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  • Brussels Pride Week has kicked off

    Marc Dirix

    On Wednesday evening, the annual Pride Week in Brussels kicked off with a mini-pride march through the city centre. During the demonstration, which gathered around a hundred participants, attention was drawn at various stops to the ongoing attacks against the LGBTQ community – especially the trans community – which have intensified in recent years. This year’s Brussels Pride theme is: “Unite, time to protect our rights.”

    The mini-pride began at the mural honouring Ihsane Jarfi, a man from Liège who was murdered in 2012 because of his sexual orientation. After several speeches, the participants marched behind the rainbow flag and flags representing various communities – including the trans flag – to the LGBTQ+ monument at the corner of Rue du Marché au Charbon and Rue du Plat d’Étain. More speeches were held there. From there, the group continued to the LGBTQ community centre Le Grand Carmes, where many events are scheduled throughout the coming week.

    The mini-pride marks the official start of a week full of events, culminating in the Pride Parade that will take place next Saturday in the heart of Brussels. More than 180,000 participants are expected to attend.

     

    Before that, over 60 activities are scheduled, including talks, concerts, film screenings, exhibitions, and various workshops.

    Photo: GayliveBe

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  • Police raid well-known LGBTQ+ bar in Pittsburgh

    Marc Dirix

    Last Friday, the police in Pittsburgh raided a well-known LGBTQ+ bar, the P Town Bar, during an ongoing drag show. According to the owners and present customers, the surprise inspection was reminiscent of the police raids on LGBTQ+ venues in the 1960s and 70s.

    Around twenty officers, including several undercover agents, took part in the raid, which began around 11:30 p.m. Customers and staff were forced to wait outside while the police searched the entire building. According to the owners, several agencies were involved, including the fire department and public health services, and all permits were checked. The venue’s managers explained that the inspection was related to a recent renovation and a renewed permit application.

    Despite this explanation, many customers felt targeted and unfairly treated by the police. They had to wait for about half an hour in heavy rain before being allowed back inside. The authorities of Pittsburgh stated that the raid had not been authorized and have launched an investigation.

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  • Trans women banned from women’s football in the UK

    Marc Dirix

    As of June 1st, trans women will no longer be allowed to play on women’s football teams in the United Kingdom. This decision was made by the English Football Association (FA) following a ruling by the High Court. The court ruled last month that, from a biological standpoint, trans women cannot legally be defined as female, and therefore may no longer access public facilities designated for women.

    Several British organizations, including the FA, have begun updating their internal regulations in response to the ruling.Transgender football players have condemned the FA’s decision to ban trans women from women’s football, calling it uninformed.

    The bank Barclays also announced this week that, starting June 1st, trans women will no longer be permitted to use women’s restrooms in its buildings

    Photo: Pexels

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  • Leuven to host another Pride this autumn

    Marc Dirix

    After the success of the first edition of Leuven Pride, a second edition is coming this September. It will take place on Saturday, September 27, as announced by the organizers UniQue and Queer Leuven.“After the powerful edition in 2024, we are continuing to build a tradition of visibility, love, and activism,” the Leuven Pride social media channels stated.

    On October 10 of last year, the first pride parade marched from Leuven Station to the Saint Peter’s Church at the end of Bondgenotenlaan. No fewer than 1,200 activists joined the parade. The success also surprised UniQue chairwoman Ingrid Pelssers:

    “We thought: 400 would be normal, 500 would already be a huge success. But there were about 1,200 people here. It was such a long procession — we never expected that. So yes, truly a success.”

    It was therefore written in the stars that a second edition of Pride in Leuven would happen. This year, the event will move to a Saturday instead of a weekday.

    The familiar format will not change, according to both organizations.“No large floats, but a combative and festive march that goes back to the roots of Pride. Cargo bikes, flags, and glitter (biodegradable if possible) are more than welcome.”

    After the march, participants can once again head into the city for an afterparty that will take place at various locations. More information about the program will be announced soon.

