News
Ireland’s openly gay prime minister resigns
Leo Varadkar’s party lost Parliament seats in Feb. 7 election
Ireland’s first openly gay prime minister resigned on Thursday.
The BBC reported Leo Varadkar submitted his resignation after the Irish Parliament failed to name a new prime minister. Varadkar resigned less than two weeks after his Fine Gael party lost 15 seats in the country’s general election.
Varadkar, 41, became Ireland’s prime minister in 2017.
Varadkar in 2018 raised LGBTQ issues with Pope Francis when he visited Ireland. Varadkar in 2019 attended a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast at Vice President Pence’s official residence in D.C. with his partner, Dr. Matthew Barrett. Ā Ā
Varadkar will remain Ireland’s caretaker prime minister until Parliament chooses his successor.
White House
President of anti-LGBTQ+ Catholic group nominated to become next Vatican ambassador
Brian Burch criticized Francis’s decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated the president of an anti-LGBTQ+ Catholic group to become the next U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.
The incoming president on Dec. 20 announced he had nominated Brian Burch, president and co-founder of CatholicVote, for the ambassadorship.
“Brian loves the church and the United States,” said Trump on Truth Social. “He will make us all proud.”
Burch on X said he is “deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See.”
“The role of ambassador is to represent the government of the United States in its relations with the Holy See,” said Burch. “The Catholic Church is the largest and most important religious institution in the world, and its relationship to the United States is of vital importance.”
“I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good,” he added. “I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the church. To God be the glory.”
Burch in his post also thanked his wife, Sara, and their nine children for their support.
I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See. Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination, most especially my wife Sara…
— Brian Burch (@BrianBurchCV) December 20, 2024
The National Catholic Reporter reported Burch last year sharply criticized Pope Francis’s decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples.
CatholicVote’s website repeatedly refers to transgender people in quotes.
A Dec. 5 post on the U.S. v. Skrmetti case notes the justices heard oral arguments on “whether Tennessee can protect children from puberty blockers, which chemically sterilize, and sexual surgeries that mutilate and castrate.” A second CatholicVotes post notes the justices grilled the Justice Department “on challenge to Tennessee protections for children against ‘transgender’ mutilations and sterilizations.”
The Vaticanās tone towards LGBTQ+ and intersex issues has softened since Pope Francis assumed the papacy in 2013.
Francis, among other things, has described laws that criminalize homosexuality as āunjust.ā
HeĀ met with two African LGBTQ+ activistsĀ ā Clare Byarugaba of Chapter Four Uganda and Rightify Ghana Director Ebenezer Peegah ā at the Vatican on Aug. 14. Sister Jeannine Gramick, one of the co-founders of New Ways Ministry, a Maryland-based LGBTQ+ Catholic organization, organized a meeting between Francis and a group of trans and intersex Catholics and LGBTQ+ allies thatĀ took placeĀ at the pontiffās official residence on Oct. 12.
Francis during a 2023 interview with an Argentine newspaper described gender ideology as āone of the most dangerous ideological colonizationsā in the world because āit blurs differences and the value of men and women.ā A declaration the Vaticanās Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released in March with Francisās approval condemned gender-affirming surgeries and āgender theory.ā
World
Out in the World: LGBTQ+ news from Asia, Europe, and Canada
Japanese prime minister backs marriage equality without legislative commitment
JAPAN
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told parliament that he believed legalizing same-sex marriage would make the country happier, although he has no plan to bring forward legislation to make that happen.
The remarks, which were echoed days later by Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, have buoyed the spirits of equal marriage campaigners in the country, despite the governmentās lack of commitment to progress on the issue.
āCompared to other prime ministers, there is a big difference in Ishibaās tone, his direction and his outlook and we are clearly getting to the stage for Japan to take the next step in the right direction,ā marriage equality activist Alexander Dmitrenko told This Week in Asia.
Equal marriage advocates have been waging a long battle through both the courts and the political process to win same-sex marriage rights.
Earlier this month, a third appellate court ruled that the ban on same-sex marriage violates the Japanese constitution, finding for the first time that the ban violates the constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness. Five out of six lower courts that have heard cases seeking equal marriage have also ruled for equality.
Elections in October yielded a parliament that has a majority in favor of equal marriage, but is still dominated by the largely conservative Liberal Democratic Party, which has formed a minority government.
While Ishiba says he will not bring forward same-sex marriage legislation and is instead following the progress of cases through the courts for now, it is possible that other parties may try to force the issue by introducing their own bills.
āThe Fukuoka court has clearly said that the Diet must legally permit same-sex marriages in the same way that marriages between people of opposite sexes are recognized,ā Takeharu Kato, one of the lawyers in the equal marriage case that was heard in Sapporo.Ā
āWe intend to continue to put strong pressure on the government to realize these changes because we are confident that we are nearly there.ā
PHILIPPINES
Government workers in the Philippines now have the right to dress according to their gender identity, under a new official dress code issued by the Civil Service Commission issued this month.
The Philippinesā civil service is known for its strict dress code for government workers. Workers are required to wear specific locally inspired outfits on Mondays and have been required to wear gender-conforming smart casual office attire on other workdays.
Under the revised dress code, workers are freer to dress according to their gender identity, and female workers are freer to wear either skirts or pants. The new code also relaxes standards relating to tattoos, facial piercings, and hairstyles, as long as they donāt interfere with the employeeās work or with safety standards.
Gender-inclusive dress codes have become a much-debated topic in the Philippines in recent years, particularly in schools and universities, where uniforms and dress codes are often strongly enforced. A growing number of institutions have adopted gender-neutral dress codes and uniforms, while the national government says it is studying creating a standard for gender-inclusive dress codes to promote equality.
