Tag Archives: homophobia

Germany: Berlin’s 2020 report details anti-lesbian violence

Berlin has submitted the first nationwide monitoring report on homophobic and transphobic violence. The focus of the 2020 report is on anti-lesbian violence. In addition to the scientific evaluation of the police registration statistics, a survey of lesbian and bisexual Berlin women was carried out for the monitoring report as a main topic on this area of ​​violence. State agencies and victim counseling facilities assume a high number of unreported cases of violence. This applies in particular to violence against lesbian and bisexual women.

  • Younger age groups are particularly often recorded as victims of hate crimes against sexual orientation and / or sexual identity. 30% of the victims are between 20 and 30 years old, a quarter (24%) between 30 and 40 years old. In younger age groups, female * victims are particularly common.
  • Research to date has also shown that women * more than men * tend to accept homophobic insults, as everyday sexism means that they are used to sexualized devaluation and insults from a young age.
  • In anti-lesbian violence, homophobia and (hetero-) sexism are almost always intertwined.
  • The majority of those surveyed feel more secure in Berlin, but at the same time (rather) concern themselves with the possibility of anti-lesbian attacks.
  • 57% of those surveyed have experienced anti-lesbian violence in the past five years, 35% in the past year. The anti-lesbian motivation of the incidents was usually clearly recognizable – e.g. B. due to insults and swear words (70%).

From now on, the report will appear as part of the implementation of the initiative “Berlin stands up for self-determination and acceptance of gender and sexual diversity” ( IGSV ) every two years and is produced by Camino gGmbH. The focus topic “Violence against transgender and intersex people” is planned for 2022.

(Translated)

Berlin hat den bundesweit ersten Monitoring-Bericht zu homo- und transphober Gewalt vorgelegt. Der Schwerpunkt auf dem Bericht 2020 liegt auf anti-lesbischer Gewalt. Neben der wissenschaftlichen Auswertung der polizeilichen Meldestatistik wurde als Schwerpunktthema zu diesem Gewaltbereich eine Befragung lesbischer und bisexueller Berlinerinnen für den Monitoring-Bericht durchgeführt. Staatliche Stellen und Opferberatungseinrichtungen gehen bei den Gewaltfällen von einer hohen Dunkelziffer aus. Das betrifft insbesondere die Gewalt gegen lesbische und bisexuelle Frauen.

  • Jüngere Altersgruppen werden besonders häufig als Opfer von Hasskriminalität gegen die sexuelle Orientierung und/oder sexuelle Identität erfasst. 30 % der Opfer sind zwischen 20 und 30 Jahre, ein Viertel (24 %) zwischen 30 und 40 Jahre alt. In jüngeren Altersgruppen kommen weibliche* Opfer in besonders oft vor.
  • Die bisherige Forschung zeigt ebenfalls, dass Frauen* eher als Männer* dazu neigen, homophobe Beleidigungen hinzunehmen, da sie durch alltäglichen Sexismus zumeist schon seit jungen Jahren an sexualisierte Abwertung und Beleidigung gewöhnt sind.
  • In lesbenfeindlicher Gewalt verschränken sich so gut wie immer Homophobie und (Hetero-)Sexismus.
  • Die Mehrheit der Befragten fühlt sich in Berlin eher sicher, beschäftigt sich aber gleichzeitig (eher) stark mit der Möglichkeit lesbenfeindlicher Übergriffe.
  • 57 % der Befragten haben in den letzten fünf Jahren lesbenfeindliche Gewalt erlebt, 35 % im vergangenen Jahr. Die lesbenfeindliche Motivation der Vorfälle war in der Regel klar erkennbar – z. B. aufgrund von Beleidigungen und Schimpfworten (70 %).

Der Bericht erscheint von nun an im Rahmen der Umsetzung der Initiative „Berlin tritt ein für Selbstbestimmung und Akzeptanz geschlechtlicher und sexueller Vielfalt” (IGSV) im zweijährigen Rhythmus und wird von der Camino gGmbH erstellt. Für 2022 ist das Schwerpunktthema „Gewalt gegen trans- und intergeschlechtliche Menschen“ vorgesehen.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.berlin.de/sen/justva/presse/pressemitteilungen/2020/pressemitteilung.1027292.php (Source)

The report is available at: https://camino-werkstatt.de/publikationen/monitoring-trans-und-homophobe-gewalt

State sponsored lesbophobia in Equatorial Guinea

Homosexuality is a risky practice in Equatorial Guinea. In this African state, which was a Spanish colony for more than 80 years and in which the oldest dictator in the world, Teodoro Obiang, has ruled for more than four decades, there is a systematic persecution against the LGTBI community.

