Historic England is being criticised for funding a queer history trail in Norfolk, prompting right-wingers to describe LGBTQ+ identities as “controversial” and claim it “creates division.”
The trail in King’s Lynn is part of 21 youth-focused projects across the country which are being funded by Historic England, the public body that looks after England’s historic environment and helps people understand and value it, with grants of up to £15,000 ($19,000).
Other projects approved for funding include LGBTQ+ history explorations in rural Staffordshire, Gateshead and Stockport, a podcast about a mosque in East London, and youngsters with additional needs looking at the social history around the oldest cable tramway in Britain.
The King’s Lynn project will “create a trail” through the town centre, focusing on its LGBTQ+ history.
“This will connect to a permanent artwork created in partnership with True’s Yard [fishing museum]. What form this artwork takes will be in the hands of the young people,” the Historic England website revealed.
However, not everyone was happy at the news.
Neil Record, the former director of anti-woke pressure group Restore Trust, told The Telegraph: “The promotion of ‘queer’ history by publicly funded bodies is, in my view highly, inappropriate. It creates division by concentrating on this one controversial aspect of sexuality, whereas history itself is complex and subtle, not best seen through a special-interest lens like this.
“It is also worth noting that homosexuality was illegal in the UK until 1967, so sources of information on sexual preferences prior to this date will be intended to be hidden, and hence could be unreliable.”
This is not the first time public bodies focused on preserving British history have come under fire.
You may like to watch
In 2022, anti-LGBTQ+ members of the National Trust asked their peers to support the banning of Pride events, describing taking part as “unaccountable, divisive and an exercise in virtue signalling… [and] unbecoming in a body which should be dedicated to preserving the nation’s heritage for all and being a faithful steward of its members’ subscriptions”.
Members ignored the plea and voted to continue celebrating Pride. “The National Trust was founded for the benefit of everyone,” a spokesperson told PinkNews in 2022.
“We serve the whole of our wonderfully diverse society and we want to do that to the very best of our ability. This includes supporting our staff, volunteers and visitors to take part in cultural celebrations, including Pride, which they have been doing for many years.”
Two out trans candidates are running for office in Nepal, marking the first time that out trans candidates have run for the positions.
Honey Maharjan and Mouni Maharjan are both rallying for a role in parliament. Both Honey and Mouni, who are not related despite sharing the same surname, are in the running for the local by-elections in the country.
Although Nepal is hailed for having some of the most progressive LGBTQ+ rightsin South Asia, there has not been an out LGBTQ+ member to hold public office since 2008.
Honey, 44, is hoping that her candidacy “will inspire others in the queer community to participate openly in future elections”. On Sunday (1 December), she will run for the role of Mayor of Kirtipur, a Municipality on the outskirts of the capital of Kathmandu.
Honey Maharjan (left) and Mouni Maharjan (centre) are rallying for roles in office in Kirtipur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu. (PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite legal advancements, Honey noted that those in the queer community in Nepal often face discrimination in many walks of life, including employment, healthcare, and education settings.
“Until now, not one of our community members had exercised the right to run for mayoral elections in Nepal,” Honey said.
“When I remember my past, it’s like a nightmare because I faced a lot of discrimination and abuse. Like other transgender people, I want to change this,” she added.
“We are also part of this society and can contribute to the betterment of society. This is what I want to do if I am elected.”
Meanwhile, Mouni is running for a ward chair role in the same area. Both candidates are part of the People’s Socialist Party Nepal.
You may like to watch
Mouni, 29, is campaigning against LGBTQ+ discrimination, especially in the workplace and at school. She explained that she wants to create jobs for the community and implement LGBTQ+-focused classes in school to raise awareness.
She said: “I will work to add a curriculum in school courses regarding the community so that the new generation will easily accept our presence and be treated better.”
Former parliamentarian Sunil Babu Pant previously led LGBTQ+-focused campaigns, including fighting for equal marriage rights.
“Since I left the parliament [in 2013], no one has been elected. So, our voice has not been present in the lawmaking bodies and policy-making bodies,” Babu Pant told AFP.
“We now have two candidates this election. This is hugely a positive development for Nepal.”