In another positive development for LGBTQ+ Filipinos, Globe Telecom, one of the countryās largest mobile providers, has announced it will provide spousal benefits to same-sex partners of its employees.Ā
Same-sex couples have no legal recognition in the Philippines. A civil union bill has been proposed several times in Congress, but has never advanced.
LITHUANIA
Lithuaniaās constitutional court struck down an āLGBT Propagandaā law this week, in a ruling that ought to bring relief to queer activists, publishers, and media outlets.
The āLaw on the Protection of Minors,ā which was passed in 2009, banned the promotion of sexual relations or non-traditional conceptions of marriage or family, and drew sharp criticism from queer and civil liberties groups across Europe. It has been used in attempts to ban Vilnius Pride and led broadcasters to restrict advertisements for queer events and causes.
In one landmark case, government censors used the law to restrict distribution of books of childrenās stories due to its depiction of two same-sex couples. That decision was eventually appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, which found last year that the law violated the European Conventionās guarantee of free expression.
Following the ruling, the previous government tried to repeal the law, but after its bill was voted down by parliament, the government filed this legal challenge to the constitutional court.
“Finally, we are normalizing the portrayal and life of our community, and I believe that LGBT youth will live a freer life,” Vladimiras Simonko, head of the Lithuanian Gay League, told LRT.
The court ruled that the lawās anti-LGBTQ+ sections were unconstitutional restrictions on free expression, and were also too vague, as they did not define what kinds of information disparage family values.Ā Ā Ā
The court also found that the implications of the law also unfairly narrow the definition of family found in the constitution.
Same-sex couples are not legally recognized in Lithuania. A bill to recognize civil unions was introduced by the previous government but awaits a final vote before it can be brought into law. The current government has not made passing the bill a priority.
CANADA
The province of New Brunswick has finally repealed regulations that required schools to notify parents and receive their consent if a student wishes to use a different name or pronoun in class, following a change in government in October.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which had brought a legal challenge against the original policy, hailed the changes.
“We will discuss with our legal counsel and affected community groups, but expect that these changes will resolve legal issues in our constitutional challenge,” CCLA Director of Equality Programs Harini Sivalingam told CBC.
The controversial regulation, known as Policy 713, was brought forward by the provinceās previous Progressive Conservative Party government under former Premier Blaine Higgs. The regulation, which was introduced with limited consultation, led several of Higgsā Cabinet ministers to resign in protest, and led the charge for provincial conservatives to campaign on anti-trans policies across Canada.
That strategy tended not to work for conservatives. In October, Higgsās government was voted out in favor of the New Brunswick Liberals under Susan Holt, who had pledged to rescind the policy and ensure schools are welcoming for all LGBTQ+ students.
Similarly, Manitobaās PC government was voted out in May after pledging to introduce a similar policy, and the British Columbia Conservatives lost their bid to replace the provinceās NDP government in elections in October.
Still, Saskatchewanās conservative government won reelection in October after introducing a similar policy earlier in the year, and Albertaās conservative government just passed some of the most sweeping anti-transgender legislation Canada has seen in quite some time, including bans on classroom discussion of LGBTQ+ issues and participation in gender-appropriate sports.
Albertaās anti-trans laws have already been challenged in court, but Saskatchewanās government used a constitutional provision to prevent any legal challenges to its anti-trans laws for five years after an initial loss in court.
But conservative governments in Ontario and Quebec, which had initially announced plans to introduce parent notification and consent rules for trans students, have yet to bring forward such policies or regulations.
India
Harish Iyer continues his fight for LGBTQ+ rights in India
Long-time activist challenged sodomy law, continues marriage equality fight
The Indian LGBTQ+ community has long grappled with systemic neglect and societal prejudices, but significant victories like the striking down of Section 377 in 2018 and progressive Supreme Court verdicts have sparked hope. The fight for equality nevertheless remains arduous.
Amid this struggle, Harish Iyer has stood out as a beacon of courage, leading the movement with unwavering commitment and inspiring others to unapologetically embrace their identities.
Iyer, with a slight smile, noted to the Washington Blade during a recent interview that he was born into privilege. As the first male child in a patriarchal society, he explained this status came with inherent advantages.
Despite being born into privilege, Iyerās early life was marked by profound challenges.
At just 7-years-old, he endured and survived a traumatic experience of rape, an event that deeply impacted his childhood. Iyer said he was gang raped at 11, four years after a relative sexually assaulted him. Iyer told the Blade these assaults impacted his confidence.
āChildren go through sexual assault but they do not understand what is happening with them,” said Iyer. “Because they are children, they do not know its language. We do not call a penis a penis, we do not call a vagina, a vagina. I am 45 years of age, and I am talking about 1987 or 1988. People had very little understanding. When you do not have language to say what it is, you don’t say about it.”
Iyer said it is easier for girls to talk about sexual assault compared to boys, and as a result it was harder for him to speak out. He also struggled living in two worlds: One of morals and fairy tales, and another filled with hardships that he tried to mask.
“I opened up about my abuse at 18, after 11 years of continuous trauma,” said Iyer. “That was a different battle altogether. It was 1998-1999, a time with little awareness about child sexual abuse. When I told my parents, my mother understood that a child could be abused. My father, however, was not supportive and didnāt understand what was happening.”
Iyer shared how these events shaped his thoughts, values, and empathy for others facing similar challenges.
At 22, he began to understand his sexuality and came out to his parents as gay. At 40, he realized his gender could be fluid and has identified as gender-fluid since then.
