Get to know five of the global NGOs supported by Amplifund, the GAY TIMES and GiveOut partnership that works to create a world where LGBTQIA+ people thrive and every queer voice is heard.

WORDS BY ALICE MOREY
HEADER BY JACK ROWE

Globally, there is a disparity in the rights afforded to LGBTQIA+ individuals. Amplifund, a partnership between GAY TIMES and GiveOut, has been created to aid the global movement to advance LGBTQIA+ rights, provide vital resources and support the progression towards equality.

Rainbow Alliance (Myanmar)

The Rainbow Alliance is one such NGO that works to raise awareness and provides social public advocacy to empower LGBTQIA+ youth in Myanmar, South East Asia. Its goals are achieved through career development initiatives, mental health support, humanitarian aid and, when necessary, providing emergency safe shelter to those experiencing gender-based violence. This is “vital” for LGBTQIA+ youth, however providing these life-line services is challenging. “LGBTQIA+ groups have been unable to serve their members due to insecurity, difficulties and a lack of long-term funding,” May Kanyar Pyo (name changed to protect their identity), a member of the Rainbow Alliance, tells GAY TIMES.

“The shortage of LGBTQIA+ groups in Myanmar has an adverse impact on the lives of LGBTQIA+ individuals and exposes them to social discrimination from people in the community. It is an extremely dangerous condition because law enforcement has also been unavailable for years.”

Pyo explains the “essential” need for a co-ordinated international effort to uplift the work of local NGO groups: “LGBTQIA+ individuals should be taken into consideration when discussing political and human rights concerns alongside other disadvantaged communities.

“They require equality, human dignity and the will to persevere. As a result, the global community needs to support the vital work that LGBTQIA+ groups do in Myanmar and concentrate on their long-term growth.

“It’s essential the UN, embassies, donors and the global LGBTQIA+ community understand and take in the needs of all LGBTQIA+ individuals, LGBTQIA+ groups and consider all perspectives in the advancement of LGBTQIA+ rights.”

Currently in Myanmar, same-sex relations are punishable by up to 10 years prison under section 377 of the penal code, a legacy of post-colonial British rule. The military takeover in 2021 has further exacerbated the situation, with many LGBTQIA+ activists being targeted, arrested or even killed by the junta, a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force, for taking part in peace protests.

ESBISQUET (Indonesia)

Intrinsic to the work of GAY TIMES is the mission to create a world where all LGBTQIA+ people thrive. This is achieved through the amplification of journalistic voices, artists, culture makers and activists to increase the reach of their messaging across international borders.

ESBISQUET, an Indonesian forum for lesbian, bisexual, queer and trans people, provides advocacy and education on LGBTQIA+ issues, specifically on gender diversity, sexuality and sexual and reproductive health rights.

“This forum is very important, because it’s the only community in Central Kalimantan to voice and encourage fulfilment of human rights for various genders and sexuality groups,” Adham Al Ghofur, a member of ESBIQUET, tells GAY TIMES.

Courtesy of ESBISQUET

“It’s essential that ESBISQUET received strong support from the wider global movement for LGBTQIA+ liberation. Support, both financial and structural, will allow us to realise our vision and mission to have a long term, positive impact on LGBTQIA+ groups in Central Kalimantan.”

In Indonesia, Parliament passed a new criminal code in December 2022 that effectively renders all same-sex conduct illegal, according to Human Rights Watch. Last July, ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, a regional group of human rights advocates from various countries in Southeast Asia, were forced to cancel a gathering of LGBTQIA+ activists in Jakarta due to “a series of security threats,” the organisers said in a statement given to Reuters.

The Queer Muslim Project (India)

Online amplification of local community voices continues to be a key device in promoting the freedom of LGBTQIA+ individuals. The Queer Muslim Project is a buzzing global community of over 46,000 people. The NGO uses art, culture and media to facilitate storytelling “to challenge harmful stereotypes and norms, build power and visibility of underrepresented LGBTQIA+ artists, storytellers, and communities, and enable them to shape their own narratives,” Maniza Khalid, Programmes Manager at the Queer Muslim Project, tells GAY TIMES.

Across the media landscape there is the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes that negatively impact the experience of LGBTQIA+ people, which is not a new phenomenon. In fact, eight years ago, the inaugural European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights report into the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals across 19 member states flagged that “wrong and outdated views towards LGBTQIA+ people endangered their fundamental rights.”

Courtesy of The Queer Muslim Project

Khalid highlights that “across the world, we are seeing the mainstreaming of stories and sentiments that fuel hate and bigotry against LGBTQIA+, Muslim, and marginalised communities.”

“We believe that queer people should have agency and authorship over their stories,” she continues. “Through our programmes, we offer tools, resources and networks to underrepresented artists and storytellers to tell stories that can reach wider audiences and create meaningful change.”

One of the main ways to combat this, according to Khalid, is to consume media in a critical way: “We ask that you demand stories that include silenced voices and frame people from the margins as nuanced and complex.”

In order “for a larger cultural shift to happen, we need an intentional and consistent effort to showcase diverse queer narratives and talent everywhere stories are shared.”

Courtesy of The Queer Muslim Project

Transwave (Jamaica)

Amplifund provides a designated space within the GAY TIMES eco-system to explore the richness of queer culture, life, history and politics of countries within the Global South. Amplifund highlights the sheer breadth of the global queer experience, from emerging culture to legal and humanitarian activism. By working with the esteemed local activists and journalists behind the movements, we broaden our view on increasing our understanding of the divergence within our community and remembering the importance to celebrate the uniqueness in our cultures.

Transwave is Jamaica’s only trans-led and focused organisation working “for the health and well-being of the trans community living in Jamaica and by extension the wider Caribbean,” Renae Green, Executive Director of TransWave Jamaica, tells GAY TIMES.

“Trans people are among the most marginalised groups of people in the world. This is especially so in Jamaica, we face high levels of stigma and discrimination, homelessness, unemployment and are at high risk for HIV and AIDS,” they add.

“We as an organisation are trying to dismantle the barriers that create these obstacles for the trans community in Jamaica through our work.”

Courtesy of Transwave

Transgender people in Jamaica are subject to widespread discrimination, violence and barriers to accessing the health, education and justice systems, which often leads many trans people towards survival sex work, according to GiveOut and its work with organisations in the region. The country lacks legal recognition of gender identity and has no specific laws protecting individuals from discrimination based on gender identity.

Bisi Alimi Foundation (Nigeria)

The main factor contributing to the ability of an LGBTQIA+ individual to live with ease and express their gender identity and/or sexuality authentically is where they were born. Liberation, however, is not a one-size fits all approach and needs to be spearheaded from within each community, taking into consideration the geo-political considerations that define the experience of an LGBTQIA+ individual from a specific region.

In 2014, Nigeria enacted one of the world’s most stringent federal anti-LGBTQIA+ laws that criminalised same-sex sexual activity. Under Sharia Islamic law, homosexuality is banned with punishments ranging from 14 years to death by stoning. “These laws have contributed to the harsh realities fanned by misinformation and homophobia in a climate that is religious, conservative and highly homophobic,” says Nell Thompson, the Program Manager of Bisi Alimi Foundation, a charity focused on researched based learning to inform their program offering that drives to accelerate the social acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people in Nigeria.

“This has allowed the continued violence to be perpetuated unchecked by both state and non-state actors on LGBTQIA+ individuals in the country, thus resulting in LGBTQIA+ persons’ limited access to social care, justice and economic inclusion,” he added.

Courtesy of Bisi Alimi

The work of Thompson and the Bisi Alimi Foundation is imperative because they “understand the misinformation and misconceptions deliberately fanned by the anti-rights religious groups to spread hate against the LGBTQIA+ community.” In addition, they “push back, resist, educate, build hope and support members of the community through programs that build their awareness and develop their personal and leadership skill.”

An example of one such program is the Rainbow Academy, a 12-month leadership personal development fellowship focusing on building the capacity of LGBTQIA+ people across Nigeria. Thompson continued to explain the importance of “social media” to combat the spread of “misinformation” and the need to be proactive to “develop content that is LGBTQIA+ Nigeria-focused to ensure everyone has access to free-flowing information and knowledge.”

As the Program Manager, Thompson has trained “lawyers and journalists on topical LGBTQIA+ issues, building their capacity towards effective representation and reporting of LGBTQ issues.” This armament of the community aims to empower them to become “agents of socio-economical change.”

Amplifund, through GiveOut, supports the global movement for queer liberation. Donations to Amplifund help to support LGBTQI queer-led NGOs across the world, organisations who are collectively advancing the global LGBTQIA+ movement everyday.

