South Florida Gay News noted that efforts to ban so-called conversion therapy gained a lot of traction around the world in 2022. For example, Canada and France introduced LGBTQ+-inclusive bills to ban conversion therapy for minors and adults, regardless of perceived "consent," in clinical and religious settings. New Zealand passed the Conversion Practices Prohibition Act and, following an amendment to the Health for All Act, Greek lawmakers passed measures explicitly prohibiting conversion therapy for persons under 18 and "non-consenting" adults. In addition, several Mexican states also banned conversion practices this year, following the nation's first prohibition that Mexico City approved in 2020.
In India, Kolkata's Calcutta International School stands apart for its support of LGBTQ+ people, The Washington Blade noted. "Prism is a gender and a sexuality alliance. It aims to provide a safe space for the members of the LGBTQ+ community and a space for allies to show support and learn," a poster reads. "Contact us for doubts, questions or if you just want someone to talk to. We won't bite or assign quadratic equations—but we'll help in any way possible." It is one of those rare instances in the country when a school starts a movement to provide visibility for the LGBTQI community and creates awareness among school-age children.
The World Boxing Council (WBC) plans to introduce a separate transgender category in 2023, PinkNews reported. Under the proposals, boxing matches would adopt an "at birth" rule, meaning trans men would only be able to compete against other trans masculine people and vice versa. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman told The Telegraph, "It is the time to do this, and we are doing this because of safety and inclusion. We have been the leaders in rules for women's boxing, so the dangers of a man fighting a woman will never happen because of what we are going to put in place." Also, the British Boxing Board of Control is considering its trans-inclusion policy.
The Russian government granted its media regulator the authority to block websites containing "LGBT propaganda" without a court order, The Moscow Times reported. "Information propagating non-traditional sexual relations and (or) preferences" now serves as grounds for blacklisting any website in Russia, alongside those containing child pornography, information about suicide methods and illegal narcotic production. In April, Russia's federal media regulator Roskomnadzor blocked the online women's magazine Wonderzine for its LGBTQ+ content after a complaint came from the government's youth policy agency.
Poland President Andrzej Duda vetoed a controversial bill that would further limit access to comprehensive sexual education and anti-LGBTQ discrimination preventative classes in schools in the country, according to The Washington Blade. The measure, similar in nature to an earlier measure also vetoed by Duda, would have implemented restrictions on curriculum and school activities, giving the country's central government more control over the regional school systems and administrative staff.
An Irish family said they are desperate to stop Canada from deporting their transgender teen—all while fighting to extricate themselves from a complex immigration-related situation, CBC reported. The Tyrrell Haslam family from County Kildare has been living in a British Columbia motel room for 15 months provided by Turning Point, a homeless outreach organization. The family has been restricted from working or attending school and surviving on charity for almost two years. The family has said returning to Ireland is not an option, as this could put trans son Adam, 19, in jeopardy.
Designated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a rare criticism of his new coalition allies for saying they would advance laws allowing discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, Politico reported. Netanyahu is set to form the most ultranationalist and religious government in Israel's history between his Likud movement and several openly anti-LGBTQ parties. Orit Struck—a Religious Zionist member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament—said her party seeks a change to the country's anti-discrimination law. However, Netanyahu said that Struck's remarks "are unacceptable to me and to members of Likud," and that the coalition agreement "does not allow discrimination against LGBTQ or harming their right to receive services like all other Israeli citizens."
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) included several new LGBTQ+ entries (including "LGBTQ" itself) in 2022, according to LGBTQ Nation. Some of the other terms included "anti-gay" and "anti-homosexual," and the Australian Aboriginal terms "brotherboy" and "sistergirl" as well as "gender-affirming," "multisexual," the Zapotec identity "muxe," "TERF" and "pangender."
The European Commission said it would retain all 22 billion euros of EU cohesion funds for Hungary until its government meets conditions related to judiciary independence, academic freedoms, LGBTQI+ rights and the asylum system, Reuters reported. EU institutions had already decided on Dec. 12 to freeze 6.3 billion euros of the funds until Viktor Orban's right-wing government meets an even tougher set of 17 conditions also linked to the judiciary and dealing with corruption at high levels.
Fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood passed away Dec. 29 in London, Out noted. Her fashion house released a statement that included a quote from her; in read, in part, "Tao gives you a feeling that you belong to the cosmos and gives purpose to your life; it gives you such a sense of identity and strength to know you're living the life you can live and therefore ought to be living: Make full use of your character and full use of your life on earth." Over the years, Westwood remained a source of inspiration for many LGBTQ+ designers, musicians, models, drag performers, and artists in general.
Canada Soccer is the latest national sports organization to sign an agreement to join Abuse-Free Sport—the federal government's program to prevent and address maltreatment in sports, CBC reported. Canada Soccer participants who have experienced or witnessed abuse will have access to the organization's independent third-party services until March 1. Canada's sport minister, Pascale St-Onge, has given national sport organizations a deadline of April to sign on with the new Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, or they risk losing federal funding.
The Just Stop Oil activist who threw soup over Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" hasn't been deterred by the anti-LGBTQ+ abuse that followed their headline-making protest, PinkNews noted. Anna Holland made global headlines when they hurled a tin of soup at "Sunflowers"—which is worth millions of dollars and is protected by glass—with fellow activist Phoebe Plummer. The media outlet noted that the protest has launched similar events in museums around the world and has launched anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. Just Stop Oil wants the UK government stops the production and licensing of fossil fuels.
An anti-trans protestor lifted her skirt and flashed Scottish Parliament with a fake vagina as the legislators voted to pass a law that will make it easier for trans people—including those as young as 16—to change their gender legally, LGBTQ Nation noted. In October, anti-trans Harry Potter author JK Rowling posted a photo of herself wearing a T-shirt calling the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, a "destroyer of women's rights" for supporting the law.
In an interview with The New York Times, openly gay British actor Jonathan Bailey discussed his career, personal life, mainstream success with Bridgerton and new role in the West End play Cock, Out noted. Nicki van Gelder—Bailey's agent since he was 15—discussed the positive impact his coming out has had on younger actors.
Parents accused the Church of England of child abuse after learning their primary school-aged children saw a video related to gender identity, The Christian Post noted. Kent residents Calvin and Nicola Watts reportedly pulled their children from St. Michael's Church of England primary school when they discovered their 8-year-old was shown a video titled It Feels Good to be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity without their knowledge or consent.
Afghanistan's Taliban-run administration ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to stop female employees from working, in a move the United Nations said would hit humanitarian operations just as winter grips a country already in economic crisis, Reuters reported. A letter from the economy ministry, confirmed by spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib, said female employees of NGOs were not allowed to work until further notice because some had not adhered to the administration's interpretation of Islamic dress code for women. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted that he was "deeply concerned" the move "will disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions."
Maxi Jazz (real name: Maxwell Fraser)—a DJ and the lead singer for the electronic British band Faithless—has died at age 65, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Faithless was known for such songs as 1995's "Insomnia" and 2001's "We Come 1." Jazz fronted the group from 1995 until 2011, when it broke up, and again from 2015-16.
Controversial British-American online influencer/ex-kickboxer Andrew Tate—who recently got into an online tiff with teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg—was detained in Romania on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming an organized crime group, The Guardian reported. Tate, who has been banned from a number of social media platforms for misogynistic comments and hate speech, was arrested alongside his brother (Tristan) and two other suspects. Recently, he was told to get a life by Thunberg on Twitter after he told her he owned 33 cars with "enormous emissions."
