Category Archives: News

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

Jury: Univ. of Iowa discriminated against Jane Meyer, awards $1.4 million

Posted on 05/05/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

Jane Meyer

A jury on Thursday awarded more than $1.4 million to a former University of Iowa athletic administrator, ruling that the university had discriminated against her because of her gender and sexual orientation. Jane Meyer alleged she suffered workplace discrimination as a gay woman in a relationship with the school’s longtime and highly successful field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum, that the school retaliated against her for complaining about Griesbaum’s firing, and that she was paid less than a male counterpart for similar work.

Continue reading at: Jury: Univ. of Iowa discriminated against athletic official – StarTribune.com (Source)

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Tagged College sports, Discrimination, homophobia, Jane Meyer, Lesbians in the U.S., Lesbophobia, University of Iowa, workplace discrimination

Lesbian Herstory Archives – Brooklyn, New York

Posted on 05/05/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

The women were also concerned about how difficult it was to get any information about lesbian history through traditional academic channels. Even when it could be found, the research process itself could be dehumanizing, requiring searching under categories like “deviant” and “abnormal.”

Continue reading at: Lesbian Herstory Archives – Brooklyn, New York – Atlas Obscura (Source)

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Tagged Discrimination, lesbian culture, Lesbian Herstory Archives, Lesbian history, lesbian visibility, lesbian voices, Lesbophobia, representation

Australia: Lesbian Told Her Relationship Isn’t Even De Facto At The Passport Office

Posted on 05/05/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

In an email to Gould following a comprehensive complaint, an APO staff member acknowledged the Customer Service Charter had been breached and offered Gould an apology. “You have raised a number of issues in your email that speak to issues of training, diversity awareness and customer service across our organisation. It is clear from our dealings with you, that we did not manage these issues well,” he wrote.

Continue reading at: This Gay, Married Woman Was Told Her Relationship Isn’t Even De Facto At The Passport Office – BuzzFeed News (Source)

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Tagged de facto relationship, Discrimination, Lesbians in Australia, Marriage equality

Lesbian couple reveal more about their Turkey detainment

Posted on 04/05/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

Missing London couple

‘I thought we were not going to get out of [prison],’ said Rico. ‘They told me I could leave but she had to stay, and I said I wasn’t going without her.’

She described the treatment they received in jail as ‘unexpected, inhumane and horrible.’

She said that she hopes to marry Ismail, who is staying with her under a temporary visa issued by the Spanish government.

Continue reading at: Lesbian couple reveal more about their Turkey detainment (Source)

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Tagged detainment, Discrimination, homophobia, Lesbians in the U.K., violence against lesbians, violence against women

Why a harassed Indian lesbian couple going missing does not make news

Posted on 04/05/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

What is most saddening is, thanks to social stigma, a story like this is more often than not swept the under the carpet. It is because of such entrenched stigma that a couple — who merely sought to give their relationship a name — has been missing for more than two months, and it hasn’t received any mainstream media attention.

Continue reading at: Why a harassed Indian lesbian couple going missing does not make news (Source)

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Tagged compulsory heterosexuality, Discrimination, homophobia, lesbian erasure, Lesbians in India, Threats of violence, violence against lesbians, violence against women, visibility

Zimbabwean lesbian in asylum limbo for 15 years, stuck in Britain

Posted on 04/05/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

Paradzai Nkomo’s emailed description of her situation is succinct and shocking. She is Zimbabwean and has been in Britain for 15 years. First her application for asylum was rejected and then her request to be deported home was also refused, leaving her stuck in limbo.“It’s difficult to integrate as I am not permitted to work. Conversation becomes repetitive because of not doing anything apart from looking out of a damp, drenched window day after day. Hiding malnutrition under borrowed clothes,” she writes. “A quest for freedom has now turned into a hellish nightmare. I feel as though death may be the only way out of this.”

Continue reading at: Asylum limbo: the woman who can’t stay in Britain, but can’t leave either | World news | The Guardian (Source)

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Tagged homelessness, Lesbians in the U.K., Lesbians in Zimbabwe, malnutrition, seeking asylum

Marquette withdraws offer for lesbian dean

Posted on 03/05/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

Marquette

Nancy E. Snow, a philosophy professor who helped O’Brien hunt for houses in the area last month, said O’Brien’s work is not the real issue. “I think it’s all about her sexual orientation,” she told the newspaper.Snow called the withdrawal of an offer to O’Brien “a public disgrace and an embarrassment.”