If you’ve learnt something or been frustrated by what you’ve read today, don’t just move on, find out more about the movement here or, better still, donate here.

The post Amplifund: Meet 5 global organisations fighting to advance LGBTQ+ lives appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Here’s everything you need to know about Amplifund; GAY TIMES’ global partnership with LGBTQIA+ charity GiveOut.

GAY TIMES’ mission is to create a world where LGBTQIA+ people thrive. Together, in collaboration with GiveOut, we are driving to increase the acceptance of global LGBTQIA+ communities. Here, we break down our Amplifund campaign, rooted in amplifying activist stories, and its ambition to provide vital resources and support to local LGBTQIA+ organisations.  

What is Amplifund and what does it do?

Amplifund is a partnership between GAY TIMES and LGBTQIA+ charity GiveOut, established to fight the inequality of LGBTQIA+ experience. With this initiative, GAY TIMES can provide financial and in-kind support to champion on-the-ground organisations spotlighting marginalised LGBTQIA+ voices. Working in collaboration with our chosen organisations, GAY TIMES will aid these vital platforms to help nurture and empower their message. 

Who are we working with?

Through Amplifund, GAY TIMES is working with global LGBTQIA+ organisations, largely outside of the UK, EU and USA, who are committed to strengthening their community. By lending out resources such as social amplification, mentorship, editorial partnerships, remote internships and joint creative projects, we can establish a symbiotic relationship focused on uplifting and mentoring LGBTQIA+ people. 

Working, in partnership with GiveOut, our fundraising is distributed to 37 grant partners. Together, we are building impactful relationships with organisations to support the projects they run. 

Below are two international partners GAY TIMES is currently collaborating with via Amplifund. 

Established in 2015, Bisi Alimi Foundation (BAF) are a non-profit organisation working to accelerate social acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people in Nigeria.

The Queer Muslim Project (TQMP) are one of the largest youth-led networks for South Asian queer people, Muslims and allies. An LGBTQIA+ Muslim-led organisation, based in India, TQMP advocate for intersectional representation and skills-based opportunities for its members. 

As a global media platform, we have a responsibility to use our resources and channels to bring funding, awareness and support to communities where it is needed.

A current example of an ongoing campaign of amplifying a partnered organisation would be our work with Iraqueer (Iraq’s first and leading LGBTQIA+ human rights organisation). You can read more about that here. 

Our advocacy, however, doesn’t just end there; GAY TIMES works year-round to drive our mission of creating inclusive campaigns. In 2022, we launched our ‘Incomplete without the T’ billboards across the UK in cities including, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff and more.

How can you get involved and support Amplifund?

There’s different ways to support our Amplifund initiative. You can support our campaign by donating here or why not attend our annual GAY TIMES Honours event where ticket fees are donated to our partnered organisations. Keep up to date with all things Amplifund by following our GAY TIMES channels for new features, fundraising and campaigns.

The post What is Amplifund? appeared first on GAY TIMES.

As GAY TIMES’ charity, Amplifund, takes over 700+ billboards across the UK in the biggest GAY TIMES campaign in our history, we want to see how many of our audience can spot the billboards and share the message that LGBT is incomplete without the T.

We want this message heard loud and clear, so if you see a billboard, be sure to tag @GAYTIMES, add #WithTheT and you will have your images shared with our global audiences.

The locations are all listed here below:

Spot our LGBT incomplete without the T billboards across the UK in cities including, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff and more.

By Hollie Wong and Jared Fleming

As GAY TIMES’ charity, Amplifund, takes over 700+ billboards across the UK in the biggest campaign in our history, we want to see how many of our audience can spot the billboards and share the message that LGBT is incomplete without the T.

We want everyone to spread this message loud and clear, so if you see a billboard, be sure to tag @GAYTIMES, add #WithTheT and you will have your images shared with our global audiences.

Find a billboard at the following locations:

• Vanguard, A40 Western Avenue, London
• 1 Chalk Hill, Watford
• 1 Comberton Place, Kidderminster
• 1 Crompton Way, Oldham
• 1 Harraby Green Road, Carlisle
• 1 Trimdon Street, Sunderland
• 1 Wisbech Road, Kings Lynn
• 1-3 St Matthew’s Street, Ipswich
• 1, 2, 3 and 7 Northern Buildings, Northern Road, Portsmouth
• 1, Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth
• 100 Wellington Street, Slough
• 102 Bevois Valley Road, Southampton
• 109 Reddish Lane, Denton
• 110 Pontefract Road, Leeds
• 110-114 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester
• 114 York Road, Leeds
• 115 Nash Road, Newport
• 115 The Promenade, Blackpool
• 118 Walsgrave Road, Coventry
• 119/121 Teignmouth Rd, Torquay
• 1191 Stratford Rd Hall Green, Birmingham
• 12 Mill Street, Birmingham
• 12-24 Bordesley Green Rd, Morden
• 1228 Kingsbury, London
• 123 Broadway, (A3055) Sandwon
• 123 London Road, Hemel Hempstead
• 13 Dysart Road, Grantham
• 13-19 Renfrew Road, Paisley
• 141 Prescot Road, Liverpool
• 144 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester
• 144 Gloucester Road North, Bristol
• 145 Queens Road, Manchester
• 147 Hamilton Road, Bournemouth
• 148 Gravelly Hill, Birmingham
• 15 Crawley Road, Luton
• 15 Ystrad Road, Pentre
• 155 and 157 Muntz Street, Small Heath
• 156-164 Old Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth
• 157 Holdenhurst Rd, Bournemouth
• 16 High Road, Bristol
• 16 Kingstanding Road, Birmingham
• 162 West Street, Glasgow
• 164 Ealing Broadway, London
• 167 Stratford Road, Solihull, Birmingham
• 17 Moorland Road, Stoke On Trent
• 185 Lawley Middleway, Birmingham
• 185 Walton Breck Rd, Liverpool
• 186 Lockhurst Lane, Coventry
• 186 Old Road, Clacton-on-sea
• 188 Beatrice Street, Swindon
• 188 Manchester Road, Huddersfield
• 19-21 Glasgow Road, Edinburgh
• 19/21 Petershill Road, Glasgow
• 190 Victoria Street, Grimsby
• 1a Minstead Road, New Maiden
• 1st Self Storage Edward Benefer Way, Kings Lynn
• 2 and 4 Newmarket Street, Skipton
• 2 Gordon Street, Colne
• 2 Wheeleys Road, Birmingham
• 2-12 Commercial Road, Bournemouth
• 2-3 London Road, Dover
• 20 Wolverhampton Road, Walsall
• 209 Great Howard Street, Liverpool
• 21 New Buildings, Hinckley
• 212 Gallowgate, Glasgow
• 216 Upper Brook Street, London
• 2236 London Road, Glasgow
• 224 Market Street, Hyde
• 23-31 Commercial Road, Bournemouth
• 238 Huddersfield Road, Barnsley
• 24 Devizes Road, Salisbury
• 24 High Street, Rochester, Kent
• 24 Humber Road, Coventry
• 24 St Anns Road, Rotherham
• 244-246 High Street, Enfield
• 245 Bury New Road, Salford
• 254 Bradford Road, Manchester
• 254 Wheelwright Road, Birmingham
• 263 Nottingham Road, Mansfield
• 264 Rainham Road, Gillingham
• 266, 268 and 270 Sheffield Road, Tinsley
• 27 Church Street, Carlisle
• 27 Harlaxton Road, Grantham
• 272 York Road, Dartford
• 28 Dudley Avenue, Leicester
• 28 to 36 (Even) Mill Street and 2 Camm Street, Crewe
• 287 Coventry Rd, Ilford
• 289 Chorley Road, High Wycombe
• 299 Torquay Road (A3022)
• 299-301 Duke Street, Barrow-in-Furness
• 3 Blue Street, Boston
• 3 Cherry Tree Avenue, Dover
• 30 Inchinnan Road, Paisley
• 305 Bournemouth Road, Bournemouth
• 308 Torquay Road, Torquay
• 319-325 Aston Lane, Witton Road, Witton
• 32 Glasgow Road, Glasgow
• 325 City Road, Stoke On Trent
• 328-332 Buxton Road, Erith
• 33-35 Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth
• 34 Pincheon Street, Wakefield
• 340 Porchester Road, Southampton
• 345 Bearwood Road, Wokingham
• 346-348 Lady Bay Bridge
• 36 Suffolk Street, Holloway Circus, Birmingham
• 363 Sydenham Road, London
• 365-367 Blackpool Road, Preston
• 38 Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham
• 389 York Road, Leeds
• 39 Hartshill Road, Buxton
• 39 Pembroke Place, City Centre, Liverpool
• 393 Ashley Road, London
• 3a Wheatley Hall Road, Doncaster
• 400 North Circular
• 40B Albert Road, Farnworth, Bolton
• 418 Coventry Road, Birmingham
• 43 Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth
• 44 Ward Street, Walsall
• 449 Cannock Rd, Wolverhampton
• 45 East Street, Portchester (A27)
• 45 Ormskirk Road, Skelmersdale
• 455 Alfreton Road, Nottingham
• 460 Linthorpe Road, Middlesborough
• 47 Town Rd/Hulton St, Stoke On Trent
• 491 Oldham Rd Nr Railway Bdge, Sheffield
• 5 Star Blinds, 217 Manchester Road, Oldham
• 50 Stonebridge Road, Northfleet
• 51-53 Commercial Road, Bournemouth
• 52 Bristol Road, Gloucester
• 527 Main Road, Coatbridge
• 53 Carnarvon Rd, Southend
• 530 Queens Road, Sheffield
• 539 Parkfield Road, Wolverhampton
• 55 Aire View Terrace, Leeds
• 55 New North Rd, London
• 55-57 Leeming Street, Mansfield
• 56 Hamilton Road, Cambuslang, Glasgow
• 572 Melton Road, Thurmaston, Leicester
• 58 Clough Street, Morley
• 58 Lozells Road, Birmingham
• 583 Barlow Moor Road Chorlton
• 6 Ashburnham Rd, Bedford
• 60 High Street, Chesthunt
• 61 Hylton Road, Sunderland
• 619 Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry
• 622 Oldham Road, Manchester
• 624 Bearwood Road, Smethwick
• 628 Blackburn Road, Haslingden, Accrington
• 64 London Road, Neath
• 649 Anlaby Road, Hull
• 65 Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth
• 653 Commercial Road, Birmingham
• 67 Mallin Street, Smethwick
• 689 Bristol Rd South, Birmingham
• 69 Boughton, Chester
• 69-71 Edgar St, Hereford
• 6a School Lane, Stockport
• 717 Stratford Road, Birmingham
• 73 Barnsley Road, Rotherham
• 73 Old Shoreham Road, Hove
• 741 Hessle Rd, Hull
• 75 Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth
• 76a and 78 Milnrow Road, Rochdale
• 7a Putney Bridge Road, London
• 8 Kinmel St, Rhyl
• 80 Leicester Road, Loughborough
• 81 Ratcliffe Gate, Mansfield
• 83 Rochdale Old Road, Bury
• 9-13 Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth
• 92 Stechford Lane, Stechford, Birmingham
• 95 Bowes Road, London
• 95 Tyburn Road, Birmingham
• 97 Churchgate, Cheshunt