It not only occurs at the social level, but also involves state institutions. As is usual in this type of situation, the worst part is borne by women.

A recent report by Somos Parte del Mundo , the only LGTBQ group in the African country, reveals that these groups suffer “mistreatment, torture and prison with the complicity of the authorities. The document, which has received the name of State Homophobia in Equatorial Guinea, reports some of the most serious abuses, among which are “sexual violence, forced pregnancies, child sexual exploitation of minors and the high mortality of women and transgender people for causes that the state can solve”.

These persecutions are protected by the state thanks to decrees such as 94/2019 that defines homosexuality as “a disease, a criminal practice, a threat to social peace and public morals, a danger to society”, or law 16 / 1970, which goes back to the Franco-colonial heritage and classifies homosexuals as dangerous or antisocial social groups.

By virtue of these measures, which are very different from those that are increasingly being applied in more countries around the world and which have to do with sexual freedom and the existence of rights for these groups, the state legitimizes harassment, punishment and torture on two levels.

The first one serves as a warning and according to the report by We Are Part of the World, it occurs at the family level . The family or neighbors of the homosexual person are in charge of making it public with actions that can range from social rejection to beatings and rapes. Photographs of these humiliating moments are usually taken in order for the person to learn the supposed lesson.

If these methods do not work, a second phase is applied in which the security forces intervene. An arrest occurs and the jail term can last from a few hours to several months. Of course, physical violence is very present and the normal thing is that there are more beatings and scenes of sexual violence.

Worse for women
When it involves women, it is exacerbated : they are forced to become pregnant in order to cure themselves of homosexuality, as the writer Trifonia Melibea Obono reveals in her book ‘I did not want to be a mother’ . The researcher delves into the life stories of lesbian, trans and bisexual women in Equatorial Guinea and says that this punishment occurs several times until they are supposedly healed.
(Translated)

La homosexualidad es una práctica de riesgo en Guinea Ecuatorial. En este estado africano, que fue colonia española durante más de 80 años y en el que gobierna desde hace más de cuatro décadas el dictador más longevo del mundo, Teodoro Obiang, existe una persecución sistemática contra el colectivo LGTBI.

No solo se produce a nivel social, sino que implica además a las instituciones estatales. Como suele ser habitual en este tipo de situaciones, la peor parte se la llevan las mujeres.

Un informe reciente de Somos Parte del Mundo, único grupo LGTBQ del país africano, revela que estos colectivos sufren “maltratos, torturas y prisión con la complicidad de las autoridades”. El documento, que ha recibido el nombre de Homofobia de Estado en Guinea Ecuatorial, reporta algunos de los abusos más graves, entre los que se encuentran “la violencia sexual, los embarazos forzados, la explotación sexual infantil a menores y la alta mortalidad de las personas transexuales por causas que el estado puede solventar”.

Estas persecuciones están amparadas por el estado gracias a decretos como el 94/2019 que define la homosexualidad como “una enfermedad, una práctica delictiva, una amenaza para la paz social y la moral pública, un peligro para la sociedad”, o la ley 16/1970, que se remonta a la herencia franquista colonial y que clasifica a los homosexuales como grupos sociales peligrosos o antisociales.

En virtud de estas medidas, muy diferentes a las que cada vez se aplican en más países del mundo y que tienen que ver con la libertad sexual y con la existencia de derechos para estos colectivos, el estado legitima el acoso, los castigos y la tortura en dos niveles.

El primero de ellos sirve a modo de advertencia y según el informe de Somos Parte del Mundo se produce a nivel familiar. La familia o los vecinos de la persona homosexual se encargan de hacerlo público con acciones que pueden ir desde el repudio social hasta palizas y violaciones. Normalmente se toman fotografías de estos momentos humillantes con el objetivo de que la persona aprenda la supuesta lección.

Si estos métodos no dan resultado se aplica una segunda fase en la que intervienen las fuerzas de seguridad. Se produce una detención y la pena de cárcel puede durar desde unas pocas horas hasta varios meses. Por supuesto, la violencia física está muy presente y lo normal es que se produzcan más palizas y escenas de violencia sexual.

