Category Archives: News

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

Vatican rejects International Woman’s Day event over lesbian speaker

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At a time when women around the world are speaking up against abuse and demanding greater gender equality, the Vatican’s actions to silence these women speakers have prompted some Catholics to reflect on whether the church really values women’s voices.
Ssenfuka Joanita Warry, a lesbian Catholic activist from Uganda, was reportedly one of the women whose presence at the conference did not meet the approval of the Vatican.
During the conference, Warry spoke about what life was like for her as a lesbian activist in a country where homosexuality is illegal. She condemned the silence of religious leaders in the face of this discrimination against queer Ugandans.

Continue Reading at: https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/
catholic-women-voices-of-faith-conference-vatican_us_5aa164dee4b002df2c61e586

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U.S: Lesbian coach forced to resign from school because she wants to get married

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

Kristen Nelson was a softball coach for five years at West Catholic High School in Michigan — until she wanted to get married.
When it became known Nelson wanted to marry her partner, a ‘parent concern’ materialized. It resulted in conversations with both the school and Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. Consequently, Catholic leaders gave Nelson an ultimatum: if she got married to a woman, she wouldn’t have her job anymore.

Continue reading at: https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/
lesbian-coach-resign-married/
(Source)

U.S: Appeals court upholds ruling against B&B owner who refused room to lesbian couple

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On Friday, Hawaii’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a previous ruling that found a Hawaii Kai bed and breakfast was discriminatory for refusing the lesbian couple a room because of their sexual orientation.

Continue reading at:  http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/
37581493/lesbian-couple-wins-discrimination-lawsuit-against-hawaii-kai-bed-and-breakfast-owner
  (Source)

U.S: Lesbian couple says martial arts teacher discriminated against them, kicked son out of class

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An Albuquerque woman says her son’s martial arts teacher kicked him out of class after finding out she’s a married lesbian.
“He said, ‘We’re a monastery. We worship God here. That goes against what God teaches.’ And then he looked at my son, addressed him by name and told him, ‘What your mother is doing is wrong,’” she said.

Continue reading at:  http://krqe.com/2018/02/23/lesbian-couple-says-martial-arts-teacher-discriminated-against-them-kicked-son-out-of-class/ (Source)

Lesbian Musician Denise Ho Denied Malaysia Permit ‘Over LGBT Views’

Hong Kong pop star Denise Ho says she has been denied a performance permit in Malaysia over her views on gay rights.

Continue Reading at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-43072223 (Source)

USA: Solitary Confinement for Asylum Seeker over Sexual Assault Allegations

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In Texas, supporters of 23-year-old asylum seeker Laura Monterrosa say she was put in solitary confinement for 60 hours at the T. Don Hutto detention center outside Austin in order to pressure her to recant her allegations that she was sexually assaulted by a guard. ICE says Monterrosa was under “medical observation.” But she later made a strange call to her lawyer from an unusual phone number. Grassroots Leadership shared a recording with Democracy Now!

Laura Monterrosa: “I wanted to call you, because I wanted to tell you that everything I had said was false, and I was forced to tell you that, because, if not, they were going to lock me again in that room, and I didn’t want to be locked again in that room.”

Continue reading at:
https://www.democracynow.org…_solitary_confinement_for_asylum_seeker_over_sexual_assault_allegations (Source)

U.S: Lesbian couple sues the Department of Health and Human Services and Catholic Church over being blocked as foster parents

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

A lesbian couple has sued the Trump administration over a denial of their application to serve as foster parents for refugee children.

Continue reading at: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/
lesbian-couple-sues-hhs-catholic-church-over-being-blocked-as-foster-parents/article/2649526
 (Source)

Lesbian Miami Catholic school teacher fired for marrying girlfriend

The first-grade teacher, who had taught at the school for nearly seven years, returned to her job Wednesday after marrying her partner in a same-sex wedding ceremony over the weekend. That’s when she learned she was no longer employed.

Continue reading at: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/
national/lesbian-miami-school-teacher-fired-marrying-girlfriend-article-1.3812762
(Source)

U.S: School accused of preventing lesbian couple from attending prom together

Alabama teens Janizia and Raven have been dating since September and talking about prom since December.
To make it memorable for her girlfriend, Janizia decided to stage a “promposal” — the act of inviting someone to prom in an elaborate fashion, often involving props and flash mobs.

Continue reading at: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/09/us/
alabama-lesbian-teens-prom/index.html
(Source)

Scandalized Cameroon Family Hunts Lesbian Bride

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After marrying her girlfriend, a lesbian in Cameroon became the target of a manhunt by her new in-laws.

