ANGOLA<\/strong>. Government decriminalizes gay sex<\/a>: \u201cTaking things one step further, the government has also prohibited discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation.\u00a0 And so anyone refusing to employ or provide services to individuals based on their sexual orientation may face up to two years in prison.\u00a0The changes came on January 23 as Angola\u2019s parliament adopted its first new penal code since it gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and removed the provision, inherited from its Portuguese colonizers.\u201d<\/p>\n UNITED KINGDOM<\/strong>. Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) issues new guidelines on Obscene Publications Act<\/a>: \u2018Until the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) issued\u00a0new guidelines on the Obscene Publications Act 1959\u00a0<\/a>yesterday, individuals could be prosecuted for distributing \u2018obscene\u2019 pornography. Acts that were banned that can now be represented in pornography include spanking, bondage, female<\/a> ejaculation and sadomasochism.\u2019<\/p>\n IRAN<\/strong>. Man hanged on charges of homosexuality<\/a>: \u2018The unidentified man<\/a> was hanged on January 10 in the southwestern city of Kazeroon based on criminal violations of \u201clavat-e be onf\u201d \u2013 sexual intercourse between two men<\/a>, as well as kidnapping charges, according to ISNA. Iran\u2019s radical sharia law system prescribes the death penalty for gay<\/a> sex<\/a>. The ISNA reported that the 31-year-old kidnapped two 15-year-olds. The opaque inner workings of Iran\u2019s judicial system create enormous difficulties for journalists and human rights advocates to examine judicial cases.\u2019<\/p>\n POLAND<\/strong>. Poland\u2019s first openly gay politician Robert Biedron launched the \u201cSpring\u201d party<\/a>: \u2018Biedron vowed to enforce a strong separation of church and state in the\u00a0heavily Catholic country where the clergy still wields considerable influence. He also promised equal pay for women<\/a>, easier access to abortion,\u00a0recognition of gay<\/a> partnerships along with a string of generous social\u00a0spending measures including a new universal old age pension. He also vowed to \u201cclose all coal mines\u201d by 2035 in a bid to stem chronic\u00a0smog in the coal-dependent country that experts say causes an estimated 50,000\u00a0premature deaths per year in the country of 38 million people.\u2019<\/p>\n INDIA<\/strong>. First Mumbai LGBTQ Pride march since homosexuality was decriminalized<\/a>.<\/p>\n JAMAICA<\/strong>. Tourism head says gay tourists are welcome<\/a>: \u201cI do believe that we make our best effort every time to ensure that everybody that comes to Jamaica, whoever you are, that you have the same experience. And we don\u2019t ask at the airport who you are and what you do. We expect that you will be here, and like everybody else, have a great vacation, and we want to ensure that we provide you with that vacation. And so, from that perspective, there is absolutely no attempt or obstruction or programme that is aimed at or intended to cause any uneasiness for anybody who comes to Jamaica.\u201d<\/p>\n TURKEY<\/strong>. Plaintiff wins victory in \u2018Gay Garbage Truck Case\u2019<\/a>: \u2018Three drivers of the garbage trucks owned by the Ka\u011f\u0131thane Municipality in Istanbul were fired by their employer after it was alleged last year that they were in a gay<\/a> relationship with a 27-year-old garbage collector. The garbage collector, identified only as M.\u015e., had told the authorities that he had engaged in sexual relationship \u201cfrom time to time\u201d with the three truck drivers. The drivers, aged between 43 and 51, had sued the municipality and its subcontractor in April 2018, citing what they described as unjust termination of their contract.\u2019<\/p>\n SPAIN<\/strong>. Thousands protest against vandalism of Barcelona LGBTI Center one week after opening <\/a>(article in Spanish) One more<\/a>.<\/p>\n El feixisme colpeja de nou #Barcelona<\/a>. Fa uns mesos l’@APSarria<\/a> va ser cremat per un atac feixista. Aquesta vegada, el #CentreLGTBI<\/a> ha despertat amb pintades i vidres trencats. Tenim clar que no s\u00f3n casos a\u00efllats sin\u00f3 mostres d’una estructura que permet aquestes manifestacions pic.twitter.com\/aXcsLC3t3F<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Crida LGBTI (@CridaLGBTI) January 28, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Les vostres f\u00f2bies no ens fan por feixistes! M\u00e9s que mai dempeus per combatre la vostre odi! Som una ciutat de vida! #ProuLGBTIfobia<\/a> #TreulaPloma<\/a> #NoPassaran<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/3MOKjf1yq0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Atzagaia (@atzagaia) January 28, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n CUBA<\/strong>. Evangelicals push back against same-sex marriage<\/a>: \u2018A Cuban government push to legalize gay<\/a> marriage has set off an unprecedented reaction from the island\u2019s rapidly growing evangelical churches, whose members are expected to widely reject a state-proposed constitutional reform in a nationwide referendum this month.