Chinese parliament spokesman rules out allowing same-sex marriage
Limiting marriage to between a man and a woman will remain China's legal position, a parliament spokesman said on Wednesday, ruling out following neighboring Taiwan in allowing same-sex marriage, despite pressure from activists. Taiwan's parliament passed a bill in May that endorsed same-sex marriage after ...
Homophobia rising in European countries without same-sex marriage, study shows
Homophobia has risen in European countries that do not legally recognize same-sex relationships and acceptance of gay people has jumped in states where they can marry, research released on Wednesday showed. Most European countries saw a rise in acceptance of same-sex relationships between 2002 and ...
Victoria's Secret hires transgender model following criticism
Victoria's Secret hired its first openly transgender model, a capitulation from chief marketing officer Ed Razek's stance as recently as last fall. Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio posted a photo of herself on Instagram, tagging Victoria's Secret. The brand hired her for a campaign for its ...
France drafts law to extend IVF to lesbians and single women
Single women and lesbians in France no longer would have to go abroad to get pregnant with a doctor's help under a proposed law that would give them access to medically assisted reproduction at home for the first time. A bioethics law drafted by French ...
Japan's top bar association urges Diet to legalize same-sex marriage
In a first, the country's top bar association on Thursday called on the government and the Diet to legalize same-sex marriage. The current legal system "infringes upon the freedom of marriage and violates the Constitution, which states all people are equal under the law," the ...
A federal program to help wounded veterans and their spouses conceive children through in vitro fertilization is being hobbled by anti-abortion forces that oppose how the process can lead to embryos being destroyed. Since 2012, Democrats in Congress have repeatedly championed legislation permanently extending IVF ...
LGBT community hopes Upper House election will spur debate and advance gay-rights legislation
The LGBT community and their supporters hope the upcoming Upper House election will help advance the national discussion on LGBT rights in Japan and lead to legal recognition. Some headway has been made at the local level, with a few municipalities, starting with two wards ...
Mike Pompeo taps staunch abortion foe for fresh look at U.S. stance on human rights
Charging that human rights advocates have deviated from their core principles, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday named a staunch abortion opponent to lead a new panel to set the future direction for the United States. Pompeo, an evangelical Christian who often speaks of ...
Botswana government to appeal court ruling that legalized gay sex
Botswana's government will appeal a high court ruling that decriminalized homosexuality, potentially resuscitating a law that punished gay sex by up to seven years in prison. Last month's landmark court ruling, which was praised by international organizations and activists, meant Botswana joined a handful of ...
The case is the first in which Japan has recognized a foreign national as a refugee due to their sexual orientation, according to the Immigration Services Agency.
Ibaraki becomes Japan's first prefecture to recognize same-sex couples
Ibaraki Prefecture has became the first prefecture to officially recognize same-sex couples in the same way it deals with married ones. Under the system, LGBT couples who submit "partnership oaths" will be treated in a manner similar to that for a husband and wife, such ...
U.S. black LGBTQ community celebrates Pride, but says fight is far from over
Like the broader movement of which it is a part, the black LGBTQ community is celebrating advances since the historic Stonewall riots in New York — while continuing to face serious discrimination and ill treatment. Some 15,000 people took part in Saturday's Harlem Pride parade, ...
