I always knew this day would come. The day that Facebook decided my name was not real enough and summarily cut me off from my friends, family and peers and left me with the stark choice between using my legal name or using a name people would know me by. With spectacular timing, it happened while I was at trans pride and on the day the Supreme Court made same sex marriage legal in the US.
This is a story that’s been told many times before. It is a story I’ve seen repeated time and time again as my friends have disappeared off the site, often never to return. This time there’s a twist: I used to work there. In fact, I’m the trans woman who initiated the custom gender feature. And the name I go by on Facebook? That’s the name that was on my work badge. Read More
Women, LGBT least safe on Facebook, despite 'real name' policy
Despite Facebook's insistence that its "real names" policy keeps its users safe, a new report reveals that Facebook is the least safe place for women online. And things are turning more explosive, as stories emerge that Facebook has been changing its users' names without their consent -- and the company isn't allowing them to remove their real names from their accounts. Meanwhile, a furious LGBT coalition has rallied around the safety threats posed to its communities by the policy.
Facebook's ongoing war on pseudonyms became well-documented in 2011 when a blogger risking her life to report on crime in Honduras was suspended by the company, under its rule requiring everyone to use their real name on the social network. The Safety Net Project (at the National Network to End Domestic Violence, NNEDV) recently released a report based on results from victim service providers called A Glimpse From the Field: How Abusers Are Misusing Technology.
The report found that nearly all (99%) the responding programs reported that Facebook is the most misused social media platform by abusers. Facebook is a key place for offenders to access information about victims or harass them by direct messaging or via their friends and family. Read More
Argentina: LGBT tourism conference proves Argentina is doing it right
Argentina is once again dominating tourism within Latin America, not only because of its wide range of things to see and do throughout the entire country, but because they have cornered the market within LGBT tourism within the region. Clustered within a conservative continent, Argentina has always been many steps ahead when it comes to anything and everything related to the LGBT consumer, as well as their LGBT residents.
The country's economic status is in current disarray, but with the incoming tourism influx from neighboring countries as well as from North America and the rest of the world, Argentina is continuing to cash in on the LGBT segment within tourism. But what they are not doing is just blindly marketing to LGBT travelers and raking in the cash, instead, they have strategically put in place, in collaboration with their Ministry of Tourism and private public relations firm, ways to attract the LGBT market while still genuinely taking into consideration every element necessary that comes with that specific travel market. Read More
UK: Business needs more LGBT role models – but allies also vitally important
LGBT role models are hugely important but imposing boardroom quotas is not the way forward. That was the overall message from a panel discussion entitled ‘Engaging across the LGBT spectrum to drive business results.’
The discussion, entitled ‘Engaging across the LGBT spectrum to drive business results’, was one of the first events to take place as part of the Pride in London festival – which will culminate with the annual parade through London next Saturday (27 June).
The event’s hosting at Thomson Reuters coincided with the launch of a special Pride London version of the Thomson Reuters Convene app.
Addressing an audience of approximately 60 guests, the panel offered some of their own insights into LGBTI visibility in the workplace and ways to initiate change.
Amy Stanning, a Shared Services Director at Barclays and co-chair of its LGBT network, spoke about how she felt bisexual and transgender people continued to be under-represented: ‘The challenge is to create an environment where they can be out at work.
Jan-Coos Geesink, the MD, UKI Legal Solutions at Thomson Reuters, identified as a ‘friend’ of the LGBT network, and talked about the importance of recruiting straight allies. ‘When I look around my colleagues in the workplace, it’s very easy to be a passive supporter. Most of my colleagues will nod and say they’re supportive, but what are you really doing? This is where friends come in if you want change.’ Read More via Gay Star News
Philippines: ‘Ang usaping manggagawa ay usaping LGBT’ – Claire
In Cabuyao, Laguna, the workers of Tanduay Distillers Inc. who were dismissed from their work continue to fight for their rights. But perhaps not as widely known is how this struggle also affects members of the LGBT community who also continue not to have secure employment because of a pervasive (even if illegal) practice.
