Category Archives: News

News stories on lesbian rights, violence and discrimination against the lesbian community, and our unwavering response.

Cameroon: Assaults, rape, death threats over lesbian affair

cameroon

In April, when a Cameroonian man learned that his common-law wife was attracted to women, he assaulted her, raped her lover and threatened to kill them both.

“He burst into the house and struck me to the ground. He tore off my clothes. He assaulted my girlfriend and raped her in front of me as I lay on the floor helplessly. My lover lived in a secluded area, so no neighbors could hear our cries for help.

Before leaving, my husband hit me again on the head and vowed to return later to kill us. Afraid for our lives, my lover and I packed up and went to the home of one of her friends who agreed to host us for a few days.”

Continue reading: https://rightsafrica.com/2019
/06/13/cameroon-assaults-rape-death-threats-over-lesbian-affair/
(source)

Update: FIFA Bars Afghan Soccer Chief guilty of sexual assault and intimidation

Afghanistan (via Lonely Planet)

Image copyright of Lonely planet

FIFA on Saturday barred the president of Afghanistan’s soccer association from the sport for life, months after reports emerged that he had sexually assaulted players and had threatened them when they went public with their accusations.

Women who rebuffed his advances were labeled lesbians and expelled from the team, according to eight former players who said that it had happened to them. Those who went public said they faced intimidation.

Continue reading: https://www.nytimes.com/2019
/06/08/sports/soccer/afghanistan-soccer-sexual-abuse.html
(source)

Original article: Afghanistan: abused soccer players silenced by claims of lesbianism

France: 2019 SOSHomophobie report documents an act of lesbophobia a day

The number of hateful acts against lesbians reported to SOS homophobia has jumped 42%, from 257 in 2017 to 365 in 2018. Lesbophobia cases thus represent 22% of all situations recorded, compared to 16% in 2017.
These figures are probably more indicative of lesbians than a reflection of an increase in lesbophobia. At the end of 2017, #MeToo and #BalanceTonPorc movements, followed by many other mobilizations, allowed the denunciation of acts of harassment and aggression towards women, revealing the extent of situations that were previously minimized. Lesbian testimonials are certainly part of this wave of demands.
Lesbophobic acts in public places go from 9% to 13%. In these spaces, cases of physical assault involve lesbians and gays alike, respectively 38% and 36% of assaults.
The testimonies collected at SOS homophobia also highlight the various forms of aggression experienced by lesbians.
(Translated)

Le nombre d’actes haineux à l’encontre des lesbiennes rapporté à SOS homophobie a bondi de 42 %, passant de 257 en 2017 à 365 en 2018. Les cas de lesbophobie représentent ainsi 22 % de l’ensemble des situations enregistrées, contre 16 % en 2017.
Ces chiffres sont probablement davantage révélateurs de la prise de parole des lesbiennes que le reflet d’une augmentation de la lesbophobie. Fin 2017, les mouvements #MeToo et #BalanceTonPorc, suivis de nombreuses autres mobilisations, ont permis la dénonciation d’actes de harcèlement et d’agression envers les femmes, révélant l’ampleur de situations jusqu’alors minimisées. Les témoignages de lesbiennes s’inscrivent donc assurément dans cette vague revendicative.
Les actes lesbophobes dans les lieux publics passent de 9 % à 13 %. Dans ces espaces, les cas d’agressions physiques concernent autant les lesbiennes que les gays, respectivement 38 % et 36 % des agressions.
Les témoignages recueillis à SOS homophobie mettent également en évidence les
diverses formes d’agressions vécues par les lesbiennes.
(original)

Continue reading at: https://www.sos-homophobie.org/sites/default/files/rapport_homophobie_2019_interactif.pdf (Source)

Spain: Taxi driver assaults three women shouting lesbophobic insults

 

Spain

Three women have denounced a taxi driver for alleged homophobic aggression in the parking lot of a discotheque in Viladecans, Barcelona. The taxi driver, as reported by the women, hit them and threw them to the ground after treating them as “bitches” and “bolleras de mierda”. Instead, the taxi driver says that it was the women who assaulted him.
(Translated)

