Australia: Marriage rallies across the country

Thousands are turning out in Australia to call for same-sex marriage, as its Federal Parliament prepares to debate the reform next week. In Brisbane, more than 5,000 people attended a rally at Queens Garden. Lisa Origliasso from band The Veronicas spoke, saying “I hate to say it by Australia is still sadly standing behind the rest... Now is the time for us to get loud. Now is the time for us to kick and scream for human rights. The right to be you. The right to me. To put it simply, we stand hand in hand with our loved ones today, unified to send a message to this great nation, that we are here to make this country better.

In Hobart, 1,500 people packed Hobart City Hall, with the crowd so large it flowed out onto the street. They heard from Tasmanian celebrities, leaders and advocates, including Hobart Lord Mayor Sue Hickey. The audience also heard from Nick Outterside, who spoke about being raised by two mothers and the death of one before they were able to marry.

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman has also supported the Federal Government allowing federal MPs a free vote on the issue. "Ahead of the introduction of a cross-party bill this week, the rally sends a strong message to federal parliament that Tasmanians want marriage equality,” says Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome. Rallies were also held in Sydney and Perth. Melbourne and Adelaide rallies will happen next Saturday. Read More

Portugal: The 'trans' who wants to be MP

Julia does not like the word transsexual. She says it is a medical term that carries pejorative of a pathology. Instead, she prefers to be called - and others like her - 'trans': people who are born with mismatched body of their gender identity. At 25, she is running for a seat in Parliament by the Left Bloc (BE). If she can win this battle, she will be the first trans MP in Portugal, though not in the world.

In November 2011, Anna Grodzka reached the integrated Polish parliament in the liberal movement of left-wing Janusz Palikot. Julia Mendes Pereira, who is running for deputy for integrated Setúbal circle in the list headed by Joan Mortágua, joined the block in 2010 and around the same time began to make her voice heard on several fronts to fight for the rights of sexual minorities. 

Julia Mendes Pereira is campaigning on several issues. The first is to fight for self-determination of 'trans' people, requesting the right to change their civil status according to their gender identity, without testimony from doctors and psychologists. Additionally, she is interested in feminist issues, defending the right to abortion, gender violence, and LGBT parenting. "These are my priorities as much as intersex rights," says Julia. For clarification, intersex people are born with sexual characters of both sexes, making it difficult to identify as a man or woman. Read More

Venezuela: First transgender candidate to run for Congress

The first transgender politician to run for popular election in Venezuela registered as candidate for Congress as part of the opposition bloc, promising to advance gay rights in the traditionally macho South American society. Lawyer and gay rights activist Tamara Adrian had to register under her given name Thomas Adrian despite a 2002 sex change, because Venezuelan law does not allow anyone born male to legally become female or take a woman's name.

"We're going to fight so that everyone gets respect," said Adrian, amid a tussle of candidates and cheering supporters at the gates of an elections authority office in Caracas. Adrian is running with the opposition party Voluntad Popular, which includes some of the most outspoken critics of President Nicolas Maduro. Two gay candidates are also running with Voluntad Popular.

She argued that Venezuela, along with Paraguay, Guyana, Suriname and Peru, has done little to extend equal rights to homosexuals. It was not immediately evident if the electoral council will register Adrian as a woman. In June the council said at least 40% of candidates in the upcoming vote must be women.  Read More

Sierra Leone: To be gay and African should not be a crime

George Reginald Freeman: In my home country of Sierra Leone, homosexuality is punishable by a minimum of 10 years in jail. My first punishment was when I was 12 and came out. I confided in my uncle. Instead of the acceptance, he beat me up and called me names: “shob am na kaka hole,” which loosely translates to “ass-fucker.” His screaming and yelling brought neighbors out of their homes. They yelled at me while my uncle went to get the police, who arrested me.

Sierra Leone is my homeland, yet I lived in constant fear of the police and officials who arrested and detained me numerous times because I am gay. Yet there are longstanding traditions of homosexuality in African history. The Mende tribe in Sierra Leone has the “sande bwake,” which means male cross-dresser. The word “mabole” means a woman who plays the role of a man and at times dresses like men, while eschewing “women’s” activities.

