Sapphic L.A., a digital source for queer community focused on sapphics and sapphic
lovers, hosted an event on Saturday in collaboration with The Social Club to benefit community members who have been affected and displaced by the historic Eaton Canyon and Pacific Palisades fires.

Saturday’s Sapphic L.A. event was initially planned to be a celebration for the “Best Of
Sapphic L.A.” winners. The “Best Of” awards were given in recognition of event spaces,
organizers, community leaders, poets, activists and others who are making the space, paving the way for more inclusive spaces and positively representing the QTBIPOC community.

On Jan. 8, Sapphic L.A. announced through IG that they would be postponing the
celebration event and instead were going to be hosting space for the community in support of
those affected by the fires. The event included a sound bath, guided meditation sessions, massage therapy and acupuncture by fellow community members who donated their time and resources.

They also made space for a workshop to cultivate creativity and a few peer support groups.
Anita Obasi who runs Sapphic L.A., said that it just didn’t feel right to celebrate in the
midst of the chaos and destruction that many of the local communities were experiencing.

Instead she wanted to host an event where people could feel welcomed and supported during this particularly difficult time.  

“Initially I switched up the concept for the event without knowing there would be other
providers involved,” said Obasi in an interview with the L.A Blade. Obasi says she aims for Sapphic L.A to be a center of gravity for resources and connections for sapphic people. 

“Considering that there has been very real impact to not just the sapphic community, but
the LA community as a whole in regards to the fires, it kind of felt off to celebrate in the midst of that chaos and loss, so we pivoted our plans to make space in terms of being an active service to our community.” 

When she made the decision to postpone the celebration event, she was content with just
being able to hold the space for the community and to make it a low-stakes event where people could even feel comfortable showing up in their sweatpants and not feel pressured to socialize.

“The outpouring of support of people being so willing to provide services was absolutely
incredible. Not only that, but folks also immediately started donating to our cash assistance
fund.” 

Though the event was free, community members who wanted to donate and offer
financial support toward the event were welcomed to purchase tickets for $10 and donate at the event, with all proceeds going toward relief and support for the community.

Recently, Sapphic LA posted that they raised $1,341 from the event that would be divided into thirteen micro grants of $100 dollars each. The remaining $41 from the money raised was donated to The Lavender Collective.

Their next event will be on Jan. 25 featuring a Drag and Dance Party with a “Wicked
Witch Baddie vs Bubblegum Princessy Pop” theme in reference to the recent blockbuster hit
Wicked. Sapphic L.A will also be fundraising financial assistance for families directly affected
by wildfires. For more information regarding this event or how to support Sapphic L.A, visit
their IG page.

Traveling in India is becoming increasingly challenging for unmarried couples, with LGBTQ+ partners facing even greater hurdles.

OYO Rooms, a major hospitality chain, on Jan. 9 issued a directive to its partner hotels in Meerut, a city that is 50 miles from New Delhi, that allows them to refuse to allow unmarried couples to make reservations.

The chain now requires all couples to present valid proof of their relationship at check-in, even for online bookings. The company stated the decision aligns with local social sensibilities and hinted that the policy might be expanded to other cities based on feedback from the ground.

OYO, which partners with more than half a million hotels across India, operates not only within the country but also in other parts of Asia, the U.S., and Europe. According to sources familiar with the policy change, the company previously received feedback from civil society groups, particularly in Meerut, urging action on this issue. Residents from other cities have also petitioned to disallow unmarried couples from booking rooms in OYO hotels.

OYO and other budget hotel chains for years have been perceived in India as safe spaces for couples seeking privacy. This policy change, however, has sparked criticism online. Many view it as a departure from the brand’s long-standing image as a haven for unmarried couples. In a society where many couples struggle to find private spaces at home or elsewhere, this move has drawn backlash for restricting access to affordable accommodation.

LGBTQ couples, who often rely on OYO and other budget hotels for privacy, may feel the impact of this decision more acutely.

