New South Wales passed a pro-LGBTQ bill, people were detained after the raid of two gay bars in Moscow, and Uganda's anti-homosexuality act cost the country $1.6 billion.
Parliament Passes Bill To Strengthen LGBTQ Rights
New South Wales has passed a landmark bill enhancing LGBTQ rights. Transgender people can now change their sex on birth certificates without surgery, and nonbinary is an available gender option.
According to The Guardian, despite opposition, the bill passed with cheers in parliament. Alex Greenwich, who introduced the bill, said it will “improve LGBTIQA+ dignity, safety, and equality.”
“These new laws will have no impact on the lives of most people in our state, but for a small number of people it will make their lives immeasurably better,” said Anna Brown from Equality Australia after the bill passed.
Concessions were made, including dropping reforms to protect LGBTQ teachers and students at private schools.
People Detained After Raid Of Two Gay Clubs in Moscow
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Police in Moscow have detained over 50 people in raids at two gay clubs, Central Station and Three Monkeys.
Armed officers forced patrons to lie on the floor or stand against walls while being searched, according to Russian Telegram channels MSK1 and Shot.
Pink News says the raids were reportedly part of a "fight against drug trafficking," with officers asking if visitors had drugs or used them. However, Shot also claimed public complaints about "indecencies," including men dressed as women and same-sex kissing, led to the raids as many people were celebrating National Coming Out Day.
These actions come amid ongoing crackdowns on Russia’s LGBTQ community under anti-LGBTQ laws, with venues increasingly targeted by police.
Anti-Homosexuality Act Has Cost Country $1.6 Billion
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Ugandan queer rights organizations are urging the government to repeal the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which has reportedly caused the country up to $1.6 billion in economic losses since it was signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni in May 2023.
A report from Open for Business, a coalition supporting LGBTQ inclusion, highlights major losses in foreign direct investment, donor aid, tourism, trade, and public health. The report projects that Uganda could lose between $2.3 billion and $8.3 billion over the next five years.
“The economic cost of this discriminatory law is too high, and the human rights violations it perpetuates are unacceptable,” said John Grace, Coordinator of Uganda Minority Shelters Consortium.
The report also notes the exodus of at least 15,000 LGBTQ people from Uganda and sanctions from international partners, including the World Bank and the Biden-Harris administration.
Alex Musiime, Legal Manager for Let’s Walk Uganda, stressed that the Anti-Homosexuality Act adds further economic hardship, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The ridiculous law should be dropped,” Musiime said.
Musiime and Grace applauded the Uganda Human Rights Commission’s recent call to decriminalize same-sex relations, viewing it as a “positive step” toward ending homophobic discrimination and restoring international confidence.