• 98 Byker Bank, Newcastle Upon Tyne
• 98 Commercial Road, Southampton
• 98 Springbank, Hull
• A1200 East Road/55 New North Road
• A1231, Pallion New Road, Sunderland
• A5063, Albion Way, Manchester
• A590 Walney Road Retail Park
• Accrington Rd, Northwest Plumbing, Burnley
• Ace Mill, Broadway, Oldham
• Adj Lex Mead Bromford Lane, Norwich
• Alum Rock, Birmingham
• Alum Rock Road/Bowyer Road
• Apollo, Palladium Buildings, Waterloo Road, Blackpool
• Arthurlie FC, Carlibar Road, Barrhead
• Arundel Gate o/s Adsetts Library, City Centre
• Ashburnham Roadm Bedford
• Ashfield Mill, Active Way, Burnley
• Attercliffe Common c/o Carbrook Street, Carbrook
• Attercliffe Common c/o Clifton Street, Carbrook
• Attercliffe Common Opp. Meadowhall Retail Pk, Carb
• Attercliffe Common S/O Weedon St , Carbrook Sheffi
• Balby Road S/O Burton Ave Balby Doncaster
• Barnsley Rd o/s No. 39 Goldthorpe Barnsley
• Bath Street, Barrow-in-Furness
• Bawtry Rd E/O Brinsford Rd Brinsworth Rotherham
• Bawtry Rd E/O Denby Way Hellaby Rotherham
• Bawtry Rd o/s Jubilee Cottages Brinsworth Rotherham
• Bawtry Rd Opp. No. 176 Bessacarr Doncaster
• Bedford Street/ Burdock Way, Halifax
• Belmont Road (A465)
• Bentley Rd Opp. No. 43 Bentley Rise, Doncaster
• Bilston Road, Wolverhampton
• Birchwood Shopping Centre, Dewhurst Road/Benson Road
• Birmingham Road, West Bromwich
• Blackbird Crossroad Motors, 1 Blackbird Avenue, Leicester
• Blackbird Road, Parker Dive
• Bond St, City Centre, Leeds
• Bradford Road, Dewsbury Ring Road, Dewsbury, Inbound
• Bradford Road, Dewsbury Ring Road, Dewsbury, Outbound
• Bradford Road, Keighley, Bradford
• Brightside Ln N/O Carwood Rd Attercliffe Sheffield
• Brightside Ln N/O Hawke St Carbrook Sheffield
• Brightside Ln N/O Newall Rd Attercliffe Sheffield
• Brightside Ln N/O Upwell St Carbrook Sheffield
• Brightside Ln Opp Sanderson St Attercliffe Sheffield
• Bristol Road jct Goodridge Avenue Inbound
• Bristol Road jct Goodridge Avenue Outbound
• Brook Road, Wrexham
• Broom Rd Opp No. 148 Broom Rotherham
• Burnham Gate, Burnley
• Buzz 1 Freshfield Way, Brighton
• Buzz Ainsworth Street, Blackburn
• Buzz Marine Road East, Morecombe
• Buzz Middle Engine Lane, Wallsend
• Buzz Road, Basildon
• C.A.T.S Bramford Road, Ipswich
• Cape Hill Retail Centre, Smethwick
• Carr House Rd o/s No. 190 Hyde Park Doncaster
• Castle PH, Eastgate, Accrington
• Castlehill Road, Wishaw
• Cattle Market Road, Nottingham
• Causewayside Street, Glasgow
• Centaur Works, 5-8 Green Lane, Walsall
• Centenary Circle, Trafford Park, Manchester
• Centenary Way, Burnley
• Centenary Way, Rotherham
• Chainbridge Road/ Blaydon Highway
• Chesterfield Rd o/s Meadowhead Library. Meadowhead
• Chesterfield Rd Opp 187 Meersbrook Bank Sheffield
• Church Street, Wednesbury
• Church Street, Wolverhampton
• City Rd o/s No. 755 Intake Sheffield
• City Rd Opp. No. 593 Arbourthorne Sheffield
• City Road opp Old Mill Street, Manchester
• Civic Drive, Ipswich
• Cleveland Street o/s Home Bargains, Grays
• Cleveland Street o/s Waterdale Shopping Centre
• Clifton Hall Road, Edinburgh
• College Road Roundabout Chemist Lane, Rotherham
• Colliers Way/Hall Park Way, Telford
• Commercial Street, Halifax
• Corner of the Esplanade & Kings Street, Brighton
• Corner Park Garage, Fabian Way, Swansea
• Cromwell Road, Wisbech
• Currock Rd/Crown St Roundabout, Carlisle
• Dainton Self Storage, Bristol Road, Gloucester
• Dale Rd Opp. No. 68 Rawmarsh Rotherham
• Dawson Street, Heywood
• Deepdale Shopping Park
• Dereham Road, Norwich
• Dixon Street, Lincoln
• Dodworth Rd o/s No. 188 Shaw Lands Barnsley
• Dodworth Rd Opp. Rosedale Gardens, Pogmoor Barnsley
• Doncaster Racecourse, Leger Way, Doncaster
• Doncaster Rd, Doncaster
• Doncaster Rd Adj. No. 492 Stairfoot Barnsley
• Doncaster Rd c/o Quarry St Mexborough Doncaster
• Doncaster Rd E/O Dalton Lane Dalton Rotherham
• Doncaster Rd Opp Cumberland Dr Ardsley Barnsley
• East Lancs Road, Knowsley, Liverpool
• Eccleshall Rd o/s No. 257 Broomfield Sheffield
• Electric Bar, 291 Airbles, Motherwell
• Evershed Way, Burton On Trent
• Faraday House, 118 Holyhead Road, Coundon, Coventry
• Fenton Rd W/O Coach Rd Greasbrough Rotherham
• Fore Street, Plymouth
• Fosse Road North, Leicester
• Fresh Wharf, North Circular Road, London
• Friars Square Shopping Centre, Aylesbury
• Gala Middlesbrough, Longlands Road, Middlesbrough
• Gawber Rd Opp No. 53 Pogmoor Barnsley
• Gelderd Road/Low Lane, Birstall
• George Street Car Park, Kirkgate, Wakefield
• Glossop Rd Opp. No. 298 City Centre Sheffield
• Grand Arcade, A49 River Way
• Grange Central, Telford Town Centre, Telford
• Greasbrough Rd c/o North Dr Northfield Rotherham
• Great Howard Street, Liverpool
• Great North Rd Opp. No. 103 Woodlands Doncaster
• Greenland Rd S/O Palmer Rd Greenland Sheffield
• Greenstead Road, Colchester
• Grey Street, Manchester Road, Warrington
• Greyfriars Road, Ipswich, Ipswich
• Greylaw House, Mersey Square, Stockport
• Gun Lane, Rochester
• H&S Bathrooms, Montague Street, Blackburn
• Halifax Road o/s No. 266 Grenoside Sheffield
• Halifax Rd c/o Cowper Ave Grenoside Sheffield
• Halifax Rd o/s No. 132 Wardsley Bridge Sheffield
• Hartshead Road, Ashton
• Heartlands Parkway, Nechells fcg S B7
• High Bullen, Wednesbury
• High St o/s No. 92 Maltby Rotherham
• High Street Opp. No. 32 Goldthorpe Barnsley
• Holyhead Rd, Nr R/A Jct Hartshill Rd, Telford & Wrekin
• Houghton Rd Adj. No. 93 Thurnscoe Barnsley
• Houghton Rd Opp No. 158 Thurnscoe Barnsley
• Houghton Rd Opp. No. 14 Thurnscoe Barnsley
• Hub – Kingfisher Shopping Centre, Redditch
• Hulme Hall Lane heading to Eithad Stadium
• Hyde Road, Manchester
• International House, Griffin Lane, Aylesbury
• Islington, Liverpool
• John Shaw Commercials, Leeds Road, Huddersfield
• JP Emporium Soho Road, Birmingham
• Jubilee Road, Halifax
• Kelham Street, A630, Doncaster
• Kier Hardie Way, Sunderland
• Kings Head Hill, London
• Kirkmanshulme Lane, Manchester
• Lancaster Bridge, New Town Row, Birmingham
• Land adjoining 39 Bradford Road
• Worth Way, Keighley
• Wakefield Road, Stourton
• Macon Way, Crewe
• Ankerside Shopping Centre, Tamworth
• Blackbird Road, Leicester
• Blackbird Road Outbound
• Eagles Meadow
• Lower Lane, Bradford
• Moorgate, Bury
• Mount Pleasant, Chatham
• 5 Liverpool Road, Warrington
• Trinity Street, Bolton
• Warren Hill Roundabout/ Telford Way
• Derby Street, Bolton
• Brigg Road, Scunthorp
• Warrington Station, Winwick Street, Warrington
• Lochee Burns Social Club, 5 Old Muirton Road, Lochee
• London Road jct of Ranelagh Road, Stoke
• London Road, Stoke On Trent
• Nottingham Ice Stadium, Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham
• M25 Grand Union, Iver
