This week, Portuguese MPs will debate three bills that seek to restrict trans rights. Two of them aim to reverse trans self-ID, which has been legal there since 2018. Portugal could soon become the first country to revoke a trans self-determination law.

🏳️‍⚧️ This week, Portuguese MPs will debate three bills that seek to restrict the rights of trans and intersex people. Two of them aim to reverse trans self-ID, which Portugal has had since 2018. If passed and signed into law, Portugal would be the first country to revoke a self-determination law.

“The fight over transgender rights in America has entered a new and more dangerous phase. Roughly 1 percent of Americans identify as transgender — and their rights to identify themselves, access medical care, and move through public life are being narrowed and, in some cases, eliminated.”

“When the most powerful country in the world signals that LGBTQ people are not worthy of protection, (…) it sends a message that travels far beyond American borders. It tells leaders here (in Africa) that the international consequences they once feared may no longer materialize.”

A must-read from Reuters: An American “pro-family” group helped Senegalese anti-LGBTQ+ activists campaign for an even harsher ban on same-sex relations – a bill that passed last week – and is also supporting anti-LGBTQ+ campaigners in Ghana.

“The U.S. decision to temporarily lift some restrictions on Russian oil has delivered a geopolitical victory to the Kremlin on top of the boon that Russia’s war-strained budget is already receiving from soaring energy prices.”

🏳️‍⚧️ The EU’s top court has ruled that the 27 countries that make up the bloc must provide trans citizens with identity documents reflecting their lived gender rather than their sex assigned at birth. Three EU member states still ban legal gender recognition: Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovakia.

🏳️‍🌈 Senegal's parliament has just passed legislation doubling the maximum penalty for same-sex relations and criminalising the promotion or financing of what it calls “acts against nature".

🚨 Senegal's parliament has just passed legislation doubling the maximum penalty for same-sex relations and criminalising the promotion or financing of what it calls “acts against nature".

🇲🇾 Anti-LGBTQ+ crackdown in Malaysia 🇺🇬 Queer Ugandans lose an ally in parliament 🏳️‍⚧️ Spain advances the rights of trans people in the workplace The latest issue of my global LGBTQ+ newsletter is out now, you can read it (and subscribe for free!) here 👇

🇲🇾 Anti-LGBTQ+ crackdown in Malaysia 🇺🇬 Queer Ugandans lose an ally in parliament 🏳️‍⚧️ Spain advances the rights of trans people in the workplace The latest issue of my global LGBTQ+ newsletter is out now, you can read it (and subscribe for free!) here:

I made a video about Turkey’s plans to ban “LGBT propaganda” and unauthorised sex-reassignment surgeries 👇

🇳🇱 Rob Jetten’s LGBTQ+ promises 🇸🇳 Anti-LGBTQ+ bill in Senegal 🇺🇸 The plight of queer asylum seekers under Trump 2.0 I write a global LGBTQ+ newsletter to keep you informed about what’s happening around the world, you can read it (and subscribe for free) here:

Rob Jetten has become the first openly gay prime minister of the Netherlands, but what are his LGBTQ+ rights promises? That's just one of the queer stories I cover in my weekly newsletter. You can read it (and subscribe for free 🫶 if you want) here:

🇸🇳 Senegal’s anti-LGBTQ+ crackdown 🇱🇰 No to rainbow tourism in Sri Lanka 🇵🇭 Good news for queer Filipinos The latest issue of my global LGBTQ+ newsletter is out now, you can read it and subscribe for free here 👇

So happy to see an Andalusian story and filmmaker win the Teddy Award – the Berlinale‘s LGBTQ+ film prize 🌈

I made a video about how the number 108 became a symbol of one of the darkest chapters of Paraguay‘s LGBTQ+ history 👇

🇸🇳 Senegal’s anti-LGBTQ+ crackdown 🇱🇰 No to rainbow tourism in Sri Lanka 🇵🇭 Good news for queer Filipinos The latest issue of my global LGBTQ+ newsletter is out now, you can read it and subscribe for free here:

🇵🇾🏳️‍🌈 I made a video about how the number 108 became a symbol of one of the darkest chapters of Paraguay‘s LGBTQ+ history 👇

Almost five years ago, I did a story on LGBTQ+ Poles finding a new home in Berlin as conservative Polish politicians scapegoated queer people for political gain. It wasn't until recently that I learned my reporting had inspired academic research on LGBTQ+ exclusion and its impact on the job market:

"Other western news organisations are cutting their international reporting teams, disinformation is flooding the digital sphere at an incredible speed, and state-backed media firms are using AI to promote propaganda. We have no time to lose."

I make videos about global LGBTQ+ news and how the EU works, so I love it when I get to do both at the same time.

This just happened 🚀 Follow me on Instagram for more videos on LGBTQ+ rights around the world: 📲 www.instagram.com/enriqueanart...

🇭🇺 Orbán's busy 2026 📲 The Winter Olympics and digital safety 💍 Happy gay anniversary The new issue of my global LGBTQ+ newsletter is out now, you can read it here:

Here's how activists, politicians and ordinary citizens are remembering the queer victims of the Nazis at an LGBTQ+ memorial in Berlin.