“This is a travesty that will have long-term impact for our ability to retain and hire high quality faculty,” she said.

Continue reading at: Marquette withdraws offer for lesbian dean | News | wisconsingazette.com (Source)

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Tagged Catholic universities, Discrimination, education, homophobia, lesbian dean, Lesbians in the U.S., Lesbophobia, Marquette University

India: Lesbian couple arrested for being in a relationship

Posted on 03/05/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

The women told police there were in love and wanted to live together, despite knowing homosexual sexual activity is illegal under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.

Continue reading at: Lesbian couple flee after their families try to break them up (Source)

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Tagged compulsory heterosexuality, Discrimination, homophobia, Lesbians in India, violence against lesbians, violence against women

Jacqueline Woodson And Jeanette Winterson To Be Honored At LAMBDA Literary Awards

Posted on 02/05/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

LAMBDA Awards Pic

“The extraordinary work of this year’s special honorees, Jeanette Winterson and Jacqueline Woodson, has made a deep impact, not just on LGBTQ culture, but on American and British culture, inspiring readers and writers on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Tony Valenzuela, executive director. “We are privileged to celebrate their tremendous contributions at this year’s Lammy Awards.”

Continue reading at: Jacqueline Woodson And Jeanette Winterson To Be Honored At LAMBDA Literary Awards (Source)

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Tagged Jacqueline Woodson, Jeanette Winterson, LAMBDA Literary Awards, Lesbian author, lesbian culture, Lesbians in the U.K., Lesbians in the U.S.

Margarethe Cammermeyer breaks the military silence

Posted on 02/05/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

Cammermeyer stepped into the spotlight when, despite being a decorated soldier, she was given an honorable discharge on June 11, 1992. This came following her admission that she was a lesbian during a routine security clearance interview in 1989. Though this dashed her dream of becoming a Chief Nurse of the National Army Guard, it started her on the road of legal disputes as she filed a lawsuit against the decision in civil court. This paid off in June 1994, when Judge Thomas Zilly of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington ruled that her discharge and the ban on homosexuals serving in the military were unconstitutional.

Continue reading at: Margarethe Cammermeyer breaks the military silence | Lesbian News (Source)

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Tagged DADT, Discrimination, homophobia, Lesbian history, Lesbians in the military, Lesbians in the U.S., Lesbophobia, Margarethe Cammermeyer, personal stories, representation

Methodist court ruling a blow for openly lesbian bishop

Posted on 29/04/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

The court said Oliveto’s marriage violates church law that bars clergy who are in same-sex relationships. The court said she’s now subject to a disciplinary review that could end with her being ousted from the job.

Continue reading at: Methodist court ruling a blow for openly lesbian bishop – NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral & Naples, Florida (Source)

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Tagged compulsory heterosexuality, Discrimination, homophobia, lesbian bishop, Lesbians and religion, Lesbians in the U.S., Lesbophobia, Methodist church, representation

Lesbian couple found safe in Istanbul

Posted on 28/04/2017 by listeninglisa | 1 comment

Women were missing for three days after one of their fathers tricked them into flying to the Middle East.

Continue reading at: ‘Vanished’ lesbian couple found safe in Istanbul (Source)

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Tagged homophobia, Lesbians in the U.K., Lesbians in Turkey, Lesbophobia, Missing lesbians

Lesbian couple vanish after father tricked them into flying to Middle East

Posted on 28/04/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

A London-based lesbian couple has vanished after being ‘tricked’ into flying to the Middle East. Maria Jimena Rico Montero, originally from Argentina, and her Egyptian girlfriend Shaza Ismail have not made contact with their family since Monday (24 April).Montero’s mother alleges Ismail’s ‘disapproving’ father tricked them into flying to Dubai. Homosexuality is punishable by death in the United Arab Emirates.

