Contemporary on Uránia

Church in Wales Makes Blessing of Same-Sex Marriages Permanent

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0400

On 16 April 2026, the governing body of the Church in Wales voted to keep, on a permanent basis, a church service for same-sex couples. Put simply, if two women or two men have already entered into a civil marriage or registered civil partnership under state law, a priest may then lead a separate church service blessing that union. This does not mean the church itself will perform the legal marriage ceremony; it is only about a blessing after civil registration. BBC News reported the decision.

In Spain, Off-Duty Guardia Civil Officer Stopped Assault by Two Moroccan Men on Trans Woman on Commuter Train

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:30:00 +0400

A few days ago, on a Renfe Cercanías commuter train between Plaza Mayor and La Nogalera in Torremolinos (Málaga province), two men in their twenties of Moroccan origin insulted and harassed a 28-year-old trans woman who holds Moroccan citizenship; she was travelling with a friend. Around 5 p.m., verbal abuse escalated into an attempted physical assault. According to the police record, one remark was along the lines of, “If you were in Morocco, you would not dare go out on the street like that.” El Debate reported the incident.

Share of Physical Assaults on LGBT People in Spain Rose from 7% to 22%, “State of Hate 2026” Report Says

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0400

On 16 April 2026, the Spanish organisation FELGTBI+, together with the Institute of Public Goods and Policies (IPP) at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), presented the report State of Hate 2026 (Estado del Odio 2026). The study is based on 800 interviews. RTVE covered the findings.

Ghana’s President Says Anti-LGBT Bill Is Not a Priority, Catholic Cardinal Turkson Also Opposes Criminalization

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0400

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said a new anti-LGBT bill is “not a priority” for his government while the country faces pressing problems in education, healthcare, and employment. The statement was reported by 76crimes and Human Rights Watch .

Senegal Issues First Conviction After Toughened Anti-LGBT Law

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0400

A court in Pikine-Guediawaye, a suburb of Dakar, has issued the first conviction since Senegal toughened its anti-LGBT law. A 24-year-old man was sentenced to six years in prison and fined 2 million CFA francs (about $3,300).

Belarusian President Signs Law Introducing Fines for “LGBT and Childfree Propaganda”

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0400

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed , according to Mediazona Belarus , the law “On Amendments to Codes on Administrative Liability.” The document introduces penalties for so-called “propaganda of homosexual relations, gender transition, childfree lifestyles, and pedophilia.”

Two Republican Politicians from Georgia and Their Old Photographs in Women’s Clothing

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0300

In the spring of 2026, U.S. outlets published school photographs of two Georgia Republicans – Representatives Buddy Carter and Mike Collins.

Uganda Grants Bail to Two Women Arrested for Kissing, But They Still Face Life in Prison

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0400

In Uganda, two women arrested in February over allegations that they kissed in public have been released on bail while awaiting trial. According to MambaOnline , they are 22-year-old Wendy and 21-year-old Diana.

King Mswati III of Eswatini Says Gay and Lesbian People Will Not Be Welcome While He Rules

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0400

King Mswati III of Eswatini told a prayer gathering in Lobamba on Good Friday, April 3, 2026, that gay and lesbian people would not be welcome in Eswatini as long as he remains on the throne. MambaOnline , citing local media, reports that he called homosexuality an “evil act” in the “spirit of Sodom and Gomorrah” and said that same-sex couples had no place in the country under his reign.

Senegal Doubles Penalty for Same-Sex Relations to 10 Years in Prison

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:35:05 +0400

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has signed a law that doubles the maximum penalty for same-sex relations. Offenders now face up to 10 years in prison. The National Assembly passed the measure by an overwhelming majority on March 11, 2026, with 135 votes in favor, none against, and three abstentions.

History of Male Homosexuality in Senegal

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0300

Senegal is a country on the westernmost edge of Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The majority of its population practices Islam. Before gaining independence in 1960, Senegal was a French colony, and its capital, Dakar, served as the main center for all of French West Africa. This context is important for the local history of homosexuality: it was precisely in the mixed, port city of Dakar that Europeans most often noticed same-sex relationships and men who adopted female roles.

In the UK, a Former Drag Artist Runs for City Council with Right-Wing Reform UK and Calls Migration a Threat to Gay People

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0300

Michael Felse, who led Manchester Pride in 2011 as his drag alter ego Ethol Mary, has announced his candidacy for the right-wing Reform UK party in a by-election for Salford City Council in Greater Manchester, in northwest England. Felse opposes immigration, arguing that it poses a direct threat to gay people.

A Woman Leads the Anglican Church for the First Time. What Is Her Stance on LGBT Issues?

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 21:00:00 +0300

On March 25, Sarah Mullally was formally installed at Canterbury Cathedral as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury – the spiritual leader of the Church of England and the symbolic central figure of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Mullally became the first woman to hold the position in 1,400 years. Around two thousand guests attended the ceremony, including Prince William and Princess Catherine.