Tres mujeres han denunciado a un taxista por una supuesta agresión homófoba en el aparcamiento de una discoteca de Viladecans, en Barcelona. El taxista, según han denunciado las mujeres, las pegó y los tiró al suelo después de tratarlas de “guarras” y de “bolleras de mierda”. En cambio, el taxista asegura que fueron las mujeres quien lo agredieron.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://elcaso.elnacional.cat/es/sucesos/barcelona-taxista-agresion-homofoba-bolleras-viladecans_6312_102.html (Source)

Chile: Man assaults lesbian couple in subway

Chile

The Movilh* has denounced a situation of homophobic violence occurred on Monday in the Quinta Normal subway, where a subject physically and verbally assaulted a young lesbian couple, when they were preparing to use the stairs. It all started when the man wanted to overtake them on the escalators and realized they were a couple. When this happened, they received strong threats from him, as well as a kick when he noticed that one of them was recording him.
(Translated)

El Movilh ha denunciado una situación de violencia homofóbica ocurrida este lunes en el metro Quinta Normal, donde un sujeto agredió física y verbalmente a una joven pareja de lesbianas, cuando ellas se disponían a utilizar las escaleras. Todo comenzó cuando el hombre quiso adelantarlas en las escaleras mecánicas y se dio cuenta que eran pareja. Cuando esto sucedió, recibieron fuertes amenazas de su parte, además de una patada cuando notó que una de ellas lo estaba grabando.
(Original)

Continue reading at: http://los40.cl/los40/2019/05/14/actualidad/1557865247_538902.html (Source)

* MOVILH is the Chilean Homosexual Movement for Integration and Liberation (Movimiento de Integración y Liberación Homosexual).

U.K: Lesbian actors targeted in ‘homophobic’ attack

actors.jpg

Two actors were attacked on their way to a theatre performance in what was described as a “cowardly homophobic hate crime”.
Lucy Jane Parkinson and Rebecca Banatvala were starring in Rotterdam, which tells the story of a young gay woman, at Southampton’s NST Campus.
The London-based couple said they were walking to the theatre for the matinee performance on Saturday when Ms Parkinson was hit by an object – possibly “stones”, according to police – apparently thrown from a passing car.
The final two performances of the Olivier Award-winning play by Jon Brittain were cancelled as a result.

Continue reading: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-48572800 (source)

France: Lesbian journalist threatened, harassed and told to kill herself

Emilie Lopez, former editor-in-chief of “Touche pas à mon Poste”, has been threatened with death on social networks by individuals who reproach her for being lesbian.
“In recent months, it has been ramping up with terrifying messages. I once received a video of a boy masturbating, who said to me, “You’ll see I’ll put it deep when I get to the studio.” Then last October, a guy on Instagram told me to “commit suicide” and attacked my girlfriend. This individual was speaking with his true identity, and with a real profile picture, and it really made me flip! I realised that all this was real, and I decided to file a complaint for the first time.”
(Translated)

Emilie Lopez, ex-rédactrice en chef de « Touche pas à mon Poste », a été menacée de mort sur les réseaux sociaux par des individus qui lui reprochent d’être lesbienne.
“Ces derniers mois, c’est allé crescendo avec des messages terrifiants. J’ai reçu un jour une vidéo d’un garçon en train de se masturber, qui me disait « Tu vas voir je vais te la mettre profond quand je vais arriver devant le studio ». Puis en octobre dernier, un mec sur Instagram m’a conseillé « d’aller me suicider », et s’en est pris à ma compagne. Cet individu s’exprimait avec sa véritable identité, et avec une vraie photo de profil, et ça m’a vraiment fait flipper ! Je me suis rendu compte que tout ça était bien réel, et j’ai décidé d’aller porter plainte, pour la première fois.”
(Original)

Brazil: lesbian tattoo artist murdered

Joyce Cristina Vargas da Silva

Photo from Facebook

The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro found the body of the tattoo artist Joyce Cristina Vargas da Silva , 31 years old. Black woman, lesbian and passionate about tattooing. She had been missing since Monday, May 27, after going out with friends from a LGBTQ + nightclub, to Papa G Nightclub . According to the cousin of the victim, the friends left and Joyce decided to stay a little longer. … Agents of the Capital Homicide Division located her corpse near the rails of the Madureira train station, in the northern part of Rio de Janeiro. The information above is from O Globo newspaper and SBT Brasil . Still, according to what was disclosed by social networks there were signs of rape and the indication that the murder has lesbophobic motivation.
(Translated)

