LGBTQ+ News Roundup: April 28 – May 4, 2025
The week spanning April 28 to May 4, 2025, was marked by significant developments in LGBTQ+ rights, representation, and community events worldwide. Here's a comprehensive overview of the key stories:
🇧🇷 Brazil: Police Thwart Anti-LGBTQ+ Terror Attack at Lady Gaga Concert
Brazilian authorities successfully prevented a planned anti-LGBTQ+ terror attack targeting Lady Gaga's free concert in Rio de Janeiro, which attracted over 2.1 million attendees. Two suspects were arrested, including the alleged leader of an online hate group and a teenager found with child sexual abuse material. The group intended to recruit adolescents to carry out attacks using improvised explosives, aiming to gain notoriety by targeting children, teens, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. Despite the threats, the concert proceeded without incident, underscoring Gaga’s message of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Them
🇺🇸 United States: HUD Reverses Protections for Transgender Individuals
Under President Donald Trump's administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has rolled back protections for transgender individuals under the Equal Access Rule. This Obama-era policy safeguarded LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination in HUD-funded housing. Affected individuals, such as Tazz Webster and Bea Gonzalez, faced housing discrimination and had their HUD complaints dismissed due to a new executive order defining sex strictly as male or female. Advocates warn these moves leave transgender people vulnerable to homelessness and abuse. AP News
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Reform UK Bans Pride Flags on Council Buildings
Councils governed by the Reform UK party are now prohibited from displaying LGBT Pride flags on their buildings. Party chairman Zia Yusuf announced that only the Union Jack, England's St George's Cross, and individual county flags are permitted on council properties. The directive follows Reform UK's recent gain of 10 English local authorities in the latest local elections. Critics argue that the policy could prevent councils from showing support for international causes and LGBTQ+ communities. The Sun
🏏 United Kingdom: Transgender Women Banned from Women's Cricket
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced a complete ban on transgender women and girls from participating in women's and girls' cricket, effective immediately. This decision follows a recent U.K. Supreme Court ruling defining a woman, for anti-discrimination laws, as someone biologically female. While transgender individuals are still allowed in open and mixed competitions, this ban extends an earlier restriction that had only applied to elite-level cricket. The ruling has sparked division, with support from feminist groups and criticism from trans-rights organizations. AP News
🇱🇹 Lithuania: Constitutional Court Mandates Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Partnerships
On April 17, 2025, Lithuania's Constitutional Court ruled that the lack of legal recognition for same-sex partnerships was unconstitutional. The court found that Article 3.229 of the Civil Code, which permits partnerships exclusively between a man and a woman, violates the constitution. It mandated the Lithuanian Parliament to enact legislation recognizing civil partnerships, including for same-sex couples, to ensure equality and legal certainty. The ruling also opened a legal pathway for same-sex couples to register civil partnerships through the courts, even in the absence of specific legislation. Wikipedia
🇭🇺 Hungary: Government Bans Pride Marches and LGBTQ+ Assemblies
The Hungarian Parliament passed a bill on March 18, 2025, banning assemblies that promote or display homosexuality to persons under 18, effectively prohibiting Pride marches. Participants may face fines up to €500, while organizers can face up to one year in prison. The bill also authorizes police to use facial recognition systems to identify participants. Protests erupted in multiple Hungarian cities and internationally in opposition to the law. Wikipedia+1
These developments underscore the ongoing challenges and efforts within the LGBTQ+ community to achieve equality, representation, and support across various sectors of society.