We have reported before the muddled legal situation around attempts to ban “conversion therapy” in the US. The UK government has proposed to put forward to Parliament a bill that would criminalize “abusive” conversion therapy aimed at changing someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. As in the US, some religious groups and therapists worry that […]
Niger Criminalizes Same-Sex Practices
Niger joins the growing list of West African countries (including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and Burkina Faso) that have recently criminalized same-sex relations. Its anti-Western military government regards tolerance for homosexuality as a mark of Western cultural imperialism. Committing or attempting to commit “an indecent or unnatural act, or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual […]
“Stand Your Ground” in Wyoming…Unless You’re Trans
Rihanna Kelver, a trans activist, was preparing for her bartending shift at the Crowbar & Grill in Laramie, Wyoming when she was assaulted outside the bar by several men in September 2025. One of them was shouting several homophobic and transphobic slurs as he began approaching her. Kelver responded by drawing a pistol from her […]
Latest Gallup Poll: Support for LGBTQ Declining
In a poll conducted May 1-17 of this year, the Gallup survey found that only 62% of American respondents regard gay and lesbian relations as “morally acceptable,” down 9% from 2022; support for changing gender is at only 38%, down 8% since 2021. Support for same-sex marriage also declined 6% from its peak in 2022-23. […]
Pride Festivals in Asia
South Korea’s conservative Protestants represent only a fifth of the population in a country where most people follow no religion, yet they have wielded huge influence over the government which has blocked a comprehensive anti-discrimination law that would protect LGBTQ+ people, women, people with disabilities, and racial minorities. Similar to what is happening in the […]
Legal Challenges to Trump’s Trans Military Ban
In January of 2025, President Trump signed an executive order targeting active-duty and prospective service members with gender dysphoria. Since then, multiple lawsuits have been filed against the order. Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the Trump administration’s ban on transgender military service is unconstitutional. Judge Robert Wilkins in […]
Losing Time While Doing Time: Is Egg Freezing a Reproductive Right?
Rachel Smith is currently incarcerated in Queensland, Australia. She is serving a ten-year sentence for drug trafficking. Since she will be between 39 and 41 years old when she is released, she sought to freeze her eggs while in prison but was denied because Queensland law treats egg freezing as a form of assisted reproductive […]
Shoot a Sex Offender, Become the Sheriff
Second-degree murder charges were dismissed against an Arkansas man who shot an alleged sex offender attempting to kidnap his 13-year old daughter. Although the exact circumstances of the shooting remain unclear, the judge justified his dismissal due to the loss of possibly relevant video evidence. However, public backlash may have also influenced the decision. In […]
Sexual Tolerance in the Pacific Northwest
While much of the U.S. is turning back the clock in civil rights and sexual freedom, is the Pacific Northwest becoming a haven for sexual tolerance? Portland, Oregon is the latest U.S. city to codify polyamorous rights in housing, jobs, and public spaces. Portland’s ordinance is the latest in a recent wave of cities including […]
More Expansive Definition of Rape by European Parliament
In the wake of the notorious Gisèle Pelicot case and similar scandals, a report overwhelmingly approved by the European Parliament called on the European Commission and all member states to adopt a uniform definition of rape based on “freely given, informed, and revocable consent.” Some European states still maintain a requirement to show use of […]