World
Out in the World: LGBTQ news from Europe and Asia
Silvester Belt is first LGBTQ person to represent Lithuania in Eurovision
RUSSIA
Russia’s largest publishing houses working in concert with the country’s libraries and book sellers formed an advisory union body earlier this month to address the increasingly repressive nature of laws centered around the subject matters of LGBTQ people and the war in Ukraine.
Making the task difficult is removal of materials from classic Russian literature in addition to contemporary works. Russian media outlet Vedomosti business daily reported that the Russian Book Union’s self-labeled expert center will issue recommendations on individual books, but leave the final decision to pull the books from sale up to the publishers.
According to Vedomosti, AST, one of Russia’s largest publishers, announced earlier this week that it would suspend sales of three books by U.S. authors James Baldwin and Michael Cunningham, as well as the Russian postmodern writer Vladimir Sorokin, for allegedly containing “LGBTQ propaganda,” which is now outlawed in the country.
Roberto Carnero, an Italian literature professor at the University of Bologna’s biographical who wrote a book on the openly gay Italian film director Pier Paolo Pasolini had been heavily edited with some 70 out of its 400 pages containing sections that were redacted by its Russian publisher, Reuters reported last week.
According to Carnero, speaking with the wire service, that publisher also AST, would only agree to publish his critical essay on Pasolini only with severe cuts.
“I am very concerned about this,” he said in a phone interview from Milan. “This is something that happens in dictatorships.”
The striking images of Carnero’s book have thrown a spotlight on issues of government censorship in Russia at a time when the Kremlin says it is fighting an existential war with the West to defend its “traditional values,” Reuters noted.
English language media outlet the Moscow Times reported that Russian law allows citations for scientific, educational, and critical purposes. If brought to court, Russian publishers would be forced to prove that they retold an unlicensed book for purposes that do not include entertainment.
Russian law firms say publishers risk being hit by lawsuits and fined double the value of books sold if their summaries hew too close to the original text.
LITHUANIA
A singer-songwriter who has been entertaining audiences since he was 12-years-old is now the first openly queer person to represent Lithuania at the Eurovision Song Contest this year.
Silvester Belthe in 2010 had been a finalist in Lithuania’s preselection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest that year and now he returns 14 years later at age 26 taking the contest by storm.
A veteran of the musical variety contest show circuit, he competed on the Lithuanian version of the “X Factor,” and the Baltic TV3 Group’s music show “Aš – superhitas,” which he won in 2017.
PinkNewsUK reported Eurovision 2024 marks Belthe’s biggest career move to-date, and so far, it’s going well. His song, hypnotic eurobanger “Luktelk,” has hit over five million Spotify streams worldwide. In Lithuania, it hit number on the charts and stayed there for several weeks.
In an interview with PinkNewsUK when asked about LGBTQ representation in his homeland’s music scene. he responded: “Zero. It’s nada. It’s non-existent,” says Belt. “Everyone is pretending to be what they’re not, and it pisses me off so much.”
Eurovision has been supportive of LGBTQ musical artists for decades, but Lithuania has never sent an out artist to the contest. According to Belthe there is a culture of fear among Lithuanian artists about being seen as queer, as they feel there is “so much at stake” and that they could “lose [their] career” if they were to ever come out he noted.
The main reason he is frustrated by the lack of LGBTQ representation in his country he tells PinkNewsUK is that he thinks it would change the population’s mindset. Six in 10 Lithuanians still believe that same-sex relationships are “wrong.”
“If every single LGBTQ artist in Lithuania, not even artists, if everyone [would] come out, I feel like Lithuania would change in a day,” he says. “It’s just crazy that we have this massive elephant in the room and we’re just pretending it’s not there.”
UNITED KINGDOM
At the end of last month Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell announced sanctions on high profile Ugandan politicians charged with corruption, and the speaker of the Parliament of Uganda.
It is the first time the UK government has used the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime on individuals involved in corruption in Uganda.
The three individuals, two of whom were previously ministers responsible for Uganda’s poorest region, Karamoja, and have been charged with corruption at Uganda’s Anti-Corruption Court, will be subject to travel bans and asset freezes.
The two former ministers sanctioned — Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu — stole thousands of iron sheets used for roofing and infrastructure from a Ugandan government-funded project aimed at housing some of the most vulnerable communities in the region, providing them to prominent politicians and their families instead.
Parliament Speaker Anita Annet Among benefited from the proceeds.
Over 60 percent of people in Karamoja live in poverty and many suffer from the devastating impacts of drought and insecurity.
Mitchell said in a media statement:
“The actions of these individuals, in taking aid from those who need it most, and keeping the proceeds, is corruption at its worst and has no place in society. The Ugandan courts are rightly taking action to crack down on those politicians who seek to line their own pockets at their constituents’ expense.
