Gay Rights Research Articles

Navigating Admissibility Before the European Court of Human Rights for Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Defenders

Abstract In recent years the rise of populist right-wing governments across Europe has led to concerns about infringements to lesbian and gay rights. Brave individuals bring cases against their states to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to test state compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights. It is argued in this article that strict admissibility criteria before the ECtHR poses particular difficulties for lesbian and gay applicants. Specifically, the admissibility requirements of being (1) an individual victim, (2) to disallow anonymous applications and (3) to have suffered a ‘significant disadvantage’ are more challenging for lesbian and gay applicants to fulfil. It is concluded that enabling Representative Actions would provide greater possibilities for such individuals.

Intersectionality in the activity of lesbian and feminist movements in Ukraine

The article defines manifestations of the concept of intersectionality between Ukrainian feminist and lesbian movements. The research is based on the results of theoretical analysis and results of 13 semistructured in-depth interviews with 13 Ukrainian activists of feminist and lesbian movement from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Uzhhorod, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr and Kherson, who were involved in feminist and lesbian movements in different periods – from the end of the 1990s to the beginning of the 2000s, in the mid-2000s and after 2014. As a result, the patterns of intersectionality between these two movements were defined.The concept of intersectional was defined in the mid-20th century by the American researcher Kimberle Crenshaw. It involved the rethinking of the concept of identity and social inequality under the influence of diverse individual experiences and socially significant characteristics. This concept became fundamental for the activity of new social movements at the end of the 20th century, in particular lesbian and feminist ones that are interrelated due to common resistance practices, ideological aspects, and people’s potential as well as the topic of the fight for women’s rights.Ukrainian feminist and lesbian movements are not exceptions, as they have manifested this intersectionality since their establishment as public social movements in Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. This feature makes them different from the movements in countries of Western Europe and the USA, where lesbians used to be excluded from the mainstream feminist movement.After the analysis of in-depth interviews with activists of feminist and lesbian movements, it was defined that intersectionality between feminist and lesbian movements in Ukraine can be defined in ideological, thematical and practical aspects – common ideological basis, resistance practices represented in demonstrations, common actions, significant dates and topics, that prove that these 2 movements are interrelated and interconnected.

How does the rights of homosexuals be influenced by sodomy laws in the 1960s and 1970s

The paper examines the fight for homosexual rights in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, focusing on the significance of the abolition of sodomy laws and their impact on gay individuals. It highlights the cultural and legal context of the era, including the infamous Stonewall Riots of 1969, which sparked widespread activism. The essay delves into notable legal battles, such as Buchanan v. Batchelor, showcasing the efforts to challenge and repeal sodomy laws. Despite initial setbacks, these legal challenges laid the groundwork for future advancements in LGBTQ+ rights by establishing privacy rights as a constitutional issue. The period was crucial in setting the stage for further progress and the eventual dismantling of discriminatory laws against homosexuals.

SOMOS POLITICAL MOVEMENT: FROM THE EMERGENCE TO THE FRACTIONATION OF THE LGBTQIA+ STRUGGLE

This study aims to understand the emergence and consolidation of the LGBTQIA+ political movement in Brazil, focusing on the 1970s and 1980s. The study was guided by the question of how and why the LGBTQIA+ political movement originated in Brazil. The investigation followed a bibliographical and documentary research, anchored in the materialist-dialectical method. The theoretical support was provided by the works of Cruz (2018), Green (2018), Mott (2018), Quinallha (2022), Trevisan (2018) among other authors dedicated to the theoretical unveiling of the problem. The historical moment that gave rise to the movement, the importance of the mass communication process through the press, the internal political-ideological struggles for the conception of the LGBTQIA+ social and political movement and the reconfiguration of the homosexual movement in Brazil in the 1990s are highlighted. In the conclusion phase, the period is identified as fundamental for the organization of the initial struggles against homophobia and for the affirmation of the movement as instruments of collective struggles for rights.

Navigating Stigma Against At-Risk Sexual and Gender Minority Populations to End the HIV Epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the past year, new laws criminalizing same-sex conduct and the promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights have emerged as barriers to addressing the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). An augmented approach to addressing HIV within the region's disproportionately affected LGBTQ populations, particularly transgender women and gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM), is imperative for achieving the international goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030. In this article, we present recommendations to bolster the continuum of HIV care for MSM and transgender women in SSA.

