Michael K. Lavers
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International LGBTQI issues
Award-winning @WashBlade Int'l News Editor, son, husband, brother, uncle, global LGBTQ expert, NH-born, siesta aficionado, #FreePress
Articles by Michael K. Lavers
LGBTQ elected officials, activists around the world welcome U.S. election results
LGBTQ elected officials around the world have welcomed the U.S. midterm election results. New Hampshire Congressman Chris Pappas on Tuesday became the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate. He will join U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who in 2012 became the first openly lesbian elected to the U.S. Senate, in the chamber once he takes office in January.
Chris Pappas elected to U.S. Senate
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) in 2014 (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key) Incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Tuesday defeated Republican Bert Mizusawa. U.S. Capitol (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key) Poll workers across the country are pulling out the ballots and “I voted” stickers, bracing for one of the most divisive and consequential midterm elections in modern times. Few states have drawn as much media attention, fiery rhetoric, and last-minute political shake-ups as Michigan.
Australia’s first gay state governor takes office
(Photo by Belish via Bigstock) The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Lifeblood) has lifted additional restrictions on LGBTQ people who want to donate blood.
Maine House speaker: Susan Collins ‘should not be underestimated’
BIDDEFORD, Maine — Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau on Wednesday said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) “should not be underestimated.” “I’m not going to count her out,” the gay Democrat told the Washington Blade during an interview in Biddeford, an old textile mill city near the mouth of the Saco River in York County that is roughly 20 miles south of Portland, Maine’s largest city. “I don’t think anyone should, and I don’t think anyone is because we know that she is a very strong campaigner.
Pappas poised to become first out gay male U.S. senator
MANCHESTER, N.H. — New Hampshire Congressman Chris Pappas on Monday said he has “campaigned authentically as myself” in the campaign to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). “I’m really proud of who I am, but [I am] more proud of the fact that New Hampshire embraces people from different walks of life,” Pappas told the Washington Blade during a telephone interview.
VIDEO: Interview with executive director of VoteLGBT (Institute for Full Citizenship) in Brazil
Thabatta Pimenta will represent Rio Grande do Norte state in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputi SÃO PAULO — Voters in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Norte state on Sunday elected a transgender woman to the country’s Chamber of Deputies. Natal Municipal Councilwoman Thabatta Pimenta, who is a member of the Green Party, won with 92,743 votes. She is the first trans woman from northeast Brazil elected to the country’s Congress. Pimenta became emotional when she was speaking to her supporters after she won.
Annual National Trans Visibility March takes place in Puerto Rico
The National Trans Visibility March took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday. Participants spoke out against anti-trans laws in the U.S. commonwealth.
Annual National Trans Visibility March takes place in Puerto Rico
(Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers) An activist from Puerto Rico who spoke at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus briefing last week in D.C. said anti-LGBTQ laws and policies have left the LGBTQ community in the U.S. commonwealth even more vulnerable. “A human rights crisis is unfolding in Puerto Rico — one that disproportionately affects LGBT+ people, particularly transgender and nonbinary Puerto Ricans,” said True Self Foundation Executive Director Miguel Vázquez-Rivera.
Hungarian lawmakers approve bill to remove anti-LGBTQ provisions from ‘child protection’ law
Hungarian lawmakers on Tuesday by a 139-51 vote margin approved a bill that would remove anti-LGBTQ provisions from a 2021 “child protection” law the country’s former prime minister championed.
ICC unseals arrest warrants for Taliban officials accused of persecuting LGBTQ people, women
The International Criminal Court this week unsealed arrest warrants for four Taliban officials in Afghanistan accused of targeting LGBTQ people, women, and others who defy the group’s strict gender norms. The warrants the ICC unsealed on Oct. 5 are for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani. The ICC also unsealed warrants for Education Minister Habibullah Agda and Higher Education Minister Neda Mohammad Nadim.
Bet Mishpachah participates in D.C. Oct. 7 commemoration ceremony
(Photo by Joe Pchatree/Bigstock) (Editor’s note: This article is part of our 2026 contribution to the D.C. Homeless Crisis Reporting Project in collaboration with other local newsrooms.
Transgender woman elected to Brazilian Chamber of Deputies
SÃO PAULO - Voters in Brazil's Rio Grande do Norte state on Sunday elected a transgender woman to the country's Chamber of Deputies. Natal Municipal Councilwoman Thabatta Pimenta, who is a member of the Green Party, won with 92,743 votes. She is the first trans woman from northeast Brazil elected to the country's Congress. Pimenta became emotional when she was speaking to her supporters after she won. Her brother Ryan, who has cerebral palsy, was by her side.