New research has revealed the impact of transphobia on transgender and non-binary people’s mental health.
The study, “State of Trans+ Mental Health 2024,” surveyed more than 2,000 people across 75 countries, with 68 per cent of respondents saying they had been diagnosed with a mental-health condition. On average, one in every six suffered with depression and anxiety. More than 51 per cent experienced “poor or very poor” mental health.
More than 80 per cent of those who responded said a lack of social acceptance was one of their main challenges, while a similar number, 79.8 per cent, put gender dysphoria as one of their biggest hurdles. Fear of discrimination (70.7 per cent) and family rejection (59.9 per cent) were also mentioned.
The report, published by LGBTQ+ mental wellness app Voda, found that just 14.7 per cent had a positive experience when accessing healthcare, while 40.7 per cent had difficulty even doing so.
An overwhelming majority of respondents emphasised the importance of mental-health services for trans people being created by transgender and non-binary individuals, with nearly 84 per cent highlighting the need for therapists or mental-health professionals to also transgender or non-binary.
Jaron Soh, Voda’s co-founder and chief executive, said: “This report is a call to action to recognise the significant gaps in mental-health provision for trans+ individuals, and [to] work toward creating inclusive, affirming services that address their needs.”
The Vatican has blocked discussions on women’s rights at the UN climate summit, COP29, over concerns that support for them would include trans and gay women.
According to BBC News, representatives for Pope Francis, aligned with Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran and Egypt to prevent an agreement that would have provided more support for women affected by climate change.
The 10-year-old UN action plan, Lima Work Programme on Gender, which ensures that work on climate change acknowledges support for women, including financial support, was due to be updated at the summit in Azerbaijan, which is due to end on Friday (22 November).
Several countries wanted to include a line highlighting that all women’s experiences of the impacts of climate change are different, and can be compounded by “gender, sex, age and race”.
However, the four countries and the Vatican – the world’s smallest independent state – objected, citing concerns that it could be inclusive of trans women. They also want references to gay women removed. This has reportedly stalled the deal completely.
According to LGBTQ+ rights website Equaldex, only Vatican City has fully legalised homosexuality, while in Iran and Saudi Arabia it can be punishable by death. In all but Iran, changing gender is not permitted.
Colombia’s environment minister and lead negotiator Susana Muhamad told the BBC: “It is unacceptable. The Latin American countries are working very hard, we will not allow the gender programme to drop and allow human rights to be dropped.”
And Sostina Takure, from Christian charity ACT Alliance, said she was shocked to hear the Vatican “opposed the human rights language”, adding: “My heart shattered into a million pieces.”
A spokesperson for the Vatican said: “The Holy See hopes that consensus will be reached, with respect for the sensitivities of each participating state and in a language acceptable to all.”
The current UN plan on gender and climate is due to expire at the end of this year, meaning if the countries do not come to an agreement by Friday, there will be no specific global agreement for supporting women facing the effects of climate change.
According to a report by UN Women, by 2050 almost 240 million more women and girls will face food insecurity caused by climate change, compared with 131 million more men and boys. Almost 160 million women and girls will be pushed into extreme poverty by climate change, the report added.
Charities including ActionAid said it was crucial to reach a deal because the UN estimated that women and girls currently make up 80 per cent of those displaced by climate change.
Romania has been described as being “in shock” today (25 November) after far-right candidate Calin Georgescu won the first round of the country’s presidential elections.
Calin Georgescu, an independent candidate who is a NATO critic, won with a 22.95% share, beating incumbent prime minister Marcel Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), who had been the favourite to win the first round.
62-year old Calin Georgescu will now go on to face Elena Lasconi of the centre-right Save Romania Union party on 8 December. It’s the first time in 35 years that the left-wing PSD won’t have a second round candidate.
What is life currently like for LGBTQ+ people in Romania?
Things haven’t exactly been rosy for the LGBTQ+ community under left-wing rule, so it’s concerning to see this far-right surge in the country, which was formerly run by tyrannical communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Could things get worse, and could queer peoples’ hard-won rights be rolled back?