The Supreme Court in 2023 ruled LGBTQ+ people have the right to form relationships without discrimination, but it also ruled against marriage rights for same-sex couples. OYO’s policy, and others like it, further limit the availability of same spaces for them as they continue to face marginalization.

India in 2023 welcomed approximately 9.23 million foreign tourists, an increase from 7 million in 2021, though still below the pre-pandemic peak of 10.93 million in 2019. While there are no specific records for LGBTQ+ tourists, the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association. Restrictive policies like OYO’s directive, however, could create difficulties for LGBTQ+ travelers seeking budget accommodations.

“OYO is committed to upholding safe and responsible hospitality practices,” said OYO North India Region Head Pawas Sharma in a statement to Press Trust of India. “While we respect individual freedoms and personal liberty, we also recognize our responsibility to listen to and work with law enforcement and civil society groups in the micro-markets we operate in. We will continue to review this policy and its impact periodically.”

The multinational company claims to be reshaping outdated perceptions by presenting itself as a brand that offers safe experiences for families, students, business travelers, religious pilgrims, and solo travelers.

A survey that Booking.com conducted in 2023 found, 91 percent of LGBTQ+ travelers in India prioritized their personal safety and well-being when choosing travel destinations, a notable increase from 70 percent in the previous year.

“I am surprised OYO is doing this,” said Kalki Subramaniam, a global transgender activist, artist, and founder of the Sahodari Foundation, an organization that supports trans people in India. “What are they trying to establish through this moral code? Do they really care about every customer? If so, how can they introduce something like this? I would like to know what their stance on LGBTQ rights is.”

The Washington Blade made multiple attempts to contact OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal and his company for comment, but has received no response.

Sudhanshu Latad, advocacy manager at Humsafar Trust, a prominent LGBTQ+ organization in India, expressed uncertainty about the policy’s impact on the LGBTQ+ community.

“Two boys in India are not considered married anyway, so if two boys book a hotel room together, no one usually bothers unless one is feminine or gives off a hint,” Latad said. “However, for a trans woman and a man, it could be a challenge.”

Latad referenced the Supreme Court’s 2023 marriage equality ruling, which allows trans people who fit into the binary system of gender to legally marry.

“Affluent transgender couples may choose bigger hotels, which are less of a challenge, but economically marginalized individuals often end up paying bribes to hotel staff at budget hotels like OYO Rooms,” he added.

Latad further explained that tourists can generally be divided into two categories: Affluent leisure travelers who prefer luxury hotels, and backpackers.

“If backpackers are gay white men, they usually face no trouble securing a room,” he said. “OYO’s policy, however, seems discriminatory towards heterosexual unmarried couples.”

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday held U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.)’s confirmation hearing to become the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

The New York Republican did not specifically discuss LGBTQ+ or intersex rights, but in her opening statement she said President Donald Trump after he nominated her “shared with me that he sees great promise in the United Nations if it focuses on its founding mission of international peace and security.”

“President Trump has long advocated for peace and no wars,” said Stefanik. “He delivered the Abraham Accords (the 2020 agreement in which Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco normalized relations with Israel), the largest step to regional peace in a quarter century.”

“If confirmed, I will work to ensure that our mission to the United Nations serves the interests of the American people and represents President Trump’s America First peace through strength foreign policy,” she added.

Stefanik, 40, has represented New York’s 21st Congressional District since 2015. She later became chair of the House Republican Conference.

Stefanik in 2019 voted for the Equality Act, but she opposed it in 2021. Stefanik in 2022 is among the dozens of Republicans who voted for the Respect for Marriage Act that then-President Joe Biden signed.

Stefanik, among other things, has also been outspoken against antisemitism on college campuses.

U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) on Tuesday asked Stefanik about what he described as antisemitism and “anti-Israel bias” at the U.N.

“If you look at the antisemitic rot within the United Nations, there are more resolutions targeting Israel than any other country, any other crisis, combined,” said Stefanik.