Transgender woman elected to Brazilian Chamber of Deputies
From left, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro. (Photo of Lula by Celso Pupo via Bigstock; screen capture of Bolsonaro via TV Celular Flavio Bolsonaro/YouTube) SÃO PAULO — President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will face off against Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro in the second round of Brazil’s presidential election on Oct. 25 after neither man received more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round that took place on Sunday.
Renee Good’s family files two federal lawsuits
The family of a lesbian woman who was killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis on Jan. 7 has filed two federal lawsuits. The Associated Press notes Renee Good’s partner, Becca Good, and her brother, Brent Ganger, in the lawsuits accuse the Trump-Vance administration and ICE officer Jonathan Ross of “unjustified and excessive use of force.” Renee Good was a 37-year-old mother of three. A protest near the White House on Jan.
Lula, Flávio Bolsonaro to face off in second round of Brazilian presidential election
Pride flags fly over Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro on March 20, 2022. 519 openly LGBTQ candidates are running in the Brazilian election that will take place on Oct. 4, 2026. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers) Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers will be on assignment in Brazil through Oct. 6. SÃO PAULO — 529 openly LGBTQ candidates are running for in the Brazilian election that will take place on Sunday.
Renee Good’s family files two federal lawsuits
(Bigstock photo) While the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. B.P.J. continues to dominate headlines about transgender rights, three recent federal court cases produced significant rulings that limited or temporarily blocked Trump-Vance administration policies attacking trans Americans. Trump issued Executive Order 14183, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” on Jan. 27, 2025, banning trans people from serving in the military.
House Democrats urge White House to confront Turkish government over anti-LGBTQ crackdown
Activists protest Turkey's anti-LGBTQ crackdown in front of the Turkish Embassy in D.C. on Sept. 18, 2026. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers) A group of activists on Friday gathered in front of the Turkish Embassy in D.C. to protest the country’s anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
Victory Fund board investigates former staffers’ allegations against CEO Evan Low
The Washington Blade has learned the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s board of directors investigated former staffers’ allegations that CEO Evan Low bullied staff and mismanaged finances. The Blade obtained a letter the former staffers emailed to the board on Aug. 5. The subject was “concerns about Evan Low.” The World Pride Human Rights Conference began in Amsterdam the same day. Low on Aug.
Ana Brnabić becomes world’s first openly lesbian head of state
Ana Brnabić on Monday became the world’s first openly lesbian head of state after Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić resigned. Brnabić was the country’s prime minister from 2017-2024. She was most recently the president of the Serbian National Assembly. Vučić resigned ahead of parliamentary elections that will take place on Oct. 25. Media reports indicate Vučić could become Serbia’s next prime minister if his Serbian Progressive Party can successfully form a new government.
529 openly LGBTQ candidates running in Brazilian election
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers will be on assignment in Brazil through Oct. 6. SÃO PAULO — 529 openly LGBTQ candidates are running for in the Brazilian election that will take place on Sunday. VoteLGBT, an organization that seeks to increase LGBTQ representation in Brazilian politics, notes 109 of these candidates are either transgender or travesti.
Colombia withdraws from Equal Rights Coalition
Colombia last week withdrew from a coalition of more than 40 countries that pledges to champion LGBTQ and intersex rights. The Bogotá Post, an English-language news website in the Colombian capital, reported the country officially withdrew from the Equal Rights Coalition on Sept. 17. The Equal Rights Coalition formed in 2016.
UN human rights chief sounds alarm over ‘comprehensive onslaught’ against LGBTQ rights
TransLatin@ Coalition President Bamby Salcedo (Photo courtesy of Paolo Riveros) As ICE raids intensify across Southern California and anti-immigrant sentiment resurfaces in Orange County, transgender and immigrant communities are once again being targeted. These crackdowns go beyond enforcement — they’re designed to instill fear. At the same time, a coordinated right-wing smear campaign is attempting to discredit the very organizations working to keep these communities safe.
Activists protest outside Turkish Embassy in D.C.
(Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers) Turkish authorities on Tuesday detained more than 150 people who gathered outside an Istanbul courthouse to protest raids that targeted the country’s LGBTQ community. CNN reported the protesters had planned to speak with reporters outside the city’s Caglayan courthouse, but authorities prevented them from doing so.
More than 150 people detained outside Istanbul courthouse
(Photo by Lora Sutyagina/Bigstock) Authorities in Turkey over the weekend detained dozens of people during raids they carried out against gay bars and LGBTQ activists’ homes across the country. The BBC reported the raids were part of the government’s “My Family is Safe” campaign.
New Hungarian government to scrap anti-LGBTQ adoption law
The Hungarian parliament in Budapest, Hungary, on April 4, 2024. Peter Maygar, the country’s new prime minister, has said his government will amend a law that essentially bans same-sex couples from adopting children. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers) Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Maygar has said his government will amend a law that essentially bans same-sex couples from adopting children.
