World
Out in the World: LGBTQ news from Europe and Asia
Qatari authorities give suspended sentence to British Mexican man arrested in Grindr sting
QATAR
A British Mexican man who was arrested in a Grindr sting operation has been given a six-month suspended sentence and will be deported ā although the state has 30 days to launch an appeal, during which he is not allowed to leave ā the BBC reports.
Manuel Guerrero AviƱa, 44, was arrested on what his family are calling trumped up drug charges in Doha in February, after being lured to a fake meeting on the gay cruising app Grindr. This week, he was handed his sentence, which includes a fine of approximately $2,700.
Guerrero, who has lived in Qatar for seven years and works for an airline, has told the BBC he is considering an appeal.
His family has previously told the BBC that he was approached online by a man named āGio,ā who also used the screen name āMikeā on both Grindr and Tinder. Guerrero invited āGioā to his apartment, but when he went to the lobby to let him in, police were waiting and arrested him.
Police searched his apartment and allegedly found amphetamine and methamphetamine. They later administered a drug test which they say show evidence he had used the substances.
Guerrero says the drugs were planted as part of a sting operation targeting queer people. Under threat of torture and without a translator or lawyer, he was coerced into signing a document written in Arabic, a language he doesnāt read, admitting his possession of the drugs.
He spent 42 days in pretrial detention before being given provisional release, during which time police attempted to coerce him into naming other queer people.
Complicating his situation is the fact that he lives with HIV. While in detention, guards frequently withheld his medication, which could have enabled the virus to build up a resistance to it. He ran out of his prescription, which is not available in Qatar, in April, and has had to use a local substitute.
Several human rights groups have criticized the lack of due process in Guerreroās case, the evidence that he was targeted for his sexual identity, and the implication that a wider crackdown on queer people is in the works.
āThis has been about his LGBT status from the start and his desire to express that status and his identity, and thatās what this case is about,ā James Lynch, co-director of the human rights organization Fair Square, told the BBC. āHeās an LGBT person and he was targeted through a dating app. You donāt do that, unless thatās the thing you are focused on.ā
Qatari officials deny that Guerrero was targeted for any reason other than the possession of illegal substances.
Following Guerrero’s arrest, Grindr began displaying a warning to users in Qatar that āpolice are known to be making arrests on the app.ā
Same-sex intercourse between men is illegal in Qatar, with potential sentences of up to three years. The law also allows a death sentence to be imposed for unmarried Muslims who have sex regardless of gender, though there are no records it has ever been carried out.
UKRAINE
The Kyiv City Council denied a organizers of Kyiv Pride a permit to hold the annual human rights demonstration on the cityās metro system, citing security concerns and the need to maintain service on the subway network, the Kyiv Post reports.
Kyiv Pride organizers say they still plan to go ahead with their march in the metro on June 16 even without a city permit.
Kyiv has not held a Pride festival since the latest Russian invasion began in February 2022. The organizers of Kyiv Pride say they were inspired to hold their march on the metro system by a similar event held in the war-torn eastern city Kharkiv in 2022, where the metro was the safest place to gather during Russian bombardment.
Itās partly because the metro is used as a bomb shelter during Russian attacks that the city denied a permit for the event. The city released a statement on June 3 calling on organizers to find another venue.
āIn order not to endanger the participants and passengers, and to avoid possible provocations, the city authorities cannot allow the Equality March to take place in the metro,ā it said.
Organizers expect up to 500 people to take part in the Pride march this year. Theyāre asking participants to register in advance in order to limit the number of participants who show up at metro.
In a lengthy post on Kyiv Prideās Facebook page, the organizers underscore the importance of holding a highly visible Pride festival, even during the upheaval of wartime.
āIt is our obligation before Ukrainian queer soldiers who are also supporting the March to ensure that they return from the frontlines to a more just legal environment,ā the post says.