“We need to be a voice of moral clarity,” she added.

The hearing took place less than a day after the Senate confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Advocacy groups in Ghana have welcomed the demise of a bill that would have further criminalized LGBTQ+ people and outlawed allyship.

President John Mahama on Jan. 14 said the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill that MP Sam George of Ningo-Prampram co-sponsored in 2021 was essentially dead. Mahama made the remarks to a delegation of bishops from the Ghana Catholic Bishop’s Conference.

“If we are teaching our values in schools, we wouldn’t need to pass a bill to enforce family values,” said Mahama. “More than just passing the Family Values Bill, we need to agree on a curriculum that instills these values in our children as they grow.”

The president also said that although MPs passed the bill last February, parliament dissolved before former President Nana Akufo-Ado, whose term ended earlier this month, signed it.

“I don’t know what the promoters of the bill intend to do, but I think we should have a conversation about it again,” said Mahama. “As far as I know, the bill did not get to the president. So, the convention is that all bills that are not assented to law before the expiration of the life of parliament, expire. So that bill effectively is dead.”

LGBT+ Rights Ghana Communications Director Berinyuy Burinyuy said the president’s remarks offer a glimmer of hope for LGBTQ+ Ghanaians who have long been subjected to systemic discrimination, fear, and violence.

“For many, the mere suggestion that LGBT+ issues could be addressed through education rather than criminalization represents a significant departure from the traditional legislative path championed by the bill’s proponents,” said Burinyuy. “This shift implies a possible opening for dialogue and a more inclusive approach, one that recognizes the need for respect and understanding of diverse sexual identities within Ghanaian society.”

Burinyuy, however, asked about how family values will be incorporated into the educational curriculum.

“Will the curriculum provide a comprehensive, nuanced understanding of human sexuality that respects diversity, or will it risk reinforcing discriminatory attitudes under the guise of cultural preservation?” said Burinyuy. “The fear, particularly among LGBT+ activists is that the emphasis on education could inadvertently foster homophobia in Ghanaian children. If the content is not carefully structured, it could perpetuate harmful stereotypes and deepen existing prejudices.”

“While Mahama may not yet be fully committing to a clear policy direction, his statement leaves open the possibility of a more balanced approach, one that allows for a national conversation on sexual rights without rushing into divisive legislation,” added Burinyuy.

We Are All Ghana said Mahama’s comments are a welcomed approach in addressing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments and negative stereotyping.

“We need a holistic educational curriculum for our schools,” said We Are All Ghana. “The children at least deserve to know the truth. There is nothing worse than half baked information.”

Yaw Mensah, an LGBTQ+ activist, said Mahama is teaching Ghanaians to be tolerant of everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation.

“Mahama is indirectly saying LGBT persons are not Ghana’s problems. Let’s teach families values that accept and respect everyone. Ghanaian values should be tolerance, respect, honesty, hardworking, hospitality, and integrity,” said Mensah. “Those need to be taught and not the hate, discrimination, barbarism, greediness, and hypocrisy that we are seeing in many leaders which transcends into the young ones.”

George has yet to comment on Mensah’s comments about his bill.

A sweeping executive order that President Donald Trump issued on Monday bans the State Department from issuing passports with “X” gender markers.

Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June 2021 announced the State Department would begin to issue gender-neutral passports and documents for American citizens who were born overseas.

Dana Zzyym, an intersex U.S. Navy veteran who identifies as nonbinary, in 2015 filed a federal lawsuit against the State Department after it denied their application for a passport with an “X” gender marker. Zzyym in October 2021 received the first gender-neutral American passport.

The State Department policy took effect on April 11, 2022.

“The secretaries of State and Homeland Security, and the director of the Office of Personnel Management, shall implement changes to require that government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holder’s sex,” reads Trump’s executive order.

The gender marker is among the provisions contained within Trump’s executive order titled “Defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government.” Trump in his inaugural speech said the federal government’s “official policy” is “there are only two genders, male and female.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday told the NOTUS website the executive order is not retroactive and will not invalidate current passports with a gender-neutral gender marker.