A Polícia Civil do Rio de Janeiro encontrou o corpo da tatuadora Joyce Cristina Vargas da Silva, 31 anos. Mulher negra, lésbica e apaixonada por tatuagem. Ela estava desaparecida desde a segunda-feira, 27 de Maio, após sair com amigas de uma boate LGBTQ+, a Boate Papa G. Segundo o primo da vítima, as amigas foram embora e Joyce resolveu ficar um pouco mais. … Agentes da Divisão de Homicídios da Capital localizaram o cadáver próximo aos trilhos da estação de trem de Madureira, na zona norte do Rio de Janeiro. As informações acima são do jornal O Globo e do SBT Brasil. Ainda, segundo o que foi divulgado pelas redes sociais havia sinais de estupro e a indicação que o assassinato tenha motivação lesbofóbica.
(Original)

 

Continue reading at: http://www.frrrkguys.com.br/tatuadora-e-assassinada-no-rio-de-janeiro/ (source)

UK: Lesbian journalist attacked after public event

2504.jpgjulie.jpg

A leading British feminist, who campaigns against violence towards women, has claimed that she was attacked in Edinburgh last night by a transgender person.

Julie Bindel, the keynote speaker at an Edinburgh University event which discussed the future of women’s sex-based rights, said she was verbally abused, “lunged at” and almost “punched in the face”, by a transwoman as she left the building.

She thanked university security staff for protecting her and said she was still considering whether to press charges.

Continue reading: https://www.scotsman.com/news/crime
/feminist-speaker-julie-bindel-attacked-by-transgender-person-at-edinburgh-university-after-talk-1-4942260
(source)

Editor’s note: The “Cathy Brennan” referred to in the article is not Cathy Brennan, the American lesbian lawyer.

U.K: Lesbian couple beaten up because they refused to kiss

Melania Geymonat (right) and her girlfriend Chris (left) were horrifically attacked when they refused to kiss for a gang of thugs’ entertainment on a London bus last week.

A lesbian couple have posted pictures of themselves covered in blood after a gang of thugs bashed them for not kissing for their entertainment.
Melania Geymonat, 28, of Uruguay, was on the bus with her American girlfriend Chris after an evening out in West Hampstead in the early hours of May 30.
Ms Geymonat, who lives in Essex, said the pair decided to sit at the front because they both enjoyed the novelty of a double-decker bus.
Then a gang of young men behind them saw they were a couple and started to demand they kiss while making crude sexual gestures.
“They wanted us to kiss so they could watch us,” she said.

Continue reading: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/stewardess-and-girlfriend-bashed-on-bus-because-they-refused-to-kiss-for-gang-of-yobbos/news-story/a9096d8ef7feec545fc701e15102df7c (source)

Update: Update: Five teens arrested in lesbophobic attack

Update: Update: Video of attack on lesbians released as perpetrators plead guilty

India’s first openly lesbian athlete faces family backlash

dutee.jpg

Dutee Chand, India’s first openly gay athlete, is facing a barrage of criticism from her family after announcing she was in a same-sex relationship.
Her mother and father, Akhuji and Chakradhar Chand, have not accepted their daughter’s wish to “settle down” with her partner.
Mr Chand has called their relationship “immoral and unethical”, telling the Times of India: “She has destroyed the reputation of our village.”
In interviews with Indian media, however, Ms Chand does not seem fazed.
“Freedom of choice and freedom to love are my inalienable rights and I shall exercise it,” she told the Times of India.

Continue reading: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-48534449 (source)

India: Teenager beaten up and tied to a tree for being a lesbian

L2L India

A 19-year-old girl was beaten up and tied to a tree by residents of her village for being in a lesbian relationship, in Jagatsinghpur district on Friday. Sarmila Malla has been seeing a girl of the same village for the past six  months.

“We beat up and tied Sarmila to a tree in our village as she is a lesbian. She is immoral and has besmirched the name of our village,” said Ganesh Parida, a resident of Chandol.

On Saturday, the traumatised girl recounted the events of the previous day. “I was dragged out of my house by my neighbours. They beat me up and tied me to a tree. They abused and kicked me when my parents tried to rescue me,” Sarmila said.

