[Europe]
European Parliament calls for special protection of LGBT asylum-seekers
Members of the European Parliament voted today to modernise the EU-wide system for examining asylum claims. Among the measures adopted today, groups of asylum-seekers with special needs were updated to include people fleeing persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

[Brazil]
Legislativo tem medo de avançar na questão LGBT, critica Marta Suplicy
Em entrevista ao Mix, Marta Suplicy diz que Legislativo se apequena na questão LGBT

[España]
Cuatro jóvenes son juzgados por insultar y amenazar a un transexual y a su novio
"Me llamaron maricón y travesti de mierda", declaró la joven . "Puede ser que le dijese 'Manolo' por si se llamaba así, pero no me acuerdo", alegó uno de los acusados en la vista.
COLEGA pide que se tipifique como delito insultos a transexual en A Coruña

[España]
COLEGA EXTREMADURA, denuncia la negativa de la Diputación de Cáceres a reunirse con el colectivo
Colega Extremadura, es un colectivo de gays, lesbianas y transexuales extremeños, denuncia el tratamiento que está sufriendo por parte de la Presidencia de la Diputación Provincial el cual en un email expone a las claras que no se acepta una solicitud de reunión en la que exponer propuestas alternativas para fomentar la igualdad en el ámbito local de la provincia dado que ya están colaborando con la entidad miembro de la FELGTB "Extremadura Entiende" la cual según afirman, ha agotado todo el crédito disponible para todo el ejercicio 2011 en unas jornadas sobre visibilidad lésbica.

[Turkey]
Transsexual runs for deputy seat in Turkey
Oyku Ozen, a transsexual from the northwestern province of Bursa, has filed to be a candidate for deputy from the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP.
A transsexual CHP candidate nominee with a heart in politics (Photo)

[Israel]
Transsexual Israeli Pop Star Agrees To Interview on Qatari Radio
Qataris aren’t known to be huge fans of Israelis, transsexuals or Israeli transsexuals, but that hasn’t stopped a Qatari radio station from reaching out to Dana International, the gender-bending Israeli pop star who will represent her homeland next month at the Eurovision Song Contest

[Malaysia] [Film]
Wake up! Homophobics
A film producer is laughing her way to the bank after her movie “Dalam Botol”, a tale about a Muslim man who undergoes sex reassignment surgery to please his male lover, became a box-office hit just five days into its opening on March 24.

[Australia]
Transgender inmate suicide not preventable
The hanging suicide of a transgender Aboriginal woman in a male jail could not have been prevented by the Department of Corrective Services, a coroner has found.

[USA]
Wash. Times Launches Attack On Transgender People
In an April 4 editorial, The Washington Times attacked transgender people seeking the ability to change the gender listed on their birth certificates, writing: "It's fair to ask where all of this is heading. Could Jocelyn Wildenstein -- famously nicknamed 'Catwoman' for the feline appearance she achieved through multiple plastic surgeries -- decide after years of struggling with her identity that she is actually a cat?" The Times went on to further question the sanity of transgender people, suggesting that "perhaps these people are just messed up."
[Commentary] Washington Times Speaks Out

[USA]
ENDA makes debut in 112th Congress
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) on Wednesday formally introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the U.S. House with 111 co-sponsors, according to his office.
ENDA Introduced -- With 92 Fewer Co-Sponsors Than at the End of the 111th Congress

[CA, USA]
California Senate Panel OKs Gay, Transgender History Bill
A bill that seeks to include the historical contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans in California textbooks cleared its first legislative hurdle on Tuesday.

[CO, USA] [Film]
Documentary on Greeley transgender murder victim debuts this weekend
The murder of a Greeley teen three years ago is now chronicled in a documentary that will debut at a film festival this weekend in Denver.

[CT, USA] [Film]
‘Cruel’ film shows prison horrors
As part of their "Combating the Prison Industrial Complex: Testimonial, Truth & Action" series, the Rainbow Center screened the documentary "Cruel & Unusual" Wednesday night. "Cruel & Unusual" is an award-winning documentary that examines the realities faced by transgender women in men's prisons produced by Janet Baus, Dan Hunt and Reid Williams.

[HI, USA]
Hawaii moves forward with workplace transgender protection bill
A bill to protect trans people from discrimination at work is moving forward in Hawaii.
It has already been passed in the House and was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday.
Hawaii Bans Trans Discrimination in the Workplace

[IL, USA]
Cook County Jail using gender identity to determine housing
In a Windy City Times exclusive, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart announced that Cook County Jail has instituted a policy for housing transgender detainees based on their gender identity, rather than birth sex.
The policy became effective on March 21. It is thought to be the first of its kind in the United States.

