[International]
United Nations Out for LGBT Rights at Sixth Annual Forum
At the sixth annual United Nations conference on “Leadership in the Fight Against Homophobia” that marked Human Rights Day on December 11, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was flanked by singers Ricky Martin and Yvonne Chaka Chaka of South Africa. But his voice was the most rousing in unequivocally condemning homophobia wherever it lurks in the world.

[Brasil]
Primeira transexual brasiliense a chegar a um doutorado na UnB fala sobre preconceito
Engajada em movimentos sociais e defensora das minorias, ela deseja que seu exemplo possa ser seguido por outras pessoas que sofrem o mesmo drama.

[Spain]
IU registra una ley para garantizar los derechos de los transexuales
La ley integral de transexualidad ha llegado este miércoles al Parlamento de Andalucía. La diputada de IU Alba Doblas registró en la Cámara el proyecto, un primer borrador elaborado por la Asociación de Transexuales de Andalucía (ATA) y otras entidades que representan a este colectivo. Bajo el título de Ley integral de no discriminación por motivos de identidad de género y de reconocimiento de los derechos de las personas transexuales, la norma pretende garantizar los derechos que, según sus promotores, recoge para todos los ciudadanos la Constitución y el Estatuto de Andalucía y que, en el caso de los transexuales, no siempre se cumplen.
Transexuales de Andalucía celebran el registro del proyecto de Ley Integral de Transexualidad

[UK]
Shock at CofE school where Mr Upton will return after Christmas as Miss Meadows
Nathan Upton, a teacher at St Mary Magdalen's School in Accrington will also dress as a woman from next term
The school has given the teacher its full support
Parents were informed via a letter under a section of 'staff changes'
Mr Upton had previously been married to wife Ruth but they have separated
Sir becomes Miss
Primary school writes to parents to explain that their child’s teacher will be changing gender

[Sweden]
Swedish Court repeals Sterilization Requirement
The Administrative Court of Appeals in Stockholm, Sweden announced today, December 19th 2012 that the requirement in the Swedish Law on Legal Gender Recognition that a person wishing to change gender marker must undergo sterilization indeed violates the Swedish Constitution (Regeringsformen 2 kap 6 §) as well as the articles 8 and 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

[Turkey]
Bülent Ersoy: The Remarkable Untold Story of a Turkish Icon, Transgender Diva and Unintentional Revolutionary
The unfathomable life story of living Turkish legend Bülent Ersoy is barely utterable without placing this incredible individual in the chaotic epoch in which she blossomed.

[Ivory Coast]
Transgender Sex Workers in Ivory Coast Face Abuse
Transgender sex workers in Ivory Coast say they face a long list of hardships, including social stigma, low pay and - more recently - attacks from the national army. However, the women say they continue to work the streets because it is the only chance they have to truly be themselves.

[New Zealand]
Solutions for trans prisoners needed
The Green Party says the government needs to rethink jailing of transgender people after criticism over sending a trans woman to an all-male prison.
Transgender prison decision 'a breach of rights'
Solutions for trans prisoners needed
Options for safety of trans prisoners - Greens
MP says lack of prisoner safety is "inexcusable"
Northland: Transgender woman sent to men’s jail
Worries about "transphobic" system intensify

[Canada]
Clarington transgendered student can now use men's bathroom
James Spencer can use men's washroom at Clarke High School

[USA] [Commentary]
Cold Case: Who killed Nizah Morris?
It has been ten years. But it is not surprising that Roslyn Wilkins still wants to know what happened that ended up with her child dead.
[Commentary] Nizah Morris Case-Ten Years Later

[CA, USA]
No charges in '04 transgender homicide
Police arrested two men in the 2004 death of a transgender San Francisco woman, but it appears the district attorney's office has never filed charges against the former suspects in the case.

[CA, USA]
Police seek witnesses as murder cases go cold
Earlier this month, Brandy Martell would have turned 38.
A few days before her birthday, Betty Massey, Martell's mother, talked about how she planned to mark the day by taking flowers to her daughter's gravesite.

[IL, USA]
Illinois School District Dissolves Committee on Transgender Issues
The East Aurora School District in suburban Chicago has dissolved a committee that was working on antidiscrimination policies for transgender students, “effectively ending that effort,” Windy City Times reports.

[MA, USA]
Judge approves $724,000 for sex-change legal fees
U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf today issued a tentative order that the state to pay $724,000 in fees and costs to the lawyers of convicted-killer Michelle Kosilek after the legal team successfully convinced Wolf in a lawsuit to require Massachusetts taxpayers to pick up the tab for Kosilek’s sex-change operation.
Judge: State must pay more than $700,000 in legal fees to attorneys of convicted murderer who wants sex change surgery
Local leaders on why Michelle Kosilek is not the problem
Judge approves legal fees for trans woman prisoner, denies personal costs

[MT, USA]
Helena non-discrimination ordinance passes
The Helena City Commission voted unanimously on Monday night to pass a non-discrimination ordinance, hailed as a big step for the LGBT community.
City of Helena, Montana Unanimously Passes LGBT Non-Discrimination Ordinance

[Mexico]
Aumentan crímenes de odio por homofobia en Quintana Roo
En los últimos dos años se han registrado 15 crímenes de odio por homofobia y transfobia en Quintana Roo; la mitad de ellos ocurrieron en los últimos tres meses. Ante esta situación, activistas de la sociedad civil han pedido a las autoridades locales una respuesta, la cual incluye tipificar, en el código penal del estado, los asesinatos por orientación sexual o identidad de género.