More than 25,000 people joined this year’s Bucharest Pride in July 2024, marking the largest march to date. The Pride Festival featured 20 events and spanned over nine days.
You may like to watch
However, on the same day a counter-demonstration called March for Normality was held in the capital.
Also in July 2024, an MP named George Simion shared a social media post to say that LGBTQ+ people are to blame for the weather conditions, which are divine punishment. In the same month, the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church also said that “homosexuality was, is and will remain unnatural”.
Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu during a meeting with Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street on November 13, 2024 in London (Getty)
Marcel Ciolacu: country ‘not ready’ to uphold LGBTQ+ rights
A year ago, in November 2023, Romania’s Prime Minister said that the country isn’t ready to uphold LGBTQ+ rights in line with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
It came after the ECHR ruled in May 2023 that Romania had breached of article eight of the European Convention on Human Rights – the right to respect for private and family life – by refusing to legally recognise same-sex relationships.
In an interview with Europa FM, left-wing Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was asked about his thoughts on the ECHR ruling and whether Romania would now consider expanding protections for the LGBTQ+ community.
Ciolacu said: “Romanian society is not ready for a decision at the moment. It is not one of my priorities and… I don’t think Romania is ready.”
Two women kiss as they take part in Bucharest Pride 2018. (DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP via Getty)
He continued: “I am not a closed-minded person, I… have friends in relationships with a man, I don’t have a problem with that, I am talking now from the point of view of a prime minister.”
Ciolacu added that he didn’t believe it would be the last time that Romania failed to enforce the ECHR’s rulings.
Although Romania decriminalised homosexuality in 2001, it has yet to legalise marriage or civil partnerships for same-sex couples.
In the ECHR’s investigation into Romania’s failure to recognise same-sex couples, it was determined that the societal opposition to same-sex marriage in Romania should not override same-sex couples’ right to have their relationships legally recognised.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said ‘Romanian society is not ready” to introduce same-sex rights. (Getty Images)
The investigation had been prompted by complaints lodged by 21 different Romanian couples to the ECHR, arguing that there was no way to legally safeguard their relationships due to the country’s lack of recognition.
Each of the couples had given notice to their local registry offices expressing their intention to marry, but their requests were rejected under an article that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman.
Their requests were also rejected under a separate article which states that same-sex marriage is “prohibited” in Romania.
LGBTQ+ propaganda bill
In 2022, Romanian lawmakers came under fire when the government introduced a so-called LGBTQ+ “propaganda” bill, which would ban the use of materials in schools that “promote” being queer.
According to the World Values Survey conducted between 2017 and 2020, three-quarters of the population said that they believed that homosexuality is “not justifiable”.
What rights could Romanian LGBTQ+ people lose under Calin Georgescu?
LGBTQ+ rights in Romania (Equaldex)
Equaldex – a collaborative knowledge base for the LGBTQ+ movement – give Romania an overall score of 46/100 for its treatment of LGBTQ+ people, taking into account factors like legal rights and also public opinion about queer people in general.
Trans people are currently banned from serving in the military and can’t legally change gender unless they have gender affirming surgery. Non-binary people are not legally recognised. Gay marriage is banned.
Homosexuality is, however, legal, as is gender affirming care. LGBTQ+ people are permitted to donate blood and the age of consent for queer people is equal to that of heterosexual people.
At the time of writing, it is still unclear whether Elena Lasconi or Calin Georgescu will win on 8 December, and what the premiership of either candidate could mean for the already less-than-comprehensive LGBTQ+ rights in the country. We’ll update this article when the results are known.
Users of Elon Musk‘s X/Twitter are looking for a new social media platform on which to connect and share their thoughts – and Bluesky might be the answer.
Bluesky has been the talk of the internet for some time now, and last week it became the top free app in the Apple App Store in the UK, as users looked for an alternative to Musk’s platform where LGBTQ+ hate appears free to continue unabated.
Having launched in 2022, Bluesky has been steadily gaining numbers, especially in the wake of the recent US presidential election and with Musk co-leading the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. This month, the platform’s audience hit 19 million, with 700,000 new members in just one week.
