{"id":1007,"date":"2026-01-03T19:10:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/1007\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T19:10:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:10:11","slug":"world-pushback-in-uganda-liberian-methodist-malaysia-news-ice-skating-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/1007\/","title":{"rendered":"WORLD Pushback in Uganda, Liberian Methodist, Malaysia news, ice-skating rule"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pro-LGBTQ+ Ugandan organizations spoke out in unison on Human Rights Day, Dec. 10, against the growing restrictions on fundamental human rights, among other issues, Erasing 76 Crimes<\/a> noted. The advocacy newspaper Kuchu Times and the legal aid organization Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) criticized the \u201clegislative assault\u201d by the Ugandan regime, saying it has caused a humanitarian crisis characterized by widespread human-rights violations. A Kuchu Times editorial said that the queer community is \u201cat a critical juncture,\u201d adding that \u201cpeople are arrested not only for being gay, but also for being suspected to be gay, for socializing with people who are gay and, in extreme cases, renting a room to or hosting anyone one who is perceived to be gay.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

A prominent Methodist woman urged the Liberia Annual Conference (LAC) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) to adopt an inclusive approach toward LGBTQ+ Methodists, MSN<\/a> noted. The lady who prefers to be called Juah Doe said the church must choose pastoral care over punitive measures in addressing debates on sexuality and inclusion. Her appeal comes at a critical moment for Liberian Methodists, as the global United Methodist Church recently altered its Book of Discipline to remove exclusionary language and affirm the place of queer people in church life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Malaysia. Photo by Umar Mukhtar for Pexels<\/p>\n

The South China Morning Post<\/a> ran an article about how fear has gripped Malaysia\u2019s queer community. \u201cWhen people are scared to be seen, they stop showing up,\u201d transgender outreach worker Amy told This Week in Asia. \u201cFear doesn\u2019t just affect our lives; it affects public health.\u201d In Malaysia, same-sex relations are barred under colonial-era anti-sodomy legislation, while Islamic laws in Muslim-majority states prohibit cross-dressing and \u201cposing\u201d as another gender.<\/p>\n

And on a related note, in Malaysia, a raid on an alleged \u201cgay spa\u201d in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur resulted in more than 200 individuals arrested\u2014but ultimately yielded no convictions under colonial-era rules regarding \u201ccarnal knowledge\u201d between men, LGBTQ Nation<\/a> noted. Shortly after the joint operation, videos of the raid went viral online, revealing a parade of men, many wearing only white spa towels; a similar raid took place 24 hours later at a sauna in Penang.<\/p>\n

British Ice Skating (BIS)\u2014which regulates official ice-skating competitions in the United Kingdom\u2014will allow same-sex pairs to compete in couples competitions, starting with the qualifying rounds in March 2026, LGBTQ Nation<\/a> noted. The organization stated, \u201cThese updates follow recent reviews across all disciplines and reflect our continued commitment to supporting skater development, performance pathways and fair access to competition. \u2026 Same-sex couples will now be permitted to compete in all events, including at the Championships.\u201d The move makes the United Kingdom only the third country to allow same-sex ice dancing couples to compete in championships, following Canada and Finland.<\/p>\n

Readers of New Ways Ministry\u2019s Bondings 2.0 sent submissions for the worst LGBTQ+ Catholic-related news of 2025. The top item was the U.S. Bishops\u2019 Conference publicly supporting the Trump administration\u2019s anti-transgender executive orders. A few other items that made the top 10 included a conservative Catholic group investing $4 million dollars to potentially out gay priests based on their private digital data; the death of Pope Francis; and Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka, criticizing the nation\u2019s tourism agency for seeking to promote the nation\u2019s tourist opportunities to LGBTQ+ markets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Most Rev. Cherry Vann\u2014the archbishop of Wales\u2014has said that some parishioners have chosen to leave the Church in Wales in protest over her sexuality and gender, the BBC<\/a> noted. Speaking ahead of delivering her first Christmas message as archbishop, she said she had been hurt by attacks over her sexuality, but added those with different opinions should not be forbidden from expressing their views. Vann is both the UK\u2019s first female archbishop as well as the first openly LGBTQ+ archbishop in the world.<\/p>\n

