Instagram is banning all content promoting LGBT conversion therapy
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-b...-therapy-2020-7



Instagram has taken the decision to ban any content promoting so-called "conversion therapy" on its platform.

Conversion therapy is the name given to any practice which purports that people can be "cured" of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

"It is based on an assumption that being lesbian, gay, bi or trans is a mental illness that can be 'cured'. These therapies are both unethical and harmful," according to LGBTQ charity Stonewall.

Earlier in 2020, Instagram said it would ban any ads promoting conversion therapy. On Friday it went a step further, broadening this ban to any content promoting the practice.

"We don't allow attacks against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity and are updating our policies to ban the promotion of conversion therapy services," Instagram's EMEA public policy director Tara Hopkins told the BBC on Friday.

An Instagram spokesperson confirmed this to Business Insider.

Instagram told the BBC that while the ban would come into effect on Friday, it will take time to update its policies and so some content flagged by users may not be immediately removed.

In a statement to Business Insider, Hopkins said Instagram had already removed content from a British Christian organization.

Instagram's decision followed a recent campaign by activists in the UK to get the government to adhere to a promise it made in 2018 to ban the practice.

In June, independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity Victor Madrigal-Borloz called for a global ban on conversion therapy in a report submitted to the UN.

"Pathologization, demonization and criminalization of LGBT persons play a definitive role in perpetuating violence and discrimination," Madrigal-Borloz said.

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Conversion therapy is going to be a thing of the past soon, just like mullets.

Why Many LGBT People Have Started Using A New Pride Flag



It’s been a tumultuous pride season, not least because of a global pandemic and over 500 cancelled pride events worldwide.

But there has been international focus on Black Lives Matters protests, vitriol in the UK press about trans lives—J.K. Rowling.

All sat alongside a debate in the U.K. about the rainbow, a universal symbol of hope being used for to show solidarity with NHS workers, while blurring with a universal symbol of LGBT people—the six stripe LGBT Pride flag.

For the last 42 years, in the particular form of a flag with six distinct colours, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet, Gilbert Baker’s six stripe flag has been the internationally recognised symbol of the LGBT community.

But this year, Prides, brands and activists around the world have simultaneously and without any co-ordination, been adopting ‘The Progress Flag’ as their symbol for the community instead.

Designed by Daniel Quasar in 2018, it features black and brown stripes to represent people of colour, and baby blue, pink and white to include the trans flag in its design.

From the London Mayor’s office, to Boston Pride and even cultural institutions like the U.K.’s Southbank Centre–the symbol being used represent LGBT people is changing.

And it’s all part of a drive to be more inclusive of the expansive breath of identity within the community.

What has driven the change to include new stripes?

A number of factors have driven the community to arrive at a new flag, with little discussion or debate.

Ultimately the pandemic has been at the centre of them, which is inspiring a seismic change in the way we all think.

But so has Black Lives Matters, vitriol about trans people and the NHS rainbow debate.

“The intention was never to replace or erase what the Pride flag was and we need to remember that. But since it's high time we recognised the value of all parts of the community, perhaps this is a good reminder to move to the Progress flag from now on.”

Read more @ https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiewareham/2...s/#68a5b4ee125a

Yes, I agree.

It's acceptable, otherwise this thread would have been removed a long time ago. This is nota sensitive topic anymore nowadays. People are now a lot more mature and open-minded. In social media, LGBT is being talked about constantly.

LGBT is only haram to conservative Muslims. Those who have liberal-leaning perspective would argue otherwise.

I notice the same. In terms of social media, I think Twitter is the most LGBT-friendly since whatever homophobic tweets being posted there will be dealt with right away once they are being reported. Facebook—in the name of freedom of speech— tends to let people say whatever they want hence how the community there is becoming more toxic.

But of course, I won't deny there is a lot to be done for full acceptance. For example, this thread had been hijacked a few times in the past by people quoting religious arguments against LGBT.

Nice to meet you too!

International photography and culture publication, Elksa, which focuses on gay community, is featuring a Malaysian trans man on its latest cover.



"Gems A, who describes how rare and beautiful it is when a trans man can find a partner who isn't fixated only on ‘the equipment’ underneath the clothes. It's a story that I hope reminds us that trans visibility is too often accompanied by a fetishisation that renders the person within still invisible;"

Source: https://www.elskamagazine.com/printmag/kualalumpur

Hanipa harap penyelesaian lebih lembut tangani isu transgender
Source: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/534109



Bekas timbalan menteri Hanipa Maidin berharap penyelesaian yang lebih lembut digunakan menteri hal ehwal agama Zulkifli Mohamad dalam menangani kumpulan transgender di negara ini.

