[International]
Global LGBT Human Rights Defenders Headline Plenary at Creating Change Conference (IGLHRC)
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and Human Rights Defenders from Malaysia, Uganda, and Guyana speak out at Creating Change

[USA]
The Plight of LGBT Immigrant Detainees (Feet in 2 Worlds)
Feet in 2 Worlds is hosting a forum called ‘The Detention Dilemma: Families, Security and Immigrant Rights’ at The New School on February 23 at 6 PM. The event will take place at the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center at 55 West 13th Street, 2nd Fl.

[Europe]
European Parliament denounces Russia’s ‘gay propaganda’ laws
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the upcoming presidential election in Russia today clearly denouncing the regional laws which ban ‘gay propaganda’ around minors.
European Parliament blasts Russia’s anti-gay laws
The European Parliament strongly condemns Russia’s LGBT censorship laws

[Brasil]
Venha ver o clipe a aprender a letra do samba Rio sem Preconceito
Rio de Janeiro dá aula para o mundo contra o preconceito em clipe e letra de samba



[Brasil]
Depois de participar de reality, vereadora trans Leo Kret sairá no trio do Psirico
Depois de gerar polêmica ao participar do programa "Trio Reality", a vereadora transexual Leo Kret, de Salvador, foi convidada para sair junto com o grupo Psirico, que se apresenta sexta-feira (17), no circuito Barra Ondina.

[Brasil]
Trans Renata Peron e Leão Lobo participam de campanha sobre uso de camisinha; assista!
A prefeitura de São Paulo, em parceria com o Programa Municipal DST/Aids, lançou uma campanha para ressaltar a importância do uso de preservativos.



[UK]
Exclusive: The Sun defends call for identity of ‘first trans man to give birth’
The Sun newspaper hit back yesterday at claims that it had failed to mend its ways in respect of its treatment of the UK’s trans community, defending its attempts to locate the trans man who had given birth as being “in the public interest”.
[Commentary] News Feed: The Sun responds over trans man story (Exclusive interview)

[Uganda]
Authorities Shut Down LGBT Rights Conference in Uganda
On February 14th the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission became aware of reports that a conference for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender human rights activists, organized by Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG), was declared illegal by Uganda’s Minister for Ethics and Integrity, Simon Lokodo. Lokodo reportedly accompanied police to the hotel where the conference was hosted in Entebbe, Uganda and ordered officers to evacuate the hotel, causing activists in attendance to flee.

[Uganda]
Gay Ugandans flee fearing for their lives
With the latest incarnation of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill tabled before parliament, the BBC's East Africa correspondent Will Ross talks to several people who fled the country to escape harassment.

[India]
Man has sex change, but can’t alter school record
A trial court has rejected a man's plea to change his name and gender in his school records after his sexchange surgery on the grounds that it would amount to alteration of history. The man had "no right to have retrospective benefit of his gender and name," said the court.

[China]
Man castrates himself, then jumps to his death in Beijing
Reports that a transgender man came to a tragic end on campus of prestigious Beijing university
Man castrates self and jumps to death in Tsinghua University

[Malaysia]
Transsexuals being targeted by gang
A serial transsexual-bashing gang is on the loose here.
At least 13 transsexuals have been attacked over the last six months, including a 24-year-old car wash attendant who preferred to be called Mona.

[Australia]
LGBTI Round Table noms to close Friday
Queenslanders wanting to join the state’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Round Table have until Friday February 17 before nominations close.

[Australia]
Anti-bully advocates fight back
Gay rights advocates and a Jewish community body have rejected a rabbi’s claims a government funded anti-homophobic bullying scheme is teaching “moral wrong”.

[USA]
Dreaming of Dresses: Transgender Books for Children
Young people are coming out as transgender ever earlier, which often means that they want medical treatment at younger ages. This is a thought that worries and bewilders some adults, in part because they do not believe that children can really know who they are or what they want but also in part because they simply don't have enough information about gender dysphoria.

[USA]
A Salute to Dani Bunten, a Transgender Video Gaming Pioneer
There are plenty of legends in the world of video games whose names will fly off the tongues of casual fans. Nolan Bushnell. Trip Hawkins. Shigeru Miyamoto. Will Wright. Sid Meier.
Dani Bunten changed video games forever

[AK, USA]
Christians Working Hard to Kill Pro-Gay Anchorage Initiative
Voters in Alaska's most-populous city will decide on April 3 to protect LGBT people from discrimination, while a conservative Christian group is pulling out all the stops to make sure that doesn't happen.