“They can still apply to renew their passport — they just have to use their God-given sex, which was decided at birth,” said Leavitt. “Thanks to President Trump, it is now the official policy of the federal government that there are only two sexes — male and female.”

The Los Angeles Blade will have additional reporting on Trump’s executive orders and their impact on the LGBTQ+ community.

LGBTQ advocates have expressed alarm in recent weeks, as Meta has taken steps to undermine protections for queer youth and apparently worked to appease the incoming conservative administration in Washington.

Meta, the parent company of popular social media and messaging companies Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is owned by Mark Zuckerberg, who was once considered to be an ally of the LGBTQ community.

Two weeks ago, the internet was afire with discussion of Liv, the now-deleted Instagram profile of a “proud black Queer momma of 2” AI made by Meta as part of its AI user dreams. 

Then, last week, independent tech journalist Taylor Lorenz revealed that Instagram had been blocking teens from searching LGBTQ-related content for months. 

This comes as no surprise to Celia Fisher, a professor of Psychology and the Marie Ward Doty University Chair in Ethics at Fordham University who has spent her career studying children and adolescent health, especially for marginalized groups like the LGBTQ community.

When speaking to the Washington Blade in November 2024 on TikTok, Fisher remarked that it was increasingly difficult to research the Meta platforms. Fisher and her team have used advertisements on social media to recruit youth for anonymous surveys for studies. “One of the advantages of social media is that you can reach a national audience,” she says.

The advertisements are specifically linked to keywords and popular celebrities to reach LGBTQ populations of youth.  When she spoke to the Bladeagain this week, she was not surprised to hear that keywords were being blocked from youth. “Now, there is a major barrier to being able to recruit when you are doing online studies.”

It makes her research—which has looked at the mental health of youth online, HIV prevention strategies, and COVID vaccine barriers—impossible. “If Meta prevents researchers from using the platform, then the research can’t be done,” she said. 

The search blocks are not just a threat to the research, they are a threat to youth. “Hiding those terms from youth means they can’t see that there is a community out there. That’s a tremendous loss, especially for transgender youth,” said Fisher.

Fisher suspects where the restrictions are coming from, not that Zuckerberg has been particularly opaque as he cozies up to the new administration. “I think there’s been a creeping fear on the part of companies not to do anything that might elicit the ire of more conservative politicians,” she said.

A Meta spokesperson told Lorenz that the restriction was a mistake. “It’s important to us that all communities feel safe and welcome on Meta apps, and we do not consider LGBTQ+ terms to be sensitive under our policies,” said the spokesperson.

Meta backtracked immediately; the next day the company removed longstanding anti-LGBTQ hate speech policies.

Zuckerberg announced large changes to the platform via video in which he sported a $900,000 watch. (More than 1 in 5 LGBTQ adults are living in poverty. More than 1 in 3 transgender adults are living in poverty.)

The changes, which eliminate independent fact-checking for a system similar to X’s “community notes,” have been highly critiqued by journalists and fact-checking organizations. Many experts see it as a “bow” to Trump.

Zuckerberg also noted that the platform would “remove restrictions on topics like immigration and gender that are out of touch with mainstream discourse.” He directly linked the changes to the recent election. 

Those changes happened quickly. That same day GLAAD, an LGBTQ media monitoring non-profit, reported the changes to the hateful conduct policies. Changes include allowances for calling LGBTQ people mentally ill and the removal of prohibitions against the dehumanization of protected groups, among many. Notably, Meta’s guidelines include the right-wing transphobic dog whistle “transgenderism.” 

On Jan. 9, reporting from The Intercept and Platformer on internal training documents revealed the use of even more slurs. The t-slur against transgender people is now allowed on the sites with no restrictions. Phrases like—and this is a quoted example—”A trans person isn’t a he or she, it’s an it” are allowed on the sites with no restrictions.