So, is the grass really greener – or maybe bluer – elsewhere? Here is everything you need to know about the up and coming social media platform.
Is Bluesky free?
Yes.
Bluesky started as an internal project by former Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey in 2019. In 2021, it became an independent company with Jay Graber taking the reins.
Previously, new users were only able to migrate to the site if they received an invitation from an existing user. That policy has been scrapped and anyone can join. Visit bsky.app and click the sign-up button to begin.
What is the difference between X and Bluesky?
At first look, X/ and Bluesky seem similar, both are scrollable social media platforms but when you look closer the new alternative solves a lot of problems that users have been having with Musk’s adopted child recently.
People using Bluesky can post, comment, repost and like their favourite things using the home page, notifications and search functions.
Bluesky prides itself on being a network that prioritises user control, a stark contrast to X’s algorithm-driven feeds that had become increasingly populated by bots. Being decentralised is an essential difference because users can host their data on their own servers rather than those owned by the company.
However, most people are unlikely to use this feature and will simply join with a “.bsky.social” at the end of their username.
Toxic algorithms and right-wing hate are driving people to Bludsky. (Mario Tama/Getty)
Why is everyone going to Bluesky?
It’s no coincidence that following Trump’s re-election, the number of new users on Bluesky shot up.
Elon Musk backed Trump’s presidential campaign both vocally and financially and has now been nominated for a position in the incoming administration. With political division on the platform being felt by all, some are leaving X as a protest.
Other X users have grown fed up with the platform’s toxic algorithmic feeds and the South-African-born billionaire’s failed promises to end the bot problem.
Also, since Musk took over, X seems to have been increasingly prioritising right-wing/MAGA attitudes.
The platform has also become increasingly hostile for LGBTQ+ users. Musk – whose own trans daughter has cut him out of her life – rolled back anti-hate protection policies on the social media platform after he took it over, such as those against misgendering and deadnaming.
The policy which prohibited “targeted harassment, including repeated slurs, tropes” or content intended to dehumanise protected categories, had been in effect since 2018 – prior to Musk’s acquisition of the platform – but was dropped last year.
“Realising I would have to start anew was really hard,” a trans teacher, who wishes to be known only as Derek, tells PinkNews about his move from Missouri to Washington.
“Uprooting all your connections,” was one of the hardest parts, he adds.
To mark Trans Awareness Week, which runs until Tuesday (19 November), Derek opened up about his life-changing uprooting from Missouri to Washington in 2022.
The teacher, who is in his 20s, says he felt “grief” at having to move but had been “forced out”. While the decision was “scary,” he’s now “really happy” and feels “certain aspects” of his life are “better here than they could have been in Missouri”.
Derek came out as trans at the age of 13. His decision to leave the Show-Me State was a “long, drawn-out one”, and he recalls becoming increasingly aware that the “political climate was getting worse”.
But it was after Donald Trump’s first term in the White House that the “writing really was on the wall… especially because I am a teacher, and I worked for a year in a public school district in Missouri where I saw how much these policies affected not only my ability to teach but also my sense of safety”.
Deciding where to move presented its own challenges. “I looked up online the top states that are best for trans folks. I compared them and eliminated all the states that were too cold for me. We had the option to visit both Oregon and Washington and settled on Washington,” he says, adding that his partner, who is also trans, works in the public sector as a librarian.
‘I don’t feel like I can put my guard down entirely’
Derek says anti-trans discrimination in the Evergreen State has been “significantly less” than what he experienced back home in Missouri, although he has always lived in metropolitan areas, which tend to have more liberal environments.
Nonetheless, his job has required him to work in some suburban areas, where he notes that “things crop up pretty fast”, even in Washington.
“I don’t feel like I can put my guard down entirely, especially as things continue to progress at a national level and incite more reactivity,” he says of his new home.
Missouri is also home to Valentina Gomez, a failed Republican candidate who ran to be its secretary of state and frequently promotes anti-LGBTQ+ hate online, including a video in which she burned queer-themed books with a flamethrower.
Republican’s anti-trans rhetoric ‘directly impacts’ the trans community
By contrast, Derek highlights Washington’s robust unions, which make it easier to be a teacher, and the broader variety of job opportunities. However, as the educational environment shifts, he’s had to become “way more flexible on what kind of job I do”.