• Manchester Road, Bradford
• Manchester Road, Nelson
• Mansfield Road, Sutton in Ashfield
• Manvers Way E/O Farfield Park Manvers Rotherham
• Market Road o/s Sports and Leisure Wool Market
• Marquis Caravans, Clyst Road, Exeter
• Mash Autos St Georges Roundabout
• Maxwellton Street, Paisley
• Mayfield Motors Bolton Road, Blackburn
• Meadow Bank Rd Opp. South St Kimberworth Rotherham
• Meadowhall Road, Sheffield
• Meadowhall Way E/O Meadowhall Dr. Meadowhall Sheff
• Meadowhead o/s 333 Greenhill Sheffield
• Milton Bridge, Gravesend
• Molesworth Street, Lewisham
• Neachells Lane, Wolverhampton
• Neath Abbey Road (A4230)
• New Chester Road, Wirral
• New Hirst & District Social Club, 2 North Seaton Road
• New Road, Chatham
• Newmarket Road, Cambridge
• North Valley Rd, North Valley Plumbing, Colne
• Northfield Avenue jct of Northampton Road
• Oxford Street, Bilston, Wolverhampton
• Palace Bingo The Crescent, Felixstowe
• Parr Street, St Helens
• Parsonage Shopping Park, Artherleigh Way
• Pedmore Road Ind Estate
• Penistone Rd c/o Borough Rd Owlerton Sheffield
• Penistone Rd Nth N/O Wardsend Rd Nth, Wardsley Bri
• Penistone Rd Nth Opp. No. 184 Owlerton Sheffield
• Penistone Rd S/O St. Phillips Road, Upperthorpe Sh
• Penistone Rd S/O Bedford St Upperthorpe Sheffield
• Pentre Felin Lea Bridge, Wrexham
• Peterborough FC, London Road, Peterborough
• Pinstone S o/s No. 125 City Centre Sheffield
• Pogmoor Road Opp No. 133 Pogmoor Barnsley
• Pondwood House Redhouse Road, Northampton
• Portland Place Car Park, Doncaster
• Preiestley Street Opp Preiestley Business Park, Warrington
• Preston Street, Chorley Adlington
• Prince Of Wales Rd c/o Poole Place, Darnall Sheffield
• Prince Of Wales Rd N/O Greenwood Rd, Manor Park, Sheffield
• Prince Of Wales Rd S/O Motehall Rd, Castlebeck, Sheffield
• Priory Retail Park, London
• Purewell Cross / Somerford Road, Christchurch
• Queen Street, Wigan
• Railway Club, Bolton Road, Blackburn
• Rampart Way, Telford
• Regents Street, Counterpoint, Wrexham
• Ridgeway Rd N/O White Ln Gleadless Townend, Sheffield
• Ridgeway Rd o/s No. 142 Intake Sheffield
• Ridgeway Rd o/s No. 86 Intake Sheffield
• Ridgeway Road o/s Graves Trust Homes. Gleadless Sh
• Rodbourne Road Roundabout, Swindon
• Rooley Lane, Bradford
• Rose Kiln Lane, Reading
• Rotherham Rd Opp. No. 65 Maltby Rotherham
• Rotherham Rd Opp. School Av Halfway Sheffield
• Rotherham Rd S/O Stadium Way Parkgate Rotherham
• Rovers Quoit, Easington Road, Hartlepool
• Rowley Green Industrial Estate Coronel Avenue
• Royal Mail 220 -228 Penarth Road, Cardiff
• Royal Mail Brook Street, Neston
• Royal Mail Merlin”s Bridge, Haverfordwest
• Royal Oak Ground, Main Road, Dovercourt
• Saltley Road, c/o Kato Street, Birmingham
• Sandbrook Way, Rochdale
• Sandford Rd Opp. Grange Ave Balby Doncaster
• Sheffield Bus Station, Pond Street, Sheffield
• School Rd, opp Shell Garage, Nr Kinglsey Drive, Telford & Wrekin
• School Road, Adj Walkers Clock Tower, Telford & Wrekin
• Scotland Road, Liverpool
• Self Store, Cleveland Street, Hull
• Shambles Street Opp John Rideal House, Barnsley
• Sheffield Rd c/o Westgate New York, Rotherham
• Sheffield Rd Opp. Shepcote Lane, Tinsley, Sheffield
• Shell, 19-21 Glasgow Road, Edinburgh
• Shell, 399 Topsham Road, Exeter
• Shell, 551 Watford Road, St Albans
• Shell, Arnos Castle St Phillips Causeway
• Shell, Birchley island
• Shell, Blackburn Road, Bolton
• Shell, Broadway Ring Road, Hortsforth
• Shell, Burnham Road, Dartford
• Shell, Chilworth Roundabout
• Shell, Cobridge Road, Southampton
• Shell, Cross Street, Sale
• Shell, Derby Road, Burton
• Shell, H6 Childs Way
• Shell, Haydock Island East Lancashire Road, Newton-le-Willows
• Shell, Hitchin Road
• Shell, Moody Lane
• Skegness Cricket Club, Richmond Drive, Skegness
• Snooty Fox, Haslett Avenue East, Crawley
• Somerford Place
• Southfield Lane Post Office, 6 Southfield Lane and 4 South Street
• Southwick Road
• Spytty Road, South Distribution Rd, Newport
• St Davids Retail Park High Street, Chester
• St Helens Delivery Office, 23 Liverpool Road
• St James WMC Weedon Rd, Northampton
• St Mary’s Gate, Rochdale
• Stamford Hill
• Stamshaw Rd / Derby Road
• Starr Gate, Blackpool
• Station Rd Opp. No. 63 Kiveton Park Rotherham
• Station Rd W/O Chantry Place Kiveton Park Rotherham
• Station Road, Langley Mill, Derbyshire
• Station Road, Opp Ty-Mawr Rd, Llandaff
• Summer Lane/Victoria Crescent West
• Swinnow Filling Station
• Tamworth FC, Anker Drive, Tamworth
• Telford Forge Retail Park, Telford, Telford & Wrekin
• Telford Way, o/s Fitness First, Telfor & Wrekin
• The Cinema, 40 Soho Hill
• The Heart Of Oak PH, Newtown Road, Hereford
• The Leisure Exchange, Shipley Airdale Road
• The Mall Luton, Luton
• The Pelham Centre, Canwick Road, Lincoln
• Thorite House, Sticker Lane, Bradford
• Thorne Rd E/O Ogden Rd Wheatley Hills Doncaster
• Thorne Rd Rear Of Clay Lane Long Sandall Doncaster
• Tong Road jct Oldfield Lane, Leeds
• Tonge Moor Road, Bolton
• Townend Roundabout, Race Street, Barnsley
• Trench Lock, Hadley, Telford & Wrekin
• Trench Lock, o/s Car Auction, Telford & Wrekin
• Trinity Way, junction w/Lamb Lane, Manchester
• Union Street, Chatham
• University Road West, Salford
• Upper Wortley Rd E/O Oaks Lane Droppingwell Rother
• Upper Wortley Rd o/s No. 413 Scholes Rotherham
• Upper York Street, Leeds Road, Wakefield
• Vans Northwest, East Haydock Lane, St Helens
• Wakefield Rd o/s No. 241 Athersley North Barnsley
• Wakefield Rd o/s No. 357 Athersley North Barnsley
• Wakefield Rd o/s No. 412 Athersley North Barnsley
• Wakefield Rd Opp. No. 313 New Lodge Barnsley
• Wakefield Road, Barnsley
• Waterdale o/s No. 36 – 40 Town Centre Doncaster
• Watery Lane Middleway
• Wath Rd Opp. No 47 Mexborough Doncaster
• Watlington Road, Oxford
• Watlington Road, Benfleet
• Waveney Mills, Southtown Road, Great Yarmouth
• Wellington Road North, Stockport
• West End House, Sheerness
• West Hendon Broadway, London
• Wheatley Hall Road, Doncaster
• Whitchurch Rd, opp Lady Croft, Telford & Wrekin
• Whitehall Road, Leeds
• Whitham Rd Opp. Turners Ln Crookes Sheffield
• Wilthorpe Rd O/S 32 Gawber Barnsley
• Wilton Lane S/O Regent Street Bradgate Rotherham
• Winwick Road, Warrington
• Wombwell Ln c/o Stairfoot Round-A-Bout, Stairfoot
• Wood Street o/s Doncaster Job Centre
• Wood Street o/s Princesgate
• Woodfields Retail Park, Peel Way
• Wortley Rd E/O Bradgate Lane Bradgate Rotherham
• Wufren Centre, Wolverhampton
• Ye Old Woolpack Brinksway
• York Rd W/O Newlands Dr Cusworth Doncaster
• York Rd W/O Sprotsborough Rd Cusworth Doncaster
• York Road c/n Raby Road, Hartlepool
• York Road W/O Newcomen Rd Cusworth Doncaster