Anggota Perlimen Sepang itu berkata kumpulan tersebut "tidak perlu" diganggu apatah lagi ditangkap.

"(Badan penguatkuasa dan undang-undang seperti Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan) Jawi harus ada belas kasihan kepada mereka. Apalagi diperlakukan sebagai penjenayah.

"Sejujurnya, saya mengharapkan menteri itu tampil dengan penyelesaian yang lebih lembut.

"Isu penangkapan transgender seharusnya tidak perlu dibangkitkan," kata pemimpin Amanah dalam satu kenyataan.

Hanipa, yang merupakan timbalan menteri undang-undang di bawah kerajaan Pakatan Harapan (PH) sebelum ini berkata sebaliknya, kumpulan transgender harus dilindungi.

"Transgender seharusnya dianggap sebagai segmen masyarakat kita yang paling lemah. Mereka harus dilindungi, ”katanya lagi.

Jumaat lalu, Zulkifli, yang merupakan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri memberikan "lesen penuh" kepada pegawai Jawi untuk melakukan penguatkuasaan terhadap komuniti transgender.

Beliau berkata langkah itu bukan hanya untuk menangkap mereka tetapi memulihkan kumpulan transgender supaya "kembali ke jalan yang benar".

Langkah itu menimbulkan rasa kurang senang kumpulan itu dan kumpulan hak asasi yang mendakwa ia hanya akan menimbulkan kebencian terhadap masyarakat yang sudah terpinggir itu.

Aktivis transgender Nisha Ayub berkata tindakan ini hanya akan menjadikan kumpulan transgender terdedah kepada ancaman bahaya.

"Apa yang berlaku dengan hak kita berdasarkan Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia? Hak untuk kebebasan peribadi, persamaan, ekspresi, pergerakan, agama dan sebagainya? Mengapa menyasarkan kepada kita golongan minoriti? Kenapa?" soal Nisha.

I stan for Sis Sajat!

I hope she will be able to ignore the haters as long as possible and keep doing what she's doing.

Haters stay pressed.

(Click to enlarge)

JAKIM's "report card" on their campaign against homosexuality.

I wonder if any of the thousands of LGBT members who went through all the hassle actually turned straight?

I get what you are saying now so I will not be censoring this but I will have to say I disagree.

There are people who suffer from gender dysphoria who identifies with neither male or female so to say that we all need to reinforce traditional binary genders is just wrong.

Harakah Daily (aka PAS mouthpiece) is mooting to take harsher action against any entities that provides support for LGBT movement as well reminding parents that is "wajib" to report their LGBT children to authorities for rehabilitation.

Masa terbaik membendung isu LGBT



Read more @ https://harakahdaily.net/index.php/2020/07/...ndung-isu-lgbt/

All filming, even on social media, requires licence, says Saifuddin
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020...-says-saifuddin



KUALA LUMPUR: All film production, whether from media outlets or personal media on traditional platforms or even social media, require a licence, says the Communications and Multimedia Ministry.

Its Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (pic) said it is compulsory for producers of these films to apply for a Film Production Licence and Film Shooting Certificate (SSP) regardless if they are from a mainstream media outlet or personal media.

He said the Ministry, through National Film Development Corporation (Finas), monitors film activities in its efforts to preserve and develop the film industry based on the Finas Act 1981.

"Finas issues three types of licences to the film industry, they are licences to produce, distribute and broadcast films or videos.

"Section 22 (1) of the Finas Act reads that no one can take part in any activities to produce, distribute or broadcast any film unless a licence is issued to the person," said Saifuddin in reply to Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang) during the Ministerial Question Time on Thursday (July 23).

Wong had asked the Ministry to state if it would be made compulsory for all those who film to apply for a Production Licence and SPP.

In her supplementary question, Wong had asked the Minister on the exact definition of film, and asked if this would affect people who use social media platforms such as Instagram TV or TikTok.

Saifuddin said Section 2 of the Finas Act reads that film includes feature films, short films, trailers, advertising “filmlets” and any recording on material of any kind, including videotapes and video discs of moving images, accompanied or unaccompanied by sound, and documentaries, for the viewing of the public.

He added that the government encourages everyone, individuals or organisations, to produce any form of film.

"However, it must be according to the law," he said.