Iyer shared his struggles in finding a job as an openly gay man in Indiaās conservative society. He now works at Axis Bank, one of Indiaās largest private banks. Iyer said joining the bank was a unique journey ā he did not have any other job opportunities at the time.
“I applied for every job on LinkedIn,” said Iyer. “Axis Bank responded. I thought Iād be unhappy there, but I needed the money, so I applied. The process took a long time, but after several interviews, I was selected. During the interviews, I realized I could be myself. People saw me for who I truly am, and that worked wonders.”
“A week after joining, I started pushing boundaries,ā he added. āThe chief human resources officer called me to her office. After our conversation, she held me close and said, āYou should not have to fit in ā be who you are.ā Within six months, we created a charter with policies for the LGBTQ community. It’s called ‘Come As You Are.'”
Iyer told the Blade that Chief Human Resources Officer Rajkamal Vempati was upset with him.
She felt he was free to express himself at the company, but wasnāt doing so. Iyer said Axis Bank has a dress code policy for employees ā one for men, one for women, and one for LGBTQ+ employees that allows them to choose the gender in which they want to present themselves.
He said he never expected to see such inclusion in a private sector bank in India before joining Axis Bank.
Iyer challenged sodomy law, continues to fight for marriage equality
On the third anniversary of the Supreme Courtās 2018 ruling that struck down Section 377, the provision of the countryās penal code that criminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations, Axis Bank in 2021 introduced policies and a charter for the LGBTQ+ community. Iyer, a long-time LGBTQ+ activist, continues to fight for equal rights.
He said Axis Bank became the first private bank in India to specifically welcome customers from the LGBTQ+ community.
“I was invited by the Social Justice Ministry for a consultation on LGBTQ+ rights,” noted Iyer. “During the discussion, it was proposed that all banks in India should open their doors to the LGBTQ+ community.”
Iyer was one of those who challenging Section 377.
The Supreme Court struck down the colonial-era law on Sept. 6, 2018. Iyer was also a plaintiff in Supriyo v. Union of India, which sought legal recognition of same-sex marriages in India. The Supreme court heard this case in 2023.
“Culture is an evolving phenomenon,” said Iyer. āIt is not static. As culture evolves, we as people need to evolve. I would like to believe that my organization is always evolving and we will get better.”
Iyer told the Blade he doesnāt have a specific game plan for the future. As one of Axis Bankās prominent figures, however, he feels LGBTQ+ people are equal citizens in India.
Nepal
Two transgender women make history in Nepal
Honey Maharjan and Mouni Maharjan ran in local elections last month
November 22 was a milestone for Nepal’s LGBTQ+ community.
Two transgender candidates, Honey Maharjan and Mouni Maharjan, members of the Peopleās Socialist Party-Nepal, ran in local elections. It marked the first time that trans people ran for office in the country.
Honey Maharjan ran for mayor in Kirtipur, a municipality outside Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital. Mouni Maharjan ran to become a ward chair in the same municipality. Although both candidates lost the election; experts, and activists consider their participation a significant milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in Nepalese politics.
Honey Maharjan, 44, is a former tour guide who faced discrimination because she is a trans woman. Maharjan nevertheless became a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Mouni Maharjan, 29, advocates for local infrastructure and LGBTQ+-inclusive education. Her campaign focused on introducing an LGBTQ+-inclusive curriculum in schools and creating employment opportunities for marginalized groups.
The Supreme Court in 2007 ruled the government must legally recognize a third gender. Six years later, in 2013, Nepal hosted its first-ever Pride parade, signaling growing visibility and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. The countryās new constitution, which ensures equal rights for LGBTQ+ people and all other Nepalese citizens, took effect in 2015.
The Supreme Court in 2018 issued a ruling that expanded protections for LGBTQ+ people in marriage, inheritance, social recognition, and other areas.
Sunil Babu Pant, founder of the Blue Diamond Society, a Nepalese LGBTQ+ rights group, in 2017 became the first openly gay person elected to parliament. Nepal since 2020 has allowed trans people to legally change their gender in official documents without surgery.
A study that UN Women and the Blue Diamond Society published in June 2023 found 81 percent of LGBTQ+ people in Nepal have faced physical violence, discrimination, and verbal abuse. Traditional societal norms and a lack of awareness make this situation worse.
Nepal is seen as a leader in LGBTQ+ rights in South Asia in terms of legal protections and a debate over marriage rights for same-sex couples. A large gap remains between policies and their implementation.
Political representation of LGBTQ+ people remains low.
Pant left office in 2023. There are currently no openly LGBTQ+ people in parliament or in the countryās policy-making policies.
During their campaign in Kirtipur, Honey Maharjan and Mouni Maharjan outlined key promises. They pledged to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion, especially in politics, and vowed to fight discrimination in education, healthcare, and employment.
Their campaigns also focused on ensuring equal rights and opportunities for marginalized groups. Honey Maharjan and Mouni Maharjan promised to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues to reduce stigma and discrimination in society.
Honey Maharjan told the Washington Blade said she was happy about running for office, and noted her family and friends supported her.
“Since Kirtipur has a large LGBTQ community still they did not come out to support me,” she said. “Nepal has other political parties like Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) and many others, we did not had budget like theirs, so it was also our struggle. It is also challenging for us as people are not supporting us for what we are trying to do. They are supporting only prominent political parties in Nepal. So, these are our challenges as a transgender political candidate in Nepal.”
Honey Maharjan told the Blade she would have worked to provide education, health care, and better roads if she were elected.
“I did not win, so I am a little sad this time,” she said. “But I am happy that the media has covered my campaign, so I am grateful to all journalists.”