Dozens detained after Turkish authorities raid LGBTQ groups, businesses
Authorities in Turkey over the weekend detained dozens of people during raids they carried out against gay bars and LGBTQ activists' homes across the country. The BBC reported the raids were part of the government's "My Family is Safe" campaign.
Dozens detained after Turkish authorities raid LGBTQ groups, businesses
Authorities in Turkey over the weekend detained dozens of people during raids they carried out against gay bars and LGBTQ activists’ homes across the country. The BBC reported the raids were part of the government’s “My Family is Safe” campaign.
Report: 90 percent of LGBTQ groups around the world have lost funding since 2025
A new report that Outright International released on Thursday notes 90 percent of LGBTQ and intersex rights groups around the world have lost funding since January 2025. The New York-based global advocacy group surveyed 229 LGBTQ and intersex rights groups in 94 countries. Forty-nine percent of the organizations that responded said they have lost more than half of their total budget since January 2025 — 75 percent of the groups said they lost more than a quarter of their total funding.
Grindr settles UK lawsuit over claims it shared users’ personal information
Grindr has agreed to pay £26 million ($35.24 million) to settle a lawsuit in the UK over allegations it shared users’ HIV status and other personal information with third parties. The BBC on Monday reported a lawsuit was filed in the High Court of England and Wales in 2024. A class action lawsuit with more than 11,000 plaintiffs was pending in the U.S. Grindr in a U.S. Security and Exchange Commission filing notes the California-headquartered company as part of the settlement it reached on Sept.
Chris Pappas wins NH Democratic Senate primary
New Hampshire Congressman Chris Pappas on Tuesday won the Democratic primary in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in the U.S. Senate. Pappas defeated Karishma Manzur, who was his primary challenger, by a 61.8-36.1 percent margin. The gay congressman will face off against former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, who defeated former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown in the Republican primary.
Chris Pappas wins NH Democratic Senate primary
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey speaks outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 13, 2026. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key) U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) clinched the Democratic seat for his reelection campaign in Massachusetts’s primary election on Tuesday. Markey won the deep-blue state with 64.8 percent of the vote, according to NBC News, triumphing over Marine Corps combat veteran and Congressman Seth Moulton, who received 35.2 percent of the vote.
Iceland implements gender-neutral blood donor rules
New rules that will allow more gay and bisexual men to donate blood in Iceland took effect on Sept. 1. The Iceland Review, an English-language magazine, notes the new regulations the country’s Health Ministry approved are gender-neutral. Some restrictions, however, remain in place for potential donors, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Prominent French activist attacked outside Paris bar
French prosecutors say a man shouted anti-gay slurs at a prominent activist before he attacked him in Paris on Saturday. Media reports indicate Pierre Picavet, a police officer who is the president of FLAG!, a group within the French Justice and Interior Ministries that defends LGBTQ rights, was attacked as he left a bar in Paris’s Marais neighborhood. The Marais since the 1980s has been center of the French capital’s LGBTQ community. France 24 reported Picavet’s assailant struck him with a bottle.
HRC president campaigns for Chris Pappas in NH
Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson on Sunday campaigned for U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in New Hampshire. Robinson traveled to Manchester, the state's largest city, nine days before the Sept. 8 primary that will determine who will vie for retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)'s seat. We're hitting the pavement across New Hampshire to fight for a freer, fairer future for everyone.
HRC president campaigns for Chris Pappas in NH
By LEE O. SANDERLIN | The Democratic Party is having something of an identity crisis — losing to President Donald Trump twice in three elections will do that. Should the party embrace anti-establishment figures who espouse progressive policy ideas like Medicare for all and rhetoric about unrigging the economy for the 1 percent? Or should Democrats try to appeal to moderates who want to return to semi-normalcy in a time of political upheaval?
Poland begins to legally recognize same-sex marriages from other countries
Poland has begun to recognize same-sex marriages legally performed outside the country. TVP World, the country’s public broadcaster, reported civil registry offices began to “transcribe same-sex marriages legally” conducted outside of Poland on Aug. 22. The EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg last November ruled in favor of a same-sex couple who challenged Poland’s refusal to recognize their German marriage. Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court in March reaffirmed the decision.
Trans, nonbinary Americans find refuge in the Netherlands
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key were on assignment in the Netherlands from July 28-Aug. 10. AMSTERDAM — A transgender American couple who live in the Netherlands say President Donald Trump prompted them to leave the U.S. Jack Reaves, who is a trans man, and his wife, Iskara McCoy, who is a trans woman of color, moved to the Netherlands from Reno, Nev., in 2024.