Legacy of the Religious Right and the U.S. Presidential Election of 1980

Political parties have evolved throughout the history of the United States, yet we have never seen such a polarizing state of politics as we see in 2024. Through the use of academic journals and speeches, this paper explains the turbulent state of U.S. politics by exploring the increased involvement of the Religious Right in politics. Starting with the history of the Religious Right and focusing on the U.S. presidential election in 1980, this paper outlines how the increased activity of the Religious Right has caused a divide in American politics. It will discuss how the presidential election of 1980 solidified a religious voting bloc. The paper also reviews the increased use of religious rhetoric especially during George W. Bush’s presidency (2001-2009). This paper finds that the inclusion of religion in secular matters has proven to be provocative. Yet, the Religious Right strives to protect the “traditional family” by encouraging participation in politics, especially on topics such as abortion, women’s rights, and gay rights.

The Evolution of Public Opinion Over Gay Rights in Switzerland

At the same time as support for LGB rights and tolerance of homosexuality has increased among western democracies, there has also been a strong backlash. How can these two trends be reconciled? This article answers that question by considering the distribution of public opinion over LGB rights in Switzerland. Using a novel method, this article shows how Swiss citizens have become more polarized over LGB rights, not between those who favor and those who oppose but between those who strongly favor and the ambivalent. Some people on the right are also increasingly divided amongst themselves. The key driver is the growing impact party identity has on people’s social attitudes like acceptance of pro-LGB policies. Results from Switzerland suggest we will find increased polarization in other democracies where the cultural political spectrum has become salient.

The discursive construction of tradition and modernity in counter-homophobic discourses in China

ABSTRACT This study investigates the counter-homophobic discursive construction of tradition and modernity in China, focusing on Sina Weibo users’ comments on anti-same-sex marriage arguments. The study reveals how proponents of same-sex marriage in China actively imagine and project a China that is inclusive of gay rights by (re)constructing China’s tradition as tolerant of homosexuality and positioning China’s pursuit of development and modernity as entailing gay rights development. Yet, analysis shows that the discursive construction of tradition may potentially romanticize China’s tradition as if it were devoid of homophobia, and the discursive construction of modernity, by representing China’s gay rights development as merely playing catch-up with the purportedly already modernized West, sometimes implicitly produces a homonationalist binary of modernism versus traditionalism. However, from a postcolonial transnational perspective, the paper argues that contrary to the homocolonialist representation of China as essentially homophobic, these discursive practices may work partially to confront and contest Western exceptionalism.

Education and ideological polarisation: Cross‐country evidence and recommendations for higher education

AbstractIn many developed countries, disagreement on important policy issues between groups with different social identities (‘ideological polarisation’) is increasing. In professional settings, these disagreements undermine cooperation and trust between employees, which negatively affects work relationships and managerial decision‐making. We investigate whether people with more education tend to express attitudes that are more (or less) polarised. Using nationally representative data for 18 OECD countries from 2010 to 2018, we find that in most countries, ideological polarisation between liberals (political left) and conservatives (political right) on three key policy issues (income inequality, immigration and gay rights) increases with education. This ‘education–polarisation’ gradient varies across countries, is strongest in the United States and is linked to stronger alignment between political ideology and non‐political values, and greater internet use among more‐educated individuals. This finding can explain why polarisation can persist and even increase, despite the growing availability of information. We conclude with implications and recommendations for higher education.

LGBT - A GLOBAL ISSUE: SOCIAL IMPACT PREVENTIVE SOLUTION FROM QURANIC PERSPECTIVE (STUDY OF QURANIC CHAPTER AL-A‘RAF [7]: 80-81)

The LGBT Problem is a hotly vulnerable discussion in 2021-2024. This is marked by the emergence of many movements from activists and sympathizers of LGBT supporters who ask for their rights in public spaces, such as the rights of society in general. The presence of a movement that advocates equality for LGBT people has a close relationship with the people of Prophet Lut (‘Alaih As-Salam), who have a different sexual orientation from humans in general, which in Arabic, is called liwatat (sodomy). The campaign effort was then carried out openly in the public. This study aims to analyze the practice of LGBT from an Islamic perspective based on the Quranic chapter Al-A‘raf verses 80-81. The results showed that the emergence of LGBT movements and campaigns today are an inseparable part of the story of Prophet Lut’s society, which has an unusual sexual orientation. The condition is caused by environmental, psychological, and theological factors. The rise of efforts to voice the equality of Human Rights openly has an impact on society in various aspects, including in the elements of health, society, education, and security. Thus, preventive solutions are needed to fend off the LGBT behaviour such as through education of faith and Islamic SharÊ‘ah, besides moral, psychiatric, social and sexual education.

