Pope Francis on Tuesday met with a Ugandan LGBTQ activist at the Vatican.

Clare Byarugaba of Chapter Four Uganda posted to her X account a picture of her sitting next to Francis. A video that she shared shows Juan Carlos Cruz — a gay Chilean man who is a survivor of clergy sex abuse and a member of a commission that advises Francis on protecting children from pedophile priests — introducing her to the pontiff.

Cruz is also a member of the GLAAD board of directors.

Byarugaba, who also founded PFLAG Uganda, said she was “honored to meet” Francis. She added she briefed him on “the ruinous impact of Uganda’s two in a decade anti-LGBTIQ rights laws,” including the Anti-Homosexuality Act that President Yoweri Museveni signed in 2023, and “the gross human rights violations therein.”

“He reiterated discrimination is a sin and violence against LGBTIQ communities is unacceptable,” said Byarugaba.

The Washington Blade has reached out to Byarugaba for additional comment.

Francis during a Jan. 24, 2023, interview with the Associated Press said homosexuality is not a crime and laws that criminalize it are “unjust.” Francis a few days later reiterated these comments during a press conference on board his plane after it left South Sudan, a country that borders Uganda.

Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized in South Sudan.

“The criminalization of homosexuality is a problem that cannot be ignored,” Francis told reporters. “Criminalizing people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice.”

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, among other things, contains a death penalty provision for “aggravated homosexuality.”

The U.S. after Museveni signed the law imposed visa restrictions on Ugandan officials and removed the country from a program that allows sub-Saharan African countries to trade duty-free with the U.S. The World Bank Group also announced the suspension of new loans to Uganda.

The Ugandan Constitutional Court on April 3 refused to “nullify the Anti-Homosexuality Act in its totality.”

More than a dozen activists appealed the ruling to the country’s Court of Appeal. They filed a second appeal with the Supreme Court on July 11.

Angola, Botswana, Mauritius, and Seychelles are among the countries that have decriminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations over the last decade.

The Namibian government last month appealed a ruling that struck down the country’s apartheid-era sodomy laws. Burkina Faso’s military government on July 10 announced it plans to recriminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations in the nation.

Police in Nigeria have confirmed the death of popular gay crossdresser in the country’s capital.

Authorities on Aug. 8 found Area Mama’s body along the Katampe-Mabushi Expressway in Abuja.

Several LGBTQ activists have labeled the 33-year-old’s death as a brutal homophobic murder; his body was found naked with bruises on his face. His appearance on “Living in Abuja with Deka George,” a YouTube podcast, earlier this year has also been linked to his death.

Area Mama during the podcast said he knew he was gay since he was 10. He also disclosed he was a male sex worker whose clients often included high profile people. 

He also said his clients sometimes only discovered he was not a woman when they were about to become intimate, noting some did not mind while others walked away. Speculation has grown over one of Area Mama’s clients who could not come to terms with his sexuality after discovering he was man led to his murder. 

“Area Mama didn’t harm anyone and no human deserves to be gruesomely murdered for living their truth,” said Rinu Oduala, a human rights activist. “The lifestyle of another person is not an invitation for harassment, discrimination, or murder.” 

Intersex Nigeria said it was appalled by Area Mama’s death, and called upon law enforcement officials to expedite their investigations into his murder.

“It is essential that justice is served, not only for the victim and their loved ones but also to restore a sense of security and trust within our communities,” said Intersex Nigeria. “The failure to secure justice in this case would send a dangerous signal that violence and discrimination against marginalized groups is acceptable, thereby making our society unsafe for everyone.”

“Hate should have no place in our society, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done,” added Intersex Nigeria.

The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs Nigeria) said Area Mama’s murder shows the vulnerability of marginalized groups in Nigeria.

“This tragic loss is a stark reminder of the ongoing threats to the safety of vulnerable groups in Nigeria,” said TIERs Nigeria.

Sadiq Lawal, an LGBTQ rights activist, also condemned Area Mama’s murder.

“Nobody has the right to take a human life, no one has the right to physically abuse anyone or kill them because they disagree with their lifestyle or sexuality,” said Lawal.

Iyanda Ayinde, another LGBTQ and human rights activist, added Nigeria’s LGBTQ community has always been at risk, noting attacks are becoming commonplace.

“Area Mama was brutally murdered, which is terrible. It demonstrates the depth of hatred for those who choose to live differently,” said Ayinde. “The LGBTQ+ community in Nigeria is always in danger. Online, they face threats, harassment, attacks, and bullying. This has to stop.”

“The attacks are getting too common, and it isn’t good,” added Ayinde. “The culprits must be located, and the police must act. Nobody ought to die because they are who they are.”

Authorities on Aug. 4 released Bobrisky, a popular Nigerian transgender woman, from prison after serving a 6-month sentence for flaunting Naira notes, an offense many believe was linked to her gender identity.

