American Samoa: The Triumph of a transgender World Cup star

Jaiyah Saelua, who became the first ever transgender World Cup player in 2014, says Caitlyn Jenner “gave me hope.” She’s looking forward to 2018—without Sepp Blatter as FIFA president. Thanks to Caitlyn Jenner appearing on the cover of Vanity Fair and Sepp Blatter resigning from the presidency of FIFA, the first-ever transgender World Cup soccer player is enjoying a doubly sunny few days.

“It’s been a good start to the week,” 27-year-old Jaiyah Saelua said.

Saelua is a star player for the American Samoa men’s team, once called the worst in the world. She was instrumental in its first ever international victory, defeating Tonga in a 2014 World Cup first round qualifying match. Read More

International Olympic Committee responds to petition to revoke Caitlyn Jenner's Olympic medal

A petition is circulating to revoke an Olympic medal from Caitlyn Jenner, who recently revealed her “true self” in  stunning Vanity Fair photoshoot. 

In a rare move, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued a statement touching upon Jenner's transition.

Typically, the IOC is slow to address controversies arising from the public sphere —most recently, the committee dragged its heels to tackle Russia's anti-gay propaganda law in the months leading up to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games, until the international pressure made it impossible to remain quiet. However, the traction gained by the petition apparently struck a nerve in the usually tight-lipped organization. 

IOC communications director, Mark Adams said: "Bruce Jenner won his gold medal in the 1976 Olympic Games and there is no issue for the IOC." Read More 

Ugandan lesbian covers Time: 'We are here to stay'

In what’s being celebrated as a monumental moment of visibility for Uganda’s beleaguered LGBT community, one of the nation’s leading LGBT activists graces this week’s cover of Time magazine’s Europe edition. 

Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, an out lesbian and co-founder and editor of Uganda’s first LGBT publication, Bombastic, tells The Advocate she hopes the cover will not only bring awareness to the plight of LGBT Ugandans, but help people around the world realize that LGBT people are their friends, neighbors, and family members. 

“Now many people will know about the struggles LGBT people go through in Africa and the world over. They will realize that the people they hate most are actually the people they love most when they get to read the article. They could be hating on their beloved family and friend without knowing they are LGBT,” Nabagesera said.  Read More 

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America's LGBT Ambassadors: Global Trade Will Lift Up LGBT Lives

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Eight of the nation's most powerful LGBT leaders explain how proposed trade agreements will export our values of equality and tolerance: As Ambassadors, we are on the front lines representing the United States. We know firsthand that U.S. interests are best served when we pursue policies that also advance our values. That’s why trade policy is among our most promising tools. Read More

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US: The free market economics of LGBT equality in Texas

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When the 2015 Texas legislative session drew to a close, a small group of people behind a new initiative quietly celebrated their part in the defeat of more-than 20 anti-LGBT legislative proposals. The group, known as Texas Competes, is a pro-equality business initiative housed under the non-profit organization, Equality Texas. And while backers of the discriminatory legislation relied on the premise of what is morally right, Texas Competes silently assembled a coalition of Texas businesses based on what is financially beneficial.

The initiative focused on four key components: recruiting top talent, attracting new companies to the state, supporting a healthy tourism industry and illustrated and maintaining the integrity of the Texas brand. As a result, over 250 businesses in Texas -- including Dell, Southwest Airlines, Samsung and Dow Chemical -- signed a pledge stating that LGBT equality was critical to the success of their business.

According to Rudy Oeftering, a representative of Texas Competes, this innovative, free market approach to legislative maneuvering caught the proponents of the anti-gay bills completely by surprise. Read More 

Australia: Same-sex marriage could be a $1.2 billion stimulus package

Legalising same-sex marriage could pump $1.2 billion into the Australian economy, complementing the government's high priority small business agenda rather than distracting from it. Fairfax Media analysis shows that the reform would double as a stimulus package, especially for the small business sector, despite Prime Minister Tony Abbott's rhetoric that legislating the budget is more urgent.