Even the masquerades allow cross-dressing during festivals and cultural performances. Most women who are not able to give birth are allowed to marry their fellow women for child-bearing. These women are not considered the wife to a husband, but the wife to a wife. Homosexuality is not “un-African.” We are the cradle of human life, and nothing human is alien to us. Read More

Uganda: Presidential candidate backs gay rights

Amama Mbabazi has become the first Ugandan presidential candidate to say he is opposed to homophobia. The former Prime Minister, who launched his campaign last month to be named president in 2016, shocked the public by saying on TV: ‘I am opposed to homophobia. While I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, homosexuality is not something new. I have stated very clearly that there shouldn’t be any discrimination and it is not the biggest threat right now in the country.’ 

Gay rights activists have hailed this as one of the most significant moments of progress that Uganda has seen in years. In Uganda, there is an attitude that homosexuality is ‘un-African’ or that it is a Western import. By making clear it is not anything new, it could begin to be seen as natural. And by saying it is not a big threat, it should force the public to look at the serious issues that have been disguised by the current president Museveni’s unrelenting and public campaign against the LGBTI community.

His statement caused a deep divide among the Ugandan public, with some saying it was right that LGBTI people should not be persecuted while others said they could not support him because of this issue. While Sesange said he was concerned his message might be used against him in the election, he added: ‘We have more work to be done to support those allies who are against homophobia as well as helping to change people’s attitudes towards the LGBTI community.’  Read More

Namibia: Deputy Finance Minister’s anti-gay rant

Namibia’s Finance deputy minister, Natangue Ithete, launched a scathing verbal attack on homosexuality this week, declaring to Ministry of Finance staff that African culture does not entertain gays. Ithete accused foreigners coming into Namibia under false pretences and selling the idea to local cultures that homosexuality is acceptable. Ithete’s remarks have an international flair to it, following only days after Kenyan President Kenyatta said gay rights were a non-issue. 

“You are either a man or a woman. Don’t come from outside and tell us this is acceptable. They must keep their gay activities in their countries. We will not entertain any of this gayness [sic],” Ithete told staff during a visit to the ministry’s western region. Ithete’s attack on homosexuals followed as he urged customs and excise staff to welcome foreigners “with a true Namibian welcome”.  Foreigners will always be treated well in Namibia on condition they respect Namibia’s cultural orientations and not encourage or entertain anything he labelled as “un-Namibian”, said Ithete.

Despite the segmented homophobic remarks, Ithete welcomed foreigners to Namibia and acknowledged the importance of foreign involvement in the country like investment and assistance in areas the country lacks. “We have our president to respect. The president of Angola is not above any other president in Africa. When you are the president of your country, direct your people in your country and don’t influence us here. Sorry, this is how it’s going to be,” he pressed.  Read More 

Kenya: LGBT advocates meet with Obama

A White House official said LGBT advocates were among the more than 70 members of Kenyan civil society who attended a “town hall” with Obama in Nairobi. Eric Gitari, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, a Kenyan LGBT advocacy group, was among those who attended the gathering.

“We discussed the importance of creating strong movements and organizing collectively as civil society against oppression,” Gitari said, noting Kenyan television stations broadcast the meeting live. “The meeting was inclusive of other movements and mainstreamed our struggle with others. Our inclusion in it was monumentally symbolic.” Read More

Kenya: Church leaders praise President Kenyatta for his stand on gays

Church leaders have praised President Uhuru Kenyatta for his courage regarding homosexuality during a press briefing held at the State House, Nairobi with US President Barack Obama.

Speaking in Isiolo, Methodist Church of Kenya Presiding Bishop Rev Joseph Ntombura said as a church they were happy with the way President Kenyatta responded to the issue gays. Rev. Ntombura said the move by President Kenyatta was an assurance that he understands and respects the culture and religions of Kenyans. The bishop said homosexuality was against Kenyan culture and the Holy Bible adding that as a church they were not ready to be engaged in any talks regarding gay and lesbianism rights.