Forms of consensual same-sex sexual relations remain illegal throughout Nigeria, and are punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The punishment can be death in states with Sharia law. 

BULGARIA

Parliament rushed through passage of a Russia-style “LGBT propaganda” law Aug. 7 in a marathon session that was marked by speeches that queer activists have denounced as bordering on hate speech, and that sparked protests around the capital.

The vaguely worded law bans “propaganda, popularization and encouragement, directly or indirectly, of ideas and views connected to nontraditional sexual orientation or to gender-identifying different from the biological,” in Bulgarian schools. The law does not prescribe any specific punishment for infractions. 

The bill was introduced by the Revival Party, which maintains strong ties to Russia’s government, but passed with surprising support from the pro-European Union center-right GERB party. Altogether, 159 MPs voted for the bill, while only 57 voted against it, mostly from the reformist We Continue the Change Party.

Bulgaria is currently without an elected government, as June national elections yielded a hung parliament. Fresh elections are scheduled for Oct. 20 — Bulgaria’s fifth election in three years. Parties are likely using the threat of “LGBT propaganda” to shore up votes.

Nevertheless, the passage of the law sparked protests from queer, women, and human rights groups around the capital, Sofia, calling on President Rumen Radev to veto the law.

“This is the first step in making non-traditional sexual orientation a crime. I consider this absolutely unacceptable and out of the spirit of what we strive to be as a country and society,” Ivan Ivanov, a protestor at the Aug. 7 rally, told Euronews.

Anti-LGBTQ “propaganda” laws have been spreading since Russia passed its law in 2013. Hungary and Lithuania have laws restricting LGBTQ speech in schools or around children, but Bulgaria is the first EU country to pass such a law since the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Lithuania’s law breached the European Convention in January 2023. 

Other countries considering such laws right now are Georgia and Kazakhstan. Several African states have also recently passed or are considering laws criminalizing promotion of LGBTQ rights, including Uganda, Ghana, Namibia, and Liberia. Increasingly, similar laws are also being passed in Republican-led U.S. states.

AUSTRIA

Local organizers Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour cancelled three dates in Vienna after authorities arrested two suspected extremists on charges that they planned to attack a concert. 

Swift had been scheduled to play at the Ernst Happel Stadium on Aug. 9, 10, and 11. 

Authorities said they had arrested a 19-year-old main suspect in Ternitz, about 50 miles south of Vienna, and a second 17-year-old suspect in the capital. 

Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of Austria’s Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, says the 19-year-old had been radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State, and that they had found material related to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda at the home of the 17-year-old. 

Haijawi-Pirchner says that the suspect was employed by a company providing services at the concerts and was planning to use knives or self-made explosives to “kill as many people as possible” at the concert.

Initially, promoters said the concerts would go ahead with extra security provided by the national police, but the dates were quickly cancelled hours later. 

Promoters Barracuda Music said all tickets would be automatically refunded within 10 business days.

The concert dates had been sold out for months, with an estimated 170,000 people expected to attend.

This isn’t the first time an Islamic extremist has allegedly targeted a pop concert. In 2017, an extremist suicide-bombed an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, killing 22 people and wounding more than 100. 

CANADA

The Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from alt-right figure Jordan Peterson of the decision by the College of Psychologists of Ontario requiring him to undergo social media training or risk losing his license to practice. 

Peterson, who rose to international prominence for his strident opposition to a transgender rights bill passed by the Canadian government in 2017, has become a darling of the alt-right movement for his writings and social media posts advancing frequently misogynistic and transphobic views on women, masculinity, and gender identity, as well as general antipathy to other left-wing issues.

In 2022, the College of Psychologists found that his posts may be “degrading” and call into question his ability as a psychologist and bring the profession disrepute. It ordered he undergo social media training. 

Peterson sought judicial review, but he lost at lower courts. The Supreme Court did not give reasons why it dismissed the appeal. Peterson was ordered to pay costs.

Initially, Peterson said he would continue to fight the order, somehow, but days later his lawyer had told CBC that Peterson would attend the training.

The case has divided rights groups in Canada, with the LGBTQ advocacy group Egale intervening on behalf of the College of Psychologists of Ontario, while the Canadian Civil Liberties Union intervened on behalf of Peterson, arguing that professional associations shouldn’t regulate speech unrelated to the profession. 

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who has also courted the alt-right and far right in Canada, also posted in support of Peterson. 

“Another government bureaucracy threatens to ban a Canadian from practicing his profession because he expressed political opinions the state doesn’t like,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The College of Psychologists of Ontario is not a government bureaucracy. It is a professional association.

BELGIUM

Former Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo spoke out against transphobia in an open letter after the current deputy prime minister raised alarms this week by recommending a transphobic book on his social media channels.

Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval of the center-right Reformist Movement was accused of transphobia after he posted on X praise of the book “Transmania: Investigation into the Excesses of Transgender Ideology” by Marguerite Stern and Dora Moutot.

