International Safe Zone

Learning more about intersectionality and complexity of international LGBTQ+ in the United States and providing a safe place to learn and explore about their sexual and affectional identity.

By Kyoung Mi Choi

Kyoung Mi Choi
Civil Rights
Mexican Netflix star, street vendor 'Lady Tacos' turns to politics for LGBT, workers' rights
NBC News - By Reuters
“All my life I've been singled out...Why not fight, why not raise your voice?" said the 36-year-old, who goes by the name of Marven and identifies as muxe, or third-gender. MEXICO CITY - After Mexico "Lady...
4 days ago
Kyoung Mi Choi
Gender
Arizona and Tennessee are one step away from making it harder for students to learn about sexual and gender identity in...
CNN - By Devan Cole
Washington (CNN) — Arizona and Tennessee are one step away from restricting students' access to lessons on sexual and gender identity, with lawmakers in the states sending bills to their governors this...
2 days ago
Christel van der Boom
EU court says Bulgaria should issue ID papers to child with two mothers
openlynews.com - OPENLY
Though Bulgaria does not recognise gay marriage, they cannot stall the EU right to free movement, meaning couples with full parenting rights in one …
3 days ago
Christel van der Boom
Chechnya
Yulia Tsvetkova And Russia's History With LGBTQ+ Persecution
shethepeople.tv - Ritika Joshi
#taimur #griefOrlove #periodofpride #pankajtripathi #sexpositive LGBTQ persecution in Russia: The artist Yulia Tsvetkova is being charged with …
6 days ago
Kyoung Mi Choi
Welcome! International Safe Zone supports international students who identify as LGBTQ+. In this magazine we collect stories...
Kyoung Mi Choi
Apr 16, 2017
Christel van der Boom
Uzbekistan
Uzbek Blogger Who Called for Gay Rights Hospitalized After Attack
voanews.com
Uzbekistan has opened a criminal investigation after a blogger who advocated for gay rights was beaten outside his Tashkent home. Miraziz Bazarov was …
Apr 2
Christel van der Boom
Ghana
Ghana's LGBT people live in fear and isolation
DW English - Isaac Kaledzi
LGBT persons in Ghana are living in constant fear of being attacked in public because of their sexual orientation. Some are now speaking out pushing …
Feb 23
Kyoung Mi Choi
The Guatemalan asylum seeker who created a refuge for gay and transgender migrants on the US border
El Pais - Lorena Arroyo
Kissing his partner goodbye on a normal day before heading to work changed the life of 32-year-old Estuardo Cifuentes forever. It was mid-2019 when …
Apr 8
Christel van der Boom
Hainan
The double lives of gay men in Chinas Hainan province: Navigating visibility and invisibility in public spaces - Firstpost
Firstpost
By James Cummings It’s around 7.30 pm on a warm November evening in Jiaji, the county capital of Qionghai, on the east coast of Hainan, an island …
Mar 17
Kyoung Mi Choi
Beijing
'Beautiful and fierce': Voguing balls let LGBT Chinese shine
channelnewsasia.com
BEIJING: Leather, glitter, stilettos and a strut - voguing, the underground dance phenomenon, has seized Beijing and given China's LGBT community a …
Mar 30
Kyoung Mi Choi
Civil Rights
Will Bolivia’s First Same-Sex Union Lead to More LGBT Rights?
worldpoliticsreview.com - Linda Farthing
In December, Guido Montano and David Aruquipa became the first gay couple to register a civil union in Bolivia. “When I heard the news, I …
Apr 1
Kyoung Mi Choi
Gender fluidity and India: Tracing the roots to vedic scriptures
freepressjournal.in - Manu Shrivastava
Recently, American singer Demi Lovato opened up about her sexual identity saying she identifies herself as pansexual. For many years before that, Demi …
Apr 11
Christel van der Boom
Senegal
Living in shadows: Life as a gay in Dakar | Africanews
africanews.com - AfricaNews
In 1966, the first law condemning homosexuality was passed in Senegal. When you are homosexual in Senegal, you are not only considered as a sub-man …
Apr 6
Christel van der Boom
Idaho
Q&A: Artist KT Taylor on Building Community Connection for Rural Queers
dailyyonder.com - Olivia Weeks
Editor’s Note: This interview first appeared in Path Finders, a new email newsletter from the Daily Yonder. Each week, Path Finders features a Q&A …
Apr 9
Kyoung Mi Choi
