World Developments

Swiss voters back marriage equality with 64% of the votes! A referendum to back open civil marriage and the right to adopt children for same-sex couples, has received a resounding YES from the Swiss. Projections show 64% of the voters had voted in favour or same-sex marriage. This makes Switzerland the 17th country in Europe […]

Valentijn de Hingh, Lola Rodriguez, Yaya Mavundla, Fan Wu, Moeisha Ali Aiden… All beautiful models who wore the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress with pride. It empowered them, and the trans community as a whole, in the ongoing struggle for recognition and acceptance. Today on International Transgender Day of Remembrance, we also take a moment to acknowledge […]

Scotland is the first nation in the world to teach LGBTQ history in schools! By 2021, schools across the country are expected to include lessons about LGBTQ equality and history in their educational plans. Lessons will be taught across various age groups and subjects, and themes will include tackling homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and awareness of the history of LGBT movements.

The end of the Rainbow... After 12 years, the oldest pride organisation of China cancels all events indefinitely. Without elaborating on the reason behind the cancellation, ShanghaiPRIDE co-founder Charlene Liu is quoted saying: “This decision was difficult to make, but we have to protect the safety of all involved.”

Sudan has lifted the death penalty and flogging as punishment for gay sex and is a promising sign after almost four decades of Islamist rule!

The Balkan country of Montenegro has legalized same-sex civil unions. The move grants same-sex civil unions the same benefits as heterosexual ones, although they will still be barred from adopting children.

“Forty-eight lawmakers have shaken an entire nation and its customs and traditions!” And not just a nation, a whole continent and for that matter, the whole world is impressed by the African country Gabon. As of Tuesday June 24th, homosexuality is no longer a crime! When this law passes, not only the lives and futures […]

Justice prevailed! In a landslide 6-3 ruling from a conservative supreme court on a 56 years old Civil Rights Act, the rights of gay and transgender workers are protected in the United States. Because “An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law.”

Carnaval is being celebrated all over the world, with colorful parties and happy people everywhere. Sadly, the cheer is also dampened by news reports of anti-semitism in Belgium and the burning of a gay couple effigy amidst cheering locals in Croatia...

Indonesia, a popular holiday destination, but also a country where Sharia law is getting more and more foothold. The latest bill suggests homosexuals should report themselves to government-sanctioned rehabilitation centres for ‘treatment’. Looks like Indonesia will remain a part of the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress for a long time...