The book, originally published in France, is full of conjectures and conspiracy theories asserting that trans people aren’t real and that they are associated with pedophilia. It has become a symbol of the far right in France since it was published in April 2023.

Clarinval defended his post to the Brussels Times. 

“This book gives a broader view of the transgender issue,” he said.

Di Rupo, who was Belgium’s first openly gay prime minister and now serves as a member of the European Parliament, wrote an open letter calling for conservatives and liberals to agree to protect all people’s rights in the wake of the controversy. 

“In this reactionary climate, it is essential to emphasize that the freedoms granted to transgender people in no way diminish the freedoms of other citizens. The extension of rights and freedoms to some never diminishes those of others,” Di Rupo writes.

“Finally, it is important to remember that the freedoms we enjoy today are the fruit of fierce struggles, countless political battles and incalculable human tragedies. They are indeed heroic struggles, often marked by great suffering and sacrifice, that have shaped the free world in which we live in the West. Whether it is the fights for civil rights in the United States, for gender equality, for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people or for freedom of expression, they have all been driven by the same unwavering will: That of defending the dignity, freedom and respect of the human being in all its complexity.”

The political turmoil in Bangladesh that led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and subsequent decision to flee the country on Monday has left the LGBTQ community under unprecedented threat.

The Washington Blade this week heard harrowing accounts of targeted violence and intimidation that has forced many LGBTQ Bangladeshis to go into hiding. Factions seeking to exploit the power vacuum in the wake of Hasina’s resignation have made this situation worse.

Tushar Kanti Baidya, program director of Inclusive Bangladesh, a local NGO and transgender-led LGBTQ youth organization, said a more sinister development has overshadowed the ongoing protests against Hasina’s job quota policies.

He noted the recent rise of right-wing political parties, which have spearheaded anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ movements, poses an even greater threat to the community. Badiya fears the lives of local trans activists are now in grave danger as these groups move to align themselves with the newly formed interim government. This alliance, he says, not only encourages those who wish to silence them but also creates an environment where hate and violence could escalate unchecked.

“The quota that has been reserved for disability and transgender people are only for those who are physically disabled and intersex people,” said Baidya. “In Bangladesh, by the common people, transgender refers to intersex people. Some of the (leaders) of the protesters deny the existence of transformation from male to female or vice versa and (continue their) opposition to include transgenders into the quota but intersex people.”

Baidya said trans activists had initially raised the issue of their inclusion in the job quota system nearly two years ago, well before the current crisis emerged. The trans and LGBTQ communities, however, chose not to participate in the quota demand. Baidya said fear drove this decision, noting anti-LGBTQ and anti-trans rhetoric from some quota reform movement leaders grew more intense.  

While some trans people have supported the broader student movement that demanded Hasina’s resignation, they have been cautious about specifically advocating for the quota reserved for them because they were wary of the potential backlash. Baidya emphasized this reluctance reflects the severe risks and hostility the community faces in this fraught political climate.

Baidya told the Blade that despite Hasina’s government’s problematic human rights record and her autocratic regime, it is noteworthy that LGBTQ and other minority groups felt relatively safe when she was in office and were able to conduct their advocacy work with minimal government interference. The trans community, in particular, saw significant benefits that included increased social support, greater acceptance in mainstream jobs, and even successful bids for local government positions. 

Baidya pointed out Inclusive Bangladesh Executive Director Sanjiboni Sudha, and Saraban Tahura, the group’s project coordinator, are among those who anti-trans activists publicly targeted, publishing their photos and sharing their personal information. 

This targeted harassment, according to Baidya, underscores the dangerous shift in the current political environment, where the progress made under the previous government is now at risk.

“Currently, we are processing some of our staff’s asylum process and also trying to facilitate to relocate them into a safe place or out of the country and also sending advisories and security suggestions to the community members,” Baidya told the Blade

US State Department spokesperson condemns ‘all recent acts of violence’

Hasina fled Bangladesh after protesters stormed her official residence on Monday.

She has been in India, where she met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. 

The political unrest — and anti-government protests that have taken place across Bangladesh in recent weeks —has left upwards of 300 people dead and many others injured. At least 94 people were killed on Sunday, the deadliest day since the protests began.

Students in Bangladesh began demonstrating against the government, demanding reforms to the civil service quota system. Protests argue loyalists of Hasina’s ruling party, the Awami League, disproportionately benefited from the existing quotas.

“We condemn all recent acts of violence in Bangladesh,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Wednesday during his daily press briefing in Washington. “We support the freedom of peaceful assembly.” 

“We condemn violence against those who are exercising their peaceful right to assembly. And we condemn violence on behalf of any protester who has turned their peaceful exercises simply into an excuse for violence,” he added. “We condemn violence in all cases.”

Tahura, a trans activist in Bangladesh, spoke exclusively with the Blade. 

She said the situation of the LGBTQ community since Hasina’s resignation is out of control.