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On Tuesday 27th October, GAYTIMES+ presented their first event in collaboration with GiveOut, to celebrate the successes of the first year of Amplifund, GAY TIMES’ pioneering global LGBTQ+ charity.

Hosted by GAY TIMES CEO, Tag Warner, with guest speakers Claire Tunnacliffe (GiveOut Grant-Making Officer) and Amir Ashour (IraQueer Founder and Executive Director), the evening was a GAYTIMES+ member’s exclusive.

On Tuesday 27th October, GAYTIMES+ hosted their first event in collaboration with GiveOut, to celebrate the successes of the first year of Amplifund, GAY TIMES’ pioneering global LGBTQ+ charity.

Watch the full event below.

By Jared Fleming

Hosted by GAY TIMES CEO, Tag Warner, with guest speakers Claire Tunnacliffe (GiveOut Grant-Making Officer) and Amir Ashour (IraQueer Founder and Executive Director), the evening was a GAYTIMES+ member’s exclusive, summarising the incredible work that has been done by GAY TIMES’ charity partners over the past 12 months, how the global pandemic has impacted these industries, and what the plans and aspirations are for the future.

Speaking about the work that GiveOut do, Claire explained to the audience that the vision that really drives and shapes GiveOut’s grant making is a world where the human rights of LGBTQ+ people are respected. “They’re free to be who they who they are and love who they love without the threat of discrimination, persecution, harassment or violence. And we specifically work to address the issue of underfunding in the movement by enabling individuals and businesses to give in one place before we distribute these donations as grants to activist-led organisations, therefore ensuring that they have more of the resources that they need to defend their communities and campaign for equality.”

GiveOut’s grant making is rooted in recommendations from a grant making advisory panel, with members ensuring that any processes and grants are grounded in the advice and expertise of those who are active in the global LGBTQ+ movement. “We primarily provide long term flexible core support with our grant partners, reflecting the diversity and complexity of the movement at the heart of our grant making. For us, it’s really essential that the agency of activists is integral by providing resources and not strategies and really focusing on amplifying their voices.”

The vision that really drives and shapes our grant making is a world where the human rights of LGBTQ+ people are respected.

Also speaking at the event was special guest, Amir Ashour, Founder and Executive Director of IraQueer – Iraq’s first and only LGBTQ+ charity.

Speaking to the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in Iraq, Amir discussed the media report released earlier this year by IraQueer, exploring how the mainstream media in Iraq serves as hate speech, informing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the country. The 14-page document recognised that the poor state of LGBTQ+ rights in Iraq is currently influenced by a number of factors, but biased media coverage of LGBTQ+ issues reinforces discrimination in wider society.

“When LGBTQ+ individuals feel disempowered and unsupported, LGBTQ+ civic organising and the equality movement will suffer too, as it will be unlikely for individuals to join when their lives could be at stake,” the report states. “Information shared by the media can limit and shape the behaviour of individuals who are central to wider social change.”

Amir described how “95% of the words that have been used to describe queer people have been negative words like sinners, mentally ill, abnormal, terrorists, dangerous – all kinds of things that are used to actively brainwash them, viewers, and that includes LGBTQ+ people.”

“80-90% of the LGBTQ+ people that we spoke to said that these TV programmes have negatively impacted their self perception”, demonstrating that the impact of Iraqi media is not only negatively impacting perceptions of our global community, but is also impacting the core movement as a whole, “because the movement is consistently of people. And if people do not believe in themselves, they’re not going to join movements, which means we’re not going to go anywhere.”

“Information shared by the media can limit and shape the behaviour of individuals who are central to wider social change.”

The full event is available to watch here or below.

5% of all GAYTIMES+ memberships goes towards supporting Amplifund. You can sign up to GAYTIMES+ here.

To read the full IraQueer report, click here.

And to make a one off donation to Amplifund and support all of the charity partners mentioned, please visit the GiveOut site.

The post Tag Warner, GAY TIMES CEO, hosts Amplifund: Celebrating One Year appeared first on GAY TIMES.

It’s been just over a year since GAY TIMES launched Amplifund. The charity partnership was founded with LGBTQ+ rights charity, GiveOut, with the core aim to support and fund activist and media-based LGBTQ+ organisations in more challenging global environments.

This year, our campaign was inspired by feedback from our partners on how communications from charitable campaigns from the global north can so often be patronising or inaccurate. 

The stories we are sharing over the next two weeks centre around three phrases, ‘it can happen,’ ‘it does happen,’ and ‘it will happen,’ to challenge how we perceive queer livelihoods away from our home environments.

Below are some first-hand accounts from LGBTQ+ people living in countries where their human rights are still not recognised. They give insight to the daily challenges and struggles of queer people in those regions, but also their defiance and commitment to living authetically as themselves.

It can happen. It does happen. It will happen.

In partnership with Amplifund

It’s been just over a year since GAY TIMES launched Amplifund. The charity partnership was founded with LGBTQ+ rights charity, GiveOut, with the core aim to support and fund activist and media-based LGBTQ+ organisations in more challenging global environments. This year, our campaign was inspired by feedback from our partners on how communications from charitable campaigns from the global north can so often be patronising or inaccurate.

The stories we are sharing centre around three phrases, ‘it can happen,’ ‘it does happen,’ and ‘it will happen,’ to challenge how we perceive queer livelihoods away from our home environments.

Below are some first-hand accounts from LGBTQ+ people living in countries where their human rights are still not recognised. They give insight to the daily challenges and struggles of queer people in those regions, but also their defiance and commitment to living authentically as themselves.