Small Business Minister Bruce Billson, who recently compared the rumbling of an airplane overhead to the "roar of small business" responding to the budget, told Fairfax Media that "the roar might take on a different tone" if there was marriage reform. Mr Abbott has said that same-sex marriage is a significant issue but that the government's "fundamental priority" is legislating the "small business budget boost".

Myriad businesses are involved in weddings. From bakers and tailors to celebrants and jewellers, marriage was worth $7.3 billion last year. While Mr Billson is "thrilled to see anything that energises enterprise", he is cautious and remains uncommitted but open to legalising same-sex marriage. Read More 

UK: Bisexual asylum seeker in Home Office battle has deportation flight cancelled

Immigration authorities have cancelled the deportation flight of a Jamaican asylum seeker who faced removal from the UK after the Home Office refused to accept he was bisexual. Orashia Edwards, 34, had been told he could be deported at any time from 5 May, but Edwards was instead detained for nearly a month before being released pending a further appeal against his rejected claim for refugee status – the latest in a series of prolonged periods in detention.

He has been involved in a protracted battle with the Home Office after an asylum tribunal rejected his application, saying that he had been dishonest about his sexuality. But Edwards criticised the decision, claiming he had been the victim of institutional bias because of his sexuality.

“I think they are prejudiced against bisexual people,” Edwards said. “They say I have choices, that I could choose to be with a woman. Maybe if I had lied and said that I was gay things would have been different, but I’m just being honest. For years I was in denial about my sexuality, it took me so long to be honest with myself – I like men and I like women." Read More

US: Trans, queer immigrants demand ICE release LGBTQ detainees

More than 50 transgender and queer immigrants rallied in front of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in Washington D.C. demanding the release of LGBTQ immigrants from ICE detention centers. The demonstration was part of Operation Break the Cage—a multi-organizational effort to raise awareness of the horrendous psychological and physical abuses suffered by immigrant transgender women currently detained in ICE facilities, many who are ignored and completely isolated without the personal or legal resources to find help.

Calling itself the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation comprising 100,000 immigrant youth and allies from 26 states United We Dream's operation in partnership with the Washington D.C. based LGBT advocacy organization Casa Ruby and the nationally renowned Trans Women of Color Collective intends to "expose ICE's human rights violations against the undocumented LGBTQ community." Read More 

Norway: Tooji on Eurovision, sexuality, and why he’s banned from Iran

The name Tooji should be synonymous to keen Eurovision fans with the world’s biggest display of wind machines, costume reveals and key changes. Either for his song, his disappointing final result or his off-screen drama involving 2012 host country Azerbaijan’s controversial human rights record, the Norwegian entrant certainly had an interesting experience.

He explained that in addition to wanting to voice his support for the protests and rights for marginalised communities — an issue that is of great importance and significance for him — he wanted to shine a light on his native Iran’s human rights record. It was something that resulted in Tooji being banned from ever returning to his native land.

Fighting for the rights of women, children and LGBTI people is a cause that comes naturally to Tooji, not only because of personal experiences in Iran with his family, but also because of bullying during his childhood in Norway. “I think it’s just basically being a human. How could I not be interested in standing up for human rights? As a human race we want to be told how to think and we want these boxes to tick and clear lines to follow,” he said. Read More

Pride in London 2015: Ukip rejected from pro-LGBT parade 'to protect participants'

Ukip has been banned from joining marchers at London’s world-famous gay pride parade to “ensure the event passes on safely and in the right spirit”. Almost 2,400 people had signed an online petition to exclude the political party, calling Ukip “inherently homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, racist and misogynistic”.

It cited Nigel Farage’s comments on HIV treatment, the party’s opposition to same-sex marriage and other “controversial views” voiced by members. The directors said they had “wrestled with the difficult issue” of whether to allow the application over several days, adding that the intention was to unite, rather than divide, people with an event that serves the whole community.

“This decision has been made after careful consultation in order to protect participants and ensure the event passes off safely and in the right spirit, it has not been made on a political basis,” a spokesperson added. "Of paramount concern to us is the experience of all participants at Pride, most especially the position we would be putting our volunteer stewards in."  Read More