Rights & Freedoms
How religion spurs homophobia in South Korean politics
日本経済新聞 - Staff Writer
SEOUL -- Staff Sergeant Byun Hee-soo was classified as "disabled" by the South Korean military and discharged from service last year after the …
Mar 26
Christel van der Boom
High School Sports
In real life, transgender female athletes are a non-controversy: Retired high school coach
USA TODAY - Larry Strauss
We belatedly stopped excluding athletes of color from high school and college sports. How many more years will people try to exclude trans athletes? About 25 years ago a friend invited me to join a basketball...
Apr 9
Kyoung Mi Choi
Ireland
Thousands of Irish LGBTQ+ teachers hiding their sexuality due to career fears
gcn.ie - Ian Smith
Many LGBTQ+ teachers fear coming out in case it hurts their job prospects by clashing with the religious ethos of many Irish schools. Up to 4000 …
Apr 8
Christel van der Boom
Iran
The difficulties of being gay in Iran
infomigrants.net - DW
Police in Iran enter a young man's apartment looking for signs of "misconduct." They rummage through his laundry and check his computer. The young …
Mar 1
Christel van der Boom
Peru
Peru facing LGBTQ brain drain - La Prensa Latina Media
laprensalatina.com
Mar 25
Kyoung Mi Choi
Attack on blogger drives Uzbek gay community underground
postlight.com - OPENLY
Blogger Miraziz Bazarov, who is not gay, was beaten up and hospitalisd after he posted on social media calling for LGBT gatherings at holy sites By …
Apr 10
Christel van der Boom
Civil Rights
An Overwhelming Majority of Young People in the U.K. Support Trans Rights
them.us - James Factora
A new study has revealed that the vast majority of adolescents in the U.K. support trans people. Although the full study won’t be published until …
Apr 7
Christel van der Boom
Vladimir Putin
Putin formally bans same-sex marriages in Russia
losangelesblade.com
72 Shares MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed into law a series of constitutional amendments that, among other things, formally …
Apr 6
Christel van der Boom
Home Page - NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists 2021 Student Website
nlgja.org
Join NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists for our first-ever Student Conference from June 25-26, 2021. More than 100 LGBTQ students will come …
Mar 10
Kyoung Mi Choi
Civil Rights
Kehlani “Finally Knows” She’s a Lesbian
them.us - Michael Love Michael
In her infectious 2017 single “Honey,” Kehlani once sang: “I like my girls just like I like my honey / Sweet, a little selfish.” Now, the always …
Apr 8
Kyoung Mi Choi
Arkansas becomes first U.S. state to ban treatments for transgender youth
postlight.com - OPENLY
Legislators in Arkansas overrode a veto by Governor Asa Hutchinson, banning puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender-affirming surgery for …
Apr 6
Kyoung Mi Choi
Mental Health
50 Percent of Black And Latinx Trans Youth Experience Depression
out.com - David Artavia
The numbers are a result of a new study. Historically, LGBTQ+ youth experience higher mental health problems than that of their straight counterparts. …
Apr 5
Kyoung Mi Choi
South America
The Strength of Queer Venezuelan Refugees, Told In 20 Photographs
out.com - By Photography by Cody Mann
The Hearts of Venezuela For Out's Travel issue cover story, we journeyed to Latin America for an investigative report uncovering the daily plight of …
Apr 5
Kyoung Mi Choi
Transgender People Become Pawns in Culture War
By The News Desk
Over half the states in America are considering laws banning transgender people from participating on girls' or women's sports teams. Beyond sports, some of the bills would limit the transgender community's access to health care. As we mark the International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, read more about the growing political battle over trans rights and the Biden administration's stance on these issues.
Mar 17
Kyoung Mi Choi
Transgender
Over 450 feminist leaders sign open letter denouncing transphobia
gcn.ie - Ian Smith
In the letter they call out TERFs as 'not feminist at all' and condemn the anti-trans legislative agenda sweeping across much of America. GLAAD has …
Apr 1