“Every community member needs to be inspired because we are not alone and we need to think that we have a large number of community members,ā added Honey Maharjan. āIf we do not come out, there will be difficulty, it’s our right.ā
She also dismissed the idea that many trans people are sex workers.
āMany people are working in different sectors. I would request everyone to come out and support the transgender candidate in the next election,ā said Honey Maharjan. āElections are important because it creates awareness about the candidate otherwise everyone would think that transgender community is engaged in sex work only that is not true.”
Congress
Senate braces for anti-LGBTQ+ attacks with incoming Republican majority
Republicans to regain control of chamber in January
Particularly since Republicans took the U.S. House of Representatives in 2023, legislative attacks against the LGBTQ+ community, at least at the federal level, have been blunted by U.S. Senate Democrats exercising their narrow majority in the upper chamber, along with President Joe Biden’s promise to veto any discriminatory bill that should reach his desk.
Next month, however, Republicans will take control of both chambers of Congress as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, marking the first time since 2018 that the GOP has governed with a trifecta in Washington.
“We expect the Trump administration and House and Senate Republicans to continue their anti-LGBTQ+ attacks on all aspects of life, especially against trans kids,” Josh Sorbe, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Whip and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), told the Washington Blade.
Durbin is among the Democratic senators who spoke out this week against a policy rider added to the National Defense Authorization Act by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), which would prohibit the military’s health provider Tricare from covering transgender medical treatments for the children of U.S. service members.
“In his first term, Donald Trump enabled LGBTQ+ workplace discrimination, banned trans service members, and vilified trans kids,” Sorbe said, while “The Biden-Harris administration and Democrats codified same-sex marriage, declared mpox a national emergency, and built up the LGBTQ+ movement.”
He added, “Democrats will continue to hold the line against misguided, anti-freedom legislation that we anticipate will be introduced.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee, one of the most powerful in Congress, exercises broad legislative jurisdiction and is responsible for oversight of the Executive Branch as well as the initial stages of confirming the presidentās nominees for vacancies on the federal bench, including those picked to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the 117th Congress, control of the Senate was a 50-50 split, with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris casting tie-breaking votes. Democrats won another Senate seat in the 2022 midterms and for the past two years Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has led a 51-49 majority.
Despite the party’s narrow margin of control and starting with less than half the number of vacancies than were available for Trump to fill when he took office in 2017, Sorbe noted Senate Democrats are expected to confirm Biden’s 234thĀ and 235th judicial nominees ā surpassing, by one, the number of confirmations under the previous administration and also, by one, the record setting number of LGBTQ+ jurists appointed by President Obama over two terms.Ā
These āhighly qualified, diverse candidatesā will āhelp ensure the fair and impartial administration of the American justice system,ā Sorbe said. Many will decide legal questions with broad implications for LGBTQ+ communities, including challenges brought against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation at the local, state, and federal level, or anti-LGBTQ+ policies enacted by the Trump-Vance administration.Ā
Sorbe highlighted some of the other work Durbin has done to āprotect civil rights for all Americansā over the past four years in the majority, pointing to the Judiciary Committeeās 2021 hearing on the Equality Act, legislation that would codify LGBTQ+-inclusive nondiscrimination protections; a 2023 hearing that celebrated āthe historic progress made in protecting the right of LGBTQ+ Americansā; the first hearing since 1984 about the Equal Rights Amendment that would āenshrine gender equality into the Constitutionā; floor speeches in which the majority whip denounced āthe harmful anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being introduced across the countryā; and the senatorās co-sponsorship of the Respect for Marriage Act, which solidified the legal rights of interracial and same-sex married couples.Ā
Ghana
Ghanaian Supreme Court dismisses challenges to anti-LGBTQ+ bill
Measure would further criminalize homosexuality, penalize allyship
The Ghanaian Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed challenges to a bill that would further criminalize LGBTQ+ people and penalize allyship.
Lawmakers on Feb. 28 approved the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill. Two lawyers, Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, challenged it.
Outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo had previously said he would not sign the bill into law until the Supreme Court issued its ruling. His successor, President-elect John Dramani Mahama, will take office on Jan. 7.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Dec. 10 honored Ebenezer Peegah, executive director of Rightify Ghana, a Ghanaian LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and six other human rights activists from around the world during a ceremony at the State Department.
Blinken noted the pending Supreme Court ruling ā and discrimination and violence that LGBTQ+ Ghanaians continue to face ā before he presented Peegah with the Secretary of Stateās Human Rights Defender Award.
“In Ghana, vigilante groups use social media platforms to organize mobs to attack LGBTQI+ people, as well as to entrap, to blackmail, to harass them,ā said Blinken. āAs these attacks increase, Ghanaās Supreme Court is considering legislation that would criminalize people for identifying as LGBTQI+, as well as threaten Ghanaiansā constitutionally protected freedoms of speech, press, and assembly.”
Obituary
Honoring the life and legacy of Coya White Hat-Artichoker
Life-long advocate for Indigenous, two-spirit rights died on Dec. 4
Born and raised on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, Coya was a proud enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate or Rosebud Sioux Tribe. From the age of 15, she dedicated her life to advocating for Indigenous and Two Spirit rights, becoming a fierce organizer and a visionary leader in movements for justice. As a founding member of the First Nations Two Spirit Collective, Coya worked tirelessly to uplift Two Spirit youth, support Indigenous reproductive justice, and connect these communities to philanthropic spaces to drive transformative change.Ā Ā
Coyaās advocacy for Indigenous reproductive justice was rooted in a deep understanding of its inseparability from the fight for Indigenous sovereignty. She saw this work as part of a 500-year history of resistance to colonization, weaving together the rights to access abortion, raise children in safe and sustainable environments, steward healthy lands and waters, practice Indigenous cultures, speak ancestral languages, and govern sovereign communities. Recently she served as a board member for SisterSong and the American LGBTQ+ Museum. Coya was a fierce leader who brought dedication and brilliance, impacting gender and reproductive justice efforts around the world.