Continue reading at: https://76crimes.com/2018/02/05/
scandalized-cameroon-family-hunts-lesbian-bride/
(Source)

U.S: Court Hearing Appeal in Potentially Landmark Lesbian Case

A court will hear arguments in a lesbian’s bid to revive her lawsuit that alleges a Chicago-area senior living facility did nothing to stop residents from harassing her because of her sexual orientation.

Continue reading at: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/illinois/articles/2018-02-06/court-hearing-appeal-in-potentially-landmark-lesbian-case (Source)

Zambian authorities hunting down women for alleged lesbianism

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Police in Zambia have launched a nationwide hunt for a couple who are suspected of being lesbians, based on online photos of them posing.  Under Zambian law, people convicted of same-sex intimacy can be imprisoned for 15 years to life. Women convicted of “gross indecency” can be imprisoned for seven to 14 years. But Zambian police are acting as though mere sexual attraction among women, rather than sexual intimacy, is a criminal offence.

Continue reading at: https://76crimes.com/2018/01/31/zambia-police-seek-alleged-lesbian-couple/ (Source)

Update: Lesbian refugee says she’s relieved to still be in Canada, at least for now

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“I’m happy. So happy,” Angela says, two days after authorities halted her deportation at the last minute.
The 21-year-old lesbian was scheduled to be deported on Jan 18, 2017, after Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board denied her request for asylum here.
Just 24 hours before she was scheduled to be deported, Angela was granted a stay of removal, allowing her to remain in Canada and appeal her case. “When I got the news I was relieved,” she says. “I wasn’t scared anymore of going back home.”

Continue reading at: https://www.dailyxtra.com/lesbian-refugee-says-shes-relieved-to-still-be-in-canada-at-least-for-now-72880  (Source)

U.S: Lesbian Firefighter Prevails in Court After Having Brain Matter Flung at Her

A federal appeals court has upheld a “sex-plus” discrimination ruling in the case of a lesbian firefighter who said she suffered horrendous harassment on the job.

Continue reading at:  https://www.advocate.com/women/2018/1/26/
lesbian-firefighter-prevails-court-after-having-brain-matter-flung-her
  (Source)

Update: U.S.: Lesbian firefighter wins second case after ongoing retaliation

U.S: ‘Presumption of Legitimacy’ Applied to Lesbian Parents by Upstate Appeals Court

An appeals panel reversed a Chemung County family court judge’s 2015 ruling that denied the lesbian couple’s motion to dismiss a paternity petition from a sperm donor father to their child.

Continue reading at: https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/sites/newyorklawjournal/
2018/01/25/presumption-of-legitimacy-applied-to-lesbian-parents-by-upstate-appeals-court/
(Source)

Canada wants to deport this lesbian, even though she may be jailed or worse if sent home

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In less than 24 hours, a lesbian living in Vancouver could face prison, harassment and vigilante violence if Canada rejects her request for asylum and sends her home.

Continue reading at:  https://www.dailyxtra.com/canada-wants-to-deport-this-lesbian-even-though-she-may-be-jailed-or-worse-if-sent-home-83947  (Source)

Lesbian couple sues for son’s US citizenship

A same-sex couple is suing the US government alleging discrimination because one of their children was not granted American citizenship.

Continue reading at:  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42781501  (Source)

U.S: Lesbian WNBA Player, Layshia Clarendon Sues UC Berkeley Over Sexual Assault

WNBA player Layshia Clarendon, an all-star guard with the Atlanta Dream, has filed a civil suit against the University of California, alleging that a long-term employee sexually assaulted her when she was a freshman at UC Berkeley.

Continue reading at: https://www.advocate.com/sports
/2018/1/19/wnba-player-layshia-clarendon-sues-uc-berkeley-over-sexual-assault
 (Source)

Update: Lesbian air force veteran, 90, wins her ‘honorable discharge’ 60+ years after expulsion

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

A 90-year-old lesbian has won her campaign to see her expulsion from the military changed to an honorable discharge.

Continue reading at:
https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/
lesbian-air-force-veteran-helen/#gs.y78AnZU
 (Source)

Lesbian YouTube star wins damages in landmark UK ‘revenge porn’ case against her ex-boyfriend for sharing videos of them having sex

A video blogger from YouTube’s hugely popular ‘Singing Lesbian Duo’ has won a huge compensation payout after her ex-boyfriend put revenge pornography of her online.

Continue reading at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5279927/Lesbian-blogger-wins-damages-revenge-porn-case.html (Source)