Earlier this week Executive Council of Australian Jewry voiced its support for expanded anti-vilification protections for all minority groups. LGBTIQ+ Australians face alarmingly high rates of harm, harassment and violence for being who they are.

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a new law banning what authorities describe as LGBTQ+ “propaganda, a move that has drawn both local support and sharp criticism from human rights advocates and LGBTQ+ communities.

Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes have surged to record highs in California, with new data from Los Angeles County painting a particularly grim picture for trans and nonbinary communities.

Same-sex marriage has been protected in USA by The US Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court has rejected a petition by Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, to revisit the landmark ruling on marriage equality.

Over the years, the Matildas have emerged as a significant source of national pride in Australia. Their remarkable performance in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup not only captivated the nation but also set viewership records.

For more than five decades, William Yang has captured the intimate, joyful, and sometimes painful realities of queer life. Rising to prominence in the 1970s and ’80s, his candid portraits of Sydney’s gay community became iconic records of identity and resilience. During the AIDS crisis, his photographs bore witness to both devastation and love, creating an invaluable archive of lives too often erased.

Elon Musk continues his aggressive anti-trans social media campaign, urging his 227 million followers on X to cancel their Netflix subscriptions, claiming the streaming service was promoting a “transgender woke agenda” through children’s content.

Founded in 1982 by Les McDonald and Wayne Harrison, the Darlo Bookshop began on Crown Street and found a home on Oxford Street in 1984 — right at the heart of Sydney’s LGBTQ+ precinct. Over more than four decades, The Bookshop grew beyond retail, serving as a sanctuary during the AIDS crisis, a hub for author events, and an anchor for generations seeking community, affirmation, or simply the right book at the right time.

The laws, which have bipartisan support, will provide compensation for those historically convicted of homosexuality and cross-dressing offences. They also expand hate crime provisions to LGBTQIA+ people.

Most HIV prevention drugs are daily pills (known as PrEP), which many people struggle to take regularly for various reasons, including inconvenience, price, stigma and side-effects. Lenacapavir works differently. It’s a new type of drug that attacks HIV’s protective shell, stopping the virus from copying itself at multiple stages.

Australian travellers heading to the United States this year will be required to disclose all their social media information. If you're planning a trip, be aware that having tweets or posts critical of the US from the past 5 years will determine your ability to enter the country.