We do not have the opportunity to express either one of our identities.

Sara, Basra (Iraq)

I met my girlfriend two years ago on a dating app. Being a woman and a lesbian in a city like Basra is very difficult. We do not have the opportunity to express either one of our identities. Because of that, I never thought I would ever meet someone who will know about both of my identities, accept them, and even love me because of them. I never thought that I would ever be able to express my feelings as a woman, as a lesbian without fearing for my life and without facing any consequences. Being in a relationship with my girlfriend is the best thing that has happened to me. She makes me feel safe and loved. Two things even my mother did not provide me with. My relationship with my girlfriend pulls me away from the negativity and fear. When we are together, I am lost in our time together. Even though we sometimes go on long walks together, most of our time is either spent in my bedroom or hers. It is not acceptable for girls my age to go out a lot in Basra. My family, like many others, are traditional and more strict with girls. Our families think we are best friends, so they are okay with us spending a lot of time visiting each other. Despite all the love I have for my girlfriend, and the love I feel from her, we are always afraid of being caught. Every time I kiss her in my bedroom, half of my attention is on my bedroom door. Fearing that one day one of my siblings or parents would walk in on us! Sometimes I get carried away by these thoughts and think about what might happen if that ever occurs. Will they hit me? Will they insult me? Will they kill me? Sometimes these questions make me cry as I do not understand why something beautiful like the feelings my girlfriend and I have for each other are considered as a great sin in my society. But at the end, I focus more on what I have. I do not care where I am when I am with her. As long as I am with her. As long as we have a place where we can be ourselves, hold hands, watch a movie, and talk about poetry, love, and music. Even though I know my life is very difficult and I could face all sorts of punishments at any given moment, I am thankful for what I have. I know I am one of the lucky ones who found love and has someone who will always be there for her. Because if I did not have her in my life, I do not know what I would have done…

We have no control over who we fall in love with.

Dalia, Iraq

It is funny how people think that bisexual people can freely choose who they fall for. They can choose to fall in love with the opposite sex. Straight people think we choose to be gay, gay people think we do not face the same discrimination because we can choose to fall in love with someone from the opposite sex. But in reality, we have no control over who we fall in love with. Just like everyone else. I know this because even though I have found many men attractive, my heart only sees one person – the girl that I met during my college year more than ten years ago. I met her during the third semester. We had two classes together. We started talking because of our assignments, and gradually became friends. We spent more time together every day. My attraction for her grew stronger, but I could never do anything about it. We lived in Samara, a very conservative city. The idea of anything outside of the norm is not acceptable. So something like being bisexual will actually become life threatening. We stayed friends, and lost touch shortly after graduating and I have not talked to her for 11 years. Four years ago, my family moved to another neighborhood. Two weeks after we settled, I ran into her in the grocery store. My heart dropped. I could not believe that I ran into her! I discovered that they are our neighbours now. We started hanging out again. We became even closer friends than we were before. We started going out together, going shopping, and having girls’ nights. One day, we went to Al Malwiya together. We were walking around, talking about our lives and aspirations, and in a quiet moment we held hands. We walked for hours and told each other that we are attracted to each other. I told her how I have thought about her a lot. Since then, we have been dating. Every day that I am not with her, I am thinking about the time when I will see her next. She is the love of my life.

Life as a Black openly trans woman in Jamaica is not for the faint of heart.

Ashley, Jamaica

The woman I am today is resilient, inspiring, altruistic and empathetic. She is a fashion enthusiast and a woman knowledgeable beyond her years by way of experience. Life as a Black openly trans woman in Jamaica is not for the faint of heart. It requires the right mindset and the right group of people around you for support whenever and wherever it’s needed. I’m very blessed to be on a journey of constant growth, because the opportunities are scarce and you have to make the most out of every little opportunity that presents itself. Jamaican society looks down on trans people as sex symbols and mentally and morally confused people, but each day that I exist in my skin and take up space is a political act against such beliefs, which I treasure dearly along with my health, happiness and God.

The most difficult part was learning to accept myself for who I am.

Roxana, Mexico

Friendly, sweet and loving are the words I’d use to describe myself. I work in the local fashion industry and enjoy socialising and going out. One of my greatest passions is dance, as I am a trained ballet dancer, which I’ve practiced ever since I was younger. My journey has been a long one and the most difficult part was learning to accept myself for who I am without caring what the naysayers may have to say. We live in society that judges books by their cover, and growing up in Mexico makes it even harder. My gender discovery came at an early age but I suppressed it out of fear. I really wish we could have more visible trans activists around here but there’s still a lot of ignorance and judgement towards trans women. There’s still a whole lot of work to be done, but through all the difficulties I often manage to find joy and solace in the fact that I am a free spirited person who is able to live in her truth.

Love and happiness are the main aspects that are missing in our lives.

Mamikon, Armenia

I feel more confident to call myself a happiness defender because love and happiness are the main aspects that are missing in our lives. I was born and raised in the most conservative city in Armenia, called Gyumri. It is hard to be gay here, but I had no other option than to be myself and live my life without lies. I came out to my parents when I was 18 years old. They did everything not to hurt me, but they got depressed themselves and wanted to find a solution. My parents found an opportunity for me to go to the USA and to build my life there. But after living there for several months I realized that I had done nothing to make changes in my country and so I decided to return.

Since 2002 I found the courage to start LGBTQ+ activism in Armenia, and it became more visible each year. I usually do not face aggressive reactions regarding my own sexuality, but rather my work for the LGBTQ+ community such as hate speech and death threats. Over the years I have found my place in the civil society and human rights fields, achieving recognition by other human rights defenders. However, I feel more confident to call myself a happiness defender because love and happiness are the main aspects that are missing in our lives, and I do everything to change people’s lives and see them smiling more often.

My work brought more difficulties into my personal life and it is harder for me to start a relationship because people are not comfortable with my public image. Those who want to start a relationship with me feel very hesitant because they do not want to be exposed, and their parents may already have knowledge about me. But it doesn’t hurt me as this was my honest choice and I enjoy my activism and the people around me.

The post LGBTQ+ stories from around the world to challenge how we perceive queer livelihoods appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Twelve photographers have contributed work to the project including huge names like Tim Walker, Campbell Addy, Michael Bailey Gates and more.

Lewis Corner

A new fundraiser has been launched to raise money for Black trans lives. MQBMBQ – which is short for My Queer Blackness, My Black Queerness – is an ongoing digital project that explores multiple different facets of the Black queer experience. As part of the project, a new series of artworks have gone on sale to raise money that will be donated specifically to charities centred around supporting and protecting Black trans men and women.

Twelve photographers have contributed work to the project including huge names like Tim Walker, Campbell Addy, Michael Bailey Gates and more. You can see the collection of prints available to buy below, with 100% of the proceeds to be donated to charity. “The rate at which Black Trans women are killed around the world is alarming,” TransWave JA and ForTheGworls said in a joint statement. “This is not something that began in 2020 but follows the trace of a long line of history of overbearing oppression that comes from all sides, with little attention paid by the media.

“Last year, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) called the rise in violence against the transgender community a “national epidemic”, and this by only referring to known cases – activists believe the actual numbers are much higher since not all abuses are reported and victims are often misgendered. More than 80% of those killed are women of colour. This is why we’ve chosen to create a print sale specifically geared to support organisations with Black Trans Women at their core.”

The complete liste of photographers are as follows: Campbell Addy, David Uzochuku, Daniel Obasi, Sackitey Tesa, Michael Bailey Gates, Myles Loftin, Florian Joahn, Kennedi Carter, Justin French, Emmanuel Sanchez Monsalve, Hao Zeng and guest photographer Tim Walker. Each of the pieces tell stories of the queer Black experience and there are a limited run of prints for each one.

What’s more, on the journal tab of the MBQMQB virtual space, Damien Frost will be remotely photographing trans and non-binary people of colour from all over the world, with weekly updates of new stories. Visit mqbmbq.com for more information on the project, how you can purchase these incredible pieces of photography, and support Black trans lives.

Left: Yesterday's Shopping by Sackiety Tesa | Right: Wonderful - Moments of Youth By Daniel Obasi

Left: Untitled (Ashley & Court) by Myles Loft | Right: The Pearl of Africa _ Cleo by Justin French

Left: Jerome and Bobbi Dancing in My Studio by Michael Bailey Gates | Right: Ghoul by David Uzochukwu

Left: Chauncy & Veron by Hao Zeng | Right: Black Pride by Kennedi Carter

Left: Black Love by Emmanuel Sanchez Monsalve | Right: Black Dolls by Williamn Ndatira & Campbell Addy

The post My Queer Blackness, My Black Queerness: An art sale to raise money for Black trans lives appeared first on GAY TIMES.