Notably, the training manuals differentiate between different members of the LGBTQ community. For example, The Intercept found that the phrase “Lesbians are so stupid” would be prohibited while “trans people are mentally ill” would not be.

(These training manuals also include permissive use of racist and dehumanizing language for other marginalized groups.)

And then, as a cherry on top, Meta removed DEI programs and deleted the transgender and non-binary Messenger themes, on Jan. 10.

These changes are undeniably bad. Arturo Béjar, a former engineering director at Meta with expertise in online harassment, told the Associated Press, he is horrified by the changes.

“I shudder to think what these changes will mean for our youth, Meta is abdicating their responsibility to safety, and we won’t know the impact of these changes because Meta refuses to be transparent about the harms teenagers experience, and they go to extraordinary lengths to dilute or stop legislation that could help,” he said. 

Fisher, who has researched the effects of hate speech online on LGBTQ youths’ mental health, agrees that the results will be devastating. “We had many people who said they observed transgender harassment for others or were actually attacked themselves,” said Fisher. “This prevents people from wanting to come out online and to actually engage in those kinds of online communities that might be helpful to them.”

What is happening also confirms LGBTQ youths’ worst fears. “We’ve found that a major concern is that there would be an increased violation of civil rights and increased violence against LGBTQ individuals,” she said.

Fisher, a psychologist, sees this as “putting us back into the dark ages of psychiatry and psychology when LGBTQ individuals were seen as having some kind of a mental health problem or disorder.”

Fisher emphasized: “This kind of misinformation about mental illness is certainly going to be putting transgender people, especially at even greater risk than they were before.”

(This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab through News is Out. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.)

President Donald Trump, during his inaugural address on Monday, previewed some anti-trans executive orders he has pledged to sign, though it was not yet fully clear how and when they would be implemented.

“This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life,” he said. “Today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government, that there are only two genders, male and female.”

The president added, “I will sign an order to stop our warriors from being subjected to radical political theories and social experiments, while on duty. It’s going to end immediately.”

After taking the oath of office inside the U.S. Capitol building, Trump was expected to sign as many as 200 executive orders.

On issues of gender identity and LGBTQ rights, the 47th president was reportedly considering a range of moves, including banning trans student athletes from competing and excluding trans people from the U.S. Armed Forces.

NBC News reported on Monday, however, that senior officials with the new administration pointed to two forthcoming executive orders — the official recognition of only two genders, and “ending ‘radical and wasteful’ diversity, equity and inclusion programs inside federal agencies.”

With respect to the former, in practical terms it would mean walking back the Biden-Harris administration’s policy, beginning in 2022, of allowing U.S. citizens to select the “x” gender marker for their passports and other official documents.

“The order aims to require that the federal government use the term ‘sex’ instead of ‘gender,’ and directs the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to ‘ensure that official government documents, including passports and visas, reflect sex accurately,'” according to NBC.

Additionally, though it was unclear what exactly this would mean, the first EO would take aim at the use of taxpayer funds for gender-transition healthcare, such as in correctional facilities.

The Human Rights Campaign in a press release Monday indicated that a “fulsome review of executive actions” is forthcoming, but the group’s President Kelley Robinson said, “Today, the Trump administration is expected to release a barrage of executive actions taking aim at the LGBTQ+ community instead of uniting our country and prioritizing the pressing issues the American people are facing.”  

“But make no mistake: these actions will not take effect immediately,” she said.

“Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect in all areas of their lives,” Robinson said. “No one should be subjected to ongoing discrimination, harassment and humiliation where they work, go to school, or access healthcare. But today’s expected executive actions targeting the LGBTQ+ community serve no other purpose than to hurt our families and our communities.”

She continued, “Our community has fought for decades to ensure that our relationships are respected at work, that our identities are accepted at school, and that our service is honored in the military. Any attack on our rights threatens the rights of any person who doesn’t fit into the narrow view of how they should look and act. The incoming administration is trying to divide our communities in the hope that we forget what makes us strong. But we refuse to back down or be intimidated.”

