The blindfolded man believed to be in his 20s was dragged to the top of a seven-story building by three extremists in black masks in Raqqa earlier this week.
In the images, released by activist group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, crowds of people are seen underneath the building watching the horrific murder. Please note: Disturbing images at link. Read More
The brutal murders of allegedly gay men by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, which claims the killings were lawful executions for the "crime" of homosexuality under its unprecedented interpretation of Sharia Law, have been documented in what amounts to a perverse "explainer" article published by ISIS in its propaganda magazine. Read More
15-year-old trans teenager Zander Mahaffey from Georgia has killed himself after scheduling a suicide note to be published on Tumblr. And 16-year-old transgender boy Ash Haffner from North Carolina took his life after enduring years of bullying. Ash stepped into oncoming traffic near his home in Indian Trail, as did Leelah Acorn earlier this year.
Haffner also left a note on his iPad that read: 'Please be WHO YOU ARE... Do it for yourself. Do it for your happiness. That's what matters in YOUR life. You don't need approval on who you are. Don't let people or society change who you are just because they're not satisfied with your image.'
The hashtags "HisNameWas" has gone viral in support of trans teens:
#HisNameWasZander
#HisNameWasAsh
In Kenya, these key populations are known to be vulnerable in the countries HIV epidemic, but service responses are challenging due to criminalisation of sex work and same sex behaviour, homophobia, and public antipathy toward these groups.
MSM reported a very similar incidence of rape to female sex workers. Most perpetrators of rape were known to the victim of assault, but MSMs were more often assaulted by random members of the public than FSWs were.
These first data on the incidence of rape among MSM in Kenya suggest that the need for post-rape care is likely similar to that among FSW. This may need to involve health interventions such as post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV transmission and to support mental health as well as access to broader social and legal support. Read More
A gay Rwandan refugee was brutally attacked and blackmailed in Pipeline estate. According to the victim, who cannot be named as his asylum process is underway, he was attacked by 5 men after meeting and agreeing to visit one of them in a house in Pipeline estate, Embakasi. Read More
A Christian activist would like to see all gay people in California executed by firing squad, just so the rest of the citizenry can avoid having to endure God's "wrath." Matthew McLaughlin last week paid $200 to file a ballot initiative with the Attorney General in Sacramento that proposes his Sodomite Suppression Act, modelled after the Ugandan Anti-Homosexual act, become law.
While there is no chance that McLaughlin will get the 365,000 California resident signatures needed to move the Sodomite Suppression Act forward, the ballot reflects ongoing hate among conservative pockets even in "liberal" America. Read More
Posters of suspected lesbians have been printed and circulated as part of plans by homophobic residents to out the ladies.
The women, all of whom the neighbours suspected were lesbians, got stoned and pelted with human faeces by an angry mob who claimed the alleged ritual ceremony was a guise for a lesbian birthday bash. The homophobic residents have vowed to hunt down and bay for the blood of all lesbians, locally called ‘supi’ in the area. Read More
Roisin Prendergast (20) and her girlfriend 17-year-old Ciara Murphy were attacked by two unidentified men on Cruises Street in Limerick. The verbal assault quickly turned into a vicious beating and kicking.
"We thought it was over. Then one guy came back, threw Ciara against a shop window and ripped up her hat in front of her," she said.
When the unprovoked attack was finally over, Ms Murphy lay unconscious on the street following a knock to her head, while Ms Prendergast had been beaten and was in shock beside her. The two women said they are overwhelmed with the support they have received on social media following the attack. Read More
Two men have been arrested near Saint Petersburg, Russia, over the murder of a gay man. The body of a 38-year-old man who had been stabbed 26 times was found on Monday night in a town in the Vsevolozhsk region of Russia.
According to Tetu, the two men told police following their arrest that they stabbed the victim because he had attempted to sexually proposition them. Read More
I’m one of those people who thinks of health in broad terms: Health isn’t just about doctors. It’s about mental health. It’s about having a roof over your head. It’s about being able to get an education. It’s about feeling safe. Philosophers Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum talk about true equality being a world where people have the resources they need to live to their fullest potential. True equality is making sure those health service providers—doctors, psychotherapists, social workers, even shelter providers—actually know how to work with members of every community.
I hereby throw down the gauntlet: A major front in the battle for LGBT equality is making sure health service providers are competent and sensitive enough to meet our community’s needs. Read More
Marking 70 years since the liberation of Auschwitz and the end of WWII, the United Nations reflected on some of the “lesser known victims” of the Nazi regime – the LGBT community – and how gay rights may be further advanced into the future.
Charles Radcliffe, Chief of Global Issues with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said global progress toward better protections for the LGBT community has been steady. He also said it was important to continue strengthening protections for LGBT people, citing recent “worrying trends” including criminalization of gay relationships or the silencing of LGBT activists in some nations.
“We need to change attitudes, challenge stereotypes, and get people talking about these issues especially in communities and cultures where it is still taboo,” he said. “It’s not enough to change laws and institutions. We have to change people’s minds.” Read More
Government delegates, leading civil society voices, and UN partners gathered in Bangkok to review progress in responding to the HIV epidemic in the Asia Pacific region. The meeting will produce a new regional framework of cooperation.
In his opening remarks, Nicholas Rosellini, Director of UNDP's Bangkok Regional Hub, highlighted that the HIV epidemic in Asia and the Pacific continues to be concentrated among key populations who face the burden of being marginalized not only socially but also through counter-productive legal frameworks. Read More