In another supplementary question, Fahmi Fadzil (PH-Lembah Pantai) had asked if Dr Dustin Pfundheller who produced a documentary that was aired on Bernama TV, had any licence.

To this, Saifuddin said that he would leave the matter to the authorities.

"If there are complaints, we will take action according to the law and depending on the case," he said.

Fahmi pressed further and asked if there was a licence issued but Saifuddin did not respond.

Dr Pfundheller, a dental surgeon who travels the world, had produced a response video entitled "Top 15 Mistakes in Locked Up in Malaysia's Lockdown" on his YouTube channel and Facebook page called Other Side of the Truth.

In his video, he claimed international news agency Al Jazeera had made mistakes in its special report, “Locked Up in Malaysia's Lockdown”.

Earlier, Saifuddin said that according to the Finas Act, licence holders who want to film need to inform Finas at least seven days before starting the shooting, through a special form it issues.

The Al Jazeera report was not a separate film but a special report that featured on its regular “101 East” programme.

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Added on
This will have huge ramification on all activism works, including the ones advocating LGBT rights.

He is! I'm kinda jealous. You know him back when you guys were at school right?

Aww. I see... Hope you're still keeping in touch with him. He's a really cool guy. I've got so much fitness tips from him lol (he's a personal trainer now).

This post has been edited by internaldisputes: Jul 24 2020, 03:33 PM

A 22-year-old became his city’s first openly gay mayor. Now, he’s running for Congress
Source: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/07/23/alex-...mocrat-primary/



Alex Morse became his city’s first openly gay mayor when he was elected almost a decade ago at the age of 22. Now, he’s running for Congress.

Morse was elected mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts after beating an incumbent who was more than three times his age.

Now 31, Morse is facing off against US representative Richard Neal to represent the 1st Congressional District of Massachusetts in Congress.

The gay candidate advocates for Medicare for All, the legalisation of marijuana and wants to see student debts cancelled.

Crucially, he also wants to see the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) defunded.

Gay Democrat Alex Morse said coronavirus has ‘illuminated existing disparities and inequalities’ in American society.

“The pandemic and how it’s manifesting and impacting our communities in many ways just crystallises why I’m running for Congress in the first place and who our federal government should be looking out for and working for,” Morse told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

“I think it’s illuminated already existing disparities and inequalities in our communities that need to be addressed.”

Morse has been interested in politics since he served as the student representative on his district’s school board.

While still in school in Holyoke, he came out as gay – and went on to found his school’s gay-straight alliance, organise a school assembly on LGBT+ issues and worked with politicians on sex education policy.

“I was learning at a young age the power of building coalitions, and of working with other young people to amplify our voice together and the impact it makes to have people working together,” he said.

He has an ‘uphill battle’ to win the primary – but he is prepared for any outcome.

“My coming-out process and finding my voice directly tied to my interest in politics and government and advocacy.

“Without those high school experiences, I wouldn’t be as passionate or involved in the work I’m doing today.”

Political analysts claim that Morse has an “uphill battle” to beat his Democrat rival in September’s primary – but he is prepared for any outcome.

He spends his spare time baking, playing tennis, doing yoga, and watching Schitt’s Creek and Queer Eye.

“If this Congress thing doesn’t work out, maybe I’ll just bake more,” he joked.

Countries that persecute queer men are driving up HIV rates, study finds
Source: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/07/26/afric...sex-bans-study/



Queer men are more likely to be living with HIV in African countries that criminalise gay sex than those that do not, researchers have said.

Johns Hopkins University researchers found that men who have sex with men (MSM) in sub-Saharan African nations where gay sex with is severely criminalised are at up to five times higher risk of having HIV, aidsmap reported. In countries where some legal barriers or persecutions exist, they are twice as likely.

Legal and social change for LGBT+ people in the continent has, for the most part, been spotty and slow. Some African nations have spearheaded pro-LGBT+ bills or decriminalised gay sex altogether. Others remain sluggish, choosing to uphold anti-gay laws or moving to persecute queer folk even further.

A leading HIV activist told PinkNews that some lawmakers are exploiting efforts to reduce transmission rates in order to pass anti-LGBT+ laws – and that this study disproves these thinly-veiled tactics.

The study, conducted from 2011 to 2018, saw researchers collect data on MSM living in ten sub-Saharan countries, dividing them into three categories of criminalisation.

Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Rwanda – which do not criminalise gay sex – found that eight per cent of men who were surveyed live with HIV.