In 2020, Coyaās visionary leadership brought the worldās first fund dedicated to Indigenous reproductive justice, Building the Fire Fund, into existence. Guided by an Indigenous Advisory Council of women and Two Spirit leaders from across Turtle Island, the fund represents a powerful testament to Coyaās dedication and collaborative spirit. Coya co-authored “Tired of Dancing to Their Song: An Assessment of the Indigenous Womenās Reproductive Justice Funding Landscapeā with Zachary Packineau. This seminal report provides a critical roadmap for philanthropy to support and grow the emerging field of Indigenous reproductive justice.
In 2023, Coya brought Building the Fire Fund to Solidaire Network, where we are honored to walk alongside the Advisory Council in advancing this vital work. Coyaās passion, wisdom, and dedication will continue to guide and inspire all of us who were privileged to know her and work beside her.
To honor Coyaās legacy and her vision for the Indigenous reproductive justice movement, we invite you to contribute to the Building the Fire Fund. Your support ensures that her transformative work will continue, lighting the way for generations to come.
Coya White Hat-Artichokerās life was a powerful testament to resilience, love, and unwavering commitment to justice. While her presence will be deeply missed, her legacy will endure as a beacon of hope and strength for all who carry her vision forward.
Kenya
Man convicted of killing Kenyan activist, sentenced to 50 years in prison
Edwin Chilobaās partner murdered him in Eldoret on New Yearās Day in 2023
Kenyan queer rights organizations have welcomed the sentencing of a freelance photographer to 50 years in prison for murdering prominent LGBTQ+ activist and fashion designer Edwin Chiloba nearly two years ago
Justice Reuben Nyakundi on Monday sentenced Jacktone Odhiambo, 25, Chilobaās partner, after the Eldoret High Court in western Kenya two weeks ago found him guilty of murder.
The 2-year trial, which comprised evidence from 23 witnesses and DNA tests the prosecution presented that placed him at the scene of the crime on New Yearās Day in 2023. Chiloba had disappeared and his body was found stuffed in a metal box that had been dumped along the side of a road.
The court was told that Chiloba and Odhiambo were last seen together at Tamasha Club in Eldoret on the night of Dec. 31, 2022, only for the deceasedās decomposing body to be discovered three days later. His brutal murder sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ+ community in Kenya and attracted both local and international condemnation and calls for the conviction of perpetrators.
Nyakundi in his sentencing ruling noted the prosecution provided evidence beyond a reasonable doubt and described the brutal murder of Chiloba, 25, as āpremeditated, malicious, and aggravated homicide.ā
āThe footprints of the murder are all traceable to the accused (Odhiambo),ā Nyakundi said.
The judge noted Odhiambo showed no respect for the sanctity of life and Chilobaās brutal killing left a void that cannot be filled.
Odhiambo became the prime suspect after three other accused people were freed due to a lack of evidence linking them to the murder.
Johansen Oduor, the government pathologist who conducted Chiloba’s autopsy, told the court during the trial that the victim had been smothered to death using six pairs of socks stuffed into his mouth and his face was wrapped with a piece of denim.
Despite overwhelming evidence linking Odhiambo to the murder, the court noted the accused did not show any remorse for his actions during the trial and described him as a āvengeful person.ā This lack of remorse influenced the severity of his 50-year sentence, even though he fell and wailed after the judge sentenced him.
āThe accused deserves the death penalty, which is not implemented in Kenya,ā Nyakundi ruled.
Kenyaās Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions acknowledged the judgeās verdict, noting the death sentence āwould have been unnecessaryā because the country has not executed anyone on death row since 1987. The death penalty, however, has not been abolished from Kenyan criminal laws for offenses like murder, robbery with violence, treason, mutiny, and other crimes.
There have been calls by human rights groups, such as the International Commission for Jurists-Kenya, for Kenya to abolish the death penalty. A bill in parliament would repeal the death penalty.
Additionally, Nyakundi could not sentence Odhiambo to life in prison, which the ODPP also noted as āundesirableā because of the uncertainty surrounding offences that constitute a death sentence.
The National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in response to Odhiambo’s sentencing said it marks a significant step toward justice for Chiloba, his family, and all LGBTQ+ people in Kenya, Africa, and around the world.
āThis verdict marks a long-awaited moment of accountability, offering a glimmer of justice for Edwin and a reminder that no act of violence against any LGBTQ+ resident of Kenya will go unchallenged or unchecked,ā NGLHRC stated.
NGLHRC also remembered Chiloba as a fondly celebrated, vibrant young queer activist, and budding fashion model whose promising future was robbed from him. NGLHRC added his murder also sent a chilling message of fear and injustice to marginalized queer Kenyans.
āWe continue to call on the Kenyan government, law enforcement agencies, and the judiciary to strengthen their commitment to addressing violence against LGBTQ+ residents of Kenya as espoused and guided by Resolution 275 of the African Charter on Human and People Rights,ā NGLHRC stated.
The Initiative for Equality and Non-Discrimination, a local queer rights group, acknowledged the courtās 50-year sentence for Odhiambo ādeemed appropriate for the gravity of the offense.ā INEND also applauded NGLHRC and other queer organizations for āpursuing justice for our sibling Chilobaā in the corridors of justice without relenting.