This new study searched the websites of more than 60 media outlets in Iraq including newspapers, TV networks, and online platforms.

Lewis Corner

Research by IraQueer
Cover illustration by Jake Hawkins

A new report by IraQueer explores how the mainstream media in Iraq serves as hate speech, informing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the country. The 14-page document recognises that the poor state of LGBTQ+ rights in Iraq is currently influenced by a number of factors, but biased media coverage of LGBTQ+ issues reinforces discrimination in wider society.

As is currently the case in most countries across the globe, religious and traditional values are the main drivers in opposing LGBTQ+ equality in Iraq. However, the way in which LGBTQ+ issues and people are reported on or discussed in mainstream media continues to cast LGBTQ+ individuals as “alien to Iraqi society, and that LGBTQ+ identities are ailments that must be treated and eradicated.”

For their report – titled Biased: The Role of Iraqi Media in Spreading Anti-LGBT+ Rhetoric – IraQueer searched the websites of more than 60 media outlets including newspapers, TV networks, and online platforms. They used keywords including ‘homosexuality’ (‘Al Methliya Al Jinsiya’) and ‘sexual abnormality’ (‘Al Shuthuth Al Jinsi’), which they identified as the most common terms used by mainstream media in Iraq when reporting on LGBTQ+ issues and people.

The search looked at coverage between 2012 and 31 May 2020, and analysed 208 pieces of media published during that period. IraQueer state that more than 92% of Iraqis consume news via television, with that medium being the dominant format in providing information to society. For this study, they’ve highlighted 22 TV programs and news segments, taking closer look at different aspects of their coverage of the LGBTQ+ community.

When it comes to online coverage, IraQueer found that the media in Iraq didn’t start covering LGBTQ+ stories until 2009. There were rare instances of coverage before that point, but they mainly centred around reactions from human rights organisations who were speaking out against killings of LGBTQ+ Iraqis. The limited coverage started to change in 2013 and 2014 when LGBTQ+ individuals and allies became more visible. In response to this, Iraqi media over past five years has become more influential in the way they shape views on LGBTQ+ people and issues.

It’s so effective that it even impacts the way LGBTQ+ Iraqis view themselves, with a previous IraQueer report in 2018 finding that 89% of LGBTQ+ respondents revealing that the media coverage in their country has negatively impacted the way they perceive their queer identities. IraQueer also highlight in their report that there has been a shift from news coverage on LGBTQ+ issues being translated articles from international sources, to more locally produced discussion that vilifies LGBTQ+ people.

The organisation found that “the overwhelming majority of the media coverage was biased against the LGBT+ community, encouraging people to reject such identities.” They add that more often than not the discussion concluded with calling for “the elimination of LGBTQ+ people from society” claiming it was in the interest of protected “innocent children and you who are easily influenced.”

Traditionally written media has been the primary source of LGBTQ+ coverage until recently. However, written article covering LGBTQ+ stories has risen dramatically in the past two years with the media reacting to the work IraQueer does to tackle LGBTQ+ discrimination in the country. Recent stories have also commented on international embassies in Baghdad raising rainbow-coloured Pride flags during June, and more recently blaming LGBTQ+ people for the spread of COVID-19.

The British embassy was one of the buildings in the Iraqi city of Erbil that adorned a Pride flag back in June 2017, which gained widespread media attention when Iraqi Parliament Member Habib Al-Tarafi stated, “If an embassy in my city raised this flag, I would have burnt the embassy.” These types of statements by Iraqi officials are frequent in the mainstream media. Al-Sumariyah News released a statement in 2018 by Muqtada Al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadr political party, formerly an armed militia responsible for LGBTQ+ murders between 2006 and 2012, which stated, “Homosexuals struggle with mental disorders and internal pressure that result in resorting to negative actions like wearing women’s clothes instead of men’s, and they are mentally ill.” The mainstream media in Iraq have no qualms using offensive and derogatory terms to describe LGBTQ+ individuals in their coverage, using slurs like ‘shemale’, ‘abnormal’ and ‘prostitution’.

On average LGBTQ+ speakers had 13% of the airtime compared to 87% for non-LGBTQ+ speakers.

When it comes to television coverage, it’s considered the most powerful medium to shape the views of Iraqi citizens. Only 48% of Iraqis use the internet compared to 92% of citizens who get their information from TV. For their report, IraQueer conducted analysis focusing on four different aspects in each of the 22 programs they looked at. They were overall program structure and design – including use of visuals and music – the hosts, guests and their qualifications, the terminology used, and finally the source of the information relied on by the speakers.

When it came to program structure and design, haunted-sounding music played whenever LGBTQ+ people or issues were mentioned, instilling a sense of horror around the subject for the viewer. When LGBTQ+ people were interviewed it was usually in abandoned warehouses or dark alleys to perpetuate the idea that they are outsiders to society.

As for the amount of time was spent speaking to actual LGBTQ+ people versus non-LGBTQ+ people on the topic, on average LGBTQ+ speakers had 13% of the airtime compared to 87% for non-LGBTQ+ speakers. As for hosts and so-called ‘expert’ guests, they usually started the news segment giving reasons why someone may identify as LGBTQ+, claiming “hormonal abnormality, birth defects, mental illness, families and lack of parental guidance, rape and sexual abuse, and disconnection from religion.”

‘Experts’ were found to describe LGBTQ+ people as “deviants” and not on a single occasion did they consider a queer identity to be “natural”. Overall they reject the idea that LGBTQ+ people could be part of the Iraqi identity. What’s more, some of these ‘experts’ even claimed that the number of LGBTQ+ people has increased since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, suggesting that queer people are victims of “foreign campaigns to promote homosexuality and destroy Iraqi society.”

It will come as little surprise that LGBTQ+ rights activist are routinely attacked by the media and are referred to as “more dangerous than terrorists”.

Even when neutral words – such as “gay” and “LGBTQ+ community” – were used it was in a mostly negative context.

During these televised discussions, the terminology used to speak about LGBTQ+ was overwhelmingly homophobic. IraQueer found that 95% of the terminology used was queer-phobic, while just 5% was neutral. There was no reference of positive terminology used during the media analysed. Offensive words – including “faggot,” “sinner,” “mentally ill,” and “outcast” – were used a total of 1574 times during the footage analysed. It meant that one of these terms was used every 30 seconds on average during the 22 programs used in the study.

Even when neutral words – such as “gay” and “LGBTQ+ community” – were used it was in a mostly negative context. This naturally has a negative impact on the mental health of LGBTQ+ Iraqis as well as making it harder to push the discourse around LGBTQ+ into a more positive space.

As for the source of information guests would cite during their arguments against LGBTQ+ identities, they were largely questionable. Speakers were seen to mislead audiences by using phrases such as “recent international studies state” in order to justify their opinion or incorrect assumption. One such example was by the nationally respected therapist Saeed Al Aathami who told Dijla TV in 2018 that the World Health Organization (WHO) categorises homosexuality as a mental disorder. WHO removed homosexuality from its International Classification of Diseases in 1992, meaning his statement was inaccurate and out of date by 26 years at the time he made on television.

Another piece of misinformation included stating that same-sex marriages were found to be temporary in comparison to the more permanent heterosexual religious unions. This blatant misleading of the television audience regarding LGBTQ+ issues only serves to promote the rejection of queer people and identities. In turn this incites anti-LGBTQ+ feeling that can result in violence. What’s more worrying is that this information is rarely challenged by the host and is left as a statement of fact. Rarely were there LGBTQ+ guests to offer the correct view, and when there was they were typically people from disadvantaged background that lacked the educational skills, financial stability and political and social protection to effectively speak out.

The post IraQueer report: Iraqi media is harming LGBTQ+ people and progress appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Often against the odds, LGBTQI activists around the world are defending our community and campaigning for equality, but they are woefully underfunded. Much less than 0.01 percent of international development aid focuses on LGBTQI human rights. 

In fact, funding for LGBTQI rights in the Global South and East has decreased, all while the religious right pumps resources into protecting “traditional values”. This is why we launched GiveOut early last year, for our community here in the UK and elsewhere to help provide the resources that the global LGBTQI movement needs so urgently.

GiveOut is a UK charity that enables individuals and businesses to give in one place to support LGBTQI rights activism worldwide. We pool these donations and distribute them as grants to activist-led organisations around the world. We are proud to be working with a number of individuals in our community who sponsor funds with us to support the LGBTQI movement: Antonia and Andrea Belcher’s Trans Fund, Suki Sandhu’s LGBTQI Asia Fund and Steve Wardlaw’s Emerald 50 Fund for Southern Africa.  

