After an historic vote to legalize marriage equality in Thailand, two LGBTQI+ activists look to the future
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“Why change for someone else when I know I am shining?”: Changing LGBTQI+ norms in India
Like most Indians, Ritwik “Ritu” Chakravarty was raised with a strict notion of traditional gender roles. But for Ritu, who identifies as a trans woman, such rigidity never made sense. “My name, Ritu, means ‘weather’ or ‘season,’” she says today. “And my gender was fluid, changing like the weather.” This openness has allowed Ritu to …
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Celebrating Pride in Thailand! Join AJWS grantees in the streets of Bangkok
On June 1, on the eve of Thailand passing an historic law to legalize marriage equality, thousands of people hit the streets in Bangkok to celebrate queer joy, diversity and community. AJWS grantees, including TransEqual and the Foundation of Thai Transgender Alliance for Human Rights (Thai TGA), were part of a massive parade winding through …
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Activists Up Close: Meet Masafu, Who’s Defending Queer Kenyans’ Rights in Court
Masafu Okwara is a lawyer and activist in Kenya who has devoted her life to standing up for queer people who are suffering at the hands of the country’s discriminatory legal system. She works as a program officer for longtime partner National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) in Nairobi, offering free legal aid …
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Anti-LGBTI groups participate in State Dept. religious freedom conference
A number of anti-LGBTI organizations participated in a three-day religious freedom conference the State Department held this week in D.C. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on Thursday tweeted a picture of Family Research Council President Tony Perkins “welcoming attendees” of a workshop that focused on U.S. government grants.
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Activists stand up to Haiti’s anti-LGBT extremists
Homophobic hatred sizzled in Haiti’s streets last summer. Religious leaders marched throughout the country to protest same-sex relationships and stir up anti-LGBT sentiment. As these extremists launched a vicious campaign, Haiti’s small, but growing number of advocates for LGBT rights—like the aptly named AJWS grantee Kouraj (Courage)—spoke out.
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Volunteer Network of Friends Forever Friends
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the Dominican Republic have long faced discrimination and violence in their communities. But in recent years they have begun to speak out, advocate for their rights, and build a movement calling for change in Dominican society so that they can live as equal citizens whose rights are …
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