“We are not going anywhere. and we will fight back against these harmful provisions with everything we’ve got,” Robinson said.

The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to become the next secretary of state.

The vote took place hours after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday advanced Rubio’s nomination before senators approved it by a 99-0 vote margin.

The promotion of LGBTQ+ and intersex rights abroad was a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris administration’s foreign policy.

Rubio in 2022 defended Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed. The Florida Republican that year also voted against the Respect for Marriage Act that passed with bipartisan support.

Rubio during his Jan. 15 confirmation hearing did not speak about LGBTQ+ rights.

UNITED KINGDOM

A memorial for LGBTQ+ veterans will be built at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, the British government announced earlier this month. 

Funded by a £350,000 (approximately $425,000) grant from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, the memorial is part of the government’s response to an independent review of the experience of LGBTQ+ veterans who served before 2000, when the UK government removed restrictions of queer people service openly in the military. Thousands of LGBTQ+ soldiers and service personnel were dismissed from the military while the ban was in effect.

The 9’ tall bronze memorial takes the form of a crumpled letter made up of words taken from testimony of former personnel who were impacted by the LGBTQ+ ban. 

“This is extremely personal for some of our members, some of whom have been affected by the armed forces exclusion of LGBTQ+ identities, and some simply affected by lived queer experience. All our members make a living in the arts by designing and delivering beautiful sculpture, making and inspired by the act of collaboration,” says Nina Bilbey, lead artist at the Abraxis Academy, which collectively designed the memorial.

The design was one of 38 submitted in a nationwide competition and selected by a judging panel that included representatives from Fighting with Pride, a national LGBTQ+ veterans advocacy group.

The UK government has taken other steps to restore dignity to LGBTQ+ veterans, including the launch of a financial recognition scheme, qualification of discharge, and restoration of rank, which were launched last December.

“When I joined the Royal Marines in 1999, this abhorrent ban on homosexuality in the armed forces was still in place. A quarter of a century later, we turn a page on that shameful chapter in our national story,” says Veterans Minister Alistair Carns in a statement.

RUSSIA

A Russian man was fined under the country’s LGBTQ+ propaganda laws for jokingly claiming to be the founder of the “international LGBT movement,” which the Russian Supreme Court declared to be an extremist terrorist organization last year.

Anton Yevdokimov, a pro-democracy activist, was found guilty of spreading “propaganda of non-traditional relations” by a Moscow court last November, but the decision was only made public last week. He was ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 rubles (approximately $975.)

Yevdokimov posted the offending statements on VKontakte, a Russian social media platform, in December 2023, shortly after the Russian Supreme Court declared the “international LGBT movement” to be an extremist terrorist organization.

“Now that they’ve banned LGBT, it’s time to confess: I am the founder and main organizer of the LGBTQ+ extremist organization!” Yevdokimov wrote, according to Novaya Gazeta. 

“I went to Rainbow High School, was recruited there, and now irradiate all homophobes with rainbows! Every time a homophobe looks at a rainbow, they get a tingle in their ass and want to suck dicks,” he wrote, also saying that “KGB cocksuckers” should “be afraid.”

Yevdokimov was already in police detention over a separate social media that is alleged to have “justified terrorism” post when he received the fine.

Russian authorities have stepped up persecution of LGBTQ+ people and activities since the Supreme Court ruling. Earlier this month, police detained the staff at a restaurant in Yakutsk in the Russian Far East, after the mayor’s office accused the restaurant of hosting performances by visiting queer and transgender artists from Thailand.

TURKEY

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attacked the country’s LGBTQ+ community in a speech launching what he’s calling a “year of the family,” aimed at reversing declining birth rates.

Erdogan has long targeted the LGBTQ+ as a political tactic, even though Turkey’s queer community is relatively low profile. He often portrays LGBTQ+ rights activists as part of a foreign conspiracy designed to weaken Turkey.

