> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.stonewallnews.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Weekly Update on National & International LGBTQ+ Equality – Wed, September 30, 2026 - URL: https://www.stonewallnews.net/weekly-update-on-national-international-lgbtq-equality-wed-september-30-2026/ - Published: 2026-09-30T20:27:37.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-30T20:27:37.000Z - Author: Fabrice Houdart - Tags: National, International, #table-of-content **This week:** Erdoğan at the UN, Dutch teenagers cool on gay classmates, Pope Leo in France, Ana Brnabić: first lesbian head of state, volleyball player comes out, Artificial and much more… > *This update is provided by* [Fabrice Houdart](https://fabricehoudart.substack.com/?utm%5Fsource=substack&utm%5Fmedium=email)*, consider supporting his important work.* This week, the news that struck me most was the Dutch survey showing declining acceptance of homosexuality among teenagers, particularly boys. I informally surveyed the twins about their classmates this week-end, and what they described was a generation increasingly divided on the subject, even in progressive New York public schools. I wish I had kept a list of all the gays who told me some version of “I have a nephew and I can tell you children live in a post-gay world” over the years. It is worth reflecting on this at a time when President Erdoğan is telling the United Nations General Assembly that “gender-neutralization” has placed children under siege, just ten days after Turkish police arrested members of the country’s LGBTQ+ associations. I wonder whether developments in Senegal, Turkey and the UN, alongside these troubling statistics, will be enough to shake those in our community who are —or whether it will take something closer to home that directly affects their lives. ### **Global News** #### **Turkey: Erdoğan Takes His Crackdown to the UN Podium** Speaking to the General Assembly on September 22, Erdoğan said *“global gender-neutralization policies*“ had become a siege on children and the family, and offered the family of *“a woman and a man”* as the remedy, without mentioning the raids his government launched ten days earlier. At home, the *“My Family Is Safe”* operation is being recast as a national-security file: pro-government papers have published figures from the financial crimes unit MASAK counting 209 transfers from 37 foreign sources, about 67.4 million lira since 2021, to LGBTQ+ associations, and are describing embassy grants as something close to espionage. [Today the independent news site T24 was blocked over](https://www.turkiyetoday.com/nation/turkish-court-blocks-independent-news-site-t24-over-alleged-lgbt-probe-3229319?ref=stonewallnews.net)[ *“LGBT propaganda”*](https://www.turkiyetoday.com/nation/turkish-court-blocks-independent-news-site-t24-over-alleged-lgbt-probe-3229319?ref=stonewallnews.net)[.](https://www.turkiyetoday.com/nation/turkish-court-blocks-independent-news-site-t24-over-alleged-lgbt-probe-3229319?ref=stonewallnews.net) In an interview with [*Têtu*](https://tetu.com/2026/09/29/interview-turquie-erdogan-lgbt-droits-humains-arcot-umit-metin/?ref=stonewallnews.net), Ümit Metin of the diaspora group Acort reminds us that LGBT+ people are one target among many in a broader effort to silence dissent. Details in [*Turkish Minute*](https://www.turkishminute.com/2026/09/23/gender-neutral-policies-target-children-the-family-erdogan-says/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Turkey (too): La Pétition** Since a September 12 court order, 419 social media accounts have reportedly been blocked in Turkey, including those of LGBTQ+ organizations, activists and journalists. All Out, the Council for Global Equality, Outright International and GLAAD are calling on Meta and X to restore the accounts, challenge the restrictions and disclose their legal basis. [See the petition here.](http://allout.lgbt/47dF5S6?ref=stonewallnews.net) #### **Netherlands: Dutch Teenagers Cool Sharply on Homosexuality** The quadrennial HBSC survey of more than 6,600 Dutch pupils, published September 21 by Utrecht University and the Trimbos Institute, found the share of secondary-school boys with a positive view of homosexuality fell from 40% in 2021 to 22% in 2025\. The share of students who believe a gay or lesbian classmate can be open at school dropped from 60% to 45%. Changes in survey method make long-run comparisons imperfect. Read more in [*LGBTQ Nation.