Dru Cornell on resisting patriarchy: The common grounds of feminism and gay rights

Dru Cornell on resisting patriarchy: The common grounds of feminism and gay rights

Progress and prejudice: rethinking Françoise Sagan’s legacy

Who better than Françoise Sagan to exhibit the privileges of the postwar White writer? This wealthy novelist, better known for her excesses than for her activism, appears very distant from the decolonial question, and it may seem inappropriate, even indecent, to associate her name with it. However, her literary career is guided by a struggle against discrimination and a stance in favor of social justice. Although her contribution has remained completely invisible, it is crucial to understand her literary journey. As a writer, Sagan denounced the segregation of African Americans, opposed the War in Algeria, advocated for gay rights, and took a position in favor of abortion as early as 1965. But what resonance did her voice have in the francophone landscape during the period of independence movements? This article aims to revisit the epistemological significance of a struggle overlooked today in postcolonial studies. Therefore, this study tackles the thorny question of the influence of the White writer through the analysis of Françoise Sagan.

Cricket, Literary Culture and In-Groups in Early Twentieth-Century Britain

Abstract This article posits that team sports can provide fresh insights into the place of leisure pursuits in the lives, networks and outlooks of historical literary figures. The social and literary role of the Authors Eleven, a cricket side of London-based writers active between 1899 and 1912, is explored through three case studies. George Ives was a pioneering campaigner for gay rights, who used cricket to bolster his homosexual identity. E. W. Hornung, creator of the famous cricketer-thief Raffles, saw cricket as the ideal training – and analogy – for imperialism. And P. G. Wodehouse, author of the Jeeves and Wooster stories, first made his name writing cricket-filled magazine pieces. All three writers saw their involvement in cricket, particularly the Authors Eleven in-group, as an essential component of their social status. The Authors Eleven thus presents a potent example of embodied sociability, whereby the specific nature of what these individuals were doing together (in this case, playing cricket) has a bearing on their friendships and their intellectual outlooks. As ways of understanding the lives and cultural significance of historical figures, shared physical activity and embodied sociability need to be accorded much more importance than they have been hitherto.

“Defend your children, they can be taken by two gay men”: A scoping review of the conflating and diversionary discourses used in same-sex marriage debates

The use of direct popular votes such as plebiscites, referendums, and postal surveys to determine the right of same-sex couples to marry have proliferated in recent years, particularly across the Global North. By including the public in the decision-making process, serious debates have been fermented about the morality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) rights. Based on a scoping review of the available English language literature, this paper maps the key findings from 24 peer reviewed studies to offer a cross-national analysis of conflating and diversionary discourses used by pro- and anti-SSM advocates. This paper finds that despite ostensibly being about LGBTQ + sexual rights, these debates commonly conflate SSM with other unsubstantiated ‘threats’, categorised here as operating across the global, national, and individual levels. The findings suggest that SSM debates consistently conflated the issue with international human rights discourses, alongside notions of ‘race’, gender, family, and reproduction as a strategy to garner public opinion. This study reveals a complex network of discourses where the rights of LGBTQ + people are continuously harnessed for political agendas extending beyond the specific efforts to legislate SSM. This paper concludes with the limitations of this review and possible directions for future research.

Queer media production as soft activism: Insights from a Chinese community project

The LGBT+ movements in China are increasingly in a precarious situation. Queer media spaces are being eroded as numerous digital media platforms run by LGBT+ rights-advocacy groups and individuals have been blocked over the past few years. Given this context, a liberal model of a gay rights movement, resembling those seen in the West, is unlikely to occur in China. Consequently, softer activism approaches are often employed by Chinese LGBT+ organizations. This article leverages ethnographic insights from one of China’s leading LGBT+ community media projects to offer a critical examination of queer media production and the broader LGBT+ movements within the country. Drawing on the Foucauldian concept of ‘resistance’ and the political significance of ‘voice’, the analysis presented herein underscores the intricate relationship between queer media production and its socio-political milieu. It showcases the adaptive strategies of ‘soft’ activism adopted by Chinese LGBT+ organizations, characterized by non-confrontational tactics and a steadfast commitment to amplifying diverse queer voices.