Saraban told the Blade she is now safe after she sought refuge in a shelter away from her home. Saraban said the escalating violence and targeted harassment made it imperative for her to find a secure location to avoid the growing threats.

“This is very difficult for us,” said Saraban. “We are facing threats from anti-LGBTQ groups in Bangladesh. They are telling the LGBTQ community that your story ends now. They are telling us that there is no place for LGBTQ people in Bangladesh. They only want to only recognize (the) hijra community. We are not hijra, but transgenders, so our situation is really bad.”

Hijra or kinner on the Indian subcontinent are intersex or eunuch people. The hijra community has a distinctive social structure, traditions, and rituals.

Saraban told the Blade the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Jamaat-e-Islami (Jamaat) are related and often align with each other. 

She said she went into hiding under the previous government. Jamaat, which is anti-LGBTQ, has resurfaced in the wake of Hasina’s resignation and is now threatening Saraban and other LGBTQ activists. 

“It is a dangerous situation for the LGBTQ community, mostly, three activists are targeted in our country,” said Saraban. “Other than me, Ho Chi Minh Islam, and Sanjiboni Shudha, are the three most popular transgender activists in Bangladesh.” 

“We are in very grave risk,” added Saraban.

Saraban said she and other activists are looking to escape the country for their own safety. She told the Blade that although she does not want to leave Bangladesh, the situation is not safe for her or the community.

Ankush Kumar is a reporter who has covered many stories for Washington and Los Angeles Blades from Iran, India, and Singapore. He recently reported for the Daily Beast. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is on X at @mohitkopinion.

Argentine President Javier Milei’s government has officially closed the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI).

INADI, created in 1995, was a key player in the promotion and protection of human rights in Argentina, offering support and resources to people affected by discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and other characteristics.

Officials announced INADI’s closure on Tuesday during a press conference. Milei’s government has presented the move as part of a reform to streamline public administration and restructure human rights policies.

“One of President Milei’s ideals is the reduction of the state and the elimination of everything that does not generate a benefit for Argentines,” presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni said in February when he announced INADI’s closure. “The decision was made to move forward in the dismantling of different institutes that effectively serve absolutely no purpose or are big boxes of politics or places to generate militant employment and the first of them is going to be INADI.”

The international community, including human rights organizations and LGBTQ activist groups, have expressed strong concern. 

INADI has played a crucial role in the implementation of progressive laws in Argentina, such as the Gender Identity Law and marriage equality. Its dissolution raises questions about the continuity of these efforts.

“It is extremely serious, especially because we are in a moment in Argentina, not only because of the local context, but also the global context of a growth, an increase in anti-Semitism, racism, violence, xenophobia, LGBTphobia,” gay Congressman Esteban Paulón told the Washington Blade.

Paulón added Tuesday marked “three months since a triple femicide that occurred in the city of Buenos Aires with three lesbian women who were set on fire by a person who attacked them.” 

“INADI was acting in many cases as an auxiliary of justice, with opinions that although they were not binding, they were a great support for the judicial instances,” he said. 

Alba Rueda is a transgender woman who was Argentina’s Special Representative on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity under former President Alberto Fernández’s government. Rueda resigned last November ahead of Milei’s inauguration.

Milei’s government earlier this year closed the Women, Gender and Diversity Ministry, under which Rueda worked.

“The closure of Women, Gender and Diversity Ministry, the closure of the special representation on sexual orientation and gender identity, the position of the Foreign Ministry’s position in the OAS (Organization of American States) to reaffirm conversion therapies, and INADI’s closure is one of the situations that comes to institutionally break public policies that protect the most excluded sectors of Argentina,” Rueda told the Blade. 

“The closing of INADI is a very, very serious situation,” she added.

Activists are calling on the government to clarify how it will guarantee queer rights in the future and whether it will create alternative mechanisms to address discrimination complaints.

Santiaga D’Ambrosio, an LGBTQ activist who is a member of the country’s Socialist Workers’ Party, told the Blade “the closure of INADI is an adjustment that endorses discrimination, not only towards sexual diversity, but also towards so many other oppressed, violated or persecuted sectors, such as workers in struggle, migrants, people with disabilities.” 

“INADI, in fact, has played a progressive role in the face of discrimination due to political and union persecution in different workers’ conflicts, against dismissals and for the recognition of union privileges in workplaces,” added D’Ambrosio.

D’Ambrosio, at the same time, said INADI’s closure deepens the economic and social crisis through which the Latin American country is going.

“Behind the closure of an agency, there are layoffs and uncertainty among its workers and their families,” said D’Ambrosio, noting layoffs have also taken place at Aerolíneas Argentinas, the country’s national airlines, and other companies. “Meanwhile, the enormous tax benefits for national and foreign businessmen remain untouched.”

D’Ambrosio added LGBTQ Argentines and other marginalized groups have to “self-organize independently from all governments who don’t really care about our lives.”

“We have to debate in our workplaces and study … how to conquer and strengthen our claims in the streets,” said D’Ambrosio.