Continue reading: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
/city/bhubaneswar/odisha-girl-thrashed-tied-to-tree-for-being-in-same-sex-relationship/articleshow/69502055.cms?fbclid=IwAR1hzQge3aFZqYpcXBEsGSQ
hribZQ6sb330a6PHNpwnytCaSlf5B9YxuLMY
(source)

Ireland: Free Presbyterian minister criticises DUP over lesbian candidate

alison
A video has emerged that shows a Free Presbyterian minister criticising the DUP for selecting Alison Bennington to stand in the council elections.
Ms Bennington, the DUP’s first openly gay politician, was elected to Antrim and Newtownabbey Council on Friday.
In Rev Greer’s sermon from 21 April, prior to the local government elections, he said that Christians were “being conditioned into thinking that things that were once reprobated are now acceptable… such as sodomy.”
He described that as an “agenda”.
“Now we have the DUP putting up their candidate, who is an out-and-out lesbian, that’s what I mean,” he said.

Continue reading: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-48205618 (source)

Australia: Lesbian politician targeted in antisemitic, homophobic campaign

Kerryn.jpg

Independent MP Kerryn Phelps has referred a new round of offensive emails targeting her New South Wales electorate of Wentworth to the Australian Federal Police.
Phelps said the new email contained false “homophobic, antisemitic, racist” claims and was “just generally pretty disgusting.”
The latest emails are similar to ones sent to some Wentworth voters last month, and it comes after Phelps was also targeted during the by-election in the electorate last year.

Continue reading: https://qnews.com.au/kerryn-phelps-blasts-new-round-of-anti-semetic-homophobic-emails-during-election-campaign/ (source)

Mexico: assault and arson after lesbian bar owner refused sex with man

La Canita

That night, one of them told one of the owners that “if I did not have sex with him, I was going to destroy the place,” says the published testimony. She tried to evade him, but the client continued to harass her until she decided to respond that she was a lesbian. “I’m never going to sleep with you and I will not give you more drink,” he replied, according to the story. The men – she does not specify how many – then demanded more beer from the workers and when they were denied, they took them by force, assaulted them, broke bottles and beat other customers.

“We know it was hatred and not an economic motivation that prompted these people to attack us in the way they did. The complaint is filed in the MP and some human rights processes are also ongoing, “the publication said.
(Translated)

Esa noche, uno de ellos le dijo a una de las dueñas que “si no tenía sexo con él, iba a desmadrar el lugar”, dice el testimonio publicado. Ella trató de evadirlo, pero el cliente continuó acosándola hasta que ella decidió responder que era lesbiana. “Nunca me voy a acostar contigo y no te voy a dar más trago”, le respondió, según se lee en el relato. Los hombres —no precisa cuántos— exigieron entonces más cerveza a las trabajadoras y cuando se los negaron, las tomaron por la fuerza, las agredieron, rompieron botellas y golpearon a otros clientes.

“Sabemos que fue el odio y no una motivación económica lo que impulsó a estas personas a agredirnos en la manera que lo hicieron. La denuncia está levantada en el MP y algunos procesos de derechos humanos también están en curso”, indica la publicación.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.mexico.com/nuestras-causas/duenas-de-bar-lgbt-la-canita-denuncian-ataque-homofobico/ (Source)

Costa Rica: lesbian forced to wear dress then brutally murdered

Stephannye Paola Castro Mora

(November 2018)

Those who knew Steph [Stephannye Paola Castro Mora] said that she had a style of dress, and that she never wore dresses or skirts. Hence, the psychologist who has evaluated this case on account of the hatred with which her murderers tried to humiliate her before killing her, putting a dress on her. “In this particular case not only hate, intolerance and excessive anger toward the sexual orientation of the victim are denoted, but also the imposition of their own code and how he (or the murderers) think must express the sexuality of a woman (with a dress)” commented Ana Yancy Benavides. …
We are filled with rage at the murder of this young woman who worked as a security guard, a girl who was the target of deranged just because of her sexual orientation, because she did not fulfil the heterosexual and feminine “codes” that the lesbophobes wanted to see in them.
(Translated)