Continue reading at: Lesbian couple vanish after father ‘tricked’ them into flying to Middle East (Source)

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Tagged homophobia, Lesbians in the U.K., Lesbians in Turkey, Lesbians in United Arab Emirates, Lesbophobia, Missing lesbians

It’s Lesbian Visibility Day! Stop the erasure of lesbians (today and every day)

Posted on 27/04/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

Today is Lesbian Visibility Day, a good day to remember that the “L” in “LGBTQ” is probably the least celebrated and visible of all those ever-expanding letters. The reason for that isn’t hard to identify: lesbians are women. They challenge the root of patriarchy, heterosexist notions of “family,” and porn culture, simply by existing. How much more threatening does it get?

Continue reading at: It’s Lesbian Visibility Day! Stop the erasure of lesbians (today and every day) (Source)

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Tagged Feminist Current, heterosexism, language matters, lesbian erasure, lesbian space, Lesbian Visibility Day, lesbian voices, Lesbophobia, listening2lesbians

Lesbians Over Everything: Out and Proud, Lesbian Visibility Day 2017

Posted on 27/04/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

In celebration of lesbian visibility day, here are six real life lesbian adults who are out, proud, and living their best lives.

Continue reading at: Lesbian Visibility Day | (Source)

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Tagged Lesbian Visibility Day, lesbian voices, Lesbians Over Everything, personal stories, representation

Chelsea Savage: Lesbian, cult survivor, politician, sets her sights on Virginia House seat

Posted on 26/04/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

Chelsea Savage survived life in a cult, found the strength to leave her husband, and is now an out and proud lesbian looking to begin a political career.

Continue reading at: Lesbian cult survivor sets her sights on Virginia House seat / LGBTQ Nation (Source)

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Tagged Chelsea Savage, compulsory heterosexuality, elections, Freedom from religion, lesbian politicians, Lesbians in the U.S., Pentecostal, Politics, representation, Virginia House

Glasgow: Man yells ‘f***ing dyke’ before striking woman in homophobic attack

Posted on 26/04/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

This blow left the victim, who fled the scene shortly after, with a cut below her left eye. Westwater pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner by shouting, swearing, uttering homophobic remarks, threatening his victim with violence and striking her

Continue reading at: Man yells ‘f***ing dyke’ before striking woman in homophobic attack · PinkNews (Source)

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Tagged Hate crimes, homophobia, Lesbians in Scotland, Lesbians in the U.K., Lesbophobia, violence against lesbians, violence against women

Police let men who brutally beat 5 lesbians ride off in taxis, claim victims

Posted on 26/04/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

Now two victims have told BBC South Today that police let people they accused of attacking them ride off in taxis. One victim, who remains anonymous, said: “I don’t think they handled it well at all.

Continue reading at: Police let men who brutally beat 5 lesbian women ride off in taxis, claim victims · PinkNews (Source)

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Tagged Hate crimes, homophobia, Lesbians in the U.K., Lesbophobia, violence against lesbians, violence against women

Corrective Rape Upheld: Judge fails to convict Innes Frazer of sexual assault on disabled lesbian teenager

Posted on 25/04/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

As he was cleared of sexual assault at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, Innes Frazer, 30, was slammed by a judge for abusing the vulnerable teenager ‘for his own sexual gratification’. (Isn’t this called rape?)

Continue reading at: Man cleared of sexual assault on disabled lesbian teenager | Daily Mail Online (Source)

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Tagged corrective rape, Hate crimes, homophobia, Innes Frazer, lesbian children, Lesbians in Scotland, Lesbians in the U.K., no justice, persecution, sexual assault, Threats of violence, violence against lesbians, violence against women

Methodists to consider expulsion of married lesbian bishop

Posted on 25/04/2017 by listeninglisa | Leave a comment

The United Methodist Church is to hold a hearing tomorrow to consider the future of a married lesbian who was elected as a bishop. San Francisco pastor Karen Oliveto was elected unanimously to serve as bishop of the UMC Western Jurisdiction last year, in spite of official rules which ban LGBT ministers from serving openly.

Continue reading at: Methodists to consider expulsion of married lesbian bishop · PinkNews (Source)

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Tagged bishop, compulsory heterosexuality, Discrimination, homophobia, Lesbians and religion, Lesbians in the U.S., Methodist church, representation