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Out in the World: LGBTQ news from Europe and Asia
Thousands participated in Belgrade Pride in Serbia on Sept. 7
SERBIA
Thousands of people marched through the Serbian capital on Sept 7 in what organizers are calling the largest Belgrade Pride yet. The march went off peacefully under the protection of a heavy police presence, a marked contrast to previous years that have seen the march threatened or canceled due to violent anti-LGBTQ protestors.
This year’s Pride marchers were demanding that the government pass laws to expand LGBTQ rights, including a long-promised same-sex partnership law and a law to facilitate legal gender recognition.
The march route took participants past the Serbian parliament, where organizers read out a list of demands and an unidentified participant hung a rainbow flag from an office window.
“Politicians, with political will, could easily fulfill the demands. Of course, it is also important that these laws are then applied,” Goran Miletic, one of the Pride organizers, told media.
A civil union bill has been under discussion by the Serbian government since 2019, under former Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, who is openly lesbian. But after years of consultations, President Alexander Vucic announced in 2021 that he would veto the bill if it passed parliament. While consultations have continued, the bill has been effectively stalled since then.
Serbia is also required by the European Convention on Human Rights to provide some legal recognition to same-sex couples.
Serbian European Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic attended the Pride event and told media that the government is still considering civil union legislation, though she offered no timeline to implement it.
“The issue is protecting the rights of various citizens, which must be equalized with the rights that we all have,” Miscevic told media at the event.
Belgrade Pride was first celebrated in 2001 with a march that was attacked by right-wing organizations, leaving more than 40 people injured. After several failed attempts to hold a second parade, the next Belgrade Pride was held in 2010, which led to street battles between police and anti-LGBTQ protestors, with more than 100 officers injured and more than 250 arrests. Pride was banned by authorities in 2011 and 2012, before being revived in 2014.
In 2022, Belgrade was due to host EuroPride, but authorities denied permits at the last minute, citing security concerns, and only a shortened march was held.
ALBANIA
A conservative member of the Albanian parliament is stirring up a homophobic controversy over a third grade language textbook that depicts a wizard in a rainbow robe on its cover.
The controversy was first kicked up by right-wing commentator Auron Kalaja, who posted the cover of the textbook “Gjuha Shqipe” on Instagram with a caption directing parents to “reject this book.”
“What is the meaning of the rainbow and its colors on the cover of the most beautiful subject?! Will this creature holding a magic wand change the children’s minds so that the latter ones change sex or … ?!” Kalaja wrote.
Tritan Shehu, an MP from the right-leaning Democratic Party, claimed that the textbook was an attempt by the government to “deform” children, in a Sept. 6 Facebook post.
“The cover of the official text of ‘Gjuha Shqipe’ for children is a cynical insult on children, their development, their future and their vision for life and family,” he writes. “A child appears there and on top of that a ‘man’ with a beard wearing a dress of ‘rainbow’ colors, dancing barefoot like a woman!!! Here we are not dealing with coincidences, but with a strategy of the regime, dangerous gender for sexual orientation in the new female age.”
While the comments have stirred up outrage in the predictable circles, the book’s publisher Albas backed the design in a statement, noting the book has been used in schools for eight years without any complaints from parents or educators.
Albas’ statement explains that both the rainbow and the wizard relate to stories contained in the textbook.
“The tendentious and discriminatory interpretations, the more they spread on social networks and in the media, the more they deepen the crisis we are going through as a society, damaging the mental health of children,” Albas’s statement reads.
GEORGIA
The government got one step closer to passing its draconian anti-LGBTQ “propaganda” law last week, as the bill secured passage at second reading in parliament. A final vote is scheduled for Sept. 17.
The ruling Georgian Dream party introduced the bill this summer, drawing swift condemnation from Western allies. Analysts believe the government is using the bill to foment division among the opposition ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for late October.
The bill, inspired by similar legislation passed by Russia in 2013, would ban any gathering, product, or educational program that “popularizes” LGBTQ people or identities, bans gender-related care for trans people and legal recognition of their gender, bans any legal recognition of same-sex couples, bans adoption by same-sex couples, and bans any marriage by non-heterosexual or non-cisgender people.
The passage at second reading was strongly condemned by the European Union in a statement.