And he admits he couldn’t have managed the move without his partner. Together, they’ve made a conscious effort to reach out to trans communities and build new connections. Many of the people they’ve met also moved from Missouri for similar reasons.
Looking ahead to Trump’s second term, Derek emphasises that legislation can have a “huge impact” on minority communities. However, he’s equally concerned about the discrimination fuelled by hateful rhetoric.
“The recent way Republicans are equating being a queer adult or trans person with being a sex offender or paedophile, especially as a teacher, is directly impacting us,” he says.
A lawyer has previously warned that individuals who aim slurs such as “groomer” and paedophile at LGBTQ+ people online could face serious legal consequences.
Moving is ‘scary’ but ‘totally worthwhile’
Reflecting on Trump’s campaign, Derek says: “Some of these parties choose their scapegoat of the year or month, and trans and queer folks are having their moment.”
However, he remains hopeful that people will begin to “swing back the other way” and points out that some of his family, who previously voted for Trump, “couldn’t bring themselves to do so this time”.
To mark of Trans Awareness Week, trans pastor Lazarus Justice Jameson also shared their story with PinkNews, saying they too had to leave Missouri “to live.” Despite moving to Oregon, one of the most LGBTQ-friendly states they still encounter discrimination and harassment.
In addition, three trans journalists have spoken toPinkNews about the significance of their work and their fears as Trump nominates his team for the next four years.
Lawmakers in the West African nation of Mali have voted to criminalise homosexuality.
Mali’s National Transitional Council voted 131-1 in favour of the proposed legislation, which, if signed into law by military leaders, who seized power in 2021, would outlaw gay sex between men.
It isn’t yet known what sanctions will be placed on those convicted.
The head of the country’s junta, Colonel Assimi Goïta, removed French as one of Mali’s official languages in June last year, and minister of justice and human rights Mamadou Kassogue has previously warned that “there are provisions in our laws that prohibit homosexuality in Mali”, adding: “Anyone who indulges in this practice, or promotes or condones it, will be prosecuted.
“We will not accept our customs and values being violated by people from elsewhere.”
In July, Ghana’s supreme court dismissed a lawsuit that challenged the country’s Criminal Code of 1960, which prohibits same-sex acts – branding them “unnatural carnal knowledge” – with punishment of up to three years in jail.
Under the criminal code, which dates back to British colonial times, LGBTQ+ people in the country face discrimination, but if the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill passes into law, things are only likely to get worse.
Two new cases of a more-infectious strain of mpox have been detected in the UK, health officials have said.
The new cases come after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced at the end of last month that a single case of Clade 1b mpox had been detected in the country.
The Clade 1b strain is associated with a more severe disease and higher mortality rates than Clade 2.
Two new cases of mpox have been identified in the UK. (Hakan Nural/Getty)
Both new UK patients were household contacts of the original patient and are receiving specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, in London.
You may like to watch
Professor Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said: “The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted, to reduce the risk of further spread.”
When the first UK case of the Clade Ib strain was announced, health secretary Wes Streeting praised the doctors and nurses treating the patient and said the government was “working alongside UKHSA and the NHS to protect the public and prevent transmission”, adding: “This includes securing vaccines and equipping healthcare professionals with the guidance and tools they need to respond to cases safely.
“We are also working with our international partners to support affected countries, to prevent further outbreaks.”
Mpox is a viral infection transmitted through close contact such as sex, touch, talking, or breathing close to another person, and is part of the smallpox family of viruses. Sufferers will often get a rash, along with other symptoms such as high temperature, swollen glands and chills.
The rash can go through several stages, beginning as raised spots that turn into small blisters filled with fluid that will eventually form scabs and fall off.
As we enter the last days of the US presidential campaign, voters are deciding who to vote for and what each candidate – Donald Trump and Kamala Harris – stands for. And queer people will be paying special attention to their views about LGBTQ+ rights as the culture war against the transgender community rages on.