*](https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/09/fewer-schoolchildren-view-gayness-as-positive-one-scientist-has-a-theory-about-why-that-is/?ref=stonewallnews.net) #### **France: LGBT Catholics Size Up Pope Leo’s First French Visit** Leo XIV’s September 25–28 trip took him to UNESCO, Paris, Lourdes and Metz, and [*Têtu*](https://tetu.com/2026/09/25/leon-xiv-france-catholiques-lgbt-pape-gay-francois-vatican-eglise/?ref=stonewallnews.net). used the occasion to ask LGBT Catholics what they expected of the first American pope. The answer, sixteen months into the pontificate, is patience: Leo has said little directly on LGBT questions beyond receiving Fr. James Martin in 2025, and members of D&J Arc-en-Ciel say the warm messages on peace and ecology have not yet been matched by anything concerning them. Meanwhile, *Outreach* also concluded [a successful first pilgrimage in New York City](https://outreach.faith/2026/09/outreachs-pilgrimage-to-new-york-city-a-sacred-triduum/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Argentina: Pride Takes a Back Seat to the Pope** Buenos Aires has banned public events from November 6–13 to accommodate Pope Leo XIV’s visit, putting the city’s 35th Pride March, scheduled for November 7, in jeopardy. Organizers are refusing the city’s proposal to postpone the march to November 21, despite Mayor Jorge Macri’s claim that most LGBTQ+ organizations support the change. More than a million people attended last year’s Pride.[ Read more.](https://agenciapresentes.org/?ref=stonewallnews.net) #### **Ukraine: Speaker Rules Out Marriage for Same-Sex Couples For Now** Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said on September 23 that the revised family provisions of the new Civil Code could not give same-sex couples marriage status, because the constitution defines marriage as between a woman and a man and cannot be amended under martial law. He offered to “*simplify the wording”* but not to grant recognition. The position sits badly with Ukraine’s EU accession roadmap, which set a 2025 deadline for registered partnerships, and with the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year recognizing a same-sex couple as a de facto family. See [*UA.NEWS*](https://ua.news/en/ukraine/stefanchuk-poiasniv-chomu-v-ukrayini-ne-mozhut-legalizuvati-odnostatevi-shliubi?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Japan: Open For Business Does The Math** In its[ new Japan briefing](https://www.open-for-business.org/our-reports/japan-briefing?ref=stonewallnews.net), [*Open for Business*](https://www.open-for-business.org/?ref=stonewallnews.net) estimates that LGBTQ+ discrimination costs Japan between $37.3 billion and $101.5 billion annually, or up to 2.38% of GDP. Its first study of a G7 economy links stronger LGBTQ+ protections to greater talent competitiveness and life satisfaction. Published ahead of an expected Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, the report makes an economic case for inclusion as Japan faces demographic decline and labor shortages. #### **UN: Queer Lessons To Address Climate Change** Speaking at the UN General Assembly on September 24, marriage equality pioneer Evan Wolfson joined Jeremy Heimans of Purpose to explore how lessons from the marriage quality campaign can help other movements confront authoritarianism, climate change and the challenges of AI. Their message in the session titled *“From Invisible Majorities to Unstoppable Movements*”: clear goals, broad coalitions, strong leadership, and incremental victories can turn silent majorities into visible support.[ Watch the conversation here.](https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k11/k11nnm05qf?ref=stonewallnews.net) #### **World: Giving Up The Backlash Narrative** My Sunday essay,[ ](https://fabricehoudart.substack.com/)[*The Trouble With the “Inevitable Backlash”*](https://fabricehoudart.substack.com/), sparked some fascinating exchanges with fellow advocates. I question whether describing every setback as a *“backlash*” risks undermining the legitimacy of our journey and has become an excuse to avoid examining our own shortcomings: a crisis of imagination, solidarity, and leadership. Subsequent conversations pushed me to think more deeply about public engagement, pluralism and the slippery idea of *“queer morality”.