Los que conocían a Steph decían que tenía un estilo muy propio de vestir, y que jamás usaba vestidos ni faldas. De ahí que la psicóloga que ha evaluado este caso de cuenta del odio con el que sus asesinos intentaron humillarla antes de matarla, poniéndole un vestido. “En este caso particular no solo se denotan odio, intolerancia y enojo desmedido hacia la orientación sexual de la víctima, sino también la imposición de su propio código y como él (o los asesinos) piensan debe expresarse la sexualidad de una mujer (con un vestido)”, comentó Ana Yancy Benavides. …
Nos llena de rabia el asesinato de esta joven mujer que trabajaba como guardia de seguridad, una chica que fue el blanco de desquiciados sólo por su orientación sexual, por no cumplir los “códigos” heterosexuales y femeninos que los lesbófobos querían ver en ellas.
(Original)

Continue reading at: http://www.mirales.es/asesinan-a-una-chica-lesbiana-e-intentan-humillarla-poniendole-un-vestido/ (Source)

Spain: two men jailed for assaulting lesbian couple for kissing

Spain

The Provincial Court of Barcelona has ratified six month prison sentence that a criminal court in Barcelona imposed on two men who insulted and assaulted two lesbian women because they kissed in public in a cafeteria. The sentence, which has been made public this Saturday by the SER Chain and which is appealable to the Supreme Court, considers it “evident” that it was “a hate crime due to gender prejudice.” The events occurred in October 2016 in a cafeteria located at the confluence of Vía Laietana with Plaza Urquinaona in Barcelona when the two men recriminated the two women because they were kissing, they showed them their testicles and one of them also punched a one of the two victims, which for the judges constitutes a hate crime and another one of injuries.
(Translated)

La Audiencia de Barcelona ha ratificado los seis meses de cárcel que un juzgado de lo penal de Barcelona impuso a dos hombres que insultaron y agredieron a dos mujeres lesbianas porque éstas se besaban en público en una cafetería. La sentencia, que ha hecho pública este sábado la Cadena SER y que es recurrible al Tribunal Supremo, considera “evidente” que se trató de “un delito de odio por prejuicios de género”. Los hechos ocurrieron en octubre 2016 en una cafetería situada en la confluencia de la Vía Laietana con la Plaza Urquinaona de Barcelona cuando los dos hombres recriminaron a las dos mujeres porque se estaban besando, les enseñaron los testículos y uno de ellos también pegó un puñetazo a una de las dos víctimas, lo que para los jueces constituye un delito de odio y otro más de lesiones.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.diaridetarragona.com/catalunya/Carcel-para-dos-hombres-que-agredieron-a-dos-lesbianas-por-besarse-20190430-0074.html (Source)

U.K: Brothers murdered lesbian after homophobic abuse report

glenda

Two brothers have been found guilty of stabbing a woman to death after she reported a homophobic attack by a group they were linked to.
Glenda Jackson was found in a blood-soaked hallway at flats in Grayson Mews, Birkenhead, on 30 September 2018.
Prosecutor Gordon Cole QC said she had called police at 01:44 and told the 999 operator she had been subjected to homophobic abuse and suffered facial injuries.
She told attending officers she had been attacked by the people in a flat where the Curtis brothers had been sleeping and was recorded on a body-cam stating that her attackers had told her if she “dared do anything she would be killed”.

Continue reading: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-48092027 (source)

U.S: Lesbian magazine hung by ‘noose’ from D.C. light pole

Tagg Magazine, gay news, Washington Blade

D.C. police are investigating an incident listed as a hate crime in which an unidentified person or persons tied a rope around several copies of Tagg magazine, which covers news of interest to the local lesbian and queer community and is owned by a woman of color, and hung the fastened magazines from a light pole in the heart of the city’s Adams Morgan neighborhood.

Continue reading: https://www.washingtonblade.com/
2019/04/30/lesbian-magazine-hung-by-noose-from-d-c-light-pole/
(source)

Guatemala: two lesbians murdered for being lesbian

Guatemala

Source: Ontheworldmap.com

On Wednesday, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Guatemala condemned the murder of two women in the municipality of Jalapa, 99 kilometers east of the capital, on which there was a “lesbophobic” message.
(Translated)

La Oficina de la Alta Comisionada de la ONU para los Derechos Humanos en Guatemala condenó este miércoles el asesinato de dos mujeres en el municipio de Jalapa, a 99 kilómetros al este de la capital, sobre las que había un mensaje “lesbofóbico”.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.elespanol.com/mundo/20190424/asesinan-mujeres-guatemala-lesbianas/393460855_0.html (Source)