A CBS News poll published on Sunday (27 October) showed that Harris has the slightest of leads over Trump nationally: 50 per cent to 49. But with eight days to go, a lot could still change.
The Trump presidency led to a roll-back of protections and anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ+ people, and it doesn’t look as if a second term would be any different if he is re-elected, based on campaign promises and the detailed policy proposals outlined in Project 2025 – although Trump has tried to distance himself from the right-wing proposals.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, a new Trump administration would “reinstate and significantly escalate the removal of anti-discrimination policies… proactively require discrimination by the federal government [and] weaponise federal law against transgender people across the country”.
So, what are Trump’s views about LGBTQ+ rights, and what exactly might he do?
Erase federal non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people
Trump’s first term was extremely detrimental to the rights and protections of LGBTQ+ people, and a second term could roll back protections once again.
LGBTQ+ people might no longer be guaranteed to be free of discrimination across several federal government programmes, such as Social Security, Medicare, housing and employment.
Exclude openly transgender people from the military
The first Trump administration reversed policies allowing trans people to serve in the military, and it is not difficult to foresee the president doing so again.
Another ban on trans people in the military would force out active-duty transgender service personnel as well as prevent trans people enlisting in the future.
This is despite a report in 2016 revealing that trans-inclusive policies have “little or no impact on unit cohesion, operational effectiveness, or readiness”.
In fact, trans-inclusive military policies could benefit all active service members by “creating a more inclusive and diverse force”.
Trans people could once again be banned from serving. (Getty)
Withhold federal funding if school officials affirm transgender students
Trump has said he would act to stop any school district introducing or maintaining trans-inclusive policies and practices.
This would include withholding federal funding that allow trans students to use toilets and changing rooms that align with their gender identity, or even acknowledging that they are trans, as well as arguing that trans-inclusive policies violate the rights of cisgender pupils.
Discrimination against trans students, causing significant harm to the community as a whole, would be the likely result of such a move.
During a recent campaign rally, Trump said he was not going to “let” trans women compete in sporting events at all if he becomes president again.
He said invoking the ban would “not [be] a big deal”, citing recent sporting events in which trans women competed against cisgender women, claiming that the trans athlete had a competitive edge over their opponent.
“Physically, from a muscular standpoint… look at what’s happened in swimming. Look at the records that are being broken,” he said.
Prohibit gender-affirming care in federal healthcare programmes
His website also promises that on his first day in the Oval Office, he would issue an executive order “instructing every federal agency to cease all programmes that promote the concept of sex and gender transition, at any age”.
The administration would also probably deny Medicaid funding for hospitals that provide gender-affirming care, forcing medics to deny trans people the care they require.
Access to healthcare for more than 100,000 transgender youngsters in 24 states has already been halted in the past three years.
Allow employers to discriminate against LGBTQ+ staff
A second Trump administration could bring in provisions to allow employers to discriminate against LGBTQ+ members of staff based on the boss’ stated religious beliefs, a reversal of existing non-discrimination laws.
This would not require congress or bipartisan support, and could be pushed through using an executive order from the president.
The administration could go one step further to prevent state and local governments enforcing non-discrimination laws if the defendant says the discrimination was based on religious belief.
Laws protecting LGBTQ+ people and other minorities from discrimination based on protected characteristics might also disappear.
Donald Trump has continued to target the LGBTQ+ community. (Getty)
Criminalise gender-non-conformity in public life
Project 2025 – a hard-line right-wing blueprint for a future Republican president – suggests the use of criminal laws to punish gender-non-conformity in public life, with pornography being the crux of the issue.
The authors of the plan, the Heritage Foundation, inexplicably link pornography with “transgender ideology” and argue that neither has a “claim to First Amendment protection” and therefore should be outlawed.
“The people who produce and distribute it should be imprisoned,” they demand. “Educators and public librarians who purvey it should be classed as registered sex offenders, and telecommunications and technology firms that facilitate its spread should be [closed down].”
That means any discussion of transgender people in schools and libraries could be criminalised, and trans people might face jail time for being themselves.
Trump would only be able to put this into practice with congress’ approval and there is unlikely to be bipartisan support for such a law, but even the slim possibility is terrifying.