āBacked by society, the historic same-sex partnerships law and the law on hate crimes dropped from the parliamentās priority list. We must seize the opportunity to remind the government that ensuring dignity and equality for all Ukrainian citizens is not a second-tier priority. Organizing an LGBTQ+ civil rights march in Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian [sic] invasion is a complex and courageous endeavor.ā
ITALY
An Italian couple is planning to challenge social conventions even as they challenge the bonds of the earth itself, by becoming the first gay couple to get married in outer space.
Alessandro Monterosso, a 33-year-old health software entrepreneur, and Alec Sander, a 25-year-old recording artist, will exchange vows in 2025 aboard a private spaceflight offered by the U.S. company Space Perspective.
Space Perspective is not yet in commercial operation, but its website says it will offer bespoke experiences aboard a luxury capsule that is lifted to the edge of space by a hydrogen-filled balloon at a speed of 12 miles per hour.
Monterosso and Sander have booked a whole capsule for them and six guests at a cost of $125,000 per person, an even $1,000,000 total. They say they are not seeking sponsors.
Monterosso and Sander first met in Padua in 2017, and they dated for four years until Sander broke it off because it was difficult to date while Monterosso was still in the closet. A year later, they met up again and Monterosso asked Sander to marry him. Sander agreed, but he didnāt immediately know that his fiancĆ© wanted to hold the wedding in space.
āI was planning the trip as a civilian, to fulfill my childhood desire to become an astronaut. When I came into contact with the aerospace agency we relied on, it came naturally to me to ask:Ā but can I also get married in space?ā Monterosso told theĀ Corriere della Sera newspaper.
āIt seemed like such a romantic idea. I had struggled so much to accept myself as homosexual, not because I wasnāt sure, but because of the social context, and I told myself that now I would have to tell the whole world how I felt. Firstly because I know that there are many people who experience what I experienced, and then to confirm the infinite love I feel for Alec,ā he says.
But Monterosso and Sander have a political message behind their space wedding as well. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Italy, and its current far-right government has cracked down hard on same-sex parents.
āCouples like us are not always well regarded in Italy. In other places in the world, they are even illegal. In Russia we are considered terrorists. Well, we just want to say that itās time to normalize everything and amplify this message as much as possible. And if it is therefore so difficult to get married on Earth, then we are going to do it in space, with a galactic wedding whose aim is precisely to normalize these loves,ā Monterosso says. āThe message is aimed at people, because even today we still feel eyes on us if we hold hands while walking down the street. But if people normalize, politics must adapt.ā
Monterosso and Sander already have their sights set on more distant shores.
āFor our 20th anniversary, we are aiming for Mars,ā Monterosso says.
AUSTRALIA
The government of New South Wales issued a historic apology this week to queer people who were persecuted under old laws that criminalized same-sex intercourse.
New South Wales decriminalized same-sex intimacy in 1984, one of the last Australian states to do so. Forty years later, it has become the last state to issue an apology for criminalizing queer people, after all other states did so in 2016 and 2017.
Delivering a speech in the state parliament, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said he ārecognizes and regrets this parliamentās role in enacting laws and endorsing policies of successive governmentsā decisions that criminalized, persecuted and harmed people based on their sexuality and gender.
Minnsās apology acknowledged people were harmed by these laws even if they werenāt directly charged or convicted under them.
āTo those who survived these terrible years, and to those who never made it through, we are truly sorry. Weāre sorry for every person convicted under legislation that should never have existed. For every person that experienced fear as a result of that legislation.
āEveryone who lost a job, who lost their future, or who lost the love of family and friends. We are very sorry for every person, convicted or otherwise, who were made to live a smaller life because of these laws,ā he said.
People who had been convicted under New South Walesās old sodomy laws have been eligible to have the convictions expunged since a law change in 2014.
Minnsā government recently passed a ban on conversion therapy in March, making New South Wales the fourth jurisdiction in Australia to do so.
The stateās only openly gay MP, Independent Alex Greenwich, says that the apology has to be followed by more action to promote equality.