India’s LGBTQ community is watching Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign with hopeful anticipation.

“Can she be the catalyst for change we’ve been waiting for?” is the question echoing through the colorful streets of India’s metropolises. With her history of advocating for LGBTQ rights, Harris’s candidacy feels like a rainbow beacon in the political storm. As her campaign gains momentum, the Indian LGBTQ community finds itself not just spectators but fervent cheerleaders, hoping her leadership might inspire similar strides in their land. 

Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, who was born into a Brahmin family in 1938, and her grandfather, PV Gopalan, who hailed from the quaint village of Thulasendrapuram in Tamil Nadu state, link Harris to India’s rich cultural tapestry. This connection not only invigorates her campaign as she seeks the White House, but also resonates deeply with LGBTQ Indians who see in her a beacon of progressive change.

Harris’s grandfather later moved to New Delhi to become a civil servant in British-ruled India, paving the way for Gopalan’s journey to the U.S. Her mother’s pursuit of biomedical science at the University of California, Berkeley planted the seeds for her future political aspirations. 

The Independent reports Harris’s uncle, Balachandran, from Delhi and her aunt, Sarala, from Chennai still visit their local temple about once a year, keeping the family tethered to their village and cultural roots.

The State Department notes the relationship between India and the U.S. is one of the most strategic and consequential of the 21st century. 

‘The U.S. supports India’s emergence as a leading global power and a vital partner in promoting a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” it reads. 

Harris during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S. in June 2023 underscored the deep-rooted ties between the two countries, highlighting shared democratic values and the significant contributions of Indian Americans. 

India in 2018 decriminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations. 

The Indian Supreme Court last October ruled against marriage equality. The justices have agreed to consider an appeal of their ruling.

Harris during a 2023 interview emphasized she has been dedicated to human rights, equality, and LGBTQ issues throughout her career. 

Harris was California’s attorney general when she declined to defend Proposition 8, a same-sex marriage ban that voters in her state approved in 2008.

The U.S. Supreme Court on March 26, 2013, heard oral arguments in a case that challenged Prop 8. The justices in a 5-4 ruling said anti-gay groups did not have standing to defend the ban and allowed a federal court ruling that declared it unconstitutional to remain in place.

Same-sex couples have been able to marry in California since June 28, 2013.

“It was clear that this is a case that is about fundamental notions of justice and equality and liberty,” Harris told the Blade after the Supreme Court’s oral arguments.

President Joe Biden in 2021 signed a memo that committed the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s overall foreign policy.

Harris during a 2023 press conference with Ghanaian President Nana Afuko-Addo that took place in Accra, his country’s capital, noted “a great deal of work in my career has been to address human rights issues, equality issues across the board, including as it relates to the LGBT community.”

“I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting the freedom and supporting and fighting for equality among all people and that all people be treated equally,” said Harris. “This is an issue that we consider, and I consider to be a human rights issue and that will not change.”

Ghana is among the countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized. 

Harris’s visit to the country coincided with debate over a bill that would, among other things, criminalize LGBTQ allyship. Afuko-Addo has yet to sign the measure — the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill — that MPs passed in February.

Manvendra Singh Gohil, who describes himself as the world’s first openly gay prince, is from Gujarat state and is an activist who runs Lakshya Trust. He told the Washington Blade that Harris is seen not just as a powerful person, but also a serious candidate. Gohil highlighted she embodies not only the hope of representation but also the merit, resonating deeply with the global LGBTQ community.

“Merit and diversity are not mutually exclusive,” he said. “There is merit in diversity, but we must make an effort to look for diversity in merit, too. I wish Kamala all the best and hope that she can carry the energy and dreams of the millions. If she is elected, I hope she serves to be the president for the entire country, the Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike.”

Deepak Kashyap, India’s first openly gay psychologist, told the Blade that Indians view Harris with hope.

“The LGBTQ community, for better or for worse, across the world, follow American examples to quite an extent,” said Kashyap. “Holding the presidency means holding the hopes and dreams of communities who find themselves at the mercy of every election cycle. I wish you well and hope to meet you in the Oval Office someday.”

Harris has often reminisced in interviews about her childhood visits to Thulasendrapuram, fondly recalling walks on the Chennai beach with her grandfather when she was just five. Though those memories of sun-soaked sands linger, she hasn’t set foot in India since becoming vice president.

Her nostalgic tales add a touch of personal warmth to her political journey, endearing her to the Indian LGBTQ community and beyond.

Negha Shahin, the first transgender woman to win an award at the 52nd Kerala State Film Awards and a native of Tamil Nadu, told the Blade that while Harris’s connection to state is heartwarming, it doesn’t directly influence her stance on LGBTQ issues. Shahin pointed out it would be a stretch to attribute Harris’s progressive views on LGBTQ rights to her mother’s background.