“This package undermines the fundamental rights of Georgian people and risks further stigmatization and discrimination of part of the population,” the statement reads. “The EU calls on the Georgian authorities to entirely reconsider this legislative package.”
Georgian Dream has taken an increasingly authoritarian and anti-Western stance in recent years, positioning itself and its patron Russia as a bulwark against liberal and inclusive European values that it portrays as promoting LGBTQ rights.
This turn has come despite the public’s overwhelming support for EU membership, and the government’s stated goal of joining the bloc. The country was given candidate status last year, but recent anti-democratic actions have led the bloc to threaten to suspend its candidacy.
Earlier this year, Georgia passed a “foreign agents” bill, requiring any organization that receives funding from abroad to register as an agent of a foreign power or face stiff fines and sanctions. Critics said the law, also inspired by a similar Russian law, was an attempt to silence and discredit opposition groups, the media, and civil society organizations.
Several Eastern European countries have adopted or considered “LGBT propaganda” bills recently. Lithuania and Hungary both have laws banning promotion of LGBTQ issues to minors on the books, though Lithuania’s has been ruled in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. A similar bill has been proposed in Slovakia.
HONG KONG
NGOs serving the LGBTQ community have faced deep cutbacks in funding from the government over the past year, putting services and events the queer community relies on in jeopardy.
The Hong Kong Free Press reports that groups like Gay Harmony and PrideLab have had to cut back staff and resources in the wake of surprise cuts to grants they have received from the government.
That’s led the groups to cancel HIV awareness and outreach programs, and the annual Pride Market.
These groups had received money from the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau’s Equal Opportunities (Sexual Orientation) funding scheme since 1998. Between 2018-2023, CMAB had allocated funding to between 18 and 24 organizations, with a budget of HK$1.3 million (approximately $170,000). But for the current fiscal year, that’s dropped to 10 organizations from a budget of just under HK$700,000 (approximately $90,000).
Compounding the damage, the CMAC also allocates funds to three anti-LGBTQ organizations that promote conversion therapy — New Creation Association, Post Gay Alliance, and the Hong Kong Psychosexual Education Association.
Additionally, the city’s AIDS Trust Fund has also drastically reduced funding to LGBTQ organizations.
Hong Kong’s queer activists say this reflects an overall shift in attitudes from the city’s government.
While previously, the Equal Opportunities Commission attended LGBTQ events in support of the community, the EOC has announced it no longer considers it “suitable” to engage in activities in support of possible legislation on banning anti-LGBTQ discrimination.
The situation in Hong Kong has become complex for LGBTQ people, since Beijing has moved to exert greater control over the former British colony.
NGOs are reluctant to accept funds from foreign governments, lest they be branded a potential national security threat. Public demonstrations and Pride events have also become more difficult to plan and receive approval for.
India
Anaya Bangar challenges ban on trans women in female cricket teams
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar’s daughter has received support
Anaya Bangar, the daughter of former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar, has partnered with the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport in the U.K. to assess her physiological profile following her gender-affirming surgery and undergoing hormone replacement therapy.
From January to March 2025, the 23-year-old underwent an eight-week research project that measured her glucose levels, oxygen uptake, muscle mass, strength, and endurance after extensive training.
The results, shared via Instagram, revealed her metrics align with those of cisgender female athletes, positioning her as eligible for women’s cricket under current scientific standards. Bangar’s findings challenge the International Cricket Council’s 2023 ban on transgender athletes in women’s cricket, prompting her to call for a science-based dialogue with the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the ICC to reform policies for transgender inclusion.
“I am talking with scientific evidence in my hand,” Bangar said in an interview posted to her Instagram page. “So, I hope, this makes an impact and I will be hoping to BCCI and ICC talking with me and discussing this further.”
On Nov. 21, 2023, the ICC enacted a controversial policy barring trans women from international women’s cricket. Finalized after a board meeting in Ahmedabad, India, the regulation prohibits any trans player who has experienced male puberty from competing, irrespective of gender-affirming surgery or hormone therapy. Developed through a 9-month consultation led by the ICC’s Medical Advisory Committee, the rule aims to safeguard the “integrity, safety, and fairness” of women’s cricket but has drawn criticism for excluding athletes like Canada’s Danielle McGahey, the first trans woman to play internationally. The policy, which allows domestic boards to set their own rules, is slated for review by November 2025.
