LGBT+ News and Discussions

[wjfox]

Some context, for non-UK forumers who perhaps aren't familiar with Brianna Ghey – this was a 16-year-old transgender girl, brutally murdered by a pair of other teenagers, the latter both sentenced to 20+ years in prison just a few days ago.

Brianna Ghey's mother was in the public gallery when Sunak made this comment.

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Starmer condemns Sunak for making jibe about trans people with Brianna Ghey's mother watching PMQs from gallery

1h ago
12.09 GMT

Starmer says, of all the weeks, this was not the time for Sunak to make that jibe about trans people, especially with Brianna Ghey’s mother in the gallery.

He says, as PM, it is Sunak’s job to ensure all people in this country feel safe.

[...]

Other opposition MPs were shouting “shame” at Sunak over this.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/li ... bfe0e9b3db

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[caltrek]

Uganda’s Anti-homosexuality Law
by Chris Muhizi
February 17, 2024

Introduction:

(Amjambo Africa!) Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has signed into law some of the most repressive legislation on the planet in relation to homosexuality. The 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Bill suppresses LGBTQ advocacy, bans homosexuals from participating in society, and establishes the death penalty for serial offenders or those who have same-sex relations with a person with a disability, referred to in the bill as “aggravated homosexuality.” Prior to passage of the law, homosexuality was punishable by a life sentence in prison.

The 2023 bill makes it obligatory for Ugandans to notify the authorities if someone is suspected of engaging in same-sex acts, and conviction for neglecting to report carries a fine or a sentence of six months in jail. This applies to friends and family of LGBT individuals. In addition, anybody who performs a same-sex marriage ceremony faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence, and the same sentence applies to people who encourage the “offence of homosexuality.” For example, renting a room to a lesbian couple is considered an act of encouragement. Penalties of up to 20 years in prison may be imposed on anyone who supports LGBTQ rights or provides money to groups that do so. Also, the law makes it illegal to “advertise, publish, print, broadcast and distribute any related digital promotion of homosexuality in the country.”

Consensual same-sex activities are illegal in more than half of Africa’s 54 countries, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, although a few African countries have made strides recently toward decriminalizing same-sex relationships, and many countries do not enforce their laws. Uganda, however, now does.

In 2009, a bill commonly known as “Kill the Gays” was filed at an anti-gay conference in Kampala. The bill recommended punishment by hanging for homosexuals. The conference was attended by representatives of the U.S. “ex-gay” movement – including well-known anti-gay evangelical Scott Lively.

Read more here: https://www.amjamboafrica.com/ugandas- ... lity-law/

[caltrek]

What’s Behind the Astonishing Rise in LGBTQ+ Romance Literature?
by Christine Larson and Ashley Carter
February 16, 2024

Introduction:

(The Conversation) A major transformation is underway in Romancelandia.

Once upon a time, romance novels from major U.S. publishers featured only heterosexual couples. Today, the five biggest publishers regularly release same-sex love stories.

From May 2022 to May 2023, sales of LGBTQ+ romance grew by 40%, with the next biggest jump in this period occurring for general adult fiction, which grew just 17%.

The data from 2023 extends a boom that began in 2016: In the five years from May 2016 to May 2021, sales of LGBTQ+ romance grew by a jaw-dropping 740%.

Read more here: https://theconversation.com/whats-behi ... re-223159

[SerethiaFalcon]

I don't know if this is allowed in this topic area, but I saw this today, and it affected me. Oklahoma nonbinary teen (16 years old) was beaten to death in the bathroom by three older girls. Originally they were able to get up with help according to an anonymous friend, but when they were taken to the hospital by their grandmother after school, they left and had to be returned to the hospital the following day, and then died due to apparent brain trauma.

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/02/tee ... ambulance/

Did as much research as I could with multiple sources. A lot of news sources are getting their identity wrong, some are getting their name wrong, and the most recent error found, which is in this article too (though corrected in the post later on), is that this teen is of the Choctaw nation, not the Cherokee. But, it's just a really sad situation that shouldn't have happened. This school does have a lot of issues like this, just not this extreme typically (from my research).

Also, keep in mind official notifications/data may change versus unofficial/what people are saying because this is an ongoing investigation. Regardless of what the real story is, I can personally say that I feel sad that this individual faced everything they faced and that their death was so early in life. Didn't get a chance to live much, before they were gone.

**Update (I'm also leaving the original information here as a kind of data point): Anyway, more facts have come out about this case, so I just wanted to share them.

Here's a website that has the surveillance footage from the school, the 911 call, and the interview with Nex Benedict in the hospital. https://www.newson6.com/story/65d9205ff ... y-of-fight

What has been determined is that this was a fight where there had been previous bullying/harassment, which escalated into Nex Benedict pouring water on the girls due to the girls harassing Nex and their friend. Then, the fight began, which ended with Nex on the floor. From the videos it is clear, that Nex could walk away from the fight without help, however, they did seem a bit wobbly.

Police are claiming that there is no evidence (as per the medical examiner) of Nex's death being caused by head trauma. However, not all the medical reports have been released. So, I would not conclude anything just yet on that front.

Also, two other corrections, Nex's mother was of the nation of Choctaw, but Nex had no membership in the tribe. Second, I cannot confirm, but it may be that Nex's identity is transgender rather than nonbinary (meaning they prefer the pronouns he/him or sometimes they/them). I've seen mixed information on this.

Anyway, I think this is an example of the nature of news being that they want to get the information out as fast as possible (if they decide they want to report on it), while not getting all the facts right in ongoing cases. To me, the waters still seem murky about this case.

Regardless, the original reason I was affected by this story, was because it was shocking to see someone so young die from bullying (at least, that's the first case I'd come across in a while). Also, due to personal experiences that caused me to be able to sympathize with Nex's struggles. It highlighted to me that things have escalated in American culture to the point where LGBT people are dying now in ways that were not as common before, which is a bad sign to me.