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Saturday, August 1, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
LGBTQ
U.S.: Young, Gay and Homeless
Living on the streets is not easy for anyone, but for gay teenagers it can be even worse. Many suffer rejection from their families - pushing them to homelessness – discrimination at school and even sexual assault on the streets. The Oasis Center, in Nashville, Tennessee, is gathering efforts to combat prejudice and provide a safe space for LGBTQ young people.
Queer Film Fest Breaks India’s Social Glass Ceiling
More than a decade ago, when India’s first lesbian-themed film - ‘Fire’ by Deepa Mehta - was released, it was booed and met with protest and vandalism, forcing many fear-stricken theatre owners to take the film off their screens.
CUBA: Sexual Diversity in a Sexist City
Known as the cradle of the revolution and of the conga, but also as one of the most machista places in Cuba, the city of Santiago in the east of the island was the scene of two days of activities demanding respect and freedom for different sexual orientations and gender identities.
BRAZIL: Despite Historic Victory, Gay Rights Struggle Far from Over
Although gay rights organisations in Brazil are celebrating a historic triumph, legal recognition of civil unions by the Supreme Court, they say the struggle is far from over.Homophobia in the Caribbean Varies Widely
While homosexuality is punishable by law in nine Caribbean island nations, gay activism is increasingly taking root in countries like Cuba.
SOUTH AFRICA : Women’s Issues Missing from Election Manifestos
Come rain or shine, single mother of five, Sylvia Mathebula,* can be found selling fruit and cigarettes at the roadside because it is the only way her family can survive. "Since the government is not helping us with jobs, rather than work as a maid for a white person I decided to start this little business by myself," she says lamenting the lack of opportunities for unskilled women.
U.S.: Gay, Grey and Groundbreaking
People in the U.S. are becoming more and more open towards homosexuality, in part due to the trendy Hollywood culture that conveys the image of young, hip and good looking gay men and women. But the situation changes when it comes to the elderly.Rights Groups Take on “Ex-Gay” Ministries
Groups peddling the widely discredited notion that gay people can be "cured" of their sexual orientation are encountering staunch resistance to their message, even as converts insist that they are leading happier lives.U.S.: Activists Fight Deportation of Bi-national Gay Couples
After Erwin de Leon successfully defended his dissertation, he felt relief at being closer to earning his doctorate in public and urban policy. But the achievement also meant that time was running out to find a way to stay in the United States.Malawi Donor Funding Threatened by Rights, Governance Issues
Malawi is bracing itself for difficult economic times following a decision by the country’s main donors to withhold financial aid amounting to $400 million. Donors say they are responding to a range of governance and human rights issues in the country.UGANDA: Kato Murder Re-ignites Gay Rights Debate
For the government of Uganda, the timing of David Kato's death couldn't have been more unfortunate. Kato was killed on Jan. 26, a national holiday to commemorate the ascent to power of the ruling National Resistance Movement party.ARGENTINA: Progress in the Fight for Gender Identity
"In my family, they always saw me as a girl, but at school they called me by my boy's name, which is why I dropped out," Paula Sosa, a transvestite who recently managed to change her name on her identity document, told IPS.ARGENTINA: Boom in Gay-Friendly Theatre
The nearly 200 theatres in the Argentine capital have been staging an increasing number of plays exploring gender identity or specifically gay issues in recent years, in mainstream, fringe and state-run productions.MALAYSIA: Muslim Gay Faces Govt Wrath
Muslim engineer Azman Ismail has sparked a huge storm of criticism, invited official censure and even death threats by going on YouTube.com and confessing that he is a gay.
HUMAN RIGHTS: Mauritian Sex Workers Demand Rights
"Sex workers rights are human rights", close to a hundred people shouted during a recent march in Rose-Hill, a major town in Mauritius. Their aim was to sensitise the population, particularly the parliamentarians, to the state of sex workers on the island.“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Marks Rare Victory for Obama
The U.S. Senate's repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy Saturday ended what had become for many an embarrassing and awkward policy - and marked a rare victory for the agenda of President Barack Obama in the U.S. Congress.ZIMBABWE: Sixteen Days of Activism Not For All, Say Police
Hundreds of residents from civil society organisations marched in the streets of Bulawayo on Dec. 1 to mark the 16 days of Activism Against Violence Against Women and Girls . But sex workers and members of gay groups were barred by police from joining the demonstration.
CUBA: Drag Queens and Volunteers Promote Safe Sex
Margot Parapar gets plenty of laughs from the audience with this joke: "Now the human body is divided into five parts: head, trunk, upper and lower limbs, and condom." Using his female stage name, Cuban drag queen, comedian and health promoter Oliver Alarcón includes HIV/AIDS prevention messages in his shows.CUBA: Foreign Ministry Explains Controversial “Sexual Orientation” Vote to Activists
Gay rights advocates in Cuba received an unprecedented response from Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, in a meeting held at the ministry itself, after they complained about this country’s support in the United Nations for an amendment seen as a step backwards from the government’s position against discrimination based on sexual orientation.CUBA: “Sexual Orientation” Vote in UN Panel Kicks Up Controversy
An unusually strong controversy has broken out in Cuba over a vote by the delegation from this Caribbean nation in favour of an amendment that left out the specific mention of sexual orientation in a United Nations General Assembly resolution on extrajudicial, arbitrary or summary executions.U.S.: Military’s Anti-Gay Policy May Be in Final Days
The ongoing effort to repeal the policy banning gays and lesbians from openly serving in the U.S. military got more ammunition Tuesday when the U.S. Department of Defence released a report finding that its repeal would cause only minimal short-term disruption to the military.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Although progress towards respect for sexual diversity has been made in a number of countries and in international law, in many parts of the world, lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people face serious threats to their life and liberty. Even in countries where legislation recognising the rights of sexual minorities has been passed, discrimination and social stigma are widespread.
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