Heās put forward his own bill that would close a loophole in anti-discrimination law to ban discrimination by religious schools against LGBTQ students and teachers, and would allow trans people to change their legal gender without having to undergo a medical procedure.
āI rise as the only openly gay member of the Legislative Assembly to contribute to this apology,ā Greenwich said in the state parliament. āI am one of only two in this chamberās 186-year-old history. This in itself shows how much work we need to do.ā
Ecuador
Justicia reconoce delito de odio en caso de bullying en Instituto Nacional MejĆa de Ecuador
Johana B se suicidĆ³ el 11 de abril de 2023
A casi tres aƱos del suicidio de Johana B., quien estudiĆ³ en el Instituto Nacional MejĆa, colegio emblemĆ”tico de Quito, el Tribunal de la Corte Nacional de Justicia ratificĆ³ la condena para el alumno responsable del acoso escolar que la llevĆ³ a quitarse la vida.
SegĆŗn informaciĆ³n de la FiscalĆa, el fallo de Ćŗltima instancia deja en firme la condena de cuatro aƱos de internamiento en un centro para adolescentes infractores, en una audiencia de casaciĆ³n pedida por la defensa del agresor, tres meses antes de que prescriba el caso.
Con la sentencia, este caso es uno de los primeros en el paĆs en reconocer actos de odio por violencia de gĆ©nero, delito tipificado en el artĆculo 177 del CĆ³digo OrgĆ”nico Penal Integral (COIP).
El suicidio de Johana B. ocurriĆ³ el 11 abril de 2023 y fue consecuencia del acoso escolar por estereotipos de gĆ©nero que enfrentĆ³ la estudiante por parte de su agresor, quien constantemente la insultaba y agredĆa por su forma de vestir, llevar el cabello corto o practicar actividades que hace aƱos se consideraban exclusivamente para hombres, como ser mando de la Banda de Paz en el Instituto Nacional MejĆa.
Desde la muerte de Johana, su familia buscaba justicia. Su padre, JosĆ©, en una entrevista concedida a ediciĆ³n cientonce para la investigaciĆ³n periodĆstica Los suicidios que quedan en el clĆ³set a causa de la omisiĆ³n estatal afirmĆ³ que su hija era acosada por su compaƱero y otres estudiantes con apodos como āmarimachaā, lo que tambiĆ©n fue corroborado en los testimonios recogidos por la Unidad de Justicia Juvenil No. 4 de la FiscalĆa.
Los resultados de la autopsia psicolĆ³gica y del examen antropolĆ³gico realizados tras la muerte de Johana confirmaron las versiones de sus compaƱeras y docentes: que su agresor la acosĆ³ de manera sistemĆ”tica durante dos aƱos. Los empujones, jalones de cabello o burlas, incluso por su situaciĆ³n econĆ³mica, eran constantes en el aula de clase.
La violencia que recibiĆ³ Johana escalĆ³ cuando su compaƱero le dio un codazo en la espalda ocasionĆ”ndole una lesiĆ³n que le imposibilitĆ³ caminar y asistir a clases.
DĆas despuĆ©s del hecho, la adolescente se quitĆ³ la vida en su casa, tras escuchar que la madre del agresor se negĆ³ a pagar la mitad del valor de una tomografĆa para determinar la lesiĆ³n en su espalda, tal como lo habĆa acordado previamente con sus padres y frente al personal del DECE (Departamento de ConsejerĆa Estudiantil del colegio), segĆŗn versiones de su familia y la FiscalĆa.
#AFONDO | Johana se suicidĆ³ el 11 de abril de 2023, tras ser vĆctima de acoso escolar por no cumplir con estereotipos femeninos š¢.
