More than a decade of homophobic local bylaws has seen a marginalised community made more vulnerable.
Canada: Indigenous languages recognize gender states not even named in English
"Back in the old days," Cat Criger, a Cayuga elder, recently told me, "our indigenous responsibilities were charted out for us like 'water carrier' or 'fire keeper,' but we wouldn't wait for a woman if we were thirsty or for a man to throw wood in the fire if we were cold."
The way he described it, gender roles had a sense of fluidity in many traditional communities.
Non-binary gender conformity, two-spirit identity and gender queer issues are all topics being talked about at the Native Youth Sexual Health Network.
Fallon Andy is Anishinaabe from the Couchiching First Nation, in Treaty 3 territory. As the media arts justice facilitator, Andy's role at the NYSHN is to use art, memes and GIFs to talk about violence inflicted on two-spirit and queer bodies.
Andy's real passion? Pronouns. "What I want is a really drastic shift in the language – that being gender-neutral pronouns," Andy says.
Andy does not identify with a gender-specific pronoun such as "he" or "she," preferring the use of "they" or "them" instead, signifying that they do not think of themselves as male or female, but somewhere between or beside those two binaries. And while it may seem like a particularly modern gesture, Andy says that, in many indigenous cultures, gender neutrality was commonplace and only interrupted at contact with Europeans.
"It started happening to indigenous bodies during those institutional times where people were regulated," they say, referring to colonial schools that enforced gender roles.
Andy says that, traditionally, their Anishinaabemowin language was more inclusive of both genders. Instead of saying sister, brother, son, daughter, mom or granddaughter, people were simply "child," "sibling" or "parent," according to Andy.
Furthermore, in other communities, elders and knowledge keepers say two-spirit people were embraced as special and powerful, and were even honoured in some communities as medicine people or healers.
Andy is part of a support circle under the umbrella of the NYSHN, which brings together grandparents, mentors and indigenous community members who identify as two-spirit and/or along the queer spectrum. Indigenous languages have words for gender states that are not expressed in English, as well, and the NYSHN allows for the exploration of these identities.
In Cree, for example, "aayahkwew" means "neither man or woman." In Inuktitut, "sipiniq" means "infant whose sex changes at birth." In Kanien'keha, or Mohawk language, "onón:wat" means "I have the pattern of two spirits inside my body." Read more via Globe & Mail
Indonesia: Ulemas clamp down on LGBT people, threatens caning
Trinidad and Tobago: Teacher wants a gun
A teacher at the prestigious Naparima College in San Fernando, is under fire, for a rant against homosexuality, going as far as wanting a gun to deal with such persons and other problems in the world. The teacher is said to have made initial comments on the issue during morning assembly at the school on Thursday last and subsequently in a classroom session. According to reports, a student announced to the assembly it was 'ok to be gay' before he was verbally attacked by the teacher.
Referring to the parents of a student who had openly professed to being gay, the teacher reportedly said: “He has two parents, who should not be parents. They are both screw-ups, they are atheists, they do not believe in God.” “You see me,” she is said to have continued, “Give me a gun and I will fix all the problems in the world, both of them (parents) first, then their offspring. Do not tell me there is no God,” she added while noting that persons with such beliefs should keep it to themselves.
The audio recording of which the teacher’s voice has been identified, as the one addressing a classroom session, has gone viral on social media, generating numerous comments both for her gun talk and jab at homosexuals. A senior official at the school confirmed the incident, saying that a report was being prepared to be passed to the Ministry of Education.
Guyana: Social Protection Minister calls for LGBT inclusion
While acknowledging that LGBT people are not accorded equal rights in the work environment, Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence last week called for their inclusion in the promotion of gender equality.
“Yes, if we intend to promote gender equality, we cannot pretend that this group is non-existent. In our workplaces, in our institutions, we have to embrace these individuals and use their potential and skills for the benefit of economic, social and political progress. We must accord them the same process of inclusion, recognition and upward mobility irrespective of their sexual orientation and gender identity,” Lawrence said at a Women’s Empowerment Cocktail and Reception, at the British High Commissioner’s Residence in Georgetown.
The event was organised to celebrate marginalised women and was hosted by the British High Commission, Georgetown, in collaboration with Red Thread, Guyanese Women Roundtable, Guyana Trans United and the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination. Read more via Stabroek News
Vatican to replace diplomat who set up Kim Davis meeting
The Vatican is replacing its controversial ambassador to the U.S., who arranged the meeting between Pope Francis and antigay Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis last fall.
Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò will leave the position of apostolic nuncio, the equivalent of an ambassador. Viganò has “often more outspoken in his antagonism to same-sex marriage than others in the church,” the Post reports. The Roman Catholic Church remains adamantly opposed to such unions, but Pope Francis has said clergy members needn’t discuss the issue constantly.
During the pope’s visit to the U.S. last year, Viganò arranged for him to meet with Davis, the Rowan County clerk, who shut down all marriage operations in her office to avoid serving same-sex couples after the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling. After the meeting with Davis, observers wondered if Viganò kept the pope “in the dark” about her situation or just didn’t realize “the off-message media storm that a meeting with Ms. Davis would provoke,” The New York Times reported last fall. Read more via Advocate
Four LGBT-affirming Islamic teachings
There are many LGBT Muslims and many LGBT persons who embrace Islam as their faith. They address the prohibitive Islamic texts on homosexuality in their diverse ways. LGBT Muslims can draw much spiritual comfort from their faith while gently setting aside norms that do not speak to their authentic selves, for Islam is much more than the story of Lot's people.
Spiritual well being and inner peace are crucially important for gay men to help address low self esteem due to internalized racism and body image issues. This poor self worth also translates to gay men judging their peers very harshly. Indeed, some LGBT spaces that were supposed to honour diversity become breeding grounds for self-contempt and hatred.
However, LGBT Muslims can draw upon several Islamic teachings to effectively address the myriad of problems they face in LGBT subcultures. In doing so they can affirm the worth of human beings irrespective of their race, body shape and mannerism. Read more via Huffington Post
Scotland is training a small army of LGBT-friendly police officers to stamp out hate crime
Scotland’s police force has ramped up its commitment to tacking anti-LGBT hate crime. LGBTI charity the Equality Network is collaborating with Police Scotland to deliver a training programme for police at locations around the country – aimed at helping police support victims of hate crime, and increasing public confidence in police.
The more than 60 new LGBT Liaison Officers are intended to be the hub of a network across Scotland, that is accessible to the local LGBT and intersex communities. Superintendent Jim Baird of Police Scotland’s Safer Communities Department said: “Tackling hate crime is a priority for Police Scotland. We are delighted to have worked with the Equality Network.
"Research and studies show hate crime against the LGBTI community is often under reported. We hope that these specially trained officers will encourage more LGBTI people to come forward with the confidence in Police Scotland to help reverse this trend.” Read more via PinkNews
Australia: Plebiscite could cost economy $525 million
A standalone plebiscite with a compulsory vote on marriage equality could cost the Australian economy $525 million according to modelling released by PwC Australia today.
The modelling estimates that a standalone plebiscite - not on the same day as a federal election - will cost the taxpayer $158 million to facilitate, $66 million for the community to fund the “for” and “against” campaigns, $281 million in lost productivity as people take time out to vote, and at least $20 million in costs associated with the impact on the mental health and wellbeing of Australian citizens.
“The real costs to government, the economy and members of the community to hold a standalone plebiscite are more than three times higher than the numbers commonly quoted,” PwC Australia CEO Luke Sayers said. “Total economic costs have not been considered before and should be part of the debate on the best way to achieve a resolution to this issue.”
US: White House appoints first transgender person as primary LGBT Liaison
President Barack Obama has appointed Raffi Freedman-Gurspan as the White House’s primary LGBT liaison, making her the first transgender person in the role.
“Raffi is a great choice,” said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. “President Obama has said he wants his administration to look like America, and they have moved to include trans Americans. Raffi’s skills and personality make her the exact right person for this important job.”
Freedman-Gurspan became the first transgender staffer appointed to the White House in 2015, working as the outreach and recruitment director in the presidential personnel office. In her new role — as the Outreach & Recruitment Director for Presidential Personnel and Associate Director for Public Engagement — Freedman-Gurspan becomes the White House’s lead point of contact for LGBT groups on all issues. Read more via Buzzfeed
Vatican: The unstoppable rise of Cardinal Sarah
US: One openly gay player in NCAA men's basketball tournament
The final NCAA men's basketball tournament matchup CBS announced Sunday night made history.
CBS' Greg Gumbel revealed Seton Hall as a sixth seed, and immediately, Derrick Gordon stood up with hundreds of fans behind him at Walsh Gym and yelled into his phone: "We are going to the tournament. We are going to the tournament."
When the Pirates (25-8) face 11th-seeded Gonzaga (26-7) at 9:57 p.m. ET on Thursday, Gordon will become the first athlete who has announced publicly he is gay to play in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The game will be broadcast on truTV, and the announcers will be Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, and Jamie Erdahl. The game is at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Read more via OutSports