Today the UK is sending a clear message to those who think benefiting at the expense of others is acceptable. Corruption has consequences and you will be held responsible,” Mitchell added.
The three individuals sanctioned were:
- Anita Annet Among, who has been the speaker of the Parliament of Uganda since 2022.
- Mary Goretti Kitutu, who was the Minister for Karamoja Affairs between 2021 and 2024.
- Agnes Nandutu, who was the State Minister for Karamoja Affairs between 2021 and 2024.
These measures follow previous UK sanctions under the Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime, which has targeted individuals involved in serious corruption cases across the world, including Bulgaria, Lebanon, Moldova, Russia, South Africa, South Sudan, and Venezuela.
Since its introduction in April 2021, the UK has introduced sanctions on 42 individuals and entities under this regime globally to combat corruption across the world.
A fully inclusive rugby club, with the majority of their members being part of Berkshire’s LGBTQ community, competes against other inclusive teams from across the world.
Recently the club won the International Gay Rugby UK league for the first time in their seven year history. John Hamp, the tighthead prop, one of the three players who form the front row of the scrum, told the BBC that being part of an LGBTQ inclusive club meant “you don’t have to hide any part of yourself.”
“With any inclusive rugby team, the need is that there are people who really enjoy rugby and really enjoy the sport, but haven’t necessarily found their home in a traditional club setup,” Hamp said.
“We provide a home and a welcoming environment where anyone and everyone can come and learn the sport,” he added.
Hamp, who is also the teams’ communications manager, told the BBC an inclusive club meant “regardless of any of your defining features or characteristics, especially for us that includes a sexual orientation, you can join our club and find a safe and welcoming environment — somewhere that you can be yourself.”
“I have a rugby family, and I tried as a child, and it just didn’t feel right for me — I knew that I was a bit different, I think other people knew that I felt different, and it didn’t feel comfortable for me,” he said.
“Sadly my my father passed away and I needed to do something; I needed something different — there was a need to be with community that understood me and a connection that I wanted to get back involved in rugby.”
“So I found the unicorns, and it was the perfect marriage of those two things.”
The club was founded in 2016, and has grown in size to over 50 playing and social members. This season, the team went unbeaten, scoring over 400 points across their 11 games in the process.
NORTHERN IRELAND
For the first time in the 132 history of the largely ceremonial role of Lord Mayor of Belfast, an openly gay man has been chosen. Micky Murray, an Alliance Party city councilman representing the Balmoral area, was selected to succeed the outgoing Sinn Féin’s Ryan Murphy in June.
On his X account Murray stated: “It’s truly an honor to have been selected by my party to be the next Lord Mayor of Belfast in June. This is a significant moment for the LGBTQ+ community, as I step into a role which has never represented us before. I look forward to getting stuck in!”
The 32-year-old politico in an interview with LGBTQ media outlet GCN Ireland said:
“In my role as Lord Mayor I want to meet people in all areas of Belfast and recognise those who are making a difference in every quarter, finding ways to work alongside them for the better.
He added: “Supporting the most vulnerable is a priority of mine, and I want to use my experience working in the homeless sector to ensure our city does more to help people.”
“I want to help transform Belfast into a more inclusive city where everyone can enjoy, regardless of who you are or where you’re from. We’re 26 years on from the Good Friday Agreement and we were promised peace, which has largely been delivered, but now is the time to further break down barriers and create a thriving city.
Our city should be recognized for its inclusivity, rather than its division. As the first openly gay Lord Mayor, I want to use this platform to represent the LGBTQ+ community and be a positive role model for them.”
In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph Murray said: “As a schoolboy who was badly bullied because of my sexuality, I never thought I’d have the privilege of serving in a role like this.”
The councilman continued: “The position of Lord Mayor has existed for over 130 years, and I’ll be the first openly LGBTQ person to hold it. It’s a huge honor for me personally to be given this opportunity by my party colleagues.
While some people may question why my sexuality is relevant, it does matter for members of my community. We are finally represented in a role we’ve never been before. It’s imbued with symbolism.”
IRELAND
Pride is back again this year for Drogheda, an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 26 miles north of Dublin. The four-day festival which kicks off on July 18, will include live musical performances, dance parties, film screenings, and family-friendly events.
This year’s event promises to be a fantastic experience, with preparation well underway and organizer Peter James Nugent told GCN Ireland. Nugent is working on the four-day festival, which will include live music performances, dance parties, film screenings, and family-friendly events.
This year’s parade will take place on July 20. Following the parade, talented local musical artist Kobrah Kage will headline the main event with a highly-anticipated performance.
GCN also reported that Festival organizers are also calling upon anyone with a talent, be it a drag queen, a singer, a dancer, or any other talent, to apply to be a part of the 2024 fantastic event. This is a great opportunity for the local community to showcase their support and join in the celebrations. A complete listing of events is available on Drogheda Pride’s socials and their website.