Peor para las mujeres
Si se trata de mujeres se produce un agravante: son obligadas a quedarse embarazadas con el objetivo de que se curen de la homosexualidad, tal y como revela la escritora Trifonia Melibea Obono en su libro ‘Yo no quería ser madre’. La investigadora ahonda en las historias de vida de mujeres lesbianas, trans y bisexuales de Guinea Ecuatorial y cuenta que este castigo se produce varias veces hasta que supuestamente sanan.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://es-us.deportes.yahoo.com/noticias/guinea-ecuatorial-persecucion-colectivos-homosexuales-teodoro-obiang-lesbofobia-mujeres-obligadas-embarazo-144313283.html (Source)

Italy: Lesbian shares video calling for hate crime legislation following continued lesbophobic harassment

While talks of necessary Italian hate crime legislation continues, the long-awaited bill is not coming fast enough for many. Another homophobic attack occurred, this time in Genoa where Italian lesbian nurse, Camilla, shared a video of a hate crime: her car ruined by her homophobic neighbours.

Camilla, a 23 year-old nurse, recorded the video on TikTok while in tears after her neighbours vandalised her car. She asked the LGBTQ+ community for help in having her rights recognised since the government is still not forthcoming with hate crime legislation. She also shared how the police told her they can’t do much to help and she is now forced to park her car far from her house fearing of more vandalism.

In the first video posted to her TikTok, Camilla says:

“When you are a lesbian in Italy, this is how your homophobic neighbours behave: they break your car side mirror and they pierce and slash all four tires. Of course I reported this, but of course nothing will happen. To members of the LGBT community: can we do something to get some f***ing rights? Every day, I am called ‘whore’ and ‘pervert’. Now they went as far as vandalising the car I use every day to go to work.

“You tell me now, what can I do? I get up every morning, like everyone else, I go to work, I’m paying my f***ing mortgage. I’m 23 years-old, I’ve been paying it [the mortgage] for the past three years. I am not sure how many people my age do this. Can I get some help, please, since our Government is not helping me?”

In a second video, Camilla also said she received death threats. She continued, “What I want is only to live in peace, serene, and that all people can live hand in hand.”

Continue reading: https://gcn.ie/italian-lesbian-hate-crime-legislation/ (source)

ILD: Sheroes and the lesbian Stonewall

By Karla Jay

Armed with garbage bags, brooms and big mouths, we resisted the goons’ oppressive authority — our incredible moxie mirroring the rebellion at Stonewall. We had been beaten, risked serious injury and death for the privilege and joy of an all-women’s dance.

No mainstream media outlet reported on this assault, not even the Village Voice, which had covered the Stonewall Rebellion. The only story about our defiance that night was written by me in Rat Subterranean News.

The courage of the discarded, disrespected, and sometimes homeless street people who fought back at the Stonewall Inn must be honored. But a half century later, some acknowledgment and appreciation must be given to the GLF women who risked our lives to create an alternative to the Stonewalls and Kooky’s that had dominated our social lives.

It seems so matter of fact today to want to dance with whoever you want to — and surely, we will party again when we defeat this pandemic. But we GLF lesbians risked prison and payback to dance together 50 years ago, proving that sisterhood is powerful.

Continue reading at: https://www.losangelesblade.com/2020/05/15/sheroes-the-lesbian-stonewall/ (Source)

Ghana: Military lesbian couple got married, have been detained and face court martial

A Ghanaian military lesbian couple who got married over the weekend, have reportedly been detained and facing court-martial. 

In the videos shared online before their arrest, the ladies looked happy as they danced together while their guests cheered them on. 

The event led to divided opinions on social media as many asked why such “ungodly and abominable” event will be allowed in the West African country.

Continue reading: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Ghanaian-military-lesbian-couple-who-got-married-detained-facing-court-martial-1070242 (source)

Lesbian couple slam Facebook after snap of them touching foreheads was banned for being ‘sexually explicit adult content’

A lesbian couple have condemned Facebook after a promotional advert showing their foreheads gently touching was rejected for being ‘sexually explicit adult content’ – while an image showing a heterosexual couple in the same pose was allowed.

Musical duo Sera Golding-Young, 36, and her wife Frankie, 32, had posted a video to announce the release of a new album – and made a sponsored advertisement in a bid to reach fans.

But the post was said to have violated Facebook’s Community Standards rules under its ‘Objectionable Content’ clause, which targets illicit images of nudity or sexual activity.

Continue reading: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8780465/Lesbian-couple-slam-Facebook-video-touching-foreheads-BANNED.html (source)

U.K: Sue Perkins Reveals She Was Victim Of A Homophobic Attack

Former Great British Bake Off host Sue Perkins has revealed that she was victim to a homophobic attack that left her in tears.

The presenter and comedian says she “burst into tears” after a man verbally assaulted her on Hampstead Heath in North London. Speaking on an episode of the Homo Sapiens podcast, Perkins revealed: “I did have my first homophobic insult in 20 years recently … I was on the heath and this guy, I think he said, ‘You f***ing dyke.'”