La première chirurgie de reassignation sexuelle réussie : Magnus, Dora et l’institut de sexologie de Berlin en 1931

Magnus Hirschfeld was a brilliant German doctor campaigning for the decriminalization and destigmatization of homosexuality. During the very liberal Weimar Republic (1918-1933) he published his avant-garde articles, he created his Institute of Sexual Sciences (Institut für Sexualwissenschaft), where the first published transgender surgery took place, performed on Dora Richter in 1931 (we will be interested in this first report of successful intervention) and multiplied the interventions to abolish paragraph 175, penalizing "sodomy". Ultimately the rise of Nazism forced him to flee his country and end his life in France. Hirschfeld's work remained unfinished. His political activism and his over-media coverage earned him numerous criticisms even within the gay and lesbian movement of the time. Who was this strange doctor (the Einstein of sex, as an American promoter presented him during his conferences in 1930) who combined the faults, for the time, of being at the same time Jewish, homosexual and leftist?

Other Sexuality: A Study of the Discourse of LGBTQ Sexuality and the PLUSH Community in the Special Region of Yogyakarta

The purpose of this research was to find out the experiences of informants with regard to their sexuality and to look at the role of PLUSH in the discourse of 'non-normative' sexuality in Indonesia, more specifically Yogyakarta. This research method is a qualitative research with a'mini' approach to discourse analysis by Foucault, research informants, data collection techniques (interviews, literature studies, documentation, and other media sources), data presentation, and triangulation. The data used came from primary data, namely interviews with the five informants (Bhista (30), Shamil (37), Nakula (35), Abimanyu (23) and Rangga (26), as well as secondary data from reliable sources (documentation from the media, literature, and others). The results of this study are as follows: (1) a world dominated by heteronomous concepts, where general discourse tends to corner non-binary sexuality, as experienced by members of the PLUSH, an LGBTQ advocacy organization. (2) The research contributes to the fields of community empowerment, social movements, LGBTQ studies, and social policy by providing a platform for marginalized voices and documenting new social movements. (3) The research is based on the theory of panopticon prison theory, which is used to describe the experience of the informants in exploring and fighting for their sexual identity in the context of a dominating discourse. It is hoped that further research can involve informants from various sexual orientations such as asexual and bisexual, to provide a more comprehensive picture of non-heteronormal sexuality discourse.

LGBTQ and Politics: China and Japan Compared

This article explores the impact of state politics on LGBTQ individuals through a comparative study of LGBTQ groups in China and Japan. Despite both countries sharing similar cultural and demographic backgrounds, there is a great divergence in the political status of LGBTQ individuals in these two countries. Previous studies have highlighted cultural reasons for this divergence, but political factors are seldom examined. This article aims to analyze the political logic of China and Japan to explain the great divergence and examine the political mechanisms of their respective political systems. It argues that in China, the suppression of LGBTQ individuals is a complementary action towards the Second-Child/Third-Child Policy, due to the potential exacerbation of demographic challenges. Ideologically, this suppression is a form of Chinese anti-Westernism. On the other hand, in Japan, promoting LGBTQ activism is beneficial since it aligns the country with the global trend. Domestically, the LGBTQ population is considered a crucial political tool for elections, as public sentiment is influenced by a teleological social progressiveness that sees the U.S. as a model. In general, this article elucidates that authoritarian regimes tend to eradicate potential political threats by directly suppressing LGBTQ activism, which holds progressive or subversive ideologies and spreads them through various movements to avoid political instability. In contrast, democratic governments are more “short-sighted”, and tend to align with LGBTQ activism by following current influential ideologies to secure voting blocs.

Upaya Menormalisasikan LGBT oleh Aktivis di Amerika Serikat: Perjuangan dan Tantangan

This research examines efforts to normalize the LGBT community by activists in the United States, with a focus on the struggles and challenges they face. Through qualitative analysis of various advocacy strategies, campaigns and policies implemented, this study reveals how LGBT activism seeks to create a more inclusive and accepted environment in society. This research also explores the role of the media, government agencies and non-government organizations in supporting or hindering this normalization process. Challenges faced include cultural resistance, institutional discrimination, and changing political and social dynamics. The research findings show that despite significant progress in the recognition of LGBT rights, activism continues to face major challenges that require a strategic and collaborative approach to overcome. In doing so, this research provides in-depth insight into the complexities of the LGBT normalization struggle in the United States and suggests policies and practices that can accelerate the process of social inclusion.

Aldo Mieli, Italian Historian of Sciences and Gay Rights Activist

Aldo Mieli, Italian Historian of Sciences and Gay Rights Activist