[KS, USA]
Groups object to changing Lawrence anti-discrimination policy
A group of Lawrence business leaders and churches is working to keep gender identity out of the city's anti-discrimination policy.

[MD, USA]
Marylanders Punished for Using 'Wrong' Pronouns
The Montgomery County, Maryland Ethics Commission has rejected the testimony of two Marylanders for not addressing a transgender woman with feminine pronouns.
A Letter To Maryland Sen. Frosh From A Parent Of A Young Trans Woman
[Commentary] Maryland Nondiscrimination Bill Marks Potentially Life-Saving Advance

[MI, USA]
Transgender Day of Empowerment features resources, allies
The transgender community came out in force on April 2 for the third annual Transgender Day of Empowerment, held at Affirmations Community Center and organized by Transgender Detroit and Transgender Michigan.

[NY, USA/Portugal] [Film]
Pathology Follies
Joao Pedro Rodriguez continues to focus on freakishness, not freakiness
Transgender Melancholia in Portuguese “To Die Like a Man”

[NY, USA]
Help Us Win the Fight for Equal Rights
We need your help. Our opponents have taken notice of our work. They are determined to stop us when we are just getting started. They are organized and they are very well funded. Yesterday, the Washington Times, an influential newspaper described by the New York Times as a "veritable who's who of conservatives," published an editorial ("The latest birth certificate scandal") criticizing our lawsuit challenging New York City's practice of requiring transgender people to undergo surgery before it will issue them birth certificates with corrected sex designations.

[NY, USA]
Students look beyond traditional gender identities
After the ROTC debate thrust them into the spotlight, a glimpse into the lives of gender nonconforming students at Columbia.

[NY, USA]
Some transgender youths look to black-market hormones
Meisha Montierro shrugs off concerns that she is not being monitored for potential liver and blood clot complications, or even an increased risk of cancer, that might result from the four estrogen-packed pills she consumes daily to help coax the rounded hips, softened skin, and high voice she wants from her born-boy body.

[NV, USA] [Commentary]
Thank You, Ms Stanton
Following the SB 331 hearing, Chairman Schneider opened the hearing on SB 368, which would prohibit housing discrimination against transgender people. Equality Nevada Executive Director Lauren Scott, and vocal advocate for civil rights, related a story of housing discrimination she faced when she first relocated to Nevada from Florida. Senator James Settlemeyer (R-Minden) questioned the accuracy of Ms. Scott’s testimony, but she was not afforded an opportunity to respond as the Chair called an end to the meeting due to the lateness of the hour, telling both Sen. Settlemeyer and Ms. Scott that their disagreement could be handled off the record.

[OR, USA]
Trial Starts For Man Accused In '07 Ax Killing
Opening statements started Tuesday in the case of Frank Johnson, a man who Portland police say was killed by David French in 2007.
French, a transgendered man, is accused of stabbing Johnson, a roommate, six times with a heavy pick ax and then jumping out a third-floor window to evade police. The screams that came from the small north Portland apartment unit were described by the lead prosecutor has blood-curdling.
Defendant on trial in ax killing of 51-year-old North Portland roommate

[PA, USA]
SEPTA says gender stickers will end with new electronic fare system
SEPTA officials say when they upgrade to a high-tech fare collection system, they will stop requiring gender stickers for Transpasses. SEPTA thinks getting rid of the stickers now would cost four to five million dollars a year in lost fares.
Council Brings Up SEPTA Gender Stickers

[UT, USA]
SLCC hosts transgender forum
Salt Lake Community College students were invited to attend a transgender forum last Tuesday in the Student Event Center of the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. The purpose of the forum was to help develop an understanding of the transgender lifestyle and discuss diversity in the community.

[VT, USA]
LGBT groups plan lobbying day in Vermont’s capital
LGBT rights groups are planning a day of lobbying at Vermont’s Statehouse, stressing continuing harassment and discrimination endured by people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

[Colombia]
Procuraduría denuncia discriminación contra comunidad gay en Riohacha
En algunas discotecas y establecimientos públicos de Riohacha no se permite el ingreso de miembros de la población LGBT, según aseguró la procuradora regional, Carmen de Vega de Martínez, al instalar la red de minorías sexuales en la Guajira.

[Brazil]
Denuncian aumento de crímenes contra personas LGBT
La violencia contra lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, travestis y transexuales en Brasil aumentó drásticamente en 2010, cuando fueron registrados nada menos que 260 casos de asesinatos frente a los 198 ocurridos en el año anterior.
Denuncian 260 crímenes por homofobia en 2010

[Argentina]
Derecho a la identidad: una guía para comunicar correctamente
Gays, lesbianas, transexuales y bisexuales junto al Inadi realizan mañana un encuentro de capacitación. El Congreso nacional se prepara para debatir dos proyectos clave