* One question in particular has stayed with me: What is our freedom for? --- ### **US News** #### **Education Department Formally Strips LGBTQ+ Students From Title IX** On September 28, the department rescinded the Biden-era Title IX rule that extended sex-discrimination protections to sexual orientation and gender identity, restoring the 2020 regulation. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the published rules now *“faithfully reflect court orders and Congressional intent.*“ The Biden rule had already been vacated in court, so the move is largely a formality. Read more in[*The 74*](https://www.the74million.org/article/education-dept-formally-removes-title-ix-protections-for-lgbtq-students/?ref=stonewallnews.net). > *A forthcoming amendment would define sex as an ‘immutable biological classification as either male or female.* #### **DOJ Asks SCOTUS to End Medical Care for Trans Federal Prisoners** Solicitor General John Sauer filed an emergency application on September 28 asking the justices to let the Bureau of Prisons enforce a policy ending hormone therapy, surgery and *“social accommodation*s” for transgender inmates. Judge Royce Lamberth has blocked the policy since June, and the D.C. Circuit refused on September 18 to lift his order. Given this Court’s record on sports, passports, military service and youth care, the administration has reason to feel confident. In [*CBS News*](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-supreme-court-transgender-inmate-treatments-bureau-of-prisons/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **California: Newsom Signs Six LGBTQ+ Bills** California’s governor signed a package of six pro-LGBTQ+ bills, framing them as a response to the administration’s campaign against the community. One protects transgender patients’ medical records from the federal demands that have pushed hospitals elsewhere into settlements. From [*LGBTQ Nation*](https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/09/gavin-newsom-signs-6-pro-lgbtq-bills-in-response-to-trumps-all-out-on-the-community/?ref=stonewallnews.net). --- ### **Queering the Boardroom** #### **Nike Shareholders Reject Anti-LGBTQ+ Proposal, Roughly 99 to 1** Final tallies from Nike’s September 8 annual meeting show an overwhelming defeat for Proposal 5, a request from Bowyer Research and the Christian asset manager [*Inspire Investing* ](https://www.inspireinvesting.com/?ref=stonewallnews.net)for a report on the risks of Nike’s charitable ties, notably to the Human Rights Campaign. Proponents objected to Nike’s perfect score on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, which now requires trans-inclusive health benefits. The result matches earlier votes at Apple and Disney: anti-DEI activists can put LGBTQ+ issues on the proxy, but institutional shareholders are not voting for them. Read more in [*Outsports*](https://www.outsports.com/2026/9/24/24143920/nike-vote-homophobes-lgbtq-support-shareholder-meeting/?ref=stonewallnews.net); the proponents’ case in [*OutKick*](https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/nike-shareholders-reject-transparency-proposal-faith-based-firm-questions-dei-commitments?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Torrence Boone and Myrna Soto Join the PRISM Summit Lineup** [PRISM](https://prismdirectors.org/?ref=stonewallnews.net), formerly the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors, has announced two more speakers for its annual Summit in New York on October 26: **Torrence Boone,** longtime Google executive and Macy’s board member, and **Myrna Soto**, corporate board director and cybersecurity executive. Sponsored by NYSE, Cooley, Amazon Web Services and others, the Summit will bring together leaders in business and corporate governance to advance LGBTQ+ representation in Corporate Boardrooms.[ Explore PRISM’s new website](https://prismdirectors.org/?ref=stonewallnews.net) and join us on October 26. --- ### **The Gay Business** #### **Ringing The Alarm Bell On Development Banks** The[ 2026 Annual Meetings](https://www.imf.org/en/meetings/2026/annual?ref=stonewallnews.net) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) take place October 12-18 in Bangkok. In a[ new op-ed for ](https://www.devex.com/news/development-banks-had-finally-got-behind-lgbtq-programs-now-what-113296?ref=stonewallnews.net)[*Devex*](https://www.devex.com/news/development-banks-had-finally-got-behind-lgbtq-programs-now-what-113296?ref=stonewallnews.net) yesterday, I warn our community that our gains in Multilateral Development Banks are being eroded. By 2024, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and other multilateral lenders had made significant commitments to LGBTQ+ inclusion. Today, political pressure threatens to quietly undo that progress, not necessarily by reversing policies, but simply by leaving them unimplemented. With traditional development aid shrinking, these institutions matter more than ever. My argument is simple: LGBTQ+ advocates cannot afford to disengage. > *In bureaucracies, silence can reverse progress almost as effectively as policy.