Northern Ireland: Thousands add their name to petition calling for referendum on gay marriage

More than 17,000 people have added their name to an online petition calling for a referendum on gay marriage after Martin McGuinness proposed a referendum to settle the vexed issue of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. 

Earlier this week, a proposal in the Northern Ireland Assembly to have gay marriage legalised in Northern Ireland was rejected. Monday marked the fourth time the divisive issue has been defeated at the Stormont Assembly and came hours after under-pressure DUP health minister Jim Wells resigned amid controversy over remarks about same sex relationships. Read More

Gay marriage friends, foes spar outside U.S. Supreme Court

After camping out for days, the scene was raucous outside the columned, white marble edifice, with the combined crowd from both sides of the issue estimated at more than a thousand gathered for the court's historic arguments on whether the U.S. Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage.  Read More

US: Supreme Court hears same-sex marriage arguments

The United States Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in Obergefell v. Hodges, a case that could determine whether same-sex marriage is a constitutional right. Justices appear to be divided, with Justice Anthony Kennedy returning to a familiar role as the court's pivotal vote. Speculation is that the case will come down to a 5-4 decision in favor of same-sex couples’ marriage rights. The court scheduled an extraordinary 2 1/2 hours of argument over the case and a decision is expected to come this June. 

Media coverage of the case has been equally split with some heralding success for marriage equality and others cautioning that the court remains divided. 

"I think it went really well," said Marc Solomon, national campaign director for the group Freedom to Marry. "What's so clear to me is how completely bankrupt our opponent's arguments are." Meanwhile opponents of same-sex marriage were buoyed because they believed the judges seemed skeptical of "redefining marriage."

Marriage Equality Arguments First Reaction: Ginsburg Strikes, Kennedy Wavers

Hear/Read excerpts from the case

Bangladesh: TV actress commits suicide over social stigma of same-sex relationship

She wooed audiences with her performances in popular Bengali sitcom, Tumi Ashbey Bole but gave in to the social pressure created by her same-sex relationship. From a journal left behind, police say social stigma over her same-sex relationship with another TV actress led her to commit suicide.

After the actress Ganguly was linked to learned of her suicide, she also attempted suicide, jumping in front of a running train at Howrah station. However, bystanders rescued the actress. Currently, she is undergoing treatment at a hospital after sustaining minor injuries. Read More 

US: Trans woman, 23, kills herself after being attacked online

Rachel Bryk jumped off the George Washington Bridge, the bridge between New York and New Jersey, on Thursday night. An eyewitness is believed to have seen the young woman leave her purse on the bridge and jump off into the Hudson River.

Rachel is the 8th trans person in the US to commit suicide in the last 5 months. Also in the last 5 months, 8 trans people have been murdered in the US. Read More 

India: Mr Gay World entrant, family go into hiding

India's homophobia has cost the country its representation in the Mr Gay World (MGW) 2015 – the international pageant for gay men that seeks to establish ambassadors for LGBTQ and human rights. Over 36 hours after Thahir Mohammed Sayyed, the entrant to MGW from Kochi, went into hiding with his family, he reached out on a social media platform and said: "I am withdrawing from the contest."

"I hope the organisers appreciate the difficulties I faced. I cannot take this pressure," he said in a message, refusing to come on the phone. "I have switched off my phone to prevent getting any 'unwanted' calls," he added. 

Noemi Alberto (Director Asia) expressed surprise at the turn of events. "Thahir was very eager about this competition; however, it is totally understandable even if he withdraws," she said. The Indian Union Muslim League leader said, "I can understand it is a peculiar situation, because homosexuality is not allowed under Islamic law as well as Constitution. But the Kerala government is committed to the safety of its citizens." Read More 

ISIS Execute "gay" man by stoning as he lays defenceless

Only days after pictures emerged of hugging then executing two men, Islamic State fighters have reportedly thrown another man, accused of being gay, off a building and stoned him to death after he survived the fall. The campaigning group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, a Syrian based campaign against ISIS and the Assad regime, have reported that a man accused of being gay was thrown from a building in Iraq and stoned on the ground after surviving the fall. Warning graphic images 

Syria: The ISIS hug of death for gays

Shocking photos of two gay men being hugged by their executioner before being stoned to death have surfaced online. For Islamic State sympathizers and members tweeting their responses, the hugs of death are meant as an expression of compassion, a gesture of forgiveness—before the gruesome reality of their murder.

The photographs are the latest propaganda images purportedly showing gay men being murdered by the jihadists, who have also stoned women for adultery, beheaded suspected dissenters and filmed on two occasions young boys shooting men the Islamic State has claimed were spies. A video on Sunday appears to show fighters from its branches in Libya executing dozens of Ethiopian Christians, some by beheading and others by shooting. Read More

Brazil: Outrage after transgender prisoner ‘stripped, beaten’ and head shaved by police in Brazil

LGBT groups have expressed their outrage after a transgender prisoner in Brazil was allegedly beaten by police and prison guards. Graphic images have emerged showing Veronica Bolina stripped naked, her head shaved and swollen, lying partially naked on the ground in front of a group of officers and other prisoners in Sao Paulo.

It was reported that Bolina was set upon by officers on three different occasions after being taken into custody. However, officials have denied that she is being victimised. It has been claimed that her injuries were the result of a struggle after she bit an officer on the ear.

LGBT groups have condemned the attack. One campaigner Susane Montalvo Sarabia, said: "It is just sickening that in this day and age such things as this still happen. They have pulverised that poor woman's face and are now trying to cover it up. Whether she is innocent, guilty, transgender or straight doesn't matter. The police should not be allowed to do this to anyone." Read More

Russia: Anti-gay gang from Barnaul faces criminal charges over sexual assault and torture of teenager

Four young people from 16 to 20 years old, residents of Barnaul, a city in the West Siberian Plain and the administrative center of Altai Krai, calling themselves “fighters against same-sex love,” are to stand in trial on charges of crimes committed against a 16 year old teenager under several articles of the Criminal Code: beating, sexual assault, extortion, robbery.

At the end of January 2015, an unnamed 16-year-old boy met became friends with a 20-year-old young man via social media. The two agreed to meet in person. When the teenager arrived, gang members attacked him, beat, and sexually assaulted the boy. Read More

Turkey: MP Candidates, Will you defend LGBTI rights in the Parliament?

As the parliamentary elections in Turkey approach, The Istanbul-based LGBTI advocacy group, Social Policies, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Studies Association (SPoD) has called on candidates, political parties, and party leaders to work towards the active inclusion of LGBTIs in decision- and policy-making mechanisms. SPoD has prepared an “LGBTI Rights Pledge,”  and circulated it to be signed by all parliamentary candidates. See the pledge here.  Read More 

UK: Cameron, Clegg, and Miliband on tackling homophobia in Uganda

With only 16 days to go until the General Election, we grilled – not literally, or there’d be no election – the leaders of the three major UK parties: Current Prime Minister David Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Lib Dem chief and Deputy PM Nick Clegg faced your questions surrounding key LGBT issues.

Today’s issue is homophobic discrimination in the Commonwealth countries. We asked all three leaders:  What would your government do to put pressure on the likes of Uganda and other Commonwealth countries to show anti-gay discrimination won’t be tolerated?  Read More