Around 100,000 gay and bisexual men were arrested in Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945. Thousands were sent to concentration camps. Many never came home. Trans people and lesbian and bisexual women were also persecuted, but their experience has been documented to a lesser extent.

Every year, activists, politicians and ordinary Berliners gather at this LGBTQ+ memorial at the heart of Germany's capital to remember those persecuted between 1933 and 1945 for their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Imagine your country is facing a critical blood shortage, but it still won’t let healthy potential donors save lives – because they’re gay. That’s what’s currently happening in Panama. My latest for Openly, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s LGBTQ+ news brand:

In Putin's Russia, a photo of rock band Queen is now considered "LGBT propaganda."

Panama is currently facing a critical blood shortage, but gay and bisexual men are still not allowed to donate blood to help their ailing family members and fellow citizens. I wrote about this 👇

🇪🇺 The far-right international meets at the European Parliament in Brussels 📲 Homophobic attacks via Grindr 🏳️‍🌈 Meet Spain’s first LGBTQ+ ambassador Read the new issue of my global queer rights newsletter (and subscribe 🫶) here: 👉 enriqueanartelazo.substack.com/p/a-room-ful...

“LGBTI+ rights are often framed as a social issue. But today they are a frontline in the defence of European security - continental, national, and individual. Without serious support, Russian tactics face little resistance — leaving Europe even further exposed.”

🚨 Next week, far-right and anti-LGBTQ+ politicians and activists from Europe, Africa, and the Americas will gather for a “free speech” summit at the European Parliament offices in Brussels.

💸 Trump expands the U.S. “gag rule” to gender identity and DEI 📲 Homophobic attacks via Grindr 🇪🇸 Meet Spain’s first LGBTQ+ ambassador Read the new issue of my global LGBTQ+ newsletter (and subscribe 🫶) here:

💸 Trump expands the U.S. “gag rule” to gender identity and DEI 📲 Homophobic attacks via Grindr 🇪🇸 Meet Spain’s first LGBTQ+ ambassador Read the new issue of my global LGBTQ+ (and subscribe 🫶) here:

Next week, far-right and anti-LGBTQ+ politicians and activists from Europe, Africa, and the Americas will gather for a “free speech” summit at the European Parliament offices in Brussels.

“LGBTIQ+ rights are the decisive frontier of democracy in the 21st century.” I interviewed Spain’s first-ever ambassador for global queer rights to discuss why:

The BBC has apologised to a former radio presenter after an internal investigation found a failure to act in response to homophobic abuse.

"Spain has decided not to stand on the sidelines, and to take a decisive step in defending the LGBTIQ+ community" I interviewed Spain’s new queer rights envoy:

Donald Trump’s foreign aid cuts are putting the lives of trans Africans at risk. Watch our full film here: youtu.be/ms9CqNL9UVY?...

🏒 Visibility despite censorship in Russia 🏳️‍🌈 Malaysia’s crackdown on queer rights 👴 LGBTQ-inclusive care in Chile Read the latest issue of my global LGBTQ+ newsletter (and subscribe for free!) here:

Heated Rivalry is blowing up in Russia despite the Kremlin’s censorship of queer topics 👀

Hoy, las banderas de la Unión Europea ondean a media asta en señal de duelo por las víctimas del accidente ferroviario ocurrido cerca de Adamuz (España). Nuestros pensamientos están con las familias y seres queridos de todas las personas afectadas.

🏒 Visibility despite censorship in Russia 🏳️‍🌈 Malaysia’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights 👴 LGBTQ-inclusive care in Chile Read the latest issue of my global LGBTQ+ newsletter (and subscribe for free!) here:

"Democracies are imperfect institutions that need to be constantly defended, because they can be torn down from within."

🇦🇿 Anti-LGBTQ+ crackdown in Baku ⚖️ Fight for gay marriage in Botswana 🚫 Russia-style ban on LGBTQ+ “propaganda” in Kazakhstan Subscribe (for free!) to my weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ rights worldwide – news, context and key updates:

After years of hearing about anti-LGBTQ+ moves in Poland, we might soon see the country give same-sex couples limited legal protection. I wrote about that and other queer rights developments in Azerbaijan, Botswana and Kazakhstan for my global LGBTQ+ newsletter:

I wrote about some of the elections that will reshape queer rights globally this year 🚨 Spoiler: a Trump-loving presidential candidate (and early front-runner) in Peru claims sex education is a form of “cultural Marxism” that promotes homosexuality.

🏳️‍🌈 Poland's government has approved a bill introducing "cohabitation contracts" for couples living together, a measure of limited legal recognition for same-sex couples in one of the worst countries in the European Union for LGBTQ+ rights.

2025 was an intense year. Now get ready for 2026, where the rights of queer people will – again – be at the center of politics. And I don’t necessarily mean that in a good way. I wrote about four elections that could reshape LGBTQ+ rights globally 👇