The 51-year-old TV personality told podcast hosts Alan Cumming and Chris Sweeney that she feared the altercation might turn physical. “At the time, I sort of went right up to him and went: ‘What did you say?'” she recalled, “and he sort of postured a bit almost as if he was going to hit me, almost like an intimation of something physical.”

Fearful of the situation, Perkins kept her space: “I thought ‘I’m going to just stand here.’ I remember my hand was out because I wanted to keep that distance. Like if you come within the length of my arm I know that something really bad is going to happen.”

Perkins told Cumming and Sweeney that she maintained her composure before asking him again what he had said. “He just sort of buckled a bit and he went, ‘I just mean you’ve got a nice face, why would you…’ I just thought, ‘What’s my face got to do with you?'”

Not wanting to escalate the situation, Perkins said she “didn’t want to replace knee jerk unkindness with knee jerk unkindness,” and she told the man :I’m just walking my dog and I’m quiet and I’m in a good mood and I’ve got love for everyone here and you’ve destroyed that and you can’t take that back today” before leaving and bursting into tears.

Continue reading: https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/sue-perkins-victim-of-homophobic-attack (source)

Poland: journalist and her niece attacked for presumed lesbianism

There was a brutal beating in Warsaw. The journalist was walking with her niece, holding the teenager’s arm when passing man attacked the woman because he considered that those he was attacking were a couple – we read in polsatnews.pl. The case was publicized on Facebook by “Polityka” journalist, Piotr Pytlakowski. …

“About a week ago, a well-known journalist and reporter was beaten up. I found out about it recently. In the vicinity of Galeria Młociny she was walking with her probably 13-year-old niece. They were holding hands. A man started shouting: ***** ****** lesbians!”, wrote the journalist.

The man attacked the woman on a street near a shopping mall. “He hit the journalist’s face with his fist. Hard – he broke her nose and caused bruises around her eyes” – Pytlakowski reported.
(Translated)

W Warszawie doszło do brutalnego pobicia. Dziennikarka spacerowała ze swoją siostrzenicą, trzymając nastolatkę pod rękę. Wtedy mężczyzna przechodzący obok zaatakował kobietę, bo uznał, że osoby, na które napada są parą – czytamy w polsatnews.pl. Sprawę nagłośnił na Facebooku dziennikarz “Polityki” Piotr Pytlakowski. …

“Ok. tygodnia temu została pobita znana dziennikarka, reportażystka. Dowiedziałem się o tym niedawno. W okolicy Galerii Młociny szła ze swoją chyba 13-letnią siostrzenicą. Trzymały się pod ręce. Jakiś mężczyzna zaczął krzyczeć: Ku* je** lesby!” – napisał dziennikarz.

Napastnik zaatakował kobietę na ulicy w okolicy galerii handlowej.

“Uderzył pięścią w twarz dziennikarki. Silnie – złamał jej nos i spowodował sińce w okolicach oczu” – poinformował Pytlakowski.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://fakty.interia.pl/mazowieckie/news-warszawa-ktos-pobil-dziennikarke-bo-myslal-ze-jest-lesbijka,nId,4725391 (Source)

Argentina: attack on lesbian couple after long term harassment

September 2020:

In another anti-lesbian attack in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Constitución, two lesbians were attacked on Monday night  after constant and long-standing hatrassment and threats. One of the assaulted lesbians lives on O’Brien Street and is a neighbor of the alleged aggressor.

He has always insulted her for her sexuality and made fun of her when he saw her hugging or walking hand in hand with her girlfriend in the neighborhood. Last Monday, faced with one of the usual insults, the couple responded. The man then retrieved a baseball bat from his house, and together with his friend, they chased and beat the women in the middle of the street.

The couple reached the corner of Santiago del Estero, trying to get help. A group of policemen who were traveling through the area heard the women’s screams and were able to arrest the 67-year-old man and an accomplice friend who was with him at the time of the savage beating. “He hit me because I am lesbian,” said the victim when she was helped by the police. The police immediately notified SAME, according to Infobae.
(Translated)

Dos lesbianas fueron agredidas el lunes por la noche en un nuevo ataque lesboodiante en el barrio porteño de Constitución. Si bien este hecho legó a los medios, lo cierto es que las agresiones y amenazas son constantes y de larga data. Una de las lesbianas agredidas vive sobre la calle O’ Brien al 1.200 y es vecina del agresor.