Los Angeles
The dedicated life and tragic death of gay publisher Troy Masters
āAlways working to bring awareness to causes larger than himselfā
Troy Masters was a cheerleader. When my name was called as the Los Angeles Press Clubās Print Journalist of the Year for 2020, Troy leapt out of his seat with a whoop and an almost jazz-hand enthusiasm, thrilled that the mainstream audience attending the Southern California Journalism Awards gala that October night in 2021 recognized the value of the LGBTQ communityās Los Angeles Blade.
That joy has been extinguished. On Wednesday, Dec. 11, after frantic unanswered calls from his sister Tammy late Monday and Tuesday, Troyās longtime friend and former partner Arturo Jiminez did a wellness check at Troyās L.A. apartment and found him dead, with his beloved dog Cody quietly alive by his side. The L.A. Coroner determined Troy Masters died by suicide. No note was recovered. He was 63.
Considered smart, charming, committed to LGBTQ people and the LGBTQ press, Troyās inexplicable suicide shook everyone, even those with whom he sometimes clashed.
Troyās sister and mother ā to whom he was absolutely devoted ā are devastated. āWe are still trying to navigate our lives without our precious brother/son. I want the world to know that Troy was loved and we always tried to let him know that,ā says younger sister Tammy Masters.
Tammy was 16 when she discovered Troy was gay and outed him to their mother. A ābusy-body sister,ā Tammy picked up the phone at their Tennessee home and heard Troy talking with his college boyfriend. She confronted him and he begged her not to tell.
āOf course, I ran and told Mom,ā Tammy says, chuckling during the phone call. āBut she – like all mothers – knew it. She knew it from an early age but loved him unconditionally; 1979 was a time [in the Deep South] when this just was not spoken of. But that didnāt stop Mom from being in his corner.ā
Mom even marched with Troy in his first Gay Pride Parade in New York City. āMom said to him, āOh, my! All these handsome men and not one of them has given me a second look! They are too busy checking each other out!ā Tammy says, bursting into laughter. āTroy and my mother had that kind of understanding that she would always be there and always have his back!
āAs for me,ā she continues, āI have lost the brother that I used to fight for in any given situation. And I will continue to honor his cause and lifetime commitment to the rights and freedom for the LGBTQ community!ā
Tammy adds: āThe outpouring of love has been comforting at this difficult time and we thank all of you!ā
No one yet knows why Troy took his life. We may never know. But Troy and I often shared our deeply disturbing bouts with drowning depression. Waves would inexplicitly come upon us, triggered by sadness or an image or a thought weād let get mangled in our unresolved, inescapable past trauma.
We survived because we shared our pain without judgment or shame. We may have argued ā but in this, we trusted each other. We set everything else aside and respectfully, actively listened to the words and the pain within the words.
Listening, Indian philosopher Krishnamurti once said, is an act of love. And we practiced listening. We sought stories that led to laughter. That was the rope ladder out of the dark rabbit hole with its bottomless pit of bullying and endless suffering. Rung by rung, weād talk and laugh and gripe about our beloved dogs.
I shared my 12 Step mantra when I got clean and sober: I will not drink, use or kill myself one minute at a time. A suicide survivor, I sought help and I urged him to seek help, too, since I was only a loving friend ā and sometimes thatās not enough.
(If you need help, please reach out to talk with someone: call or text 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. They also have services in Spanish and for the deaf.)
In 2015, Troy wrote a personal essay for Gay City News about his idyllic childhood in the 1960s with his sister in Nashville, where his stepfather was a prominent musician. The people he met ātaught me a lot about having a mission in life.ā
During summers, they went to Dothan, Ala., to hang out with his stepfatherās mother, Granny Alabama. But Troy learned about āadult conversation ā often filled with derogatory expletives about Blacks and Jewsā and felt āmy safety there was fragile.ā
It was a harsh revelation. āāTroy is a queer,ā I overheard my stepfather say with energetic disgust to another family member,ā Troy wrote. āEven at 13, I understood that my feelings for other boys were supposed to be secret. Now I knew terror. What my stepfather said humiliated me, sending an icy panic through my body that changed my demeanor and ruined my confidence. For the first time in my life, I felt depression and I became painfully shy. Alabama became a place, not of love, not of shelter, not of the magic of family, but of fear.ā
At the public pool, ākids would scream, āfaggot,ā āqueer,ā āchicken,ā āhomo,ā as they tried to dunk my head under the water. At one point, a big crowd joined in āā including kids I had known all my life āā and I was terrified they were trying to drown me.
āMy depression became dangerous and I remember thinking of ways to hurt myself,ā Troy wrote.
But Troy Masters ā who left home at 17 and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville ā focused on creating a life that prioritized being of service to his own intersectional LGBTQ people. He also practiced compassion and last August, Troy reached out to his dying stepfather. A 45-minute Facetime farewell turned into a lovefest of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Troy discovered his advocacy chops as an ad representative at the daring gay and lesbian activist publication Outweek from 1989 to 1991.
āWe had no idea that hiring him would change someoneās life, its trajectory and create a lifelong commitmentā to the LGBTQ press, says Outweekās co-founder and former editor-in-chief Gabriel Rotello, now a TV producer. āHe was great ā always a pleasure to work with. He had very little drama – and there was a lot of drama at Outweek. It was a tumultuous time and I tended to hire people because of their activism,ā including Michelangelo Signorile, Masha Gessen, and Sarah Pettit.
