The European Union announced its first strategy to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people, out.com noted. Many saw the development as a response to the rising anti-LGBTQ+ hate and rhetoric in Poland and Hungary. The new strategy will feature a range of actions to tackle discrimination within members states, as well as provide support to key stakeholders within local communities. "Equality and non-discrimination are core values and fundamental rights in the European Union," said European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli in a statement. "This means that everybody in the European Union should feel safe and free without fear of discrimination or violence on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics."
In the case of B. and C. v Switzerland, for the first time the European Court of Human Rights found that deportation of the applicant, a gay man, would give rise to a violation of Article 3 due to failure by the responding State to assess the risks of ill-treatment for a gay person in Gambia, ILGA-Europe announced. In making its decision, the court took note of widespread homophobia and discrimination against LGBTI persons in Gambia. Here, the Court relied heavily on the third-party intervention submission by ILGA-Europe, an umbrella organization for more than 600 LGBTI member groups in Europe, alongside AIRE Centre, ICJ (International Court of Justice) and ECRE (the European Council on Refugees and Exiles).
South African double Olympic track-and-field champion Caster Semenya plans to take her fight with World Athletics to the European Court of Human Rights, Openly News reported. Semenya is one of a number of female athletes with differences in sexual development (DSDs) competing in races ranging from 400 meters to a mile who World Athletics insist must reduce their naturally high levels of testosterone in order to run. Semenya has vowed to fight the regulations, but has already lost an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as well as another subsequent plea to the Swiss Federal Tribunal (SFT) asking for the CAS ruling to be set aside.
On Nov. 22, Cuban authorities detained the managing editor of the Washington Blade's media partner on the island, the Blade reported. Maykel Gonzalez Vivero—in a series of messages he sent to the Blade—said a police car drove him to a "dark road" about 15 miles outside of Havana and released him. Gonzalez Vivero has backed members of the San Isidro Movement, a group of independent artists, who are currently on a hunger strike to protest the rapper Denis Solís' arrest earlier this month.
Rainbow Railroad—an international organization that helps LGBTQI people escape violence and persecution to find a path to safety—launched its #60in60 Campaign to raise $600,000 in the last 60 days of 2020 to save 60 lives, a press release reported. The campaign's tagline is "You can save an LGBTQI life." From now until December 31, the organization will be releasing videos and other multimedia content telling the stories of the brave individuals they've helped and explaining the global LGBTQI experience. Viewers can follow along the campaign on social media (@rainbowrailroad).
Anti-government protesters in Thailand are planning to expand their set of demands after generating "significant" support for a movement that's broken long-held taboos about publicly criticizing the monarchy, Bloomberg reported. Following four months of street protests, the youth-led groups will also take on issues like changes in the crown-property laws and the recognition of same-sex marriage, according to Arnon Nampa, one of the movement's most prominent leaders.
The Australian state of Tasmania is considering paying those charged with or convicted of various charges under the country's repressive anti-LGBTQ+ laws of the past that outlawed same-sex sexual relations, cross-dressing and the enabling of such activities, out.com noted. The proposal came in an independent review required by law of the Expungement of Historical Offences Act passed in 2017. The recommendation for compensation was not included in the act itself and the government must approve it.
The Belgian regions of Brussels and Wallonia closed their office of representation in Warsaw on Nov. 20 over what they say is the Polish government's threat to judicial and media independence and anti-gay discrimination, Reuters reported. "For several years, the authoritarian excesses of the government in place have undermined the rule of law," Walloon Premier Elio Di Rupo and his Walloon-Brussels counterpart, Pierre-Yves Jeholet, said in a joint statement.
World of Wonder is expanding the Drag Race-universe with another European iteration, as Drag Race Spain will debut in 2021, out.com noted. This year, Canada's Drag Race and Drag Race Holland joined existing shows RuPaul's Drag Race U.K., The Switch and Drag Race Thailand in the global empire. Like many of the other Drag Race-named franchises (as opposed to those named RuPaul's Drag Race) the series isn't expected to include RuPaul in-person. In the United States, viewers will be able to view the show on WOW Presents Plus; an air date has not been announced.
British actor John Cleese has been accused of being transphobic after tweeting posts in support of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling—and admitting that he was "not that interested" in transgender rights, The New York Post noted. Cleese was attacked while sparring online with followers angered by his decision to sign a letter of support for Rowling amid the huge backlash over her views on transgender issues. "I'm afraid I'm not that interested in trans folks," he admitted when pressed to "be upfront" about his views on Rowling's controversy. "I just hope they're happy and that people treat them kindly," he wrote.
British model Lottie Moss—the 22-year-old sister of iconic model Kate Moss—came out as pansexual during an Q&A on her Instagram, out.com noted. When a fan asked "So you prefer to be in a relationship with a girl?" during the Q&A, Moss responded, "I'm pansexual so I don't really mind ... any gender. It kinda changes every day as well." Other pansexual celebrities include Miley Cyrus, Cara Delevingne, Janelle Monae, Panic! at the Disco frontman Brendon Urie, Asia Kate Dillon, X Factor winner Dalton Harris, Bella Thorne and RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Courtney Act.
Jesy Nelson, of the popular British music group Little Mix, is taking some time off for medical reasons, Variety noted. Earlier this month, Nelson had pulled out of the live final episode of the group's BBC shows Little Mix: The Search, and subsequently hosting and performing at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
Eighties long-distance runner Zola Budd—who famously collided with U.S. counterpart Mary Decker at the 1984 Olympics—is coming out with a memoir that promises to lift the lid on shocking allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and coverups in the world of track and field, according to Page Six. In 1984, South Africa was excluded from international athletics because of apartheid, and she controversially was granted British citizenship so she could compete in the LA Olympics that same year; World Athletics found Budd was not responsible for the collision, but she was vilified in the media and received death threats.