Desde siempre, éste la insulta por su elección sexual y se burlara de ella cuando la veía abrazada o caminando de la mano de su novia por el barrio. El pasado lunes, ante una de las habituales agresiones, la pareja respondió. E hombre decidió entonces buscar un bate de beisbol de su casa, y junto a su amigo, las persiguieron y golpearon en plena calle.

Al llegar a la esquina de Santiago del Estero para pedir ayuda, un grupo de policías que recorría la zona escuchó los gritos de la mujer y pudo detener al hombre de 67 años y a un amigo cómplice que se encontraba con él en el momento de la feroz golpiza. “El me pegó porque soy torta”, relató la víctima al ser auxiliada por los efectivos, quienes inmediatamente dieron aviso al SAME, según consignó Infobae.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.nueva-ciudad.com.ar/notas/202009/44492-ataque-lesboodiante-en-constitucion-me-pego-porque-soy-torta.html (Source)

 

Brazil: teenager attacked by father for being lesbian

The grandmother of a 16-year-old teenager reported the girl’s father after he attacked her granddaughter. According to the grandmother, the girl was beaten because of her sexual orientation – the girl is a lesbian. The complaint was made on Wednesday (9 September) and the case occurred in the city of Ipiaú, in Bahia.

The police are investigating what happened and the girl will remain with her grandmother. According to the 9th Regional Interior Police Coordination (Coorpin), the girl said she had also been attacked by her father with a machete “sheath”, a type of case used to preserve the object’s blade.

The perpetrator, who has already been summoned by the police, was not found at the house after the report. The grandmother also pointed out that the girl has been assaulted several times for the same reason.
(Translated)

A avó de uma adolescente de 16 anos denunciou um pai após a sua neta ser espancada. Segundo a avó, a garota apanhou em função de sua orientação sexual – a menina é lésbica. A denúncia foi feita na quarta-feira (9) e o caso ocorreu na cidade de Ipiaú, na Bahia.

A polícia está investigando o ocorrido e, a priori, a menina deve permanecer com a avó. Segundo a 9ª Coordenadoria Regional de Polícia do Interior (Coorpin), a menina disse que também havia sido agredida pelo pai com uma “bainha” de facão, um tipo de estojo usado para preservar a lâmina do objeto.

O agressor, que já foi intimado pela polícia, não foi encontrado na casa após a denúncia. A avó ainda destacou que a garota já foi agredida várias vezes pelo mesmo motivo.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://observatoriog.bol.uol.com.br/noticias/menina-e-espancada-pelo-pai-por-ser-lesbica-policia-investiga (Source)

U.K: Lesbian quits after finding homophobic note in work locker

A shop worker said she was “mortified” when she opened her locker and discovered a homophobic note.

The offensive message was found by Pammie Clinton during her shift at Wilko in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, on 9 September.

It directed a homophobic slur at her and implored her to quit. She handed in her notice a few days later.

Wilko said discrimination of any kind was not accepted and it was looking into the situation “very seriously”.

Ms Clinton, who is a lesbian, said the message had been pushed into her locker through a small hole.”I was absolutely disgusted with what I was reading – I felt like my heart had sunk to the pit of my stomach,” she said.

“I went straight to the bathroom and sat and cried.

“The incident was reported to management but the culprit was never found – and Ms Clinton said she felt compelled to resign.

She said: “I was filled with anxiety and found myself looking at everyone at work thinking ‘was it you?’, which was mentally and emotionally unhealthy.”

Continue reading: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-54183746 (source)

Nigeria: The filmmakers risking jail with lesbian movie Ife

Two Nigerian filmmakers face the prospect of imprisonment if they ignore the stern warning of the authorities and proceed with the release of a movie about a lesbian relationship. 

The dramatic face-off with the regulators – the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) – is worthy of a film itself. 

Producer Pamela Adie and director Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim are determined that Ife (meaning “love” in the Yoruba language) reaches a Nigerian audience, but the NFVCB says it will not be approved as it violates the country’s strict laws on homosexuality.

To get around this, the filmmakers are planning a surprise online release to catch the regulators off-guard. The NFVCB, however, is diligently monitoring all digital platforms to prevent the movie from getting out.According to NFVCB boss Adebayo Thomas, Adie and Ikpe-Etim could be jailed for promoting homosexuality in a country where same-sex relationships are forbidden and can carry a 14-year sentence.

They are organising a private screening in the commercial capital, Lagos, at the end of the month, for which they believe they do not need to get permission. 

Ife will also get an international premiere in Canada in October.

Adie said the aim of the film was to show an accurate picture of lesbian and bisexual women in Nigerian movies.