Additional reporting from the BBC, PinkNewsUK, The Moscow Times, Agence France-Presse the Belfast Telegraph, and GCN Ireland.
Iran
Man stuck in Lebanon as Iran war escalates
Mario was traveling to India when conflict began on Feb. 28
The Washington Blade on March 6 spoke with a man who remains stuck in Lebanon because of the escalating Iran war.
Mario, who asked the Blade not to publish his last name, lives in the U.S., but was born in Lebanon. He decided to stop in the country to see his doctor before traveling to India for work.
Mario was about to board a flight at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, on Feb. 28 when airline personnel announced “we cannot fly anymore” because authorities had closed the country’s airspace.
The U.S. and Israel earlier that day launched airstrikes against Iran.
One of them killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran in response launched missiles and drones against Israel and Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, and other countries.
An Iranian drone that hit a command center in Kuwait on March 1 killed six U.S. soldiers: Sgt. Declan Coady, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, Capt. Cody Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, and Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien. Another American servicemember, Sgt. Benjamin Pennington, died on Sunday, a week after Iranian drones and missiles targeted the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Iranian drones and missiles have also damaged civilian infrastructure, including hotels and airports in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. An Iranian missile on March 1 killed nine people and injured 27 others in Beit Shemesh, Israel.
The war has left Mario and hundreds of thousands of others stranded in the Middle East.
“I had to come back home,” Mario told the Blade.
“Luckily, I’m with family,” he added.
‘War is between Israel and Hezbollah’
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shia militant group the U.S. and Israel have designated a terrorist organization, after Khamenei’s death launched rockets at Israel. The Jewish State in response has carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah targets across Lebanon.
Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, killed upwards of 1,200 people when they launched a surprise attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah the following day began to launch rockets into Israel.
An Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Sept. 27, 2024, killed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s long-time leader. Iran four days later launched upwards of 200 ballistic missiles at Israel.
The U.S. helped broker a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that took effect on Nov. 27, 2024. Israel nevertheless continued to carry out airstrikes in Lebanon.
Israel on June 13, 2025, launched airstrikes against Iran that targeted the country’s nuclear and military facilities. The subsequent war, which lasted 12 days, prompted the cancellation of the annual Tel Aviv Pride parade.
Mario noted the Israeli airstrikes have targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in Dahiyah, a Beirut suburb that is predominantly Shia, and in southern Lebanon.
His family’s home is about five miles from downtown Beirut. Mario said there is a mountain “that separates me from the area that is being bombed, so I don’t even hear the sounds.”
“Lebanon is such an interesting juxtaposition, because depending on which area you are in, your quality of life can be different during these times,” he said. “Right now, the war is not between Israel and Lebanon as a government. The war is between Israel and Hezbollah.”
“If you are in the areas where Hezbollah is concentrated, then you are severely impacted,” added Mario. “If you are in other areas, even if they are Shia or … Muslims that usually align themselves with Hezbollah, you’re still relatively in a safe place, in a safe location.”
Israeli evacuation orders have prompted hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes in Dahiyah and in southern Lebanon.
Mario said many of the evacuees are sleeping in their cars, or on the street. He also noted a video that showed a shepherd with his sheep and goats on a highway in downtown Beirut.
“He took his animals with him because he had to vacate where he was living,” said Mario. “That’s the first time you see in downtown Beirut maybe 100 goats walking the streets with two people sitting on jackasses and herding them.”
“It is very absurd,” he added.
The Lebanese government has opened schools and public shelters for people who have been displaced, but Mario said many of them do not have enough food. He also said gas prices have increased, and people are afraid to drive.
“It really saddens me seeing the kids affected by it,” said Mario. “Hezbollah made this decision, and it was a unilateral decision.”
“I doubt that the Shia people support them,” he added, referring to Hezbollah. “They cannot say it out loud that they do not support them, but I doubt people are happy within less than two years, for the second time in a row, to have to leave their homes and try to find a place to stay.”
Lebanese government urged to develop LGBTQ-inclusive plan for displaced people
Article 534 of Lebanon’s Penal Code states “any sexual intercourse contrary to the order of nature is punishable” by up to a year in prison. Several judges in recent years have opted not to use the statute to prosecute LGBTQ people who have been charged under it.
Helem, a Lebanese LGBTQ and intersex rights group, on March 4 called upon the Lebanese government and international NGOs to develop a response to the Israeli airstrikes that is “comprehensive, fair, and inclusive of all groups, without exception or discrimination.
“The experience of the previous war demonstrated that state response plans were not sufficiently inclusive of displaced LGBTQ+ individuals,” said Helem. “Many faced compounded challenges, including the inability to access state collective shelters, exposure to harassment or violence, difficulty accessing health and psychosocial services, and fear of disclosing their gender identity or sexual orientation due to stigma and discrimination.”
