Kaela Roeder
Biden Administration Rescinds Global Gag Rule
President Biden on Jan. 28 axed the so-called global gag rule, a Reagan-era order that restricts U.S. funding and assistance to overseas organizations that offered abortions. Also known as the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy, the [...]
Puerto Rican LGBTQ Activist Blocked From Facebook Accounts for 2 Months
An LGBTQ activist in Puerto Rico regained access to his verified and personal Facebook pages on Wednesday after being banned for more than two months. Pedro Julio Serrano was unable to access his Facebook pages since late August, both platforms [...]
Poland's LGBTQ Activists Confront Growing Crackdown
The arrest of a non-binary person on Aug. 7 underscores the growing crackdown against LGBTQ activists in Poland. Margot Szutowicz, who uses female pronouns, and nearly 50 others were arrested in Warsaw, the country's capital, while protesting [...]
U.N. Human Rights Council Discusses Global Conversion Therapy Ban
The U.N. Human Rights Council on Wednesday held a virtual panel on the call for a global conversion therapy ban. The event was comprised of several advocates and experts on the topic, including Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the independent U.N. expert on [...]
Instagram and Facebook to Ban Conversion Therapy Content
Instagram and Facebook on July 10 announced they will ban conversion therapy content on their sites, following a block on ads promoting the practice earlier this year. This announcement comes on the heels of the U.N. formally calling for a [...]
UN Calls for Global Conversion Therapy Ban
The U.N. on Wednesday formally called for a ban on so-called conversion therapy. Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the independent U.N. expert on LGBTQ issues, compiled 130 submissions on practices and testimonies of victims who have experienced conversion [...]
Gabon Formally Decriminalizes Homosexuality
Gabon on Tuesday decriminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations, becoming one of the few countries in sub-Saharan Africa to legalize them. The Gabonese Senate on June 29 approved a bill to repeal a 2019 law that criminalized same-sex [...]
More than 40 LGBTQ Activists Arrested in Moscow
More than 40 people were arrested in Moscow on June 27 for protesting against the arrest of an LGBTQ activist who is accused of spreading "gay propaganda" on her social media page and distributing pornography. Yulia Tsvetkova, 27, is [...]
Global Pride Amplifies Black Voices During 24-Hour Virtual Event
Celebrities, politicians and activists on Saturday united with Global Pride 2020, a 24-hour virtual event created in light of widespread cancellations of Pride events and festivals due to the coronavirus pandemic. The event celebrated LGBTQ progress [...]
Musicians, Politicians, Drag Queens Set to Headline Global Pride 2020
LGBTQ musical icons, drag queens and global human rights leaders are set to take part in Global Pride 2020 on June 27, a 24-hour virtual LGBTQ celebration that is estimated to attract 300 million viewers, according to event organizers. Singers [...]