If a lesbian woman does appear in a standard Nollywood movie they are often portrayed as being possessed, influenced by bad friends or forced into homosexuality and always needing “saving”, she told the BBC.

“You rarely see stories about LGBT people, especially about queer [sic] women that speak to the realities of our lives. 

“Ife was made to bridge the gap and to get the conversation going in Nigeria.”

Continue reading: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54070446 (source)

Lesbian writer scared to live in Poland after threats

The writer and activist Sylwia Chutnik came out in June this year (2020). In the pages of the magazine “Replika” she stated that she is a lesbian. Now she has given another interview in which she says that she is afraid after having publicly stated her orientation.

Sylwia Chutnik fell victim to a homophobic attack
Sylwia Chutnik is a writer, feminist and social activist. She is a 2008 laureate of the Polityka Passport in the Literature category. She was also nominated for the Nike Literary Award three times. She also graduated from Gender Studies at the University of Warsaw, and currently runs the MaMa Foundation dealing with maternal rights. As she admitted, her coming out was “so that all people who live in fear could feel better for a moment”.

Now in an interview with “Newsweek” she told about what happened right after her coming out. “I feel fear for my loved ones, even for my son. On Saturday I was traveling with a few people on the tram and there was also a big guy there. As soon as he got out and the door closed, he started screaming:” f *** f *** “. The first time I was challenged as a lesbian was by a group of kids my son’s age. There are plenty of such acts of aggression”, confirms Sylwia Chutnik.
(Translated)

Pisarka i aktywistka Sylwia Chutnik w czerwcu tego roku dokonała coming outu. Na łamach magazynu “Replika” przyznała, że jest lesbijką. Teraz udzieliła kolejnego wywiadu, w którym opowiedziała o tym, czego boi się po publicznym określeniu swojej orientacji.

Sylwia Chutnik padła ofiarą homofobicznego ataku
Sylwia Chutnik to pisarka, feministka i działaczka społeczna. Jest laureatką Paszportu Polityki w kategorii Literatura za rok 2008. Była także trzykrotnie nominowana do Nagrody Literackiej Nike. Ukończyła również Gender Studies na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim, a obecnie kieruje Fundacją MaMa, zajmującą się prawami matek. Jak sama przyznała, jej coming out był po to, “aby wszystkie osoby, które żyją w strachu, mogły choć przez chwilę poczuć się lepiej”.

Teraz w wywiadzie dla “Newsweeka” opowiedziała o tym, co wydarzyło się tuż po jej coming oucie. “Czuję strach o najbliższych, chociażby o syna. W sobotę jechałam z kilkoma osobami tramwajem i był tam też rosły facet. Jak tylko wysiadł i drzwi się zamknęły, zaczął wrzeszczeć: “j**** p*****”. A pierwszy zostałam wyzwana od lesb przez grupkẹ dzieciaków w wieku mojego syna. Takich aktów agresji jest mnóstwo” – przyznała Sylwia Chutnik.
(Original)

source: https://www.wp.pl/?s=https%3A%2F%2Fkobieta.wp.pl%2Fsylwia-chutnik-ofiara-homofobicznego-ataku-pisarka-boi-sie-zyc-w-polsce-6544092389669440a&src01=f1e45&c=336

U.S: Lesbian baker who received homophobic cake order, made the cake anyway

bake

[April] Anderson, a pastry chef with a national reputation, was taken aback by a recent cake order that came into her Good Cakes and Bakes bakery on Livernois in Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion commercial corridor.

And, at least at first, she was unsure  how to handle it, worried she could wind up facing a lawsuit.

“We are so used to being Black lesbian women,” Anderson said. “You are used to people discriminating against you and saying mean things to you.”

On July 19, an online order came in for one of the bakery’s red velvet dessert cakes — an Anderson specialty.

The $40 order was paid for by credit card and  included a $10 tip — which is common.

Then Anderson read the message the customer wanted written on the cake and was stunned.

“I am ordering this cake to celebrate and have PRIDE in true Christian marriage,” the customer said in the order.  “I’d like you to write on the cake, in icing, ‘Homosexual acts are gravely evil. (Catholic Catechism 2357)'”

Anderson baked the cake, but without the requested message. In doing so, she was  following the bakery’s long-standing policy.  Written messages are not permitted on specialty dessert cakes ordered online, as stated on the bakery’s website.

Anderson and her wife also wrote a letter to Gordon and attached it to the cake, saying they stand against hate.

“We feel the only ‘grave evil’ is the judgement that good christians, like yourself, impose on folks that don’t meet their vision of what God wants them to be,” the letter said.

