7 openly gay lears have served as heads of state. Latvian print Edgars Rkēvičs is the latt

Contents:

• LATVIA BE 7TH NATN TO BE LED BY AN OPENLY GAY HEAD OF STATE
• 5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)
• MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE
• CHURCH OF NORWAY OPENS DOORS TO CHURCH GAY WEDDGS
• GAY MARRIAGE
• NORWAY LEGALIS GAY MARRIAGE
• NORWAY GAY TRAVEL
• THIS IS HOW YOU CAN HAVE A FABULO TIME GAY NORWAY
• CHURCH REF TO MARRY GAY UPL

LATVIA BE 7TH NATN TO BE LED BY AN OPENLY GAY HEAD OF STATE

Latvia swore the first openly gay print of a Baltic natn Rkēvičs, who sce 2011 was the untry’s foreign mister, was elected by Parliament May after Print Egils Levs did not seek re-electn. ”Rkēvičs “proudly” announced he is gay on Twter November 2014, though the untry, a former Soviet republic, is not pecially LGBTQ-clive. She is thought to be the first openly gay prime mister the was an active unnist her nearly 10 years workg as a flight attendant, acrdg to the Council of Women World Lears, a work of female heads of state.

”Xavier Bettel Prime Mister of Luxembourg (2013-prent)Luxembourg Prime Mister Xavier Bettel at a news nference Belgra, Serbia, on July Vojovic / APBettel was first elected prime mister of Luxembourg 2013, and 2018 he beme the first openly gay prime mister the world to be re-elected for a send marriage beme legal Luxembourg 2015, and the same year Bettel beme the first servg European Unn lear to marry a same-sex partner, the BBC recently cricized a Hungarian law that bans school tnal materials and TV shows for people unr 18 that are emed to promote LGBTQ ntent, Rters reported. “To be natnally blamed, to be nsired as not normal, to be nsired as a danger for young people — ’s not realizg that beg gay is not a choice, ” Bettel said, acrdg to Rters.

“Hopefully this will blow over three or four days, and then I won’t be known as the gay mister, ” she told The Associated Prs at the Varadkar Prime Mister of Ireland (2017-20, 2022-prent)Irish Prime Mister Leo Varadkar Bssels on June 30. In an attempt to help terme the worst plac for gay travelers, the duo created the 2019 LGBTQ+ Danger Inx, rankg the world’s most dangero—and saft—untri for gay travelers.

5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)

The journalists looked at the top 150 most-vised untri the world by the number of g tourists, then ranked them g eight factors, cludg laws agast gay relatnships, legal protectn agast discrimatn and more. “In 2018, India managed to annul Sectn 377, a Brish lonial-era law prohibg ‘unnatural acts, ’ orr to legalize nsensual gay sex, ” says Fergson, who pots out that ancient Indian lerature such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana have many referenc to LGBTQ+ hero cludg transgenr warrrs and two queens who ma love orr for one queen to get pregnant wh an heir for their kgdom.

“Long story short, this pots to the fact that was likely the Brish fluence that largely led to Indian homophobia the first place, ” she says. “We found this to be a b ironic as the reason for many of the harsh homophobic laws untri throughout the world is largely leftover om laws created durg Brish le, ” says Fergson. Ci like Lisbon and Porto have the bt gay scen the untry and Portugal is hopg to host the 2022 Europri, the world's biggt event celebratg gay pri Europe.

MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE

Wh an overall natnal attu that is relaxed and acceptg towards homosexualy, Belgium is known for havg a vibrant gay and lbian scene, particularly Bssels, ” says Fergson. It was ranked so highly largely due to the extreme penalti for simply beg gay, which clu up to 14 years prison and the ath penalty stat unr Sharia law, ” says Fergson. “This oil-rich Middle Eastern untry enforc up to three years prison, floggg and the ath penalty unr Sharia law for any acts of homosexualy.

“In Yemen, the punishment for beg gay for both men and women is prison time and 100 lash, wh ath by stong for married men, ” says Fergson. “Sdi Arabia is another of the untri on our list which implements the ath penalty for nsensual homosexualy unr their terpretatn of Sharia law, ” says Fergson.

CHURCH OF NORWAY OPENS DOORS TO CHURCH GAY WEDDGS

“In Tanzania, any homosexual acts rult 30 years to life prison, and there has been a recent ernment crackdown on LGBT activy wh the untry.

“Iran ma #6 on the x, due part to s extreme punishments for homosexualy, which clu 100 lash for homosexual terurse or the ath penalty, and 31 lash for same-sex acts other than terurse, ” says Fergson.

GAY MARRIAGE

“Publicly, homosexualy is a taboo topic, so LGBTQ+ travelers choosg to vis Sudan should proceed wh utn and rema discreet wh regards to their sexualy.

“Historilly, Barbados and some other Caribbean islands have had poor anti-LGBTQ+ legislatn and practic, largely left over om the Brish occupatn which put the laws place and rerced anti-gay attus. Unfortunately, imposed punishment for homosexualy is severe and the existence of gay people Malaysia was nied by their tourism mister as recently as March 2019, ” says Fergson.

