OutPerform | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality - Issue #34
This week: A record for anti-trans violence in US, India's first out gay judge, Qatar & FIFA in the hot seat, Italy's new Special Envoy, societal acceptance lowers suicide risk for LGBTQ+ folks & more
Greetings from Paris this week. I'm attending the L'Oreal Global D&I Advisory Board Meeting and the Women's Forum Global Meeting. Every week, my newsletter shares important news, updates, and commentary about the LGBTQ+ equality movement globally.
Questions, feedback, and comments are always welcome. Would you mind sharing with your networks to continue helping us in moving the LGBTQ+ equality conversation forward?
US News
Fiscal reparation from Congress.
Same-sex legally married couples could file amended tax returns for years as early as 2004 if the Build Back Better Act is passed (see NBCNews article). It makes me wish I had gotten married.
Anti-trans violence in the US.
The Washington Blade reported that 2021 has broken the record for violence against transgender and non-binary people, with 2021 totaling out at 45 deaths. Mark trans-awareness week this Thursday, Nov. 18 at 1 pm EST, Human Rights Watch is hosting a virtual roundtable on anti-trans violence in the United States to coincide with the launch of their new report on the topic. Register here.
LGBTQ+ books in libraries are a contentious topic.
NPR reports that more Republicans are trying to ban books on race and LGBTQ+ issues. It's hard to believe that LGBTQ+ books were controversial for parents in Florida, Lafayette (LA), and York (PA) this week.
LGBTQ Loyalty makes several announcements.
The ETF led by Bobby Blair and backed by LGBTQ+ A-listers from Barney Frank to Martina Navratilova announced positive results as well as the creation of a foundation to fulfill their commitment to support the community. LGBTQ+ impact investing and LGBTQ+-inclusive finance are hot topics at the moment.
Global News
Qatar: 2022 FIFA World Cup to boycott or not, that is the question.
Qatar is violating the human rights of local LGBTQ+ people; it's not even a question. Yet, while there are some claims that Qatar's track record is improving ahead of the games, soccer teams are expressing dissatisfaction with the country's lack of commitment to human rights. Both FIFA and the country are in the hot seat as it becomes the first Middle East nation to host a World Cup.
Israel: More turmoil in the LGBTQ+ equality movement.
Tel Aviv: Yafo City Council member responsible for LGBTQ+ issues and longtime LGBTQ+ activist Itai Pinkas is being investigated after rape accusations were leveled against him. Etai and Yoav Pinkas Arad were the gay couple who appealed the Israeli surrogacy law in 2010 and won in 2021.
Italy: Fabrizio Petri, Special Envoy for LGBTQ+ issues.
Following the lead set by Canada, the US, and the UK, Italy created the position of Special Envoy to promote LGBTQ+ rights globally. Our friend, career diplomat Fabrizio Petri was appointed last week by the Italian Foreign Affairs Secretary-General. Petri is also a writer on nonviolence and intercultural dialogue (read "Gandhi, Jung, and nonviolence today"). His important position, a first in Europe as France and Germany struggle to get a consistent positioning on these issues, places Italy at the forefront at the international level to protect the rights of LGBTIQ + people. On a different note, Lady Gaga is not too happy with Italy.
Ghana: The weird stance of Catholic bishops.
While the abhorrent anti-LGBTQ+ bill was the subject of public hearings last week in parliament, the Ghana Catholic Bishop's Conference's unconditional support of the bill is odd. As a reminder, the Catholic Church had sent signals previously it would stop defending criminalization (read my piece: the day I scared off the Pope).
Catholic Church again: A positive signal from the Pope.
This piece by Michael O'Loughlin, author of "Hidden mercy," is a must-read in the New York Times! In a letter to Mike last week, Pope Francis blessed the work of the Catholic priests, nuns, and laypeople that reached out to victims of the AIDS epidemic that Michael painstakingly documented in his book. Also, check out my interview with Mike two weeks ago.
India: Appointed its first gay judge.
The Supreme Court Collegium recommended that Saurabh Kirpal be elevated to the role of judge to the Delhi High Court (which, incidentally, first decriminalized homosexuality before it was recriminalized). This would make him the first out gay judge in the country. This is another signal of the fast-paced progress on LGBTQ+ societal acceptance in the country. By the way, read here why we should prefer the term "out" to "openly."
In Other News
Olympics: Human Rights Watch endorses new guidelines.
The "IOC Framework on Fairness, Inclusion, and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations" is very directive and well-articulated on what is expected from all stakeholders. Hopefully, political leaders in the UK and the US will have a close read. HRW commented: "Foregrounding the rights to bodily autonomy, health, and privacy, the IOC has taken a significant step toward protecting the dignity of all women athletes." Read more here.
Diver Tom Daley eyes Hollywood.
Olympic diver Tom Daley was a mentor on ITV's diving competition show Splash! a few years back. He just signed up with CAA, which already represents his husband, Dustin Lance Black. Maybe we will all be hanging out in LA next summer.
Congratulations to the OUTstanding Top 100 Executives 2021.
Congratulations to LGBTQ+ business leaders featured in the Yahoo Finance/Involve list this year, such as Eugenio Pirri, Chief People and Culture Officer of the Dorchester Collection, and Diana Ellsworth, partner at McKinsey & Company (see the complete list here).
Iraqueer Amir Ashour continues to shine.
Our friend Amir was one of five young changemakers furthering equality and love while fighting against anti-LGBTQ+ policies honored at the MTV EMAs. Amir is currently at Harvard Law School. Read his profile here.
LGBTQ+ speakers at the Women's Forum 2021.
Shamina Singh of Mastercard and Rumman Chowdhury of Twitter are joining many other prominent speakers this week at the Women's Forum. Chowdhury will be part of a conversation "Fighting hate with love: deploying AI as an instrument of inclusion," while Shamina will talk about supplier diversity. See the agenda here.
Gay and bisexual men and suicide.
A new study from a coalition of universities confirmed that when a country is more accepting of people who are LGBTQ, fewer gay or bisexual men take their own lives. The sample studied 123,000 people worldwide, which is meaningful. See the study here.
From the Job Board
Our friends at the Sogi Campaigns Project are seeking a full-time Project Lead.
Are you a seasoned LGBTQI+ campaigner with experience of campaigning in the Global South and East, passionate about developing the skills of fellow campaigners, and about strengthening a global community of campaigners? The Sogi Campaigns Project is waiting for you to take it to its next level! It is initially a 1-year contract, working remotely. See the job description here.
See you next week. Please feel free to email me with any comments, suggestions, or news items I may have missed. I look forward to hearing from you.