Continue reading: https://www.freep.com/story
/news/local/michigan/detroit/2020/08/13/detroit-baker-april-anderson-homophobic-cake-david-gordon/3343464001/
(source)

The Netherlands: Lesbian couple attacked with boiling water at asylum centre

L2L The Netherlands

A lesbian couple was attacked at the asylum center in Gilze last week, the police said on Monday. One woman was assaulted, the other had boiling water poured on her. Two suspects from Nigeria were arrested.

The attack happened in the Prinsenbosch asylum center early on Monday, August 3. The victims, aged 20 and 22 and also from Nigeria, got into an argument with the suspects. The 20-year-old woman was assaulted. The 22-year-old woman had boiling water poured over her. She was taken to a hospital in Tilburg with second degree burns, the police said. Both victims pressed charges.

Continue reading: https://nltimes.nl/2020/08/11/lesbian-couple-attacked-boiling-water-asylum-center (source)

As a lesbian woman, Ellen DeGeneres is being held to higher standards than if she were a man

Ellen DeGeneres

By Eleanor Margolis

iNews

Ellen was The Main Lesbian. She wore pant suits, dated other high-profile women, and – in general – was a Sapphic oasis in a parched hetero celebrity desert. She was the one gay woman your mum had probably heard of. After 20 years of being the friendly, relatable face of lesbian respectability, a number of claims from staffers on her talk show have lifted the mask to reveal someone unrecognisably different.

The woman whose entire shtick is being likeable stands accused of – behind the scenes – behaving more like Miranda Priestly than Barney the Dinosaur

And it should probably be noted that, as a woman demoted to obscurity for being gay, you don’t climb back to the top by being nice. Which presents a conundrum when a kind and nurturing nature is something deeply rooted in society’s expectations of women. As hardnosed and driven as DeGeneres clearly is, it’s hardly surprising that she had to cultivate a public façade of delightfulness to reclaim airtime.

Although allegations of off-air behaviour would be inexcusable, it’s hard to believe a man in her position would face the same backlash, purely for being unkind.

I have no doubt that bigots will make a link between Ellen’s callousness and her sexuality and nod knowingly. Because they can’t name a single other lesbian.

Continue reading: https://inews.co.uk/opinion/as-a-lesbian-woman-ellen-degeneres-is-being-held-to-higher-standards-than-if-she-were-a-man-575083 (source)

U.S: Conservative pundit says lesbian mayor proves that liberals aren’t “sane”

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

A rightwing pundit said that it’s not “sane” that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) was elected since she’s a lesbian and that there’s “something seriously wrong with her judgment” because she married another woman.

Dave Daubenmire – who was the keynote speaker at a Harrison County, Ohio Republican Party fundraiser last year – attacked Lightfoot on his Pass The Salt Live webcast on Monday.

“I want somebody to tell me how that woman gets elected any place, anywhere,” Daubenmire said, showing a picture of Lightfoot and her wife.

“How could any sane person elect that woman to be head of the city?”

“This is the picture that the city of Chicago wants to send out to the world as the leader, as the top political leader in their city?” he asked. “You tell me that we’re dealing with sane people.”

He then made sure that everyone knew he was talking about the fact that she’s married to a woman.

“We’ve gotten in this mess because we haven’t pointed out the obvious. Listen, folks, there’s something seriously wrong with this woman if she would marry that other woman. There is something seriously wrong with her judgment.”

Continue reading: https://www.lgbtqnation.com
/2020/07/conservative-pundit-says-lesbian-mayor-proves-liberals-arent-sane/
(source)

Canada: Lesbian couple denied service from videographer who doesn’t film ‘homosexual weddings’

kelly-roberts-and-mallory-arthur

As soon as Mallory Arthur and Kelly Roberts got engaged in January, they started planning their October 2021 wedding.

But this week’s excitement wasn’t what the Woodstock, Ont., couple, both 26 years old, were bargaining for. When they tried to book videographer Caramount Pictures, based in Brantford, Ont., for their wedding, the owner told them the business will not work with a same-sex couple.

The refusal came on Monday, 15 years to the day after Canada legalized same-sex marriage, on July 20, 2005.

“I say this with much care, because I know your union is incredibly important to you, but we do not film homosexual weddings,” Cara Hamstra, the business owner, wrote in an email.

Russia: Julia Tsvetkova, lesbian feminist activist on the state campaign against her

My Body is not pornography Julia Tsvetkova

“I feel that today there are so many invisible female political prisoners: mothers, wives – women who bear an incredible burden thanks to political trials,” says Russian artist Yulia Tsvetkova, who’s been designated a political prisoner by the Memorial human rights association. “Political prisoners are heroes, but women are the invisible service staff.”

