In The South US campaign group reacts to Trump’s first State of the Union address President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address to a joint session of the United States Congress on the evening of January 30, 2017. Heavily contested topics were covered in President Trump’s speech including immigration, tax reform, and religious freedom. By Besi • 2 min read
In The South Report finds Arabic media perpetuates homophobia and transphobia in the region OutRight Action International launches new report titled, Arab Mass Media: A Monitoring Report Looking at Sexuality and Gender Identity in Arabic Media from 2014 to 2017. The report, available in both English and Arabic monitors widespread local and national newspapers in 14 countries in the Arab re By Besi • 2 min read
In The South Calls grow for UN to address the health and well-being of LGBT+ People New report released today by the Global Forum on MSM and HIV (MSMGF) and OutRight Action International, in collaboration with the Global Platform to Fast Track the Human Rights and HIV Responses with Gay and Bisexual Men – argues for a global health and development approach that is inclusive of lesb By Besi • 3 min read
In The South Orlando Massacre – one year on One year ago, a gunman who pledged himself to ISIS showered bullets in an Orlando nightclub and carried out the most deadly shooting in US modern history. On that night alone, 49 people were killed and many others injured. The attack happened on Latin Night at the gay bar Pulse. By Besi • 2 min read
In The South Taiwan votes to legalise same-sex marriage On Wednesday, May 24 2017, the Judicial Yuan, Taiwan’s highest court, ruled that restricting marriage to only a man and a women was unconstitutional. The court voted in favour of marriage equality. Taiwan has made history as the first Asian country to vote in favour of same-sex marriage. By Besi • 2 min read
In The South 141 men arrested in Indonesian sauna raid On Sunday May 21 2017 at 8pm, police raided the Atlantis Gym & Sauna in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta at 8pm in the evening arresting 141 men claiming they were engaging in a “gay sex party”. Those arrested were detained by the North Jakarta District Police. Indonesia does not have laws criminalising By Besi • 1 min read
In The South A statement from Outright Action International on IDAHOBIT LGBT+ youth continue to be disenfranchised. May 17th has become a day to raise awareness of violations against the rights of LGBT+ people. It was on this day in 1990 that the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses as part of the International Classification By Contributor • 4 min read
In The South Campaign grows to stop the killings and persecution of gays in Chechnya Novaya Gazeta the Moscow based newspaper reported on April 1 that more than 100 men have been arbitrarily detained and at least three have been murdered by Chechen authorities for their alleged “non traditional” sexual orientation. By Besi • 3 min read
In The South US Government appoints ‘hate group’ to UN delegation US Department of State appoints two organisations known to oppose the UN human rights system, LGBT+ rights, and women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights to its official delegation to the 61st annual United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The Center for Family and Human Righ By Besi • 3 min read
In The South Human Rights organisation speaks out on Trump ‘Muslim ban’ Trump’s Executive Order will Lead to persecution of LGBT+ people globally says Jessica Stern, Executive Director, OutRight Action International. Last Monday, March 6, President Donald Trump signed into power an Executive Order to block citizens of six majority Muslim countries from entering the Unit By Besi • 2 min read
In The South Attempt to defund Independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity at UN, fails Two days before Christmas, a group of conservative states at the United Nations (UN) made a final attempt to stop the Independent Expert on the “protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI),” by stripping the mandate of standard UN funding. By Gary Hart • 2 min read
