Angola Decriminalizes Same-Sex Sexual Relationships
Activist Jean-Luc Romero-Michel said it was “a great step forward” in the fight against state-sponsored discrimination against the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer and intersex) community. More.
Man Charged With Murder In Hate Crime Against Gay Couple
German prosecutors say the 20-year-old Syrian asylum seeker was motivated by homophobia when he murdered a tourist and seriously injured his partner. The suspect is said to have been motivated by a radical Islamist ideology, and targeted the couple because they were homosexual. He is facing charges of murder and attempted murder with Islamist and homophobic motives. German federal prosecutors charged the Syrian national of stabbing the two men last year in the eastern city of Dresden.
US Purchases Additional 200 Million Vaccine Doses
President Biden told reporters on Thursday the federal government has now purchased an additional 200 million doses of vaccine to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Biden said the U.S. is on track to have enough supply of the vaccine for 300 million Americans by the end of July which works out to approximately 600 million doses. More.
Lessening the Pandemic’s Burden on LGBTQ Workers
LGBTQ people living at the intersection of multiple identities that are historically discriminated against—including LGBTQ communities of color, low-income households, and people with disabilities—are bearing the brunt of the pandemic’s burden. To comprehensively address the damaging economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, any federal response must integrate the needs of LGBTQ people and ensure that these communities are not left behind in the recovery efforts. More.
Gov. Cuomo Directing Insurers To Begin Covering Fertility Services For Same-Sex Couples In New York State
Health insurance companies in New York must immediately cover fertility treatments for queer couples, according to a new statewide mandate announced on February 11. “For too long same sex couples have been denied coverage for immediate infertility benefits, forcing them to pay high — often prohibitive — out-of-pocket costs to start a family,” Cuomo said in a written statement.
U.S. Bans Housing Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity
The Department of Housing and Urban Development will use the Fair Housing Act to fight discrimination of gay, nonbinary and trans individuals. The U.S. government said it will prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity under the Fair Housing Act and investigate complaints against gay, nonbinary, trans and other LGBTQ individuals dating back to Jan. 20, 2020 — retroactive for one year under the current statute of limitations.
Some Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions Hang Red Dresses In Trees To Symbolize Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women and LGBTQ People
The REDress Project, originated at University of Winnepeg in 2011 by Métis artist Jamie Black, has since been replicated nationwide. Empty red dresses signify the loss of life of thousands of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit, lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual people over the past 40 years to colonial violence.
United Nations Rebukes Honduras' Policy on Same-Sex Marriage and Abortion
The historic decision of Honduras to toughen the ban on abortion and “marriage for all” has been sharply criticized by the United Nations (UN) which sees it as a decision contrary to the “principle of non-regression of human rights.” More.
13-Year-Old Kansas Girl Banned From Riding Bus After Saying She’s Gay In Front Of Other Students
Izzy Dieker is an eighth grader at Americus School in the North Lyon County District. Every day Dieker rides the bus to school for 30 minutes from her small town. One day, in particular, has put her at the center of controversy and a cry for change from some teachers who decided to remain unnamed, all for saying ‘I’m a lesbian’. The bus driver heard her say this and wrote her up for inappropriate language. “Once I got home, my dad told me he got a call from the school that I was kicked off for saying ‘I’m a lesbian’,” said Dieker. More.
'Bathroom Bill' Advances in Iowa Senate; LGBTQ Community Expresses Disappointment
A proposal that has stalled at the Iowa Statehouse in previous years in now gaining traction. The bill would require people to use the bathroom of their sex assigned at birth. The bill is now eligible for debate in the full Iowa Senate. Senator Jim Carlin, the bill’s sponsor, says he’s not trying to target trans people but is concerned about the safety of others in restrooms. But opponents say if the bill passes it would actually lead to more awkward situations than not.
Child Born To Lesbian Couple Denied Bulgarian Citizenship - Now At Risk Of Being Stateless
A child born to Bulgarian and British mothers has been denied Bulgarian citizenship. “Baby S” was born in December 2019 in Spain and although the baby’s birth certificate was issued by Spain with both mothers listed as parents, the baby cannot get Spanish citizenship because neither mother is Spanish. Citizenship cannot be acquired from the British mother of “Baby S” who is from Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory, as she acquired her British citizenship by descent.
Sexual-Minority Medical Students Have Higher Burnout
Medical students in sexual-minority groups report increased symptoms of burnout regardless of their perceived experiences of mistreatment, according to a recent study. Elizabeth A. Samuels, M.D., from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues surveyed thousands of U.S. medical students graduating in 2016 and 2017 to assess differences in medical student burnout by sexual orientation. "To build a healthy and high-performing LGB physician workforce, systemic, multidimensional approaches are needed to reduce both mistreatment and minority stress experienced by sexual minority medical students," the authors write.
President Biden Name-Checks LGBTQ Service Members in Pentagon Speech
Biden name-checked LGBTQ service members in a speech at the Pentagon geared toward expressing gratitude at the start of a new administration civilians and troops who for the Defense Department. Biden also referenced the end to the transgender military ban, which he ordered within his first week in office, saying the new leadership is “dedicated to ensuring that every single person is treated with dignity and respect.”
Utah Parents Complained After Kids Were Read A Story About A Trans Boy
The uproar started when a student at Horizon Elementary brought a copy of “Call Me Max” from home and asked the teacher to read it aloud during story time. The book is an illustrated account of a young transgender boy who educates his own teacher and classmates about his identity. It starts with the teacher taking attendance. “Can you call me Max?” the boy asks, noting that his name on the roll doesn’t match how he sees himself. A backlash from parents resulted and the school district suspended the program aimed at introducing kids to more diverse and inclusive literature.
Canada Announces Funding for 76 LGBTQ Community-Led Projects Across The Country
Today, the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, along with the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, announced approximately $15 million in funding for 76 LGBTQ2 community-led projects across Canada through the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund. An example of one these projects is the LGBT YouthLine's Capacity Building Project. All the initiatives help strengthen LGBTQ2 communities and advance equity for LGBTQ2 people in Canada.
Black HIV Survivors Know How We'll Survive COVID
With the inauguration of President Joe Biden, I hope we may now see the kind of leadership on LGBTQ issues we need. As a gay African-American man living with HIV, I have lived through two pandemics. Under both HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, LGBTQ people have had to shoulder the burden of discrimination while fighting to survive. I hope that 2021 is the year that changes. More.
Dear World Leaders
Written and Performed by Tomfoolery
Thank-you for reading Stonewall Gazette.
Never miss a post! Subscribe by email and follow on Twitter.
