A federal lawsuit lodged by a Ugandan LGBT advocacy group alleges Scott Lively conspired with Ugandan religious and political leaders to incite anti-gay sentiment resulting in discrimination, arrest, torture and murder in that country.
Category: LGBTQI+Faith Globally
The following selection of stories originally appeared on RNS as part of a reporting series on LGBTQI+ rights and religion in the U.S. and Global South. These and other stories in the series were supported by a grant we received from the Arcus Foundation.
Gay Muslim films secret pilgrimage in ‘A Sinner in Mecca’
NEW YORK — Authorities in Mecca prohibit camera use at holy sites. Openly gay men are subject to the death penalty. But none of that deterred Parvez Sharma.
In Catholic Colombia, LGBT people find growing acceptance
BOGOTA, Colombia — Not long ago, the thought of a transgender person speaking openly to a Catholic priest here would have seemed unthinkable. Now cultural shifts are making way for LGBT acceptance.
PHOTOS: For Indonesia’s Buginese community, trans women play key role in Muslim weddings
SIDRAP, Indonesia — Indonesia’s predominantly Muslim Buginese community recognizes and respects five separate genders. One group, the calabai, maintains a unique and valued role planning local wedding ceremonies.
African-American opera singer revives the songs of the shtetl
BERKELEY, Calif. — A 6-foot-tall African-American, Russell performs Yiddish songs from New York to Florida, from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, to full houses and wide acclaim.
PHOTOS: For trans Muslims in Malaysia, daily life brings struggles, triumphs
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Islamic law forbids cross-dressing, and Malaysia’s government has a zero-tolerance policy toward transgender issues.
African clergy to protest Obama’s gay-rights ‘agenda’ on trip
NAIROBI, Kenya — Protesters have called for tactics ranging from throwing rotten eggs at the president to encouraging sex workers to march naked in the streets during his visit.
Black clergy walk a fine line between religious liberty, discrimination
Though several black denominations oppose same-sex marriage, many also object to religious exemptions in nondiscrimination laws.
India’s third-gender ‘hijra’ community balances acceptance with religious identity
AHMEDABAD, India — Some members of India’s ancient “hijra” community fear that the new, official third-gender classification will prevent them from practicing their traditions.
By the numbers: India’s LGBT community in legal limbo
NEW DELHI — Despite growing momentum for equal rights across India, openly LGBT people face fear of prosecution.
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