Bangar shared a document on social media verifying her participation in a physiological study at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport, conducted from Jan. 20 to March 3, 2025, focused on cricket performance. The report confirmed that her vital metrics — including haemoglobin, blood glucose, peak power, and mean power — aligned with those of cisgender female athletes. Initially, her fasting blood glucose measured 6.1 mmol/L, slightly above the typical non-diabetic range of 4.0–5.9 mmol/L, but subsequent tests showed it normalized, reinforcing the study’s findings that her physical profile meets female athletic standards.
“I am submitting this to the BCCI and ICC, with full transparency and hope,” said Bangar. “My only intention is to start a conversation based on facts not fear. To build space, not divide it.”
In a letter to the BCCI and the ICC, Bangar emphasized her test results from the Manchester Metropolitan University study. She explained that the research aimed to assess how hormone therapy had influenced her strength, stamina, haemoglobin, glucose levels, and overall performance, benchmarked directly against cisgender female athletic standards.
Bangar’s letter to the BCCI and the ICC clarified the Manchester study was not intended as a political statement but as a catalyst for a science-driven dialogue on fairness and inclusion in cricket. She emphasized the importance of prioritizing empirical data over assumptions to shape equitable policies for trans athletes in the sport.
Bangar urged the BCCI, the world’s most influential cricket authority, to initiate a formal dialogue on trans women’s inclusion in women’s cricket, rooted in medical science, performance metrics, and ethical fairness. She called for the exploration of eligibility pathways based on sport-specific criteria, such as haemoglobin thresholds, testosterone suppression timelines, and standardized performance testing. Additionally, she advocated for collaboration with experts, athletes, and legal advisors to develop policies that balance inclusivity with competitive integrity.
“I am releasing my report and story publicly not for sympathy, but for truth. Because inclusion does not mean ignoring fairness, it means measuring it, transparently and responsibly,” said Bangar in a letter to the BCCI. “I would deeply appreciate the opportunity to meet with you or a representative of the BCCI or ICC to present my findings, discuss possible policy pathways, and work towards a future where every athlete is evaluated based on real data, not outdated perceptions.”
Before her transition, Bangar competed for Islam Gymkhana in Mumbai and Hinckley Cricket Club in the U.K., showcasing her talent in domestic cricket circuits. Her father, Sanjay Bangar, was a dependable all-rounder for the Indian national cricket team from 2001 to 2004, playing 12 test matches and 15 One Day Internationals. He later served as a batting coach for the Indian team from 2014 to 2019, contributing to its strategic development.
Cricket in India is a cultural phenomenon, commanding a fanbase of more than 1 billion, with more than 80 percent of global cricket viewership originating from the country.
The International Cricket Council, the sport’s governing body, oversees 12 full member nations and more than 90 associate members, with the U.S. recently gaining associate member status in 2019 and co-hosting the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The BCCI generated approximately $2.25 billion in revenue in the 2023–24 financial year, primarily from the Indian Premier League, bilateral series, and ICC revenue sharing. The ICC earns over $3 billion from media rights in India alone for the 2024–27 cycle, contributing nearly 90 percent of its global media rights revenue, with the BCCI receiving 38.5 percent of the ICC’s annual earnings, approximately $231 million per year.
Women’s cricket in India enjoys a growing fanbase, with over 300 million viewers for the Women’s Premier League in 2024, making it a significant driver of the sport’s global popularity. The International Cricket Council oversees women’s cricket in 12 full member nations and over 90 associate members, with the U.S. fielding a women’s team since gaining associate status in 2019 and competing in ICC events like the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup qualifiers. The BCCI invests heavily in women’s cricket, allocating approximately $60 million annually to the WPL and domestic programs in 2024–25, while contributing to the ICC’s $20 million budget for women’s cricket development globally. India’s media market for women’s cricket, including WPL broadcasting rights, generated $120 million in 2024, accounting for over 50 percent of the ICC’s women’s cricket media revenue.
