Chilean President Sebastian Pinera signed into law a bill that allows transgender people over 14 to legally change their name and gender without surgery, The Washington Blade reported. The bill received final approval in Chile's congress in September. The measure is expected to officially take effect next year.
The Second Binational Cabinet between Peru and Chile has produced a joint agreement between the countries to make plans to prevent violence against women through increased sanctions, according to Peru Reports. Taking place in the Chilean capital of Santiago for the first time, female leaders from both countries used the binational meeting as an opportunity to stand up against rampant femicide and domestic abuse in both countries. Ana Maria Mendieta Trefogli ( Peru's head of Women and Vulnerable Populations Ministry ) and Maria Carolina Cuevas Merino ( the Minister of Women and Equality in Chile ) signed the pact.
Gay Australian wrestler Dave Marshall is making homemade porn to help fight LGBTI suicides, Gay Star News reported. He told the website, "After some thought, I did start it up with part [of the] proceeds going to Beyond Blue—a suicide-prevention charity." The porn is posted on the subscription-based platform OnlyFans ( onlyfans.com/davemarshall89 ). The reason he wanted to help this charity is because his dad took his own life last year.
A European human-rights court has ruled that Russian courts violated the freedom of assembly rights of sexual minorities by systematically rejecting pride events applications, The Moscow Times reported. Russian courts have, in the past decade, either banned pride parades outright or backtracked on earlier promises to allow them, often citing a 2013 law banning "homosexual propaganda" among minors. Earlier in 2018, seven activists filed 51 applications with the European Court of Human Rights, alleging discrimination and a violation of their freedom of association.
A British lawmaker revealed in Parliament that he is HIV-positive, CNN.com reported. Lloyd Russell-Moyle—a member of Parliament for the opposition Labour Party—is believed to be the only sitting lawmaker in the House of Commons to have disclosed that he has the virus. Russell-Moyle, who was elected in 2017, explained that he's "undetectable"—meaning he does not get sick and "can't transmit HIV to someone else." Russell-Moyle added that he chose the timing of his announcement to mark the 30th World AIDS Day on Dec. 1.
French President Emmanuel Macron asked for an evaluation of possible protest security measures Sunday, a day after a Paris demonstration against increased taxes and living costs devolved into France's worst urban riot in a decade, CBS News reported. Hours after he flew back to the French capital from the G-20 summit in Argentina, Macron held an emergency meeting at the Elysee presidential palace while crews worked to remove charred cars, broken glass and graffiti from the famed Champs-Elysees Avenue and other famous Paris sites. Paris police said 133 people were injured, including 23 police officers, as some radical far-right and far-left activists were involved in the riot
Greek authorities will reopen the investigation into the death of LGBTI activist and drag queen Zak Kostopoulos, Gay Star News noted. The decision came after two coroner's reports revealed he died from a heart attack brought on by injuries he received during a violent assault in Greece. Two men violently beat 33-year-old Kostopoulos—also known as Zackie Oh—in Athens on Sept. 21.
The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) released a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling on him to forcefully and publicly condemn the Chechen anti-LGBTQ crimes against humanity while he participates in a Ministerial Council meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) on Dec. 6-7, an HRC press release noted. In November, 16 countries at the OSCE invoked the "Moscow Mechanism" and authorized a fact-finding mission to investigate the anti-LGBTQ atrocities that have occurred in Chechnya over the last 18 months.
An Indonesian city plans to slap its gay and transgender residents with a 1 million rupiah ( $95 ) fine for disturbing "public order," underscoring a marked rise in discrimination against the Muslim-majority nation's small LGBT community, The Straits Times reported. Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia—except in the Islamic law-abiding Aceh province—but there has been a backlash against the community in recent years. However, Pariaman, a coastal city in West Sumatra, passed a sweeping regulation banning "acts that are considered LGBT."
Nepal—once hailed as a leader in LGBT rights when it became the first country in conservative South Asia to recognise a third gender and assure equality for its sexual minorities—has lost its luster, with gay and transgender Nepalis still confronting obstacles to jobs and schools, and marriage equality a distant prospect, according to France24.com . Gay and transgender Nepalis and rights activists say action has not matched rhetoric, and more than a decade on, the community still faces discrimination.
European researchers have conducted acoustic research—and determined that the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury had the greatest singing voice of all time, Maxim.com noted. Czech and Swedish voice researchers Christian T. Herbst Stellan Hertegard, Daniel Zangger-Borch and Per-Ake Lindestad did an acoustical analysis of Mercury's voice and found that his vibrato was truly different from those of classically trained ( opera ) singers.
Writer and campaigner Paris Lees is the first transgender person to become a regular columnist in Vogue's 125-year history, BBC.com reported. The Life-Changing Power Of... column will run fortnightly in British Vogue and focus on her millennial life as a woman living in London. Earlier this year, she also became the first openly trans person to be featured in British Vogue.
In Canada, a Winnipeg nightclub denied entry to a young man waiting outside who reportedly used homophobic language, SDGLN.com related. Reese Buhr and his friend were turned away at the door of Club 441 after using the word "gay" in a homophobic way according to Gay Star News. In a now-deleted video, Buhr says, ""I f***ing hate gays, let's put that on the record. These f***ing queers were illegal 20 years ago, my grandparents would say what the fuck, that's f***ed man." Buhr has since stated, "I sincerely apologize to anyone I offended, and take full responsibility for my actions"—but his social-media presence has reportedly been suspended.
Yorgos Lanthimos' comedy-drama The Favourite won a record ten awards at the British Independent Film Awards ( BIFA ) in London, Deadline.com reported. The film won Best British Independent Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. Best Actress winner Olivia Colman maintained her perfect record of winning at BIFA every time she is nominated and took home her fourth BIFA trophy. Also, co-star Rachel Weisz was named Best Supporting Actress.
The British Film Institute ( BFI ) has announced it will no longer fund movies featuring villainous characters with facial scars, IndieWire reported. The organization's decision supports the growing #IAmNotYourVillain campaign started by Changing Faces, the United Kingdom's leading charity group for people with a visible difference such as a mark or scar.
