A UK teacher lost a court case over anti-LGBTQ remarks. India’s top literary festival included LGBTQ poets for the first time. Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago reinstated a colonial law banning same-sex relations.
Teacher in UK Loses Court Battle Over LGBTQ Comments
A Christian teacher, who told students being a part of the LGBTQ community is a sin, has lost a High Court challenge over a ruling of unprofessional conduct.
According to Pink News, Glawdys Leger, formerly of Bishop Justus Church of England School, was dismissed after a professional conduct panel found her comments inappropriate. She had stated LGBTQ individuals are “just confused” and urged students to prioritize God over LGBTQ identity.
Challenging the ruling, Leger argued the findings misrepresented her words and violated her privacy. However, Justice Lang upheld the decision, stating, “Ms. Leger’s comments lacked respect for the right of others.”
Leger maintained, “I cannot, in good conscience, teach or say things contrary to my faith.”
India’s Literary Festival Welcomes LGBTQ Poets for First Time
Kalki Subramaniam.Photo via queenkalki, Instagram.
For the first time, India’s Sahitya Akademi Festival of Letters included LGBTQ poets in its main events, marking a historic moment for queer representation in literature.
According to The Washington Blade, for over six days, more than 700 writers, including Dalit, tribal, and LGBTQ poets, gathered in New Delhi. Trans activist Kalki Subramaniam chaired a session on queer literature, saying, “It was enriching to listen to the profound thoughts of LGBT writers.”
Renowned poet Hoshang Merchant recited his work, and K. Vaishali’s memoir on growing up lesbian in India won the Yuva Puraskar award. Despite India’s conservative politics, the Akademi’s embrace of LGBTQ voices signals a growing literary and cultural shift toward inclusivity.
Trinidad, Tobago Recriminalize Same-Sex Relations
Photo via Pexels.
An appeals court in Trinidad and Tobago has reinstated a colonial-era law criminalizing same-sex relations, overturning a 2018 High Court ruling that found it unconstitutional.
According to The Washington Blade, LGBTQ activist Jason Jones, who originally challenged Sections 13 and 16 of the country’s Sexual Offenses Act, condemned the March 25 ruling.
“As an LGBTQ+ citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, this regressive judgment has ripped up my contract as a citizen of T&T and again makes me an unapprehended criminal in the eyes of the law,” Jones said in a statement.
Court of Appeal Justices Nolan Bereaux and Charmaine Pemberton ruled in favor of recriminalization, while Justice Vasheist Kokaram dissented. The decision marks a setback for LGBTQ rights in the Caribbean, as other nations — including Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Barbados — have recently decriminalized same-sex relations.
Jones has vowed to appeal the ruling to the Privy Council, the final court of appeal for many Commonwealth nations.
“I hope justice will be done and these heinous discriminatory laws, a legacy of British colonialism, will be removed by the British courts,” he said.