Dos semanas antes, uno de sus compaƱeros le dio un codazo en la espalda, ocasionĆ”ndole una lesiĆ³n que le imposibilitĆ³ caminar š§µ pic.twitter.com/bXKUs9YYOm
— EdicionCientonce (@EdCientonce) September 3, 2025
āEra una chica linda, fuerte, alegre. Siempre nos llevamos muy bien, hemos compartido todo. Nos dejĆ³ muchos recuerdos y todos nos sentimos tristes; siempre estamos pensando en ella. Es un vacĆo tan grande aquĆ, en este lugarā, expresĆ³ JosĆ© a EdiciĆ³n Cientonce el aƱo pasado.
Para la fiscal del caso y de la Unidad de Justicia Juvenil de la FiscalĆa, Martha Reino, el suicidio de la adolescente fue un agravante que se contemplĆ³ durante la audiencia de juzgamiento de marzo de 2024, segĆŗn explicĆ³ a este medio el aƱo pasado. Desde entonces, la familia del agresor presentĆ³ un recurso de casaciĆ³n en la Corte Nacional de Justicia, que provocĆ³ la dilataciĆ³n del proceso.
En el fallo de Ćŗltima instancia, el Tribunal tambiĆ©n dispuso que el agresor pague $3.000 a la familia de Johana B. como reparaciĆ³n integral. AdemĆ”s, el adolescente deberĆ” recibir medidas socioeducativas, de acuerdo al artĆculo 385 del CĆ³digo OrgĆ”nico de la NiƱez y Adolescencia, seƱala la FiscalĆa.
El caso de Johana tambiĆ©n destapĆ³ las omisiones y negligencias del personal del DECE y docentes del Instituto Nacional MejĆa. En la etapa de instrucciĆ³n fiscal se comprobĆ³ que no se aplicaron los protocolos respectivos para proteger a la vĆctima.
De hecho, la FiscalĆa conociĆ³ el casoĀ a raĆz de la denuncia que presentĆ³ su padre,Ā JosĆ©, y no por el DECE, asegurĆ³ la fiscal el aƱo pasado a EdiciĆ³n Cientonce.
Pese a estas omisiones presentadas en el proceso, el fallo de Ćŗltima instancia sĆ³lo ratificĆ³ la condena para el estudiante.
Africa
LGBTQ groups question US health agreements with African countries
Community could face further exclusion, government-sanctioned discrimination
Some queer rights organizations have expressed concern that health agreements between the U.S. and more than a dozen African countries will open the door to further exclusion and government-sanctioned discrimination.
The Trump-Vance administration since December has signed five-year agreements with Kenya, Uganda, and other nations that are worth a total of $1.6 billion.
Kenyan and Ugandan advocacy groups note the U.S. funding shift from NGO-led to a government-to-government model poses serious risks to LGBTQ people and other vulnerable populations in accessing healthcare due to existing discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Uganda Minority Shelters Consortium, Letās Walk Uganda, the Kenya Human Rights Commission, and the Center for Minority Rights and Strategic Litigation note the agreementsā silence on vulnerable populations in accessing health care threatens their safety, privacy, and confidentiality.
āMany LGBTQ persons previously accessed HIV prevention and treatment, sexual and reproductive health services, mental health support, and psychosocial care through specialized clinics supported by NGOs and partners such as USAID (the U.S. Agency for International Development) or PEPFAR,ā Letās Walk Uganda Executive Director Edward Mutebi told Washington Blade.
He noted such specialized clinics, including the Letās Walk Medical Center, are trusted facilities for providing stigma-free services by health workers who are sensitized to queer issues.
āUnder this new model that sidelines NGOs and Drop-in Centers (DICs), there is a high-risk of these populations being forced into public health facilities where stigma, discrimination, and fear of exposure are prevalent to discourage our community members from seeking care altogether, leading to late testing and treatment,ā Mutebi said. āFor LGBTQ persons already living under criminalization and heightened surveillance, the loss of community-based service delivery is not just an access issue; it is a full-blown safety issue.ā
Uganda Minority Shelters Consortium Coordinator John Grace said it is ādeeply troublingā for the Trump-Vance administration to sideline NGOs, which he maintains have been ācritical lifelinesā for marginalized communities through their specialized clinics funded by donors like the Global Fund and USAID.