\u2019<\/p>\n PAKISTAN<\/strong>. Trans Action Pakistan reports transgender woman shot to death<\/a>: \u201cWe can\u2019t hold the tears back. It wasn\u2019t fair that her life had to end. We will always keep her in our heart. Rest in peace our sister.\u201d FirstPost<\/a>: \u2018The incident occurred in Jattak Ismail Khel area of restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late on Tuesday night when three transgender people from Peshawar were returning after attending a wedding ceremony. While they were on their way back, the unknown assailants fired at their vehicle, killing one and injuring another, police said. The deceased transgender person was identified as Jahangir while the injured was identified as Mushtaq. The injured was shifted to the hospital for treatment, police said.\u2019<\/p>\n Posts from Trans Action Pakistan:<\/p>\n FRANCE<\/strong>. Disneyland Paris is first Disney park to hold official LGBTQ Pride event<\/a>. \u201dAlthough Gay Days has been celebrated at the Disney parks for decades, ever since the first one in 1991 (right here in Orlando!), Disneyland Paris has just made history by becoming the first to organize an official LGBTQ Pride event, finally acknowledging openly that pink money pays their bills, too.\u00a0Magical Pride<\/a>\u00a0happens June 1, 2019, and will include a \u201cMagical March of Diversity\u201d parade, as well as several different music performances. Inspired by Orlando\u2019s and Anaheim\u2019s massive Gay Days parties, the first \u2013 though it was unofficial \u2013 Magical Pride took place at Disneyland Paris in 2014. Now it\u2019s getting the nod from the park.\u00a0<\/p>\n CANADA<\/strong>. Inclusive Labrador and Newfoundland beard and mustache club MerB\u2019ys pose in fish tails for 2019 calendar in attempt to battle toxic masculinity<\/a>: \u201cViolence Prevention Newfoundland & Labrador will be the main recipient of the funds we raise this year. We wanted to help them continue their very important work of changing attitudes and breaking down stereotypes. Their goal is to challenge negative attitudes of masculinity, and empower men<\/a> to become meaningfully engaged in violence prevention.\u201d<\/p>\n They add: \u201cFormed in 2017, the Newfoundland and Labrador Beard & Moustache Club (NLBMC) is a social club for community minded, good humans who just happen to appreciate facial hair. We organize regular volunteer events to help various community organizations and support social causes we believe in. Inclusion is our jam. Humans of all genders, ethnicities, faiths, abilities and ages are welcome. Good people, doing good things, having fun the whole time \u2013 that\u2019s who we are.\u00a0Ability to grow facial hair is irrelevant \u2013 it\u2019s the beard inside that matters most.\u201d<\/p>\n NIGERIA<\/strong>. Police chief Dolapo Badmos tells gay people to leave the country<\/a>: \u2018The message was posted on\u00a0her personal Instagram account \u2013 which is set to private but has around 125,000 followers\u2026\u201cIf you are homosexually inclined, Nigeria is not a place for you. There is a law (Same-Sex Prohibition Act) here that criminalises homosexual clubs, associations and organisations with penalties of up to 15 years in jail,\u201d Badmus wrote.\u00a0\u201cSo, if you are a homosexual in nature, leave the country or face prosecution. But before you say, \u2018does this matter?\u2019 Kindly note that anything against the law of the land is criminal and all crimes will be punished accordingly no matter how small you think it is.\u201d She added: \u201cAnyone convicted of entering into a same-sex<\/a> marriage contract or civil union faces up to 14 years imprisonment. All LGBT candidates in Nigeria should beware.\u201d<\/p>\n JAPAN<\/strong>. Chiba becomes first city to recognize LGBT couples, common law marriage<\/a>: \u201cIn a first for Japan, the city of Chiba held a ceremony Tuesday to issue certificates recognizing the partnerships of sexual minority and common-law couples<\/a>. According to the city located to Tokyo\u2019s east, the system of recognition introduced for lesbian<\/a>, gay<\/a>, bisexual<\/a> and transgender couples<\/a> as well as mixed-gender common-law couples<\/a> is the first of its kind in Japan.\u201d<\/p>\n The post LGBTQ World News Digest: 14 International Stories You Need to Know About<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad Gay News<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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