Monument to LGBTQ Canadians officially unveiled
A monument that pays tribute to LGBTQ Canadians who suffered government-sanctioned persecution and discrimination officially opened in Ottawa on Aug. 21. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Governor General Louise Arbour, and Women and Gender Equality Minister Rechie Valdez are among those who attended the ceremony.
Thailand’s first openly gay senator attends World Pride in Amsterdam
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key were on assignment in the Netherlands from July 28-Aug. 10. AMSTERDAM — The first openly gay man elected to the Thai Senate says the law that extended marriage rights to same-sex couples has positively impacted his country’s global image. “It totally changed how the world perceived Thailand,” Sen. Pornchai Witayalerdpan told the Washington Blade on Aug.
Russian LGBTQ rights group to shut down
(Washington Blade photo by Ernesto Valle) Nine LGBTQ groups in Russia have been banned so far this year after authorities deemed them as “extremist.” Human Rights Watch on Thursday noted courts in seven regions between March and May banned Coming Out, the LGBT Resource Center, Parni Plus, the Moscow Community Center for LGBT+ Initiatives, Irida, the Russian LGBT Network, the Kallisto movement, T9 NSK, and Center T.
Dutch PM: More needs to be done to defend trans rights
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key will be on assignment in Amsterdam until Aug. 10. AMSTERDAM — Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on Friday said more needs to be done to defend transgender people and their rights.
Dutch prime minister opens World Pride Human Rights Conference
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key are on assignment in Amsterdam through Aug. 10. AMSTERDAM — Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on Wednesday opened the World Pride Human Rights Conference in Amsterdam.
My evening with Madonna
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key will be on assignment in the Netherlands through Aug. 10. They will be covering World Pride in Amsterdam. AMSTERDAM — Madonna and 6,000 of her closest friends celebrated World Pride at Amsterdam’s AFAS Live concert hall early Sunday morning. I was fortunate enough to be one of them.
Madonna headlines World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam
AMSTERDAM — Madonna on Sunday headlined the final night of the World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam. The gay icon took the stage shortly before 2:30 a.m. local time (8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday) during Club Confessions, a set that MISTR, a telehealth platform that offers free access to PrEP, Doxy PEP, STI testing, and long-term HIV care, organized.
PHOTOS: Amsterdam Pride Canal Parade
A scene from the 'Lambda Legal in the Pines' fundraiser on July 25. (Photo by Santiago Felipe) The LGBTQ organization Lambda Legal held its annual “Lambda Legal in the Pines” fundraiser on Saturday, July 25. The event was held at a house on Fire Island featured in Ryan Murphy’s 2014 HBO film, “The Normal Heart.” Organizers say over $500,000 was raised to support Lambda Legal’s national litigation and advocacy work. (Photos by Santiago Felipe) Sal Chichone sings at Front Royal Pride 2026.
Amsterdam Pride Canal Parade draws hundreds of thousands
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key are on assignment in the Netherlands through Aug. 10. AMSTERDAM — Hundreds of thousands of people lined Amsterdam’s canals on Saturday for the city’s annual Amsterdam Pride Canal Parade. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who is openly gay, is among those who participated in the parade that featured more than 80 boats.
US official protested at 2026 International AIDS Conference
HIV/AIDS activists on Sunday protested a Trump-Vance administration official at the 2026 International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro. Health GAP Executive Director Asia Russell and others disrupted U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Jeff Graham, who is leading the Trump-Vance administration's AIDS 2026 delegation, as he spoke. They were protesting the Trump-Vance administration's cuts to U.S. foreign aid that they maintain have had a devasting impact on the global HIV/AIDS fight.
US official protested at 2026 International AIDS Conference
The 2026 International AIDS Conference will take place next week in Rio de Janeiro. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers) The 2026 International AIDS Conference will take place next week in Rio de Janeiro. Francisco Ruiz, the former director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, and UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima are among those scheduled to speak at the conference that will take place in the Brazilian city from July 26-31.
Dutch queen opens World Pride in Amsterdam
The Dutch Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would ban so-called conversion therapy in the Netherlands. NL Times, an online Dutch newspaper, reported 57 of 75 senators backed the proposal. The Dutch House of Representatives, the lower house of the country's parliament, approved the measure last September. Conversion therapy practitioners could face up to two years in prison and a €25,000 ($28,980) fine under the bill once it becomes law after King Willem-Alexander gives his royal assent.
Dutch queen opens World Pride in Amsterdam
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key will be on assignment in Amsterdam from Aug. 5-10. Queen Máxima on July 25 participated in this year’s World Pride opening ceremony in Amsterdam. The Dutch monarch joined Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema at the ceremony that took place in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark. Several drag queens also participated in the event. 🌈 Koningin Máxima opent WoldPride 2026 in het Vondelpark in Amsterdam.
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