“As a woman, I feel when someone says that they are women, then they are, be trans or cis. A trans woman is definitely the same as a cis woman emotionally and in vitals, and specially, when someone is on hormone replacement therapy. Stopping Anaya Bangar from playing is discrimination and violation of her rights. It is really sad and painful that every transwoman need to fight and prove their identity everywhere,” said Indrani Chakraborty, an LGBTQ rights activist and a mother of a trans woman. “If ICC and BCCI is stopping her from playing for being transgender, then I will say this to be their lack of awareness and of course the social mindsets which deny acceptance.”
Chakraborty told the Blade that Bangar is an asset, no matter what. She said that the women’s cricket team will only benefit by participation, but the discriminating policies are the hindrance.
“Actually the transgender community face such discrimination in every sphere. In spite of being potent, they face rejection. This is highly inhuman. These attitudes is regressive and will never let to prosper. Are we really in 2025?,” said Chakraborty. “We, our mindset and the society are the issues. We, as a whole, need to get aware and have to come together for getting justice for Anaya. If today, we remain silent, the entire community will be oppressed. Proper knowledge of gender issues need to be understood.”
The BCCI and the International Cricket Council have not responded to the Blade’s repeated requests for comment.
El Salvador
La marcha LGBTQ desafía el silencio en El Salvador
Se realizó el evento en San Salvador bajo la lluvia, pero con orgullo
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — El reloj marcaba el mediodía cuando los primeros colores del arcoíris comenzaron a ondear frente a la emblemática Plaza del Divino Salvador del Mundo. A pesar de la incertidumbre generada en redes sociales, donde abundaban los rumores sobre una posible cancelación de la marcha por la diversidad sexual, la ciudad capital comenzaba a llenarse de esperanza, de resistencia y de orgullo.
Este año, la Marcha del Orgullo LGBTQ+ en El Salvador se desarrolló en un contexto tenso, en medio de un clima político que reprime y silencia a las voces disidentes.
“Aunque las estadísticas digan que no existimos, viviendo en El Salvador, un país donde hoy, después de décadas de avances, defender los derechos humanos es de nuevo una causa perseguida, criminalizada y silenciada”, afirmaron representantes de la Federación Salvadoreña LGBTQ+.
A pesar de la cancelación del festival cultural que usualmente acompaña la marcha, los colectivos decidieron seguir adelante con la movilización, priorizando el sentido original de la actividad: salir a las calles para visibilizarse, exigir respeto a sus derechos y recordar a quienes ya no están.
A la 1:30 p.m., una fuerte lluvia comenzó a caer sobre la ciudad. Algunas de las personas presentes corrieron a refugiarse, mientras otras, debajo de sombrillas y de los escasos árboles en la plaza, decidieron mantenerse firmes. Los comentarios pesimistas no se hicieron esperar: “a lo mejor la cancelan por el clima”, “no se ve tanta gente como otros años”. Sin embargo, lo que siguió fue una muestra de resistencia: a las 2:05 p.m. las voces comenzaron a llamar a tomar las calles.
Visibilidad como resistencia
La marcha arrancó bajo una llovizna persistente. La Avenida Roosevelt y la Alameda Juan Pablo II se tiñeron de colores con banderas arcoíris, trans, lésbicas, bisexuales y otras que representan a los diversos sectores de la población LGBTQ. Cada bandera alzada fue un acto político, cada paso una declaración de existencia.
Desde la Plaza del Divino Salvador del Mundo hasta la Plaza Gerardo Barrios, frente a Catedral Metropolitana y el Palacio Nacional, la marcha se convirtió en un carnaval de dignidad. Carteles con frases como “El amor no se reprime”, “Mi existencia no es delito” o “Marcho por quien ya no puede hacerlo” se alzaron entre las multitudes.
La movilización fue también un espacio para recordar a quienes han perdido la vida por la discriminación y el rechazo. Familias que marcharon por hijos, hijas o amigues que se suicidaron a causa del estigma. Personas que caminaron por quienes aún viven en el miedo, por quienes no pudieron salir del clóset, por quienes se han ido del país huyendo de la violencia.
Arte, fe y rebeldía
Una de las escenas más llamativas fue protagonizada por Nelson Valle, un joven gay que marchó vestido como sacerdote.
“Hay muchas personas que secretamente asisten a ritos religiosos como en Semana Santa, y les gusta vivir en lo oculto. Pero la fe debe ser algo libre porque Dios es amor y es para todos”, dijo.