     

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  • Last Polish LGBTQ-free zone abolished

    Marc Dirix

    Six years after the first LGBTQ-free zones were introduced in Poland, the last such zone was abolished on Thursday.

    The city council of Łańcut, in the southeast of Poland, decided last Thursday to overturn the regulations introduced by the previous government, which had been dominated by the far-right Law and Justice Party (PiS).

    Since their introduction, the LGBTQ-free zones had been under heavy criticism from Europe. Several Polish regions lost subsidies because the zones violated European anti-discrimination rules and were considered a breach of European values.

    Polish courts also ruled the regulations surrounding LGBTQ-free zones unconstitutional, stating that local authorities had overstepped their powers by declaring themselves LGBTQ-free.

    In June 2022, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the resolution in question was a “violation of the dignity, honor, good name, and private life of certain groups of residents.”

    The court also specified that it was the duty of the government to protect all citizens, including those belonging to minority groups.

     

    As a result of this ruling, more than half of the LGBTQ-free zones were repealed. Łańcut remained the last city to maintain such a zone.

     

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  • No new season, but a final film for Heartstopper

    Marc Dirix

    The Netflix series Heartstopper will not get a fourth season, but instead a final film. This was announced by the streaming platform and the production company See-Saw Films.

    “Today marks exactly three years since we first met Nick and Charlie on our screens, and we’re excited to announce that their love story will conclude with a film, which will go into production this summer.”

    The film will be based on the upcoming sixth volume of the Heartstopper graphic novel series by Alice Oseman, as well as the novella Nick and Charlie. Although filming is set to begin this summer, Oseman — who is also the executive producer of both the series and the film — is still in the process of writing the final chapter of Nick and Charlie’s story.

    Both Kit Connor and Joe Locke will return one last time as the beloved teenage couple. In an Instagram post, Oseman revealed that the script for the film is already finished, and preparations are currently underway.

     

     

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  • UK: Protest against Supreme Court ruling on trans women.

    Marc Dirix

    Thousands of activists demonstrated in London on Saturday against the Supreme Court’s ruling. The court ruled that, under the law, trans women are not considered women. As a result, trans women are no longer allowed to use public toilets and spaces designated for women. They can also be searched by male security officers at border crossings. According to the Supreme Court, other laws exist that protect trans women from discrimination.

    Thousands of activists, including many trans activists, took part in the demonstration at Parliament Square, alongside business and employers’ organizations and public institutions. Among the groups present were Trans Kids Deserve Better, Pride In Labour, the Front For The Liberation Of Intersex Non-binary And Transgender People (FLINT), and TransActual. The protest featured many transgender flags and slogans calling for “trans liberation” and “trans rights.” During the demonstration, about seven statues, including one of suffragette leader Millicent Fawcett, were defaced with graffiti.

     

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  • Organisations send open letter to EU over Hungarian Pride ban

    Marc Dirix

    Several European human rights and LGBTQ+ organisations, including Amnesty International and ILGA Europe, have sent an open letter to the European Commission, demanding immediate action against the ban on LGBTQ events approved this week in Hungary.

    The letter was addressed to President Ursula von der Leyen, Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, and Commissioners Michael McGrath and Hadja Lahbib of the European Commission. The organisations describe the recent passage of the law as an attack on the EU’s fundamental rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

    “The penalties include excessive fines and, in some cases, prison sentences,” the organisations write in the open letter. “Furthermore, the use of real-time facial recognition technology to identify protesters is allowed — a serious violation of privacy and personal freedom, both of which are protected under EU law.”

    The Hungarian bill was rushed through Parliament in just one day, without any consultation or debate. The amendment, which required a two-thirds majority, was passed along party lines with 140 votes in favour and 21 against.

    The amendment states that children’s rights to moral, physical and spiritual development take precedence over all other rights — except the right to life — including the right to peaceful assembly. Hungary’s controversial “child protection” legislation prohibits the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to minors under the age of 18.