“It is our common responsibility to protect our children and youth from harmful trends and perverse ideologies. Neoliberal cultural trends are crossing borders and penetrating all corners of the world,” he told an audience in the capital, Ankara. “They also lead to LGBT and other movements gaining ground.

“The target of gender neutralization policies, in which LGBT is used as a battering ram, is the family. Criticism of LGBT is immediately silenced, just like the legitimate criticisms of Zionism. Anyone who defends nature and the family is subject to heavy oppression.”

Critics of LGBTQ+ rights are not routinely silenced in Turkey, as should be evident by the fact that the current president is a vocal critic of LGBTQ+ rights. Parties opposed to LGBTQ+ rights make up a majority of the national parliament and run the majority of Turkey’s cities.

It is more accurate to say that the government routinely shuts down speech in favor of LGBTQ+ rights in Turkey.

Since 2016, Istanbul Pride has been banned every year. People who’ve defied the ban have been subjected to tear gas, plastic bullets, and mass arrests. 

Last year, the city of Istanbul’s film censors banned a screening of the Luca Guadagnino film “Queer,” leading to the cancellation of the film festival it was set to open. 

Erdogan’s announcement came with a suite of policies he says will reverse a trend of declining birth rates, including better income supports for newlyweds and new parents. 

Turkish law does not recognize any same-sex relationships or same-sex parents.

MYANMAR

The military junta that governs Myanmar has banned seven books with LGBTQ+ themes and has said it will take action against the books’ publishers, according to Radio Free Asia.

The banned books are “A Butterfly Rests on My Heart” by Aung Khant, “1500 Miles to You” and “Love Planted by Hate” by Mahura, Myint Mo’s “Tie the Knot of Love,” “Match Made in Clouds” by DiDi Zaw, “DISO+Extra” by Red in Peace and “Concerned Person U Wai” by Vivian. All the books are published domestically by Myanmar writers.

“These books are not accepted by Myanmar society, they are shameless and the content that can mislead the thinking and feelings of young people,” the Information Ministry said in a statement published in state-run media.

The LGBTQ+ community typically maintains a low profile in the socially conservative country, where gay sex is still criminalized under a criminal code that was drafted by the British colonial administration in the 19th century. 

LGBTQ+ people can also be charged or harassed by authorities under laws that criminalize the production and distribution of “obscene” materials. 

Myanmar’s military has had effective control of the government since 1962. A brief democratization in the 2010s ended when the military seized power following the victory of pro-democracy forces in the 2020 election.

A transgender woman with HIV who participated in an anti-government protest in Cuba in 2021 has been released from prison.

Luz Escobar, an independent Cuban journalist who lives in Madrid, on Saturday posted a picture of Brenda Díaz and her mother on her Facebook page.

“Brenda Díaz, a Cuban political prisoner from July 11, was released a few hours ago,” wrote Escobar.

Authorities arrested Díaz in Güira de Melena in Artemisa province after she participated in an anti-government protest on July 11, 2021. She is one of the hundreds of people who authorities took into custody during and after the demonstrations.

A Havana court in 2022 sentenced Díaz to 14 years in prison. She appealed her sentence, but Cuba’s People’s Supreme Court upheld it.

Escobar in her Facebook post said authorities “forced” Díaz to “be in a men’s prison, one of the tortures she suffered.” Mariela Castro, the daughter of former Cuban President Raúl Castro who directs the country’s National Center for Sexual Education, dismissed reports that Díaz suffered mistreatment in prison. A source in Cuba who spoke with the Washington Blade on Saturday said Díaz was held in a prison for people with HIV.

The Cuban government earlier this week began to release prisoners after President Joe Biden said the U.S. would move to lift its designation that the country is a state sponsor of terrorism. The Vatican helped facilitate the deal.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is Cuban American, on Wednesday criticized the deal during his confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of state. President-elect Donald Trump, whose first administration made the terrorism designation in January 2021, will take office on Monday.