“What truly matters in understanding the struggles faced by the trans and queer community is the need for proper education and an open mind,” said Shahin. “Kamala Harris has spoken out about trans rights because she recognizes the importance of these issues and the need to address the discrimination and challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community.”

“Her advocacy stems from a broader commitment to equality and justice, rather than any specific cultural influence,” she added.

Shahin said it would be a monumental moment if Harris wins.

“If she wins also I wish it will impact the Indian LGBTQIA community,” said Shahin. “If she holds a position of power her administration might engage in diplomatic efforts to encourage other nations to advance human rights, including LGBTQIA+ rights. This could lead to international pressure on countries like India to improve their legal and social stance on LGBTQIA+ issues.”

Harish Iyer, an Indian activist who participated in the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program in 2016, told the Blade the LGBTQ community needs world leaders who are allies and community members.

“Kamala Harris’s ascend to the top of the Democratic ticket is thus a ray of hope,” said Iyer. “She has been unwavering in her allyship. In a world of deniers of queerdom, she is in sync with the ground realities of queer existence.”

Michael K. Lavers contributed to this article.

Ankush Kumar is a reporter who has covered many stories for Washington and Los Angeles Blades from Iran, India, and Singapore. He recently reported for the Daily Beast. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is on X at @mohitkopinion.

MALAYSIA

Rock band The 1975 is being sued by organizers of a music festival kissed a man on stage as a protest against the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws last July. The festival is seeking $2.4 million in damages alleging breach of contract after the festival was shut down by authorities. 

The English rock band was headlining the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur on July 21, 2023, when Healy delivered a performance that festival organizers Future Vibes Asia allege included drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes on stage, appearing to “spit excessively including towards the audience” and giving a “profanity-laden speech,” all of which they say was in violation of their performance contract.

“Variety” reported at the time that Healy told the crowd “I don’t see the fucking point … of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with … I’m sorry if that offends you, and you’re religious … but your government are a bunch of fucking r——. I don’t care anymore. If you push, I’m gonna push back. I’m not in the fucking mood.”

At that point, Healy kissed bassist Ross MacDonald on stage, resulting the band getting booted from the stage by government censors and banned from performing in Malaysia.

Authorities then shut down the entire festival, which still had two more days of performances by local and international acts, including American band The Strokes.

In filings in the UK High Court, Future Sound Asia is seeking $2.4 million in damages from the band, whom they say were paid $350,000 to perform.

The 1975 have not provided a response in court. 

The band has also been sued separately by other artists who claim they lost opportunities and income because of the festival being shut down. 

THAILAND

Thailand has become the 44^th member state of the Equal Rights Coalition, an intergovernmental agency tasked with advancing the rights of LGBTQ and intersex people across the world. 

Thailand is the first Asian country to join the international body, which also includes member states from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East.

The Equal Rights Coalition was founded in 2016 under the leadership of Uruguay and the Netherlands to promote LGBTQ and intersex human rights, through forums and idea exchange with a particular focus on reducing violence and discrimination, ending criminalization of LGBTQ and intersex people, and including LGBTQ and intersex people in development projects.

Thailand has made great progress on LGBTQ rights in recent years, including legalizing same-sex marriage and adoption earlier this year, and introducing a government bill to facilitate legal gender change.

The ERC has worked to expand its own capacity this year, launching a secretariat hosted by ILGA-World in Geneva. 

NEPAL 

The Supreme Court of Nepal has for the first time ordered that the government recognize a transgender woman as a woman, without her having to submit to medical verification. The ruling applies only to this specific case but may set a precedent for future cases.

Human Rights Watch reported that Rukshana Kapali, a trans law student, was granted the order that she should be recognized as a woman on all government documents. Kapali has sued the government more than 50 times since 2021 in order to get her gender recognized, due to inconsistently applied rules across the country. 

Although Kapali has been granted relief, other trans people will continue to have to sue to have their gender legally recognized, until the government creates a consistent regulation.

In 2007, the Supreme Court ordered the government to recognize a “third gender” or “other” option on the basis of self-identification. “Third gender” is a common way that many trans people in South Asian cultures self-identify. 

However, because the government has failed to institute a clear nationwide policy around updating legal gender, many trans people face roadblocks. Some are forced to undergo surgery first, which requires travelling outside the country, and then to have invasive medical examinations in-country. 

Human Rights Watch has called on the government to address this by creating a clear policy on updating legal gender based on self-determination.

“The government can and should make the system work for everyone by issuing a directive that allows people to self-identify their gender on official documents, without medical or other verification,” Human Rights Watch says in a press release.

UNITED KINGDOM

The British Medical Association has called for the government to pause implementation of the controversial Cass Review of gender care for trans youth, and a lifting of the government’s ban on the use of puberty blockers for under-18s. 

The BMA, a trade union that represents nearly 200,000 doctors and medical students across the UK, has made the amid a growing anti-trans moral panic across the UK, fueled by far-right commentators, including “Harry Potter” creator J.K. Rowling, which captured the attention of the Conservative Party that governed the country for 14 years until last month.

