Michael Hughes: Restrictions on gender expression are, sadly, a daily occurrence in most countries around the world, including the United States. President Donald Trump, in fact, in an executive order on his first day in office declared the U.S. government would only recognize the sex assigned to a person at birth. Tragically, this is where
Afghanistan International: Rainbow Afghanistan has published a report stating that LGBTQIA+ individuals are being tortured and sexually assaulted in Taliban prisons. The report shows that over the past three years, at least 98 LGBTQIA+ individuals have been publicly punished on various charges in 14 provinces of Afghanistan. Jannat Gul (pseudonym), who spent eight months in
8am: Some transgender individuals are currently missing, while others remain in hiding. Bitter and shocking stories of Taliban fighters’ behavior are shared by some transgender and lesbian individuals. According to their accounts, aside from humiliating treatment, the Taliban regard them as sexual slaves. Everyone interviewed in this report has experienced Taliban detention and torture, with
LGBT activists say the return of the Taliban to power in 2021 in Afghanistan has resulted in discrimination, torture, and even murder. One gay man told RFE/RL that he had to quit school to protect his identity while another said he and his boyfriend were tortured by the Taliban.
Tolo News: After an examination, a sixteen-year-old compelled to publicly identify as a girl in Nangarhar’s Chaparhar district would like to proceed as a boy in the future, but the family said that they cannot afford the cost of the treatment. Doctors said that an operation will cost 600,000 Afghani. Obaid Rahman Stanikzai, a doctor,
Two gay Afghan men have told RFE/RL they live in constant fear under Taliban rule and have to meet their partners in secret. In a January report, Human Rights Watch found LGBT people in Afghanistan faced a “desperate situation and grave threats to their safety” with reports of killings, gang rapes, and mob attacks.
CNW Telbec: The Government of Canada is working hard to resettle at least 40,000 Afghan nationals as quickly and safely as possible. Canada has now welcomed a total of 14,645 Afghan refugees, with more arriving every week. Click here to read more (external link).
The Guardian (UK): The lives of LGBTQ+ people in Afghanistan have “dramatically worsened” under Taliban rule, according to a new survey, which highlights cases of violence, gang-rape and death threats since the group seized power last year. The report, by Human Rights Watch (HRW), recorded nearly 60 cases of targeted violence against LGBTQ+ people since
The Guardian (UK): A group of LGBT+ Afghans has arrived in Britain, the first since the Taliban’s return to power in August caused panic among gay and transgender Afghans, who feared persecution and even death under the Islamists’ rule. Click here to read more (external link).
CNN: It’s not clear yet how severely the Taliban will enforce its strict religious laws against Afghanistan’s LGBTQ citizens. No official statement has been made, but in an interview with Germany’s Bild newspaper in July, one Taliban judge said there were only two punishments for homosexuality — stoning or being crushed under a wall. Click