    Several protest marches have already taken place in recent weeks against the bill. The amendment builds on the 2021 anti-LGBTIQ+ propaganda law, which is currently being challenged before the European Court of Justice, and extends its scope to include the right to peaceful assembly.

    “Given the broader implications of these changes, not only are Pride marches affected, but also all future gatherings organised by LGBTI people,” the organisations warn.

    “We call on the European Commission to take urgent action to ensure that Pride organisers and participants in the march on 28 June 2025 in Budapest are safe and able to exercise their right to peaceful assembly and protest. This can be achieved by requesting an interim measure from the Court of Justice by 27 May — either within the ongoing infringement procedure or through a new procedure targeting this latest amendment package.”

    The deadline to register this year’s Pride event with Hungarian authorities is 27 May, after which police are expected to issue a ban within 48 hours.

    “This is why it is vital that the Commission act before that date to protect this year’s Pride organisers and the fundamental right of every EU citizen to demonstrate and assemble in Budapest.”

    Numerous policymakers and Members of the European Parliament have already announced they will travel to Budapest on 28 June to attend the Pride march.

    “At this moment, only your institution holds the power to intervene and correct this serious breach of the EU’s fundamental rights and values,” the letter states.

    “This includes the EU Treaties, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and various EU directives and regulations, and can offer legal protection to Pride organisers and those wishing to take part in the march.”

    Without immediate action by the European Commission, in the form of an interim measure either within the ongoing procedure or in a new one encompassing the recent changes, the coalition warns that serious and irreparable harm is imminent.

     

    “This includes heavy fines, potential imprisonment, the dispersal of the march, and the dissolution of the organising organisation(s).”

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  • Transgender women in the UK no longer recognised as women

    Marc Dirix

    The Scottish Supreme Court has ruled that the terms "woman" and "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex, and do not include trans women whose gender has been legally recognized through a certificate. “This ruling could remove vital protections and leaves many trans people and their loved ones deeply worried about how their lives will be affected and what comes next,” said Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman after the judgment was read aloud.The ruling of the Court  in Edinburgh has consequences for all trans women in the United Kingdom.

    The case was brought forward by the campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS), which challenged the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018. That law aimed to increase female representation on public boards. FWS opposed the inclusion of transgender women in the definition of "woman." The Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled that the Scottish Parliament had exceeded its legal powers by altering the definition. In response, the Scottish Government removed the revised definition and issued new legal guidance.

    This guidance stated that the 2018 law aligned with the Equality Act 2010, and that trans individuals with a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) — legally acknowledging their gender as female — should be considered women under the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

    FWS also challenged the new guidance, arguing that the term "sex" in the Equality Act refers exclusively to biological sex, and that the government had overstepped its authority by effectively redefining the term "woman." They warned that this could affect the operation of single-sex spaces and services.

    FWS’s objections were previously dismissed twice by the Court of Session, with Lady Haldane ruling in 2022 that the definition of sex “is not limited to biological or birth sex.”

    But on Wednesday, the Scottish Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer strictly to biological women and biological sex. “We caution against viewing this ruling as a victory for one group in our society at the expense of another,” said Court President Lord Hodge as he began reading the 88-page judgment.

    He emphasised that the Equality Act 2010 still protects transgender people — not only under the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, but also from direct and indirect discrimination and harassment in their acquired gender. These legal protections apply regardless of whether a person holds a Gender Recognition Certificate.

    The judges also reiterated that the Equality Act adheres to a binary understanding of sex: a person is either male or female. Legal provisions that refer to women’s rights necessarily exclude men.

    The judgment was celebrated by FWS supporters, while trans activists left the courtroom visibly disappointed. “This now gives absolute clarity in the law: when we see a space marked ‘for women only’, that’s exactly what it means,” said Trina Budge of FWS. “Only women. No men. Not even with a certificate.”

     

    A Scottish Government spokesperson responded: “This ruling provides clarity and confidence — both for women and for service providers such as hospitals, shelters, and sports clubs. Single-sex spaces are protected by law, and this government will continue to uphold that protection.”

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