The judge who ruled in Sandie Peggie\u2019s employment tribunal has made several corrections to the original decision, including its definition of a trans man, PinkNews<\/a> noted. Earlier this year, the Scottish nurse took both her employer, NHS Fife, and colleague Dr. Beth Upton to an employment tribunal after Peggie was suspended from her job after objecting to Upton, a trans woman, using the women\u2019s changing rooms at the hospital where they both worked. After a confrontation, Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment against Peggie. Peggie\u2019s harassment claims against NHS Fife were upheld; however, some of Peggie\u2019s claims were dismissed, including all claims against Upton.<\/p>\n

\"\"Cynthia Erivo hosts the 2025 Tonys. Photo by Michele Crowe\/CBS \u00a92025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

The UK government announced HM The King\u2019s New Year Honors List 2026, recognizing exceptional achievements from individuals\u2014and queer stars Cynthia Erivo and Matt Lucas were among the awardees, per West End Theatre<\/a>. There are more than 1,157 recipients of this year\u2019s New Year Honors, including a number of high-profile people from theater and the arts, such as Idris Elba, Meera Syal, singer Ellie Goulding, and ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. Honorees will receive their awards at investiture ceremonies at various royal residences in 2026, The Times of India<\/a> noted.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Boyfriend\u2014Netflix\u2019s groundbreaking queer dating show in Japan\u2014is back for another season starting Jan. 13 on Netflix, Out<\/a> noted. Against the background of winter landscapes in Japan, this second season moves the location to Hokkaido. The show has an even more diverse cast than the inaugural season, with cast members now running between 20 to 40 years old. This new cycle also includes men from outside Japan, such as Thailand and Peru.<\/p>\n

In the UK, buildings in the late drag figure The Vivenne\u2019s (aka James Lee Williams\u2019) hometown of Liverpool, as well as nearby Chester and Manchester, will light up in green to remember her life and talent\u2014a nod to her role as the Wicked Witch on London\u2019s West End production of The Wizard of Oz, per Out in Perth<\/a>. The Vivienne was the first winner of RuPaul\u2018s Drag Race UK and appeared in the seventh season of RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race All Stars in 2022; she also appeared on the British series Dancing on Ice, earning the third spot in its 15th season. Last June, the coroner found Williams had died from \u201cmisadventure\u201d after suffering cardio-respiratory arrest after taking ketamine.<\/p>\n

Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) athlete D\u00f3nal \u00d3g Cusack announced his engagement to long-term boyfriend Nathan Adams, PinkNews<\/a> noted. Cusack came out as gay in 2009 in his autobiography Come What May\u2014and his coming-out saw him become Ireland\u2019s first openly gay elite sportsman. Cusack, a former Irish hurling goalkeeper, has been dating Adams (a model-turned influencer who competes in HYROX, an indoor competition) for more than a decade.<\/p>\n

\"\"George Clooney at the 2025 Tonys. Photo by Nina Westervelt\/CBS \u00a92025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

France\u2019s government says that actor\/LGBTQ+ ally George Clooney, his wife Amal and their twins, Ella and Alexander, have been awarded French citizenship, per NBC News<\/a>. The couple purchased an estate in France in 2021; in an interview with Esquire in October, Clooney described their \u201cfarm in France\u201d as their primary residence. It wasn\u2019t immediately clear if Clooney retained his U.S. citizenship. Amal Clooney (who was naturalized under her maiden name, Amal Alamuddin) was born in Lebanon and raised in the UK while the 8-year-old twins were born in London.French film legend and model Brigitte Bardot has passed away at age 91, media outlets reported. During her life, she was a 1960s sex symbol who later became a militant animal-rights activist and outspoken supporter of France\u2019s far right, France24<\/a> noted. In 1986, she set up the Brigitte Bardot Foundation dedicated to animal protection. However, Bardot\u2019s public remarks on immigration, Islam and LGBTQ+ people led to convictions for inciting racial hatred. Bardot\u2019s final book, Mon BBcedaire (My BB Alphabet), published weeks before her death, contained derogatory remarks about gay and transgender people.<\/p>\n

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