Menaka Guruswamy Becomes the First Openly Lesbian MP in the History of the Indian Parliament. She Was Elected on the Ticket of a Regional-Nationalist Bengali Party

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:00:00 +0300

On March 9, constitutional lawyer Menaka Guruswamy was elected to the Rajya Sabha – the upper house of the Indian Parliament – representing West Bengal.

Crabs With Both Male and Female Traits Found in Indian National Park

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:50:00 +0300

Freshwater crabs of the species Vela carli displaying both male and female biological traits in a single body have been discovered in Silent Valley National Park in the Indian state of Kerala. The condition is known as gynandromorphy — a rare phenomenon in which an individual simultaneously exhibits characteristics of both sexes. The findings have been published in the international journal Crustaceana.

Poland's Supreme Administrative Court Orders Recognition of Same-Sex Marriages Contracted in Other EU States

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0300

On March 20, Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court (Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny) ruled that the country must recognise same-sex marriages legally contracted in other European Union member states. The court ordered the Warsaw civil registry office to transcribe the marriage certificate of two men who married in Berlin in 2018.

Support for LGBT Rights in the US: PRRI's 2025 50-State Survey

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) is an independent American nonprofit research center that studies the intersection of religion, culture, and politics. As part of its 2025 American Values Atlas, the institute surveyed more than 22,000 American adults and produced an analysis of support for LGBT rights across all 50 states. The survey was conducted online from February 28 to December 8, 2025. The margin of error at the national level is ±0.87 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Openly gay centre-right politician Gil Avérous re-elected mayor of Châteauroux, France

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0300

Gil Avérous, an openly gay and independent centre-right politician, has been elected mayor of Châteauroux for the third time . In the municipal elections of March 15, 2026, his list won in the first round with 68.24% of the vote.

Nepal elects its first transgender woman to parliament

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0300

Bhumika Shrestha has become the first transgender woman in Nepal’s parliament. According to South China Morning Post, she was greeted by members of the LGBT community in Kathmandu.

Sex Reassignment in the Islamic Republic of Iran: A Comprehensive Overview

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 22:45:37 +0700

This article examines why sex reassignment surgery received religious justification in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It also tells the story of Maryam Khatoon Molkara, a person who played a notable role in gaining official recognition for transgender people.

Male Same-Sex Intercourse in Iran After the Islamic Revolution: Criminal Law and Prosecution Statistics

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:45:37 +0700

Before 1979, Iran had a predominantly secular criminal justice system. It was based on a general penal code adopted in the 1920s, modelled on French law.

Adam Before Eve: Male or Androgynous? Theological Debates From the Church Fathers to the Present Day

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 22:45:37 +0700

In Genesis 2, God creates Eve from Adam’s rib. This prompts a basic question: what was Adam’s sex or gender status before Eve appeared — at a moment when “woman,” as a socially and linguistically formed category, has not yet entered the narrative?

The Story of the 2016 “Twinks for Trump” Photo Shoot

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 09:30:32 +0700

In 2016, at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, a photo project titled \u201CTwinks for Trump\u201D was presented. It was a series of photographs featuring young, slim, and often shirtless gay men wearing baseball caps that read \u201CMake America Great Again.\u201D

The Story of Syrian General Suheil al-Hasan, Nicknamed 'The Tiger'

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:10:32 +0700

Origins and Early Service

Suheil al-Hasan was born in 1970 in Syria’s Latakia province.

Al-Hasan is an Alawite. The Alawites are a religious community associated with the Shiite branch of Islam. Their doctrine includes elements of Islam, Christianity, and certain ancient Near Eastern traditions. In Latakia, Alawites make up a significant share of the population, and in Syria, members of this community have traditionally held prominent positions in the army and state institutions.

Why German Gay Men Vote for the Alternative for Germany

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:10:32 +0700

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) recorded the highest level of support among users of the Romeo dating platform, which is aimed at gay and bisexual men. In a poll conducted from January 24 to February 2, more than 60,000 respondents reported their preferences for the federal election. The AfD received 27.9% of the vote. At a clear distance were the Greens (19.9%), the Christian Democratic Union (17.6%), and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (12.5%).

The Gay Romance Option in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: Are Same-Sex Relationships Possible in 15th-Century Bohemia? Reviewing the Historical Record

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 00:10:32 +0700

A public debate has emerged around the not-yet-released Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. The new medieval RPG from Warhorse Studios, set in 15th-century Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic), has attracted attention due to reports of a possible homosexual scene.

The Story and Controversy Around the LGBT Military Unit TQILA During the War Against ISIS in Syria

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:10:32 +0700

In 2017, an international group of volunteers fighting alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIS in northern Syria announced the creation of what they described as the first LGBT military unit in history. The unit was called the Queer Insurrection and Liberation Army (TQILA) and was formed within the International Revolutionary People’s Guerrilla Forces (IRPGF).