“Any emergency plan that fails to take the most vulnerable groups into account exposes their lives and dignity to additional risks,” added the group.
Helem also made the following requests:
• Integrating a rights-based and nondiscrimination approach in all stages of planning and implementation, ensuring safe and equal access to assistance and services.
• Training staff working in shelters and emergency response on principles of protection from gender-based violence and discrimination, including issues related to gender identity and sexual orientation.
• Reassessment of the currently adopted shelter model, which relies exclusively on the concept of the “traditional family” aligned with a specific social structure. In practice, this leads to the systematic exclusion of non-traditional families and individuals who do not belong to conventional family units, including LGBTQ+ individuals, survivors of domestic violence, migrant workers, and people without supportive family networks.
• Involving civil society organizations specialized in gender issues and LGBTQ+ rights in the design, implementation, and monitoring of the emergency response plan.
• Establishing clear monitoring and accountability standards to ensure that violations or discriminatory practices do not occur during the implementation of the emergency plan.
“Disasters and conflicts do not justify the suspension of rights or the neglect of marginalized groups. On the contrary, the need for a humanitarian approach grounded in dignity and equality becomes even more urgent in times of crisis.”
“Helem places its expertise and experience at the disposal of relevant authorities and affirms its readiness to cooperate to ensure that the emergency plan is more just, effective, and inclusive,” said Helem. “Dignity is indivisible, and protection must include everyone without exception.”
Colombia
Claudia López wins primary in Colombian presidential race
Former Bogotá mayor’s wife lost reelection bid on Sunday
Former Bogotá Mayor Claudia López on Sunday won her primary in the race to succeed Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
López, a centrist who is running as an independent, defeated Leonardo Huerta in the “Consulta de las Soluciones” primary.
López was the Colombian capital’s mayor from 2020-2023. She was a member of the Colombian Senate from 2014-2018.
López is running to succeed Petro, the country’s first leftist president who cannot seek a second consecutive term under Colombia’s constitution. Other presidential candidates who won their respective parties’ primaries on Sunday include Sen. Iván Cepeda, a member of Petro’s Historic Pact party, and Sen. Paloma Valencia of the conservative Democratic Center, the country’s main opposition party that former President Álvaro Uribe leads.
Juan Daniel Oviedo, who finished second in the Democratic Center’s primary, is openly gay.
The first-round of Colombia’s presidential election will take place on May 31.
Polls indicate López is trailing Cepeda and Valencia, who are considered the two frontrunners.
A second round will take place is no candidate receives at least 50 percent of the vote on May 31. López would become Colombia’s first female and first lesbian president if she wins the election.
López’s wife loses Senate seat
Colombia’s congressional elections also took place on Sunday.
Former Congressman Mauricio Toro, a member of the center-left Green Alliance party, in 2018 became the first openly gay man elected to Colombian Congress when he won a seat in the House of Representatives.
He lost his reelection bid in 2022. Voters on Sunday elected Toro for a second term.
Congresswoman María del Mar Pizarro, a bisexual Historic Pact member, won re-election.
Caribe Afirmativo, a Colombian LGBTQ and intersex rights group, notes only two of the 33 openly LGBTQ congressional candidates won their respective races. Among those who lost is Sen. Angélica Lozano, a bisexual woman who in 2018 became the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the Colombian Senate.
Lozano is married to López.
Lozano in a message posted to her Instagram page expressed “heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their support and love.”
“I will end my work in Congress on a high note by ensuring (the) child support and service contractor protection bills will become a reality in June,” she said.
Uganda
Ugandan activist named Charles F. Kettering Foundation fellow
Clare Byarugaba founded PFLAG-Uganda
The Charles F. Kettering Foundation has named a prominent Ugandan LGBTQ activist as one of its 2026 fellows.
Clare Byarugaba, founder of PFLAG-Uganda, is one of the foundation’s five 2026 Global Fellows.
Byarugaba, among other things, has been a vocal critic of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. Byarugaba in 2024 met with Pope Francis — who criticized criminalization laws during his papacy — at the Vatican.
The foundation on its website says it “is dedicated to bringing research and people together to make the promise of democracy real for everyone, everywhere.”
“Clare is the kind of hero who rushes toward the emergency to help,” said PFLAG CEO Brian K. Bond in a Feb. 27 statement to the Washington Blade. “She founded PFLAG-Uganda as the country pushed to criminalize homosexuality and those who support LGBTQ+ people. Yet, she never hesitated in her courage, telling us that families wanted to organize to keep their LGBTQ+ loved ones safe, and PFLAG was the way to do it. Clare Byarugaba not only deserves this honor, but she will use her compassion and experience to teach the world about LGBTQ+ advocacy as a Kettering Global Fellow.”
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