Global Victories for Gay Rights Earlier this week, Botswana decriminalised homosexuality and Bhutan’s lower house voted to repeal a similar law. “The victories we’ve witnessed in the last couple of weeks will improve the lives of millions of LGBT+ people around the world. We’re witnessing an important moment in history as these victories will send out positive shockwaves across the world and inspire more activists to continue their fight for LGBT+ rights,” Mathias Wasik, director of programs at international LGBT rights group All Out, told Reuters. But significant challenges remain and there are still 68 countries where same-sex relations are still illegal. In May, Kenya’s high court upheld a ban on gay sex, which carries a 14-year jail sentence. Even in Europe where many countries have legalised same-sex marriages, there has been a recent backlash by the far right with the Law and Justice Party in Poland and the Vox Party in Spain challenging acceptance of LGBT rights. In other countries, in what were formally part of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact, such as Latvia, Poland and Serbia no kind of same-sex union is recognised. While in Brazil, the new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has said that he would rather his son died in an accident than come home with a male partner. “Whenever there’s progress, there’s always steps backwards,” Neela Ghoshal, senior researcher in the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch, told Reuters.]]>
Edward has been a news reporter in Moscow and has written features for the Sunday Times and the Moscow Times.
Some of the places he has worked at include RT (Russia Today) and BBC World.As well as Russia and the former CIS, Edward specialises on the environment and has directed a half hour film on the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.
At Belong, Edward has developed a strong environmental slant for the magazine, including a series of features focussing on environmental problems. The environment affects all of us and Belong is a magazine with an international outlook, with stories from all around the world.
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