discriminated against Tickle.   

Giggle was ordered to pay Tickle 10,000 Australian dollars (approximately $6800) plus legal costs. Grover has vowed to appeal the decision to the High Court of Australia, the country’s top court.

This case was the first time the federal court in Australia has ruled on gender identity discrimination. 

The federal sex discrimination commissioner, Dr. Anna Cody, intervened in the case on Tickle’s behalf, and released a statement supporting the court’s ruling.

“The 2013 changes to the Sex Discrimination Act make it clear it is unlawful under federal law to discriminate against a person on the basis of gender identity,” Cody says in the statement. “We are pleased this case has recognised that every individual, regardless of their gender identity, deserves equal and fair treatment under the law.” 

Anna Brown, CEO of the LGBTIQ+ advocacy group Equality Australia, applauded the court’s decision.

“Justice Bromwich has correctly and sensibly interpreted the law to ensure it does not exclude marginalised people who are in need of protection,” Brown says in a statement. “This judgment confirms that discrimination laws exist to protect all of us, particularly groups such as trans women who have experienced historical exclusion and disadvantage. The judgment also confirms that gender identity as a protected ground of discrimination is constitutionally valid.”

BULGARIA

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Amid ongoing fallout after parliament rushed through a bill to ban “LGBT propaganda” in schools earlier this month, some lawmakers have announced plans to attempt to amend the legislation to remove anti-LGBT language.

The centrist and pro-European “We Continue the Change” party has vowed to introduce a bill to amend the law this week, to either alter or remove the law’s definition of “non-traditional sexual orientation,” which is banned from promotion or discussion in classrooms and colleges under the law.

Currently, the law defines non-traditional sexual orientation as that which differs from the widely accepted and entrenched ideas of emotional, romantic, sexual, or sensual attraction between individuals of opposite sexes.

The law has sparked unrest across Bulgaria, with teachers’ unions, feminist groups, human rights groups, and LGBTQ advocacy organizations staging protests against it for weeks in the capital. 

In turn, the European Commission – the executive arm of the European Union – has demanded an explanation of the law from the Bulgarian government, in what may be the first step before taking legal or punitive action against the country.

Meanwhile, the far-right, Kremlin-associated Revival Party, which introduced the propaganda law in parliament, circulated a threatening letter on social media last week, naming more than two dozen teachers in Varna, Bulgaria’s third-largest city, who had signed a petition opposing the law. The post directed Revival’s followers to contact the teachers’ employers in an obvious bid to harass and intimidate them. 

The post has since been deleted, but a criminal complaint has been filed against Revival in reaction to the post, and Revival has in turn filed a criminal complaint against the named teachers, accusing them of planning to violate the “propaganda” law.

Amidst these developments, the Ministry of Education and Science issued a statement asserting that discrimination and repression would not be tolerated in Bulgarian schools.

Revival has also stepped up its attacks on LGBTQ groups, alleging that a network of “foreign agents” is engaging in “hybrid warfare” by promoting non-traditional values among Bulgarian youth. They’ve requested the prosecutor’s office to take action against these groups. 

Like “LGBT propaganda” laws, “foreign agents” laws have recently been passed in Russia and Georgia as a means of discrediting and defunding opposition and nongovernmental groups. These laws have drawn harsh criticism from European and Western governments. Revival  may be laying the groundwork for introducing a Bulgarian “foreign agent” law.

NEPAL

KATHMANDU, Nepal — The first Pride festival since same-sex marriage was legalized by the Supreme Court last November was a huge success, with hundreds of participants, including a government minister, rallying in the capital city, Kathmandu.

Nepal’s Blue Diamond Society, which advocates for LGBTQ rights, has organized the annual rally every year since 2003 as part of the city’s Gai Jatra Festival. Gai Jatra is a local tradition that honors family members that have passed away during the year. 

The festival has long welcomed the queer community, and the queer celebrations continue the tradition of honoring community members who have passed. Often, LGBTQ Nepalis are rejected by their families, leaving no one else to perform funeral rites or honor them in the festival.

“Even though times have changed, many LGBTQIA+ members still face abandonment from their families,” says Blue Diamond Society president Pinky Gurung. “Many still don’t have their families at their funerals. Only a few cases come to us, but there must be many others. This parade represents the commemoration of our deceased community members, so their souls can rest in peace.”

This year, the Blue Diamond Society was honoring three community members whose families gave no support for their funeral rites. 

“It breaks my heart to think that if I were to die, my family might not even come to see me one last time,” one participant told The Kathmandu Post. “But events like these reassure me that at least someone will be there for us… If death is supposed to end all enmities, why does discrimination against our community persist even after we’re gone?”

The queer parade has thus sometimes been described as something quite different from Western Pride festivals, but still raises awareness of and helps to build up the queer community.

LGBT people in Nepal have seen their rights rapidly expand over the past two decades. The 2015 constitution includes an article barring discrimination based on sexual orientation, and trans and non-binary people are allowed to choses a “third gender” option on their government documents.

In November 2023, a Supreme Court order required the government to begin registering same-sex marriages. Though the court decision is not yet final, and these marriages do not yet have the full constellation of rights associated with heterosexual marriages, several same-sex couples have already taken advantage of the order to register their marriages.

JAPAN

TOKYO, Japan – Political turmoil in the governing Liberal Democratic Party could lead to an expansion of LGBT rights, if the right candidate is selected as the party’s new leader and prime minister at a party presidential election September 27.

Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he would not run for reelection on August 13, amid slumping poll numbers and approval ratings. That’s opened up the possibility of a new generation of leadership taking over after the 67-year-old Kishida leaves office.

LGBT rights have proven controversial among LDP leadership for a long time. Last year, Kishida unsuccessfully attempted to pass a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill in the run up to Japan hosting the G7 summit. In the end, the National Diet passed a watered-down bill to promote understanding of LGBT people that contained no new legal protections.

The LDP has also ignored calls to legalize same-sex marriage or civil unions at the federal level, even as 29 of Japan’s 47 prefectures and more than 400 municipalities have created same-sex partnership registries that do not offer the same legal rights as marriage.

There are already ten declared candidates to succeed Kishida, with more possibly entering the race. 

Among the declared candidates, only two have publicly supported same-sex marriage, according to a survey conducted by The Asahi Shimbun and the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Law and Politics: Taro Kono, current Minister for Digital Transformation; and Seiko Noda, current Minister-in-charge of Measures against Declining Birthrate.

The winner of the leadership race will be chosen in a two-round ballot system, in which LDP members of the Diet and dues-paying members of the LDP will both be able to vote, with only the top two contenders advancing to the second round.