A small group of transgender rights activists has attempted to march to Istanbul's main square, carrying rainbow flags, despite the governor's ban and security precautions by police.
Turkey: For Abused, Gay Iraqi in Turkey, U.S. Refugee Freeze Is Cruelest Hit
US: President Trump adds violently anti-transgender activist Bethany Kozma to Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Rights
China Bans LGBT Content From the Web
Poland: Gay rights face backlash in Poland
“They’re not fully safe. People can be out, but they probably wouldn’t walk hand-in-hand in the street … but in other parts of the country, people can’t come out at work, they rarely tell their parents, it’s very difficult to come out in schools, and they [LGBTI people] don’t have any meeting spaces”
US: 17-year-old trans woman shot dead in a “tragic act of violence” is youngest killed in US this year
Kenya’s uninformed ban on TV shows with gay characters is extremely dangerous
US: Middle Eastern LGBTQs Underrepresented in Health Research — And That’s a Problem
While the demand for a more intersectional approach to LGBTQ activism is heartening, as an Arab American I can’t help but feel that the voices LGBTQ people of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) origin are not being heard at a time when anti-Arab, anti-refugee, and Islamophobic sentiment is at an all-time high.