But the new Labour government has been swift to uphold some of the previous government’s anti-trans policies, including announcing that it would move to make the ban on puberty blockers permanent.

The previous government had launched a review of trans youth care under Hilary Cass, who published her findings this spring. The Cass Review ultimately called for a move away from medical interventions for trans youth and instead proposed a model of better mental health support. 

Trans activists and medical researchers criticized the report for its selective review of studies and lack of consultation with trans patients, which they have said give the impression that the review was designed to come to a conclusion that would effectively bar young people from transitioning or forcibly detransition them. 

A government spokesperson has rebuffed the BMA’s call for a pause on implementation of the Cass Review while it completes its own research.

“NHS England will be implementing Dr. Cass’s recommendations so that children and young people get the safe, holistic care and support they need. We do not support a delay to vital improvements from the NHS to gender services,” a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told the BBC.

The ban on puberty blockers had also been challenged in court by the advocacy group TransActual, but a judge ruled last week that the ban was lawful. 

WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday celebrated the release of American citizens from Russian custody in a historic prisoner swap.

Griner described their release as a “great day” when she spoke with reporters after the U.S. women’s basketball team beat Belgium at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Her team had just qualified for the quarterfinals.

“We’ll talk more about it later. But head over heels happy for the families right now,” said Griner, according to the Associated Press. “Any day that Americans come home, that’s a win. That’s a win.”

Griner spoke with reporters hours after Russia and Belarus released Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, Washington Post contributor Vladimir Kara-Murza, and a dozen other people who include Russian opposition figures.

The U.S., Germany, Poland, Slovenia, and Norway, in turn, released eight Russian citizens who had been convicted on charges that include murder and espionage.

One of them, Vadim Krasikov, had been serving a life sentence in Germany after he assassinated a Chechen separatist fighter in Berlin in 2019. Slovenian authorities also released two children of the Russian spies who had been in their custody.

The prisoner swap is the largest between the U.S. and Russia since the Cold War.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny earlier this year died in a penal colony. Reports indicate he was to have been among those released in Thursday’s prisoner swap.

Officials at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February 2022 detained Griner — a Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist who is a lesbian and married to her wife, Cherelle Griner — after customs inspectors found hashish oil in her luggage.

A Russian court later convicted Brittney Griner of smuggling drugs into the country and sentenced her to nine years in a penal colony. The Kremlin on Dec. 9, 2022, released her in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who had been serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S.

Cherelle Griner last month gave birth to a baby boy.

The Indian Home Ministry in a surprising development on July 15 sent a note to state and territorial officials and prison administrators that acknowledges queer prisoners regularly face discrimination and violence because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

The government has asked all states and territories ensure queer people receive equal rights in their prison. The government has also instructed state and territorial officials to prevent discrimination in relation to accessing goods and services inside their prisons, especially visitation rights.

The directive mandates prison officials allow inmates to meet with family members, relatives, friends, and legal representatives at least once every two weeks.

Referencing the Model Prison Manual, 2016, the government emphasized prisoners should be granted reasonable facilities to see or speak with their family members, relatives, friends, and legal representatives. This access is crucial for preparing an appeal, securing bail, or arranging the management of property, and family affairs. The directive is also seen as a significant effort to ensure LGBTQ inmates’ rights and dignity are upheld.

The ruling government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has, for the first time, explicitly referenced the “queer community” in a directive that seeks to end discrimination against them. This directive marks a significant shift in government policy.

It states conversations during these interviews should be limited to private and domestic matters, explicitly prohibiting any references to prison administration, other prisoners, or politics. 

According to the Model Prison Manual, 2016, Rule 8.03 states the number of people who may interview a prisoner at one time shall ordinarily be limited to three. The manual also directs interviews with female prisoners should, if possible, take place in female-specific cells or rooms.

“It is reiterated that these provisions equally apply to members of the queer community, allowing them to meet a person of their choice without any discrimination or judgment,” it reads.

The Home Ministry has also urged authorities to make prison officials at all levels more sensitive to queer inmates.

It emphasized the importance of treating all people equally in a fair and just manner, with a particular focus on ensuring that no one, especially those belonging to the queer community, faces any form of discrimination.

“Prisoners may communicate with their visitors, namely family members, relatives and friends through physical or virtual mode, under proper supervision of prison authorities,” reads the directive. “Visitors to inmates shall be verified/authenticated through biometric verification/identification.”

The directive also notes foreign prisoners may communicate with their family members and consular representatives, as rules dictate.

According to the report “Lost Identity: Transgender Persons in Indian Prisons,” the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative published, a total of 214 transgender people were incarcerated in different prisons across the country between May 2018 and April 2019.

The report noted a glaring lack of awareness programs among prisoners regarding the legal recognition of trans people as a legal identity, with the sole exception of Karnataka state since 2014. The report also highlighted a significant oversight: No trans people had been hired by prison departments in any state or territory.