Earlier this year, we were excited to establish Amplifund, our new partnership with GAY TIMES to support LGBTQI media activism and campaigning globally. We have received donations and in-kind support from several businesses, including our founding corporate sponsors Boston Consulting Group and the events company Camm & Hooper.

For those individuals giving regularly, we launched the GiveOut 100 Circle last week at Camm & Hooper’s gorgeous Morton Society venue in central London, celebrating our first 100 weeks. We are working to harness the power of our community, pooling our resources in solidarity to provide long-term and sustainable support for LGBTQI human rights activism around the world – and we are already seeing impact.

By early next year, GiveOut’s supporters will have funded over £250,000 of grants to actvist organisations around the world, backing the struggle for LGBTQI human rights in the Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. In Jamaica, for example, our grant is enabling TransWave to build the trans movement and defend the community, with a new emergency fund for those at risk. We have also supported the launch of UCTRANS, the first Caribbean trans network.

“I remember the moment we opened the event, the first ever convening of only trans, non-binary and intersex activists in the Western Balkans and Turkey,” said Biljana Ginova, Equal Rights Association (ERA) for Western Balkans and Turkey. “When we told participants that the funding which made this possible came from a trans woman in the UK, Antonia Belcher, their faces changed. This money was coming from our community, and this had special value for us.”

In Iraq, GiveOut is supporting IraQueer, the country’s first LGBTQI organisation, which is educating the community and raising awareness with its podcast on LGBTQI rights that has so far reached 6 million listeners. In South Africa, our grant has enabled Access Chapter 2 to launch “Advocacy Week”, to train the new generation of LGBTQI activists.

And at the international level, we are proud to support the Kaleidoscope Trust, Commonwealth Equality Network and Outright Action International in their campaigning and advocacy work. The message from these groups is clear: it is not only the funding that is important but the source of this support – the LGBTQI community around the world standing shoulder to shoulder, in solidarity.

Thank you so much to everyone in our community who is already giving. For those who have yet to, we would love you to join us. To support the global struggle for LGBTQI human rights, donate to GiveOut here.

Rupert Abbott is the Executive Director of GiveOut (@GiveOut_Org), the award-winning charity growing giving to support the global struggle for LGBTQI human rights.

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The partnership will help with Amplifund, which was launched by GAY TIMES last month.

Badoo and GAY TIMES have announced a new campaign, which aims to educate the 430 million users of the dating app on how to better be an LGBTQ ally.

An ally is any person that actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts that benefit LGBTQ+ community members and people as a whole.

Badoo, which is part of the Magic Group which includes other dating apps like Bumble and Chappy, is the world’s largest dating app.

The campaign is aimed at non-LGBTQ users of the app, and has been called The Allyship Partnership. As part of the campaign, Badoo will donate £1 to Amplifund for every ‘swipe of support’ and will also include educational in-app cards.

The campaign is launching globally today, in countries like France, Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Thailand and parts of Africa.

As part of the campaign, Badoo interviewed trans activist Kenny Ethan Jones and Lili Ming. In a short video, they explained how straight people being an ally to the LGBTQ community can help benefit their lives.

Dominic Gallello, the chief marketing officer of Badoo, said: “We wanted to avoid suddenly trying to find our LGBTQ+ voice, we felt it was disingenuous and inauthentic.

“We are in a unique position to speak to non-LGBTQ+ people who can make a difference to the lives of millions of LGBTQ+ people around the world.

“We’re very thankful and proud to be working with GAY TIMES on this campaign, we implore more brands to start a dialogue with their audience centred on tolerance, honesty and inclusion – rather than painting rainbows on products.”

Tag Warner, the CEO of GAY TIMES, said: “Badoo understood its unique position and power to engage those who don’t identify within the community around important LGBTQ topics.

“We believe, in speaking to their audience, Badoo is addressing one of the most important factors in this mission to both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ identifying people: education.

“GAY TIMES and Badoo have agreed as part of their work this Pride season, that they will donate the full campaign value to Amplifund. It’s vital that people who identify within the LGBTQ community have the opportunity and freedom to live their life without fear of discrimination or prejudice.”

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GAY TIMES has launched a new fund that will support LGBTQ media and activism across the world.

Amplifund is a new philanthropic initiative created by GAY TIMES in partnership with LGBTQ human rights charity GiveOut that aims to amplify queer voices to global audiences.

The initiative was announced in the Benjamin West Theatre at The Royal Academy in London to an audience of LGBTQ activists, community leaders, and LGBTQ rights advocates.

Amplifund will be funded by Gay Times’ corporate partnerships, subscriptions and individual donations, and will channel resources to support queer activism and media, helping to increase the acceptance of LGBTQ communities around the world.

The initiative also aims to bring more diverse voices to the forefront of mainstream LGBTQ media in the UK and the US, where there is often a lack of understanding of experiences of LGBTQ people outside of these contexts.

The first three organisations Amplifund will work with are J-FLAG based in Jamaica, IraQueer in Iraq, and Pink Armenia.

Amplifund’s first UK-wide media campaign

J-FLAG is the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays and last year celebrated their 20th anniversary.

The organisation works for the human rights of LGBTQ people in Jamaica, as well as offering legal reform and advocacy, education, social services and support.

They also organise Pride in Jamaica which brings together queer Jamaicans in a week of celebration, reflection and visibility.

LGBTQ people in Jamaica face legal and social challenges, but as part of their fight for equality J-FLAG want to raise awareness to more positive stories in the country.

“We do have those problems,” J-FLAG’s senior advisor Glenroy Murray said at the launch of Amplifund. “But we also have stories of resilience. We do have stories of Pride.

“We have stories of people who are all but invisible and are accepted in different ways in Jamaica.”

IraQueer, meanwhile, is fighting for an Iraq/Kurdistan region where LGBTQ people are protected by the law, have equal rights, and are protected like everyday citizens.

Their mission is to empower LGBTQ Iraqis through raising awareness of LGBTQ issues, challenges, and identities, as well as advocating for LGBTQ rights.

IraQueer also provides a temporary safe house to LGBTQ individuals fleeing violence in Iraq and has supported more than 200 people in their asylum claims.

Amplifund’s first UK-wide media campaign

Speaking at the launch of Amplifund, IraQueer’s founder and executive director Amir Ashour explained that although homosexuality isn’t illegal in Iraq, it also isn’t legal.

What he means by that is that LGBTQ people simply aren’t recognised as they are living in a country that doesn’t acknowledge their existence.

It’s also a country that routinely fails to prosecute people who are violent towards and murder LGBTQ people.

One of Amir’s missions with IraQueer is to start to change the language that Iraqi media uses towards LGBTQ people, taking it from derogatory terms to correct and respectful usage of identifiers.

He wants to do this by retraining journalists in the country and educating them around correct terminology when reporting on LGBTQ issues.

“What we want to do, we cannot do without each other because each group has access to resources and spaces,” Amir said of IraQueer’s new partnership with Amplifund.

“To move forward as a queer community, we need to move together.”

The third launch partner, Pink Armenia, fights for human rights where everyone in society in protected and accepted regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“I believe this is a step-change not just in UK-based LGBTQ charitable thinking and approach, but also a step-change in how we understand, create and distribute media around the world for our community,” said Tag Warner, CEO of GAY TIMES.

“This initiative is not only about raising awareness and acceptance, it’s also a chance for us all to reflect on the current state of our global community. One thing I fundamentally believe is that we all want to be seen for who we are.

“Amplifund will enable our partners to continue their work, empowering queer people to feel understood, recognised and heard in all the places we call home.”

Rupert Abbott, Executive Director of GiveOut, added: “GiveOut is working in new and innovative ways to bring more resources into the LGBTQ human rights movement, which is woefully under-resourced.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with GAY TIMES in establishing Amplifund, to support LGBTQ activist groups around the world in their media work and campaigning.”

To complement the launch of Amplifund, GAY TIMES has unveiled a UK-wide Out of Home (OOH) media campaign in collaboration with Grey, MediaCom and ClearChannel to challenge the perception of what it means to be LGBTQ both in the UK and around the world and to discuss how we think about giving.

The campaign will include a series of striking images where displays of same-sex love, gender expression and queerness have been censored by LGBTQ community flags.

Messaging includes “Some Of Us Have To Keep Our Pride Inside” and “Some Of Us Still Have To Hide Who We Love” to raise awareness of the continued censorship, prejudice and discrimination LGBTQ people face across the world.

Amplifund was launched in front of an audience of community figures and special guests in London, including UK Black Pride’s Lady Phyll, Gaysians CEO Reeta Loi, and trans activist Munroe Bergdorf.

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