Former highest-ranking U.S. cardinal blames ‘feminization’ for the Catholic Church’s problems

Cardinal Raymond Burke became the highest-ranking American in the Vatican during the tenure of former Pope Benedict on the strength of unabashed conservatism. But as soon as Pope Francis arrived on the scene, that same conservatism turned divisive when Burke criticized Francis’s progressive policies. Notably, Cardinal Burke led the dispute against Pope Francis's more inclusive language towards LGBT people before he was removed from duty. 

Now Burke is making headlines again with a published manifesto that blames women and the 'feminization' of the church for the problems in the Catholic church. Read More

Taiwan's Wei-Ming 'Rabbit' Temple Draws Gay Community

Wei-ming temple is a house of Taoist worship with a twist - almost all of its congregants are gay. The shrine, down a narrow alleyway in a bustling district of New Taipei City, is dedicated to a deity who has watched over homosexuals for four centuries.

"In Chinese history, 'rabbit' was a derogatory term for homosexuals," said Lu Wei-ming, who founded the temple in 2006, at a time gays were excluded from most religious ceremonies. Lu, who has taken a vow of celibacy and declined to answer questions about his sexuality, said he wanted to create a welcoming environment for a flock that had long been ostracized.

"This was a group with no one to look after them, and I wanted to fill that void," said the 28-year-old priest, adding that Wei-ming is the world's only shrine for homosexuals. Read More

Barbados Reverend challenges: Extend love to homosexuals

Stop judging and getting “bogged down in the whole hell and damnation thing” and extend love to the homosexual community. That is the message an Anglican priest, Reverend Davidson Bowen, is sending to the church. 

The clergyman’s view on the controversial matter comes amid calls by members of Barbados’ lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community for more recognition, including the passage of gender-neutral legislation. Reverend Bowen acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding the issue, but stressed that people who do not support homosexuality should also be respected.  Read More

Asylum seeker must prove he is gay to stay in the UK

A man who is seeking asylum in the UK has told how he must “prove” his claim to be gay in order to remain in his Leicester home.  John Ssenkindu fears he could be jailed for life or killed if he is forced to return to Uganda – a country with notoriously homophobic laws.

In 2013, more than 20,000 people applied for asylum in the UK. Of those cases, a total of 283 people did so on the grounds they were gay or bisexual and faced persecution. Of those cases, 113 people were granted asylum. People who were refused leave to remain in the UK tended to be from countries where the Home Office believed they could live “discreetly” or because officials did not believe the applicants’ claims about their sexual orientation. Read More

Serbian transgender army officer was forced to retire, says rights group

A rights group has accused Serbia’s defence ministry of discrimination over the forced retirement of a veteran officer whose transgender identity was deemed a threat to the reputation of the army.

The Balkan country, which aspires to one day join the European Union, is under pressure to promote greater tolerance for minorities within a strongly conservative society. Read More 

Editorial: Why gay rights is a development issue in Africa, and aid agencies should speak up

The question often facing development agencies is whether or not to wade into a controversial debate on a country level, which could aggravate the authorities that give them their license to operate, when promoting gay rights is often not perceived to be ‘mission critical’ to their job – delivering services, running development programmes etc.  Read More

For LGBTQ Russians, Too Much and Too Little Law

 In recent weeks, Russian authorities have shown their unwillingness to enforce legislation when LGBTQ life is involved. Anti-gay activist Timur Isayev is alleged to have gotten 29 teachers fired for being gay by collecting and sending “evidence” to their employers. 

What recent weeks have really shown is that there is both too much and too little law for LGBTQ citizens and residents of Russia. Their lives are legislated, but they are not protected. Russian officials put the gay community under a microscope while drafting discriminatory laws, but turn away from them when it comes to enforcing pre-existing ones that are intended to protect the lives of all Russians.  Read More

Twelve Young Men Arrested in Nigeria for Holding a 'Gay Wedding'

Fariq Maidguri, 18, and Abba Mohammed, 25, who was not caught, are accused of attempting to hold a ceremony for their relationship. The suspects, most of them teenagers, were arrested by the Islamic state police Hisbah on the outskirts on the northern city of Kano. In the northern Nigerian states, under Sharia law, homosexuality is punishable by death. 

“As you can see from their appearance and the way they looked, there is every element of homosexuality in them. We have arrested 12 of them, but Abba Mubammed escaped arrest and maybe we would have arrested more,” Shiekh Aminu Daurawa told newsmen. Faruq Maiduguri however told pressmen that he was only celebrating his birthday, denying the allegations that he was wedding his gay partner. Read More

Gambian Man Accused Of Homosexuality Bore Signs of Torture, May Be Executed

Alieu Sarr, accused of being gay man, was arrested some weeks ago by the country's widely feared National Intelligence Agency, the NIA. He  has been hospitalized amid tortures he suffered in the hands of state agents, according to witnesses. Sarr was among the dozens of alleged homosexuals recently rounded up by the NIA.  

"Landlords, bar, restaurants, and hotels owners, amongst others, should also take responsibility to monitor extra activities that happen in their environment. The act is illegal and we will leave no stone unturned to ensuring that it is not practiced in The Gambia. Whoever is caught will face prosecution," the pro-government Daily Observer reported. Read More 

Uganda: 9 gay men threatened by mob, arrested by police

Nine young gay men have been released after being held in police custody for five days in western Uganda.Without knowing it, the men had put their lives in jeopardy by visiting an STI screening clinic, which attracted the attention of a homophobic mob.

Police at first detained the men on Jan. 15 to protect them from the mob, which threatened to beat or kill them. Once they were in custody, police began considering filing sodomy charges against them. Read More

Jamaica: Woman chopped viciously, allegedly by neighbour after she is assumed to be a lesbian

A young woman was chopped by her neighbour who believed her to be a lesbian because she lives with another woman.

Questioned as to whether there was any truth to the assumptions, she responded: "But me being a lesbian or not being a lesbian has nothing to do with me being chopped and that's what this is about. My sexuality has nothing to do with it, whether or not I am straight or gay, people can assume; I have nothing to say, no comment on that."  Read More

Two Transgender Women Of Color Killed Within Nine Days

Two transgender women of color who were killed within a week and a half this month — one in Virginia and another in Texas — are highlighting a trend amid a national epidemic of transgender homicides: police and media misgendering the victims as men. One article in Virginia also hit a nerve with LGBT advocates by dwelling on prostitution, even though prostitution had no apparent connection to the homicide. Read More