The report further pointed out none of the prisons included any courses in their Prison Training Institute’s curriculum that focused on awareness and sensitization of LGBTQ communities and their rights.

The Supreme Court in 2018 took a monumental step towards prison reform.

A 3-member committee that now retired Justice Amitava Roy examined the myriad issues facing the Indian prison system and made a series of recommendations. Persistent prison overcrowding and overall conditions are two of the myriad issues the committee reviewed.

The committee in 2022 issued its report, which included a chapter titled “Transgender Prisoners.”

This chapter emphasized efforts to separate trans people from other prisoners for safety and security reasons must not lead to their seclusion or isolation. It also underscored the need to ensure measures undertaken to protect trans prisoners do not inadvertently result in their marginalization, highlighting the importance of maintaining their integration and dignity within the prison community.

Sadam Hanjabam, founder of Ya.all, northeast India’s first registered LGBTQ youth-led organization that the U.N. recognizes, told the Washington Blade the ministry’s announcement is a good step. He said officials are not only looking at transgender community but LGBTQ as a whole spectrum.

“It is hopeful that at least people will have access to services without discrimination whether legally or in prison services,” said Hanjabam. “We hope that it could be this is towards more inclusive step.”

Ankush Kumar is a reporter who has covered many stories for Washington and Los Angeles Blades from Iran, India, and Singapore. He recently reported for the Daily Beast. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is on X at @mohitkopinion.

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) on Sunday announced President Nicolás Maduro won a third term with 51.2 percent of the votes, compared to the 44.2 percent it said opposition leader Edmundo González received.

Fifty-nine percent of Venezuelans voted in the election that took place peacefully in most of the country, aside from reports of unrest in Táchira state that borders Colombia.

Authorities announced the results six hours after polling places closed, with CNE President Elvis Amoroso attributing the delay to a “terrorist” attack that affected data transmission. Maduro backed this explanation, suggesting a massive hacking of the electoral system took place.

The opposition, however, denounced irregularities and questioned the process’s transparency. Opposition leader María Corina Machado said she and her supporters have minutes that indicate González received 70 percent of the votes.

“There is a new president-elect and he is Edmundo González, and everybody knows it,” said Machado. 

González entered into a political partnership with Machado, who Maduro’s government disqualified from holding public office. Machado backed González, a former diplomat.

“All regulations have been violated,” said González. “Our struggle continues.” 

Maduro, for his part, called on his adversaries to abide by the results.

“This constitution must be respected,” said Maduro while speaking to supporters outside Miraflores Palace in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, after the CSE declared him the winner. “The referee must be respected and no one must try to tarnish this beautiful day.”

In this regard, Tamara Adrián, the country’s first transgender congresswoman who ran in the presidential primary earlier this year, told the Washington Blade that “according to the information we have from the minutes that witnesses were able to obtain in approximately 40 percent of the polling stations, Edmundo González won with a percentage higher than 65 percent of the votes in all the states and in all the social sectors.”

The former congresswoman added “that is the result we had around 8 o’clock at night, when they started to issue instructions from the National Electoral Council for two things: One, to prohibit the entrance of Edmundo González’s witnesses in the vote counting room, something that continued during the whole night.” 

“That is to say they never had any oversight from González in the computations,” Adrián told the Blade.

“And two, they prohibited the table chiefs from printing the minutes that the law says,” she added.

The elections took place amid widespread distrust of the CNE, whose board of directors includes figures linked to the ruling party.

The opposition questioned the electoral body’s impartiality and lack of recognized international observers. Reports indicate people in several areas of Caracas on Sunday used pots and pans to protest the CNE announcement. 

LGBTQ activist Richelle Briceño told the Blade “the electoral participation in favor of change in the country was a majority and that will has been undoubtedly twisted by those who have dominated the electoral power and the armed forces of the nation.” 

“They gave official results that do not adjust to reality and consequently are unverifiable,” said Briceño.

Chilean president, Biden-Harris administration question election results

Chilean President Gabriel Boric and other regional leaders expressed skepticism about the results. 

American Secretary of State Antony Blinken also expressed concern about the count’s validity. Cuba and Honduras, on the other hand, congratulated Maduro after the CNE declared him the winner.

“The Maduro regime must understand that the results it publishes are hard to believe,” wrote Boric on his X account. “The international community and above all the Venezuelan people, including the millions of Venezuelans in exile, demand total transparency of the minutes and the process.” 

“We are seriously concerned that the announced result does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people,” said Blinken.

The situation in Venezuela remains uncertain, and the next few hours could define a new chapter in the country’s tumultuous political history.

“There is no certain formula for Maduro to leave the presidency while the other powers and institutions of the country are at his service,” said Briceño. “Venezuelans did what was in our hands, which was to express ourselves massively. Now we must continue to demand audited and verified results so that the truth is imposed before the world.”

“The support of the international community is fundamental for these purposes,” added Briceño.