Rotello speculates that because Troy āknew what he was doingā in a difficult profession, he was determined to launch his own publication when Outweek folded. āIāve always been very happy it happened that way for Troy,ā Rotello says. āIt was a cool thing.ā
Troy and friends launched NYQ, renamed QW, funded by record producer and ACT UP supporter Bill Chafin. QW (QueerWeek) was the first glossy gay and lesbian magazine published in New York City featuring news, culture, and events. It lasted for 18 months until Chafin died of AIDS in 1992 at age 35.
The horrific Second Wave of AIDS was peaking in 1992 but New Yorkers had no gay news source to provide reliable information at the epicenter of the epidemic.
āWhen my business partner died of AIDS and I had to close shop, I was left hopeless and severely depressed while the epidemic raged around me. I was barely functioning,ā Troy told VoyageLA in 2018. āBut one day, a friend in Moscow, Masha Gessen, urged me to get off my back and get busy; New Yorkās LGBT community was suffering an urgent health care crisis, fighting for basic legal rights and against an increase in violence. That, she said, was not nothing and I needed to get back in the game.ā
It took Troy about two years to launch the bi-weekly newspaper LGNY (Lesbian and Gay New York) out of his East Village apartment. The newspaper ran from 1994 to 2002 when it was re-launched as Gay City News with Paul Schindler as co-founder and Troyās editor-in-chief for 20 years.
āWe were always in total agreement that the work we were doing was important and that any story we delved into had to be done right,ā Schindler wrote in Gay City News.
Though the two āsometimes famously crossed swords,ā Troyās sudden death has special meaning for Schindler. āI will always remember Troyās sweetness and gentleness. Five days before his death, he texted me birthday wishes with the tag, āI hope you get a meaningful spanking today.ā That devilishness stays with me.ā
Troy had āvery high EI (Emotional Intelligence), Schindler says in a phone call. āHe had so much insight into me. It was something he had about a lot of people – what kind of person they were; what they were really saying.ā
Troy was also very mischievous. Schindler recounts a time when the two met a very important person in the newspaper business and Troy said something provocative. āI held my breath,ā Schindler says. āBut it worked. It was an icebreaker. He had the ability to connect quickly.ā
The journalistic standard at LGNY and Gay City News was not a question of āobjectivityā but fairness. āWeāre pro-gay,ā Schindler says, quoting Andy Humm. āOur reporting is clear advocacy yet I think we were viewed in New York as an honest broker.ā
Schindler thinks Troyās move to Los Angeles to jump-start his entrepreneurial spirit and reconnect with Arturo, who was already in L.A., was risky. āHe was over 50,ā Schindler says. āI was surprised and disappointed to lose a colleague ā but he was always surprising.ā
āIn many ways, crossing the continent and starting a print newspaper venture in this digitally obsessed era was a high-wire, counter-intuitive decision,ā Troy told VoyageLA. āBut I have been relentlessly determined and absolutely confident that my decades of experience make me uniquely positioned to do this.ā
Troy launched The Pride L.A. as part of the Mirror Media Group, which publishes the Santa Monica Mirror and other Westside community papers. But on June 12, 2016, the day of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., Troy said he found MAGA paraphernalia in a partnerās office. He immediately plotted his exit. On March 10, 2017, Troy and the āinternationally respectedā Washington Blade announced the launch of the Los Angeles Blade.
In a March 23, 2017 commentary promising a commitment to journalistic excellence, Troy wrote: āWe are living in a paradigm shifting moment in real time. You can feel it. Sometimes itās overwhelming. Sometimes itās toxic. Sometimes itās perplexing, even terrifying. On the other hand, sometimes itās just downright exhilarating. This moment is a profound opportunity to reexamine our roots and jumpstart our passion for full equality.ā
Troy tried hard to keep that commitment, including writing a personal essay to illustrate that LGBTQ people are part of the #MeToo movement. In āEnding a Long Silence,ā Troy wrote about being raped at 14 or 15 by an Amtrak employee on āThe Floridianā traveling from Dothan, Ala., to Nashville.
āWhat I thought was innocent and flirtatious affection quickly turned sexual and into a full-fledged rape,ā Troy wrote. āI panicked as he undressed me, unable to yell out and frozen by fear. I was falling into a deepening shame that was almost like a dissociation, something I found myself doing in moments of childhood stress from that moment on. Occasionally, even now.ā
From the personal to the political, Troy Masters tried to inform and inspire LGBTQ people.
Richard Zaldivar, founder and executive director of The Wall Las Memorias Project, enjoyed seeing Troy at President Bidenās Pride party at the White House.
āJust recently he invited us to participate with the LA Blade and other partners to support the LGBTQ forum on Asylum Seekers and Immigrants. He cared about underserved community. He explored LGBTQ who were ignored and forgotten. He wanted to end HIV; help support people living with HIV but most of all, he fought for justice,ā Zaldivar says. āI am saddened by his loss. His voice will never be forgotten. We will remember him as an unsung hero. May he rest in peace in the hands of God.ā
Troy often featured Bamby Salcedo, founder, president/CEO of TransLatina Coalition, and scores of other trans folks. In 2018, Bamby and Maria Roman graced the cover of the Transgender Rock the Vote edition.
āIt pains me to know that my dear, beautiful and amazing friend Troy is no longer with us ā¦ He always gave me and many people light,ā Salcedo says. āI know that we are living in dark times right now and we need to understand that our ancestors and transcestors are the one who are going to walk us through these dark timesā¦ See you on the other side, my dear and beautiful sibling in the struggle, Troy Masters.ā
“Troy was immensely committed to covering stories from the LGBTQ community. Following his move to Los Angeles from New York, he became dedicated to featuring news from the City of West Hollywood in the Los Angeles Blade and we worked with him for many years,ā says Joshua Schare, director of Communications for the City of West Hollywood, who knew Troy for 30 years, starting in 1994 as a college intern at OUT Magazine.