[AZ, USA]
Out in the Desert
Tucson's first LGBT international film festival kicks off this weekend

[AZ, USA]
Trans and Proud
Race and gender blogger Monica Roberts gets ready to talk to Tucson

[CA, USA]
GSA seeks gender-neutral facilities on BC campus
The Gay Straight Association at Bakersfield College is currently working toward making changes on campus that will reflect their morality of equality through gender-neutral facilities as well as other adjustments for transgender students.

[ID, USA]
Lawmakers Say No to LGBT Rights But Yes to Drilling, Fracking
Thumbs down to Add the Words; thumbs up to gas exploration

[KY, USA]
Fairness Coalition Launches Ad Campaign Across Kentucky
The Kentucky Fairness Coalition launched a television and web ad campaign Wednesday aimed at raising awareness over the state’s lack of anti-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender citizens.

[ME, USA]
GLAD Files Motion in Support of Maine Transgender Student Denied Bathroom Access
GLAD has filed a motion for summary judgment in a case in which we are representing a transgender teen girl whose Orono, Maine elementary school denied her use of the girls’ restroom.

[MD, USA]
Baltimore County Nears LGBT Protections
County Council majority baking measure to add gender identity nondsicrimination

[NY, USA]
Communication Modification Program for Transgender People to be Offered at Ithaca College
A new program at Ithaca College offering voice and communication modification instruction for transgender people from the college and the broader community will start in February. Beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 14, in the Sir Alexander Ewing Speech Clinic on the Ithaca College campus, the program will take place on Tuesday evenings throughout the spring 2012 semester. The meetings are free to Ithaca College students, faculty and staff; others will be charged a nominal fee. For more information, contact Mary Pitti at (607) 274-1765 or mpitti@ithaca.edu.

[TN, USA]
Transgender advocacy and rights Forum for east Tennessee
A community forum on Transgender issues will be presented on February 18th, 2012, on the Maryville College campus at Fayerweather Hall, and the time will be 10:00am - 12:00pm. Ample parking is available, and we can accommodate up to 50 people comfortably. This forum event is hosted and supported by PFLAG-Maryville, an official community group of Maryville College.

[TX, USA]
Loftin adds gender identity, expression to A&M nondiscrimination memo
For the first time in the University's history, A&M President R. Bowen Loftin added sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression to the yearly non-discriminatory employment memo. While the memo is issued every year, any reference to gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, GLBT, employees did not appear before the Jan. 20 letter.

[Mexico]
Comunidad LGBT exige respeto a sus derechos
En el marco de la celebración del Día del Amor y la Amistad, organizaciones civiles de la comunidad sexual de lesbianas, gays, bisexuales y transexuales (LGBT), se manifestaron en las afueras del Congreso del Estado para exigir respeto a sus derechos.

[Mexico]
Prohíben a organización dar condones en Carnaval de Sinaloa
El presidente municipal de Mazatlán indica que repartir preservativos durante la celebración atenta contra la moral pública

[Costa Rica]
LGBT community presses Chinchilla on bills
It was all about love, respect and legislation outside the front gates of Casa Presidencial on Valentine’s Day, when members of Costa Rica’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community turned out to protest for equal rights in this conservative, Catholic country.

[Colombia]
Con aceite para motor de avión, travesti aumentó tamaño de sus gluteos
Un travesti de 25 años denunció ante las autoridades que un esteticista le aplicó aceite para motor de aviones en sus gluteos, en un procedimiento que se cumplió hace cuatro meses, pero que deja como saldo a otro miembro de la comunidad Lgtbi fallecido.

[Chile]
Ex presidente de la Juventud UDI Bío-Bío rechaza ránking de homofobia publicado por el Movilh
El ex presidente de la Juventud UDI de la región del Bío-Bío, Sebastián Abudoj, rechazó el ránking de personas homofóbicas publicado por el Movilh 2011 y lo calificó como una señal de intolerancia y falta de argumentos.

[Argentina]
Katopodis recibió al movimiento LGBT del Municipio de San Martín
A dos meses de asumir, Gabriel Katopodis recibió en su despacho de la Intendencia al movimiento LGBT, agrupación con base en el distrito y que se ocupa de los derechos de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales y Trans. Al encuentro adhirió Marcela Romero, presidenta de Asociación de Travestis, Transexuales y Transgéneros de la Argentina (ATTTA), reconocida activista LGBT y vecina de San Martín.

[Argentina]
"Mía", con una mirada profunda al mundo trans
Esta noche a las 21.30, el Espacio INCAA presentará Mía, un film de Javier Van de Couter y protagonizado por el actor Rodrigo de la Serna. La producción nacional aborda la temática trans “con una mirada positiva de la comunidad”, según resaltó ayer la responsable del espacio, Irma Carrizo, en una conferencia de prensa en la Medioteca y Biblioteca Municipal Mariano Moreno.