USAID officially shut down on July 1, 2025, after the White House dismantled it.
Grace notes the government-to-government funding framework will impact clinics that specifically serve the LGBTQ community, noting their patients will have to turn to public systems that remain inaccessible or hostile to them.
āUMSC is concerned that the Ugandan government, under this new arrangement, may lack both the political will and institutional safeguards to equitably serve these populations,ā Grace said. āWithout civil society participation, there is a real danger of invisibility and neglect.ā
Grace also said the absence of accountability mechanisms or civil society oversight in the U.S. agreement, which Uganda signed on Dec. 10, would increase state-led discrimination in allocating health resources.
Center for Minority Rights and Strategic Litigation Legal Manager Michael Kioko notes the U.S. agreement with Kenya, signed on Dec. 4, will help sustain the countryās health sector, but it has a non-binding provision that allows Washington to withdraw or withhold the funding at any time without legal consequences. He said it could affect key health institutionsā long-term planning for specialized facilities for targeted populations whose independent operations are at stake from NGOS the new agreement sidelines.
āThe agreement does not provide any assurance that so-called non-core services, such as PrEP, PEP, condoms, lubricants, targeted HIV testing, and STI prevention will be funded, especially given the Trump administrationās known opposition to funding these services for key populations,ā Kioko said.
He adds the agreementās exclusionary structure could further impact NGO-run clinics for key populations that have already closed or scaled down due to loss of the U.S. funding last year, thus reversing hard-won gains in HIV prevention and treatment.
āThe socio-political implications are also dire,ā Kioko said. āThe agreement could be weaponized to incite discrimination and other LGBTQ-related health issues by anti-LGBTQ voices in the parliament who had called for the re-authorization of the U.S. funding (PEPFAR) funding in 2024, as a political mileage in the campaign trail.ā
Even as the agreement fails to safeguard specialized facilities for key populations, the Kenya Human Rights Commission states continued access to healthcare services in public facilities will depend on the government’s commitment to maintain confidentiality, stigma-sensitive care, and targeted outreach mechanisms.
āThe agreement requires compliance with applicable U.S. laws and foreign assistance policies, including restrictions such as the Helms Amendment on abortion funding,ā the Kenya Human Rights Commission said in response to the Blade. āMore broadly, funded activities must align with U.S. executive policy directives in force at the time. In the current U.S. context, where executive actions have narrowed gender recognition and reduced certain transgender protections, there is a foreseeable risk that funding priorities may shift.ā
Just seven days after Kenya and the U.S. signed the agreement, the countryās High Court on Dec. 11 suspended its implementation after two petitioners challenged its legality on grounds that it was negotiated in secrecy, lacks proper parliamentary approval, and violates Kenyansā data privacy when their medical information is shared with America.
The agreement the U.S. and Uganda signed has not been challenged.
European Union
European Parliament resolution backs āfull recognition of trans women as womenā
Non-binding document outlines UN Commission on the Status of Women priorities
The European Parliament on Feb. 11 adopted a transgender-inclusive resolution ahead of next monthās U.N. Commission on the Status of Women meeting.
The resolution, which details the European Unionās priorities ahead of the meeting, specifically calls for āthe full recognition of trans women as women.ā
āTheir inclusion is essential for the effectiveness of any gender-equality and anti-violence policies; call for recognition of and equal access for trans women to protection and support services,ā reads the resolution that Erin in the Morning details.
The resolution, which is non-binding, passed by a 340-141 vote margin. Sixty-eight MPs abstained.
The commission will meet in New York from March 10-21.
A sweeping executive order that President Donald Trump signed shortly after he took office for a second time on Jan. 20, 2025, said the federal governmentās āofficial policyā is āthere are only two genders, male and female.ā The Trump-Vance administration has withdrawn the U.S. from the U.N. LGBTI Core Group, a group of U.N. member states that have pledged to support LGBTQ and intersex rights, and dozens of other U.N. entities.
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