Around two in ten men living in Cameroon, Senegal, Togo and eSwatini, where penal codes carry less than eight years in jail, live with HIV.

Investigators considered Gambia and Nigeria as “severe criminalisation”, enforcing life imprisonment and capital punishment respectively. In both countries, participants were 4.65 times more likely to have HIV.

“Decriminalisation of consensual same-sex sexual practices is necessary to optimise HIV prevention efforts and ultimately address the HIV epidemic,” senior researcher Carrie Lyons concluded.

Matthew Hodson, executive director of British charity NAM aidsmap, stressed to PinkNews the extent that anti-LGBT+ laws snarl the efforts of HIV advocates and healthcare leaders seeking to extinguish acquisition rates.

“Preventing the transmission of HIV and other STIs is sometimes used to as cover to introduce or retain homophobic laws,” Hodson said.

“This report quantifies the increased risk of HIV acquisition in countries that criminalise homosexuality and demonstrates the relationship between severe penalties for same-sex sexual behaviour and higher prevalence of HIV.

“Homophobia creates barriers to appropriate sexual health information and advice, it prevents people from testing and from accessing HIV treatment, which not only saves lives but also halts onwards transmission.

“We will not end HIV without ensuring the rights and dignity of LGBT people are respected.”

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Added on
More persecution of gay people lead to higher rates of HIV transmission. It's a vicious cycle.

A florist ‘refused’ to make bouquets for a gay wedding. So the town decided to end discrimination once and for all
Source: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/07/26/alask...st-gay-wedding/



A small Alaskan city has unanimously voted for a new law protecting LGBT+ people from discrimination after a local florist allegedly refused to make the wedding bouquets for a gay couple.

Ketchikan, population 8,289, is a seaside city on Alaska’s southeastern coast popular with passing cruise ships.

It’s known for its wildlife – which includes bears, wolves and eagles – and, as of July 16, for being the fourth Alaskan city to pass sweeping non-discrimination law for its LGBT+ residents.

The local law – which was passed unanimously, with all seven of the city council’s members in favour – came about after a florist, Heavenly Creations, allegedly refused to take an order for a same-sex wedding.

After a high-profile demonstration outside Heavenly Creations, the city-wide ordinance was proposed.

It follows in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s historic ruling that made it illegal to fire workers for being gay or transgender – and goes several steps further, by also banning discrimination against LGBT+ people in housing or public businesses.

Heather Dalin, the owner of Heavenly Creations, denies discriminating against a same-sex couple.

“I have personally made and delivered bouquets to the members of LBGTQ community on numerous occasions,” she said at a July 2 council meeting. “We have not, and do not discriminate.”

But she went on to clarify that forcing her to make bouquets for LGBT+ weddings would violate her own right to exercise her religious beliefs.

“When it comes to the holy sacrament of marriage, God’s word is clear,” she said, K Too reported.

“Marriage is one of the seven sacraments where the Lord Jesus Christ is present. For you to pass an unnecessary ordinance to try and force myself to participate in a ceremony that violates not only God’s holy truth, but also strips me of my rights as an American tax-paying, law-abiding citizen is unreasonable.”

After hearing her objections, the Ketchikan city council passed the new non-discrimination laws anyway.

Museum curator Ryan McHale also testified at the meeting, arguing that religion has long been used to justify discrimination.

“Much like their pro-slavery predecessors, segregationists during the Jim Crow era cited scripture as justification for maintaining racial segregation and inequality,” McHale said.

“There is little that distinguishes the religious freedom claim of today from those of the segregationists who argued that they should not be forced to hire, serve or associate with African Americans or Native Americans.”

The new law will come into effect in mid-August, when Ketchikan will join the Alaskan cities of Sitka, Juneau and Anchorage in having laws to protect its LGBT+ residents.

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Added on
God, I hope the florist is going to be okay getting her business flooded with orders from LGBT people after this.

I get what you're saying. When I shared a news article about how Scottish kids will soon be able to learn about LGBTQ from school, a friend of mine told me the same argument too—if the role is reversed and the kids are forced to learn something homophobic, we will all be protesting instead of cheering. But I feel we as a society really should take a stand... Karl Popper's Paradox of Tolerance states that in order for society to be truly tolerant, we must first be intolerant towards intolerance. If a Neo-Nazi walks into the florist shop and get discriminated, then sure... Let's extend the law to including prohibiting people from discriminating against Neo-Nazi members too.