That said, the LGBTQ+ muny is margalized this untry and there are heavy nsequenc for beg homosexual, which clu seven years to life prison for any same-sex act, ” says Fergson. Unfortunately, thgs may soon be gettg even worse for the LGBTQ+ muny, as the Ugandan ernment has recently lled to retroduce an anti-homosexualy bill, which would clu the ath penalty for same-sex acts, the midst of the recent murr of a gay Ugandan activist.

NORWAY LEGALIS GAY MARRIAGE

“In the Paltian terrori of Gaza and the Wt Bank, the anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is taken very serly, wh homosexual acts rultg up to 10 years prison, ” says Fergson. “Groups advotg for LGBTQ+ rights are threatened by the erng thori Palte, who nsir homosexualy to be ‘a blow to, and vlatn of, the ials and valu of Paltian society. Currently, Kenyan law stat that same-sex terurse between mal rults 14 years prison, while all other homosexual acts between mal are punished wh five years imprisonment, ” says Fergson.

In fact, Jamai was lled ‘the most homophobic place on Earth’ by Time magaze 2006 and LGBTQ+ people are sadly still the victims of homophobic vlence today. “Recently, there have been ath threats by Ethpia’s Orthodox Christian muny over gay tourism to the untry, puttg LGBTQ+ tourists at risk.

A group of mps led by Ben Bradshaw, a gay Anglin, is lookg at ways to amend the legislatn to allow willg prits and parish to take part, which they argue uld also help boost dwdlg numbers the aisl. Revelers on a boat para the Prsengracht nal participatg the Amsterdam Canal Para durg Amsterdam Gay Pri on Augt 2, 2014 Amsterdam, Juen/Getty ImagThe legislatn gave same-sex upl the right to marry, divorce, and adopt CBS News2. Spectators watch along Yonge Street, at the annual Pri Ftival para, July 3, 2016, Toronto, Ontar, Willms/Getty ImagIn 1999, some provcial ernments extend mon law marriag to gay and lbian upl, providg them wh most of the legal benefs of marriage but laws varied across the CBC News4.

NORWAY GAY TRAVEL

A reveler drsed wh a gay pri flag walks the streets next to Cibel Square before the Pri Para durg the Madrid Gay Pri Ftival on June 29, 2016, Madrid, Blazquez Domguez/Getty ImagThe law guaranteed intil rights to all married upl regardls of sexual New York Tim5.

A fjord Norway, wh the Norwegian flag the foreground, October 14 Maclean/Creative CommonsIn January 2009, the bill was enacted to law, and gay upl were legally granted the right to marry, adopt children and receive artificial NBC News7. Beatrice Murch/Creative CommonsPrr to the same-sex marriage law, a number of lol jurisdictns, cludg the natn's pal, Buenos Air, had enacted laws allowg gays and lbians to enter to civil The Guardian11.

THIS IS HOW YOU CAN HAVE A FABULO TIME GAY NORWAY

Denmark's legalizatn me 2012 after Queen Margrethe II gave her royal assent to the proposed Danish Natnal Associatn of Gays & Lbians at Copenhagen's LGBT Pri March CommonsDenmark was the first untry to allow same-sex upl to register as domtic partners BBC News12. Uguay fans celebrate as Uguay sr their first goal agast England as seen on the screen set up at Word Cup FIFA Fan Ft on Copabana beach June 19, 2014 R Janeiro, Raedle/Getty ImagCivil unns have been permted Uguay sce 2008, and 2009 gay and lbian upl were given adoptn BBC News13. Print Franis Hollan signed a measure legalizg marriage equaly France monstrate for the legalizatn of gay marriage on December 16, 2012, Paris, France.

In 2017, Germany beme the 15th European untry to allow same-sex upl to Greens Party parliamentarian Volker Beck celebrat followg a vote at the nearby Bunstag which approved gay marriage Germany on June 30, 2017, Berl, Gallup/Getty ImagGermany gave full maral rights to homosexual upl a vote that Chancellor Angela Merkel voted New York Tim25.

Ecuador's hight urt approved same-sex marriage a 5-4 rights activists prott outsi of the Constutnal Court, wag for the urt's cisn on gay marriage, Quo, Ecuador, Tuday, June 4, Photo/Dolor OchoaEcuador has regnized same-sex partnerships sce 2015, but the Constutnal Court officially approved same-sex marriag on June 12, urt stcted the ernment to pass legislatn that will cement equal rights for all cizens who wish to BBC29.

CHURCH REF TO MARRY GAY UPL

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTWorld Briefg | EuropeJune 18, 2008 Gay men and lbians Norway will be granted the same rights as heterosexuals to marry and to adopt children unr a law approved by the upper hoe of Parliament.

The General Synod of the Church of Norway, the largt Christian nomatn the Sndavian untry, has voted favour of acceptg same-sex marriage, openg the way for the first gay church marriag wh the next two years.