When both Claire and her partner were dismissed, their issue became part of the bigger issue on labor practices in the Philippines – particularly, the contractualization of labor in the country. As Claire said: “This is no longer just an issue of being LGBT. This is an issue of the lack of rights for LGBT & for non-LGBT people.” Read More
Japan: “Best of IBM” award given to Atsushi Kawada, LGBT leader
IBM employee Atsushi Kawada has received the award "Best of IBM" for outstanding service at Japan IBM as well as his significant support to the LGBT community within IBM in both internal and external activities in the city. Read More
US: What same-sex marriage reform could mean for the LGBT youths
Since 1999, Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has released a biennial survey of the climate for LGBT students. It shows that from 2007 to 2013, LGBT students have reported a steady decline of incidents of verbal and physical harassment and of physical assault.
Though this is important progress for LGBT youth, nearly 56% of LGBT students still reported that they felt unsafe in school because of their sexuality or gender identity in 2013. This, alongside data showing 74% of LGBT students were verbally harassed and 56% said that their school had anti-LGBT policies – all of which can result in absences from school and depression. Read More
Brazil: Proposal for LGBT inclusive education generates controversy
The Municipality of Macapa will vote on the Municipal Education Plan, outlining goals and deadlines for the educational sector of the capital for the next 10 years. Before the parliament code consider the bill, controversy erupted among the evangelical branch over proposed goal of inclusive education for LGBT.
The debate resulted in the revision of the text by the Education Commission. Though vote is expected to come there is the possibility of submission of an amendment to the original text by evangelical bench to remove LGBT inclusive education. Read More
US: Teacher, assistant principal step down over gay fairy tale controversy
A teacher and an assistant principal at North Carolina's Efland-Cheeks Elementary have stepped down following the backlash over the teacher's reading of a gay children's book in the classroom. Third-grade teacher Omar Currie sparked uproar this spring when he read the book, "King & King," to his class. The book, which was given to Currie by Assistant Principal Meg Goodhand, tells the story of a fictional prince who defies the pressure to marry a princess and weds a man.
Currie wanted to teach a lesson after one student was repeatedly bullied and called "gay" in a derogatory manner. "My reading of 'King & King' was the 100 percent right thing to do," he said. "It's obvious Orange County Schools is lacking leadership right now."
A handful of parents expressed anger, arguing Currie was forcing his opinion on the children, although many LGBTQ advocates, as well as Goodhand, came to Currie's defense in a heated public meeting last month. Read More
Italy: Venice bans children’s book about gay penguins
Books which teach about same-sex and single-parent families will be banned in schools in Venice. The moves comes after Luigi Brugnaro was elected the city’s mayor earlier this month.
Brugnaro made the pledge to purge the city’s nurseries and primary schools of books about gay partnerships and gay adoption. “We don’t want to discriminate against anyone and at home parents can call themselves daddy number one and daddy number two, but I have to consider the majority of families, which have a mum and a dad,” he told La Repubblica newspaper. Read More
Norway: Proposal to extend transgender rights to children
Norway’s government proposed that children as young as 7 should be allowed to change their legal gender with parental support, among the lowest ages in the world for transgender rights. The suggested overhaul includes personal decisions without medical diagnosis.
“Today’s rules in this area are unacceptable and have been unchanged for almost 60 years,” Health Minister Bent Hoie said in a statement, to be debated by experts before any formal bill goes to parliament. “The proposal is historic in that it will no longer be the health service but the individual who decides if he or she has changed sex,” he said.
The draft would affect everything from social security numbers to passports. Anyone aged 16 or above could apply themselves. The proposal only affects legal documents - surgery can only be performed on those over 18. Anyone who applies for a legal change of gender can reverse it if they later regret it. Read More
Nigeria: Acceptance of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people slowly increasing
A new poll conducted by NOI Polls in partnership with Bisi Alimi Foundation and The Initiative for Equal Rights in Nigeria, has mapped awareness, perception, and acceptance of lesbian, gay, and bisexual, people and same-sex relationships among the Nigerian population. While considerable opposition remains for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people and their relationships, the poll found that acceptance has grown over previous polls. The findings also suggest that many Nigerians are unwilling to reject lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in their families.
“This poll tells us that Nigerians are not inherently homophobic, but that in the absence of accurate information around gender and sexuality, people are left to believe myths and misinformation,” said Bisi Alimi, founder of the Bisi Alimi Foundation. “The trend in this survey has shown that with a conducive environment to provide unrestrictive and unbiased information about gender and sexuality in Nigeria, we will be able to create a platform for discussion and dialogue where views can be shared and opinions expressed without fear.” Read More