Tsvetkova, a theatre director, feminist and LGBT activist, has had time to reflect. In October 2019, she was interrogated in her hometown of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and in November her social media posts led to her flat and theatre studio being searched for evidence of pornography. Tsvetkova was charged with spreading pornography and has been under house arrest since 23 November last year.

As part of the investigation, Tsvetkova has been accused of spreading “homosexual propaganda” among underage people and fined 50,000 roubles (£500). Tsvetkova has run several educational projects in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, as well as a youth theatre, online groups on feminism and sex education for young people and a Vagina Monologues group which celebrated the power and uniqueness of the female body.

In March this year, a district council reduced the charge against Tsvetkova and released her from house arrest on the basis that she would not leave the country. But Tsvetkova is still charged with spreading pornography for publishing illustrated educational material, for which she can be given a two-to-six-year prison sentence.

What’s happening with the persecution of activists and people who openly talk about sexual minorities, feminism, human rights and sexuality? To what extent do you feel that these issues are taboo in Russia and how this situation can change in the future?

I am the person who they started persecuting when I created The Pink and the Blue, a show about gender stereotypes which I put on at the Merak theatre. And I feel that this already says a lot.

I believe that a lot depends on culture, or rather, lack of it. For example, I needed an ambulance after my arrest and the medics that examined me asked about my case and also, whether I was a paedophile. These aren’t bad people; they just lack culture. People are curious – I can understand that: my case is unprecedented in our city. Because I have short hair, I’ve been asked four times on the street whether I’m male or female. When that happens, I feel shock and embarrassment. And people just don’t see that I’m embarrassed and that haircuts don’t define gender.

The question of my sexual orientation comes up at nearly every police interrogation. The need to physically examine me, for example, is all to do with the fact that I’m a lesbian. And as for my case, there seems to be an idea that the female body is public property. I’ve heard cops going on about how we should be having kids, not displaying our vaginas. But even if I wanted to display my vagina, it’s my right and my vagina.

Continue reading at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/yulia-tsvetkova-interview/

Related articles:

Italy: brawl after ongoing anti lesbian harassment

L2L Italy

Another episode of homophobia, this time in Caltagirone, Sicily, where a lesbian was involved in a fight caused by a series of insults about her sexuality. Police and carabinieri intervened at the scene and spoke with the victim. At the point of reporting she had not  formally filed a complaint. According to witnesses, it seems that the brawl – without injuries – occurred between two groups of young people who were on the street in the new area of ​​the city two nights ago. The victim was shouted at that she was male, which she has previously experienced in public and which triggered her reaction.

Arcigay: “Proud of the woman’s reaction”
Armando Caravini, president of the Catania branch of Arcigay, immediately intervened in support of the young woman. In a statement he said “I am proud of the young woman because she not only decided to put her face to this, publicly denouncing the incident and becoming an example for many who are afraid today, but for having addressed a difficult situation.”
(Translated)

Ancora un episodio di omofobia: stavolta sarebbe avvenuto a Caltagirone, in Sicilia, dove una ragazza lesbica è rimasta coinvolta in una rissa originata da una serie di insulti sulle sue scelte sessuali. Sul posto sono intervenuti polizia e carabinieri. La giovane è stata sentita dai militari dell’Arma, ma al momento non avrebbe ancora presentato nessuna denuncia. Secondo quanto hanno dichiarato alcuni presenti, sembra che la rissa – senza feriti – sia nata fra due gruppi di ragazzi che due sere fa si trovavano per strada nella zona nuova della città. La ragazza sarebbe stata chiamata a voce alta “al maschile”, un atteggiamento che più volte era stata costretta a subire per strada e che avrebbe innescato la sua reazione”

Arcigay: “Fieri della reazione della donna”
A supporto della giovane donna è subito intervenuta l’Arcigay catanese con il suo presidente Armando Caravini. “Sono fiero della ragazza – ha dichiarato in una nota – perché non solo ha deciso di metterci la faccia, denunciando pubblicamente l’accaduto e diventando esempio per tanti/e che oggi hanno paura, ma per aver affrontato una situazione difficile.”
(Original)

Continue reading at:  https://www.fanpage.it/attualita/omofobia-la-insultano-lei-si-ribella-rissa-in-strada-a-caltagirone/ (Source)

Further information also available at: https://livesicilia.it/2020/07/08/sono-lesbica-e-orgogliosa-e-scoppia-una-violenta-rissa/