āLike so many of us at the City of West Hollywood and in the regionās LGBTQ community, I will miss him and his day-to-day impact on our community.”
āTroy Masters was a visionary, mentor, and advocate; however, the title I most associated with him was friend,ā says West Hollywood Mayor John Erickson. āTroy was always a sense of light and working to bring awareness to issues and causes larger than himself. He was an advocate for so many and for me personally, not having him in the world makes it a little less bright. Rest in Power, Troy. We will continue to cause good trouble on your behalf.ā
Erickson adjourned the WeHo City Council meeting on Monday in his memory.
Masters launched the Los Angeles Blade with his partners from the Washington Blade, Lynne Brown, Kevin Naff, and Brian Pitts, in 2017.
āTroyās reputation in New York was well known and respected and we were so excited to start this new venture with him,ā says Naff. āHis passion and dedication to queer LA will be missed by so many. We will carry on the important work of the Los Angeles Blade ā itās part of his legacy and what he would want.ā
AIDS Healthcare Foundation President Michael Weinstein, who collaborated with Troy on many projects, says he was āa champion of many things that are near and dear to our heart,ā including ābeing in the forefront of alerting the community to the dangers of Mpox.ā
āAll of who he was creates a void that we all must try to fill,ā Weinstein says. āHis death by suicide reminds us that despite the many gains we have made, weāre not all right a lot of the time. The wounds that LGBT people have experienced throughout our lives are yet to be healed even as we face the political storm clouds ahead that will place even greater burdens on our psyches.ā
May the memory and legacy of Troy Masters be a blessing.
Veteran LGBTQ journalist Karen Ocamb served as the news editor and reporter for the Los Angeles Blade.
The Vatican
LGBTQ+ pilgrimage to take place during Catholic Churchās 2025 Jubilee
Event not āsponsored or organized byā the Vatican
A group of LGBTQ+ Christians in Italy has said the Vatican has approved its request to make a pilgrimage during the Catholic Churchās 2025 Jubilee.
The National Catholic Register on Dec. 11 reported La Tenda di Gionata (Jonathanās Tent) ā an Italian Christian group that helps āLGBT people and their families feel welcome in their churchā ā asked members to āsave the dateā of Sept. 6, 2025, and invited āall associations and groups dedicated to supporting LGBT+ individuals and their families to join us as we officially cross the Holy Door of the Jubilee at St. Peterās Basilicaā at 3 p.m.
The National Catholic Register notes the pilgrims have also been invited to a Mass at the Jesuit Church of the GesĆ¹ that Msgr. Francesco Savino, vice president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, will celebrate.
Church Jubilees take place every 25 years.
Jubilee 2025 officially begins on Christmas Eve.
Jubilee spokesperson Agnese Palmucci confirmed to the National Catholic Register that La Tenda di Gionataās proposed pilgrimage has been āincluded in the general calendar as a pilgrimage, along with all the other pilgrimages that other dioceses will make,ā but noted it is ānot a Jubilee event sponsored or organized by us.ā
āIt is a pilgrimage organized by this association which, like the other dioceses, bodies and associations, will make the pilgrimage as they wish,ā said Palmucci.
Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, a Maryland-based LGBTQ+ Catholic organization, on Dec. 10 noted he traveled to Rome in 2000, the last Jubilee year, and spoke at the first WorldPride that took place that summer.
āOne of the things I remember most about that time was the anger expressed by the Vatican and the pope himself that World Pride was taking place in Rome during the Jubilee year,ā wrote DeBernardo on New Ways Ministryās website. āPerhaps particularly galling to John Paul II was that the pride event was taking place in the first week of July, which was the same week that pilgrims from the popeās native Poland were scheduled to flood the city. And indeed, everywhere you looked you saw people with bright red neckerchiefs, a symbol of Polish heritage.ā
DeBenardo noted the āmood inā Rome āwas incredibly tense.ā
āVatican anti-gay rhetoric had fueled anti-gay sentiment beyond the Catholic Church, and many right-wing Italian political groups were denouncing World Pride, which was to culminate in a march from the Porta San Paolo to the Colosseum,ā he wrote. āAnti-gay messages were plastered all over the city buildings. One message in particular remains strong in my memory: āGay al Colosseo? SƬ, con i leoni.ā (Translation: āGays at the Colosseum? Yes, with lions.ā)ā
DeBenardo wrote the inclusion of an LGBTQ+ pilgrimage during the 2025 Jubilee ātouched my heart.ā
āWhile 2025ās event may seem like a small step, when compared with how the Vatican reacted to the presence of gay people in Rome during 2000, we can see what a sea change has taken place in terms of responding to LGBTQ+ people,ā he said.
The Vaticanās tone towards LGBTQ+ and intersex issues has softened since Pope Francis assumed the papacy in 2013.
Francis publicly backs civil unions for same-sex couples, and has described laws that criminalize homosexuality as āunjust.ā
He met with two African LGBTQ activists ā Clare Byarugaba of Chapter Four Uganda and Rightify Ghana Director Ebenezer Peegah ā at the Vatican on Aug. 14. Sister Jeannine Gramick, one of the co-founders of New Ways Ministry, organized a meeting between Francis and a group of transgender and intersex Catholics and LGBTQ+ allies that took place at the pontiffās official residence on Oct. 12.
Francis during a 2023 interview with an Argentine newspaper described gender ideology as āone of the most dangerous ideological colonizationsā in the world because āit blurs differences and the value of men and women.ā A declaration the Vaticanās Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released in March with Francisās approval condemned gender-affirming surgeries and āgender theory.ā
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