On his part the head of National Independent Church of Africa Eastern Diocese Bishop Stephen Karunyu said that the courage by President Kenyatta to respond to the 'gay matter' in front of Obama should be emulated by many who do not support such orientations. Read more

US: Obama clashes with Kenyan president over gay rights

US president Barack Obama, visiting his late father’s homeland for the first time as president, launched an unprecedented defence of gay rights in Africa, telling Kenya’s president that the state has no right to punish people because of “who they love”. Homosexual acts are illegal in Kenya and surveys show nine in 10 people find them unacceptable.

Obama personalised the issue by comparing homophobia to racial discrimination that he had encountered in the United States: “When you start treating people differently, because they’re different, that’s the path whereby freedoms begin to erode. And bad things happen. When a government gets in the habit of treating people differently, those habits can spread. As an African-American in the United States, I am painfully aware of the history of what happens when people are treated differently, under the law”

The Kenyan president publicly disagreed with Obama. “There are some things that we must admit we don’t share,” Kenyatta said, insisting that gay rights “is not really an issue on the foremost mind of Kenyans”. He added: “It’s very difficult for us to impose on people that which they themselves do not accept.” Watch the remarks   

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Brazil: Transgender people encounter resistance from many healthcare professionals

The Supreme Court of Justice of Brazil approved legal gender reassignment in 2009,  and with support from the Ministry of Health, Brazil's public health system provides free gender reassignment surgeries. 

In practice, many transgender people face discrimination at healthcare facilities. Given the social context of Brazil, the ordinances by the Ministry of Health are still not enough. Coordinator of the State Center for Combating Homophobia in Pernambuco, Hugo Felipe Lima, said "The context is discrimination, people are depending on the humanity of others. No one admits to being biased, but from the doctor to the professional cleaning prejudice happens."

In 2012 the Center began offering priority job training in health. More than 400 people have passed through awareness workshops. This semester, classes are expected to resume, covering the 12 regional health managers.  Read More

India: Foreigners pick India for bargain sex-change operations

54yr old British national Sue Pascoe won't forget her trip to India in March. It was at Olmec Plastic Surgery Centre in Delhi's Pitampura that she was given the body she always craved of, a woman. Though she was officially diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2014, the earliest she could have undergone sex reassignment surgery under UK's National Health Service would be in 2018. Private treatment would have set her back by £40,000, so she started scouring the internet for alternatives. 

"I wanted affordable quality care from a highly experienced surgeon with high patient satisfaction from reference-able clients. What also attracted me to India was the fact that it is home to such a huge population of trans people," says Pascoe who gleaned information online. Like Pascoe, more transgenders are choosing India as a destination for surgery.

The procedure costs between Rs 7.5 lakh and 11 lakh in Thailand whereas in India you can get a new sexual identity starting Rs 3.5 lakh without compromising on the quality of treatment. Transgender tourists are now adding to India's booming medical tourism market, expected to attract 320 million tourists this year. Read More 

Russia: Considering ban on imported condoms

Foreign-made condoms, X-ray machines, and other medical equipment may be barred in Russia. The ban, which would prevent the Russian state from purchasing the items from foreign markets, was proposed by the Industry and Trade Ministry as part of an ongoing trade war between the West and Russia. It would not prevent shops from selling foreign-condoms but it would prevent the state from buying and distributing them, as well as raise the price of foreign-condoms. 

The ban raises concerns about Russia's fight to control HIV, as it's one of the few places where infection rates are still increasing rapidly. New infections are most common among injection drug users, though advocates say antigay stigma may prevent men who have sex with men from revealing how they were infected. Dr. Vadim Pokrovsky, head of the Russian Federal AIDS Centre, said more needs to be done to prevent infections, including public health campaigns and rolling back restrictions on sex education in schools. 

In response to criticism, former chief sanitary inspector and current government advisor Dr. Gennady Onischenko said condoms "have nothing to do with health." Pokrovsky argued that there is no direct link between imported condom sales and infection rates because the cost of imported condoms are high, saying that if given the choice between buying a condom and buying a beer, the average trade school student would choose the beer.  Read More