Valle utilizó su vestimenta como una forma de protesta contra las estructuras religiosas que aún condenan la diversidad sexual.
“Un ejemplo de persona que abrió el diálogo del respeto fue el papa Francisco, abrió la mente y muy adelantado a su tiempo, porque dejó claro que hay que escuchar a toda persona que quiere encontrar a Dios”, agregó.
La marcha también incluyó bandas musicales, grupos de cachiporristas, carrozas artísticas, colectivos provenientes de distintos puntos del país, y manifestaciones de orgullo en todas sus formas. Fue un mosaico cultural que mostró la riqueza y diversidad de la población LGBTQ en El Salvador.
Una lucha que persiste
Las organizaciones presentes coincidieron en su mensaje: la lucha por la igualdad y el reconocimiento no se detiene, a pesar de los intentos del Estado por invisibilizarlos.
“Nuestros cuerpos se niegan a ser borrados y a morir en la invisibilidad de registros que no guardan nuestros nombres ni nuestros géneros”, declararon representantes de la Federación.
Además, agregaron: “Desde este país que nos quiere callar, levantamos nuestras voces: ¡La comunidad LGBTIQ+ no se borra! ¡El Salvador también es nuestro! Construyamos, entre todes, un país donde podamos vivir con Orgullo.”
El ambiente fue de respeto, pero también de desconfianza. La presencia de agentes policiales no pasó desapercibida. Aunque no hubo reportes oficiales de violencia, varias personas expresaron su temor por posibles represalias.
“Marchar hoy es también un acto de valentía”, comentó Alejandra, una joven lesbiana que viajó desde Santa Ana para participar. “Pero tenemos derecho a vivir, a amar, a soñar. Y si nos detenemos, les damos la razón a quienes nos quieren ver en silencio.”
Rumbo al futuro
Concluida la marcha frente a Catedral y el Palacio Nacional, muchas personas permanecieron en la plaza compartiendo abrazos, fotos y palabras de aliento. No hubo festival, no hubo escenario, pero hubo algo más valioso: una comunidad que sigue viva, que sigue resistiendo.
Los retos son muchos: falta de leyes de protección y que apoye las identidades de las personas trans, discriminación laboral, violencia por prejuicio, rechazo familiar, y una narrativa estatal que pretende que no existen. Pero la marcha del 28 de junio demostró que, aunque el camino sea cuesta arriba, la dignidad y el orgullo no se borran.
La lucha por un El Salvador más justo, más plural y más inclusivo continúa. En palabras de uno de los carteles más llamativos de ese día: “No estamos aquí para pedir permiso, estamos aquí para recordar que también somos parte de este país”.
Hungary
Upwards of 100K people march in Budapest Pride
Participants defined Hungarian government’s ban on public LGBTQ events
More than 100,000 people on Saturday defied the Hungarian government’s ban on public LGBTQ events and participated in the 30th annual Budapest Pride parade.
The New York Times published a picture that shows throngs of people marching on Budapest’s Erzsébet Bridge over the Danube River. Openly gay MEP Krzysztof Śmiszek, who was previously Poland’s deputy justice minister, is among the dozens of European lawmakers who participated in the march that began at Budapest City Hall.
The New York Times reported Hungarian police officers stood along the march, but they did not try to stop it. Śmiszek described the march to the Washington Blade as “beautiful and huge.”
“[It was] very peaceful and political,” he said.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz-KDNP coalition government have faced widespread criticism over its anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
Hungarian lawmakers in March passed a bill that bans Pride events and allow authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those who participate in them. MPs in April amended the Hungarian constitution to ban public LGBTQ events.
Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony endorsed the march, even though Orbán’s government threatened to arrest him and fine participants.
“Today a country shows that no ruling party can tell it on what topic, for what cause it is allowed to march and why not,” said Budapest Pride President Viktória Radványi on Saturday in a Facebook post. “A country demonstrates that whoever will be in government can count on us: dedicated, persistent citizens intolerant to oppression, who will organize themselves and stand against tyranny with their heads held high.”
More than two dozen activists in D.C. who protested outside the Hungarian Embassy on Friday expressed their support for Budapest Pride.
(Washington Blade video by Michael K. Lavers)
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