Some Western governments who pledged to support LGBTQI+ rights have also funded supporters of a controversial bill in Ghana that could introduce harsh sentences for advocating for sexual and gender minorities' rights, CNN reported. In the five years up to 2021, at least $5 million in aid from Europe and the United States went to projects run by or benefiting churches in Ghana whose leaders have backed this bill and have a long track record of anti-LGBTQI+ statements and activities, according to CNN's analysis of financial data and communication with the donors.
Latvian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee discontinued the civil-union legislative draft originally composed by the 13th Saeima, according to BNN. This legislative draft provided for the adoption of a new procedure for the registration of a union between two adults. This measure would have applied to same-sex couples in Latvia. Dagnija Palcevska, director of the Department of Civil Law in the Ministry of Justice, said the procedure requires a lot of state resources and is not the most effective solution to the situation.
Russian tennis player Daria Kasatkina has responded after politician Roman Teryushkov—a member of the 8th State Duma—attempted to get her blacklisted as a "foreign agent" after she came out as lesbian, Express noted. "How nice to have fans from the State Duma," she wrote, adding a smiling emoji covered in love hearts in the message. The eighth-ranked player in the world came out in a YouTube video over the summer in which she also condemned her country for invading Ukraine.
On the eve of the law banning LGBTQ+ propaganda, Russian activist Peter Voskresensky opened a queer museum dedicated to LGBTQ+ history and aesthetics in St. Petersburg—but it closed just a few days later, Worldcrunch noted. However, an estimated 200 people had a chance to visit it. Among the visitors was a priest from the Association of Christian Eucharistic Communities.
Leaked documents obtained by The Sunday Times reveal that an unnamed "trans princess" belonging to Qatar's Al-Thani royal family escaped during a family trip to London in 2015, fearing persecution in their home country, WorldCrunch noted. They were then granted asylum by Britain. As reported in the documents, the member of the royal family told the UK home office that "growing up in Qatar has been the most difficult thing" they ever had to do. In Qatar, transgender people can be detained for "violating public morality."
A military committee decided to classify the death of Byun Hee-soo—South Korea's first transgender soldier, who was found dead a year after being forcibly discharged from service—as a "general death," per WorldCrunch. Her family and LGBTQ+-rights activists had called for the Army to categorize her death as "on-duty," but the panel rejected the claim, arguing that Byun's death had no "significant causal connection" with her military service.
Japanese lawmaker Mio Sugita—a parliamentary vice minister for internal affairs and communications— retracted past remarks she has made against members of the LGBTQ+ and Ainu indigenous communities and offered an apology, Kyodo News reported. The member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party had been facing fresh scrutiny for the comments she made several years ago after being appointed to the government post this summer.
In a tweet, the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) said the eastern Caribbean island of Barbados had repealed its buggery and gross indecency laws in an oral judgment, the St. Vincent Times reported. ECADE said in its post that a written judgment would be handed down in January.
Another reporter covering the FIFA World Cup "died suddenly," the Doha-based Gulf Times reported—the same day a security guard was left in intensive care after falling at one of the tournament's stadiums, Yahoo! News noted. Al Kass TV's Khalid al-Misslam was the second journalist to die at the event, after U.S. reporter and LGBTQ+ ally Grant Wahl—who made news for wearing a Pride shirt to a World Cup match—for wearing suddenly passed away while covering the Argentina/Netherlands game.
After refusing her invitation to Qatar in support of her gay sister, Irish model and TV presenter Vogue Williams criticized former soccer star David Beckham for not speaking out in support of the LGBTQ+ community, Worldcrunch noted. She called on him to donate some of his earnings to LGBTQ+ charities in Qatar to provide "much-needed safety to those living in terror."
Gay soccer player Collin Martin criticized FIFA for failing to use the World Cup to advance LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar, according to PinkNews. Martin, a midfielder with San Diego Loyal, told PinkNews that Qatar should never have been allowed to host the World Cup in the first place because of its track record on LGBTQ+ rights.
Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have started a nationwide strike in the largest action of its kind in NHS (National Health Services) history, the BBC reported. Staff will continue to provide "life-preserving" and some urgent care but routine surgery and other planned treatment is likely to be disrupted. The UK government said the Royal College of Nursing's 19% pay rise demand was unaffordable.
MTV announced the global expansion of the Drag Race franchise, with three new editions in Brazil, Germany and Mexico that will air on MTV/Paramount+ in their respective territories, per a press release. Additionally, fan favorites from around the world will enter the first-ever Drag Race Global All Stars exclusively on Paramount+ globally. As part of the new expansion, the US series of RuPaul's Drag Race heads to MTV for season 15 on Friday, Jan. 6, which will feature singer Ariana Grande as guest judge.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling announced the launch of a privately funded, women-only sexual-assault crisis center, LGBTQ Nation noted. Located in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Rowling lives, Beira's Place will offer free support for cisgender women who have experienced sexual assault at any point in their lives. However, it will reportedly exclude transgender women. In a statement, Rape Crisis Scotland welcomed any new service that supports survivors of sexual assault. But, it said, "It is crucial that the life-saving support offered by rape crisis centers is available to trans and non-binary people."
Singer Kehlani alleged on Instagram that an audience member at their UK show "touched my genitals" as they were being escorted through a crowd, Page Six noted. The "You Should Be Here" singer was performing at O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, England. She added, "i don't care how sexual you deem my music, my performances, my fun with my friends dancing at clubs, or ME…. that does not give any of you the right to cross a boundary like sticking your hands up my skirt & pulling my underwear to TOUCH TO MY GENITALS as i am being escorted through a crowd after performing."