* #### **JPMorgan: Gay Job Vs. Day Job** [Brian Larson](https://nypost.com/2026/09/28/business/gay-jpmorgan-worker-claims-boss-warned-dei-is-not-going-to-save-you-before-bank-forced-him-to-resign/?ref=stonewallnews.net), former co-chair of JPMorgan’s PRIDE Tri-State employee network, filed a federal lawsuit on September 23 alleging discrimination and retaliation. He claims a manager dismissed his LGBTQ+ advocacy as an *“extracurricular activity”* and told him to keep his *“gay job”* separate from his actual job. Despite being a finalist for dozens of internal positions, he says he was repeatedly passed over before being pushed out in 2023 over $40 in Uber expenses related to Pride events. JPMorgan disputes the allegations.[ Read more in Forbes.](https://us.list-manage.com/aR7VBWBPySV?e=4886a9c46f&c2id=71b161e5e71e4d3a3c607d9d98ef0e99&ref=stonewallnews.net) #### **Heated Rivalry Producers Turn Fandom Into a Foundation** Accent Aigu Entertainment, the company behind the gay hockey hit, launched the Irina Foundation on September 29, opening day of the NHL season, to fund sports and arts programs for LGBTQ+ and underserved communities. Kate Spade New York is the inaugural donor, and Harry’s an early supporter, and the fund is structured through TD Wealth in Canada and Panorama Global in the US. The producers say they have already raised more than $1.5 million with fans for groups including You Can Play and Rainbow Railroad. Details in [*The Hollywood Reporter*](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/heated-rivalry-producers-launch-irina-foundation-1236716737/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### HRC National Dinner At its 2026 National Dinner in Washington, the Human Rights Campaign honored Oscar-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden with its Ally for Equality Award (conservatives did not like [Camryn Manheim’s introduction](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hollywood-actress-fumes-son-isnt-gay-bizarre-speech-human-rights-campaign-gala-sick?ref=stonewallnews.net)) and LGBTQ+ icons André De Shields and Junior LaBeija with Legendary Visibility Awards. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered the keynote, while HRC President Kelley Robinson rallied supporters for the fight ahead. [See photos from the evening.](https://newsroom.ap.org/editorial-photos-videos/search?query=HRC%20National%20Dinner%202026&mediaType=photo&st=keyword&ref=stonewallnews.net) --- ### **Semi-Cultural Desk** #### **Marlon James and Douglas Stuart Make the Booker Shortlist** James’s *The Disappearers*, set around Jamaica’s first openly gay theatrical production in 1988, which I am still reading (along with the ambitious endeavor of reading [Karen Armstrong's ](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345384563?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback&ref=stonewallnews.net)[*A History of God*](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345384563?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback&ref=stonewallnews.net)[)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345384563?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback&ref=stonewallnews.net) and Stuart’s *John of John* are among the six finalists announced September 22\. Both authors are former winners; the prize will be awarded November 9\. See in [*NPR*](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/22/nx-s1-5977872/booker-prize-shortlist-2026?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Get Ready For “Artificial”** Luca Guadagnino’s *Artificial*, with Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, comes out on December 25\. Reviewed in [*Metro Weekly*](https://www.metroweekly.com/2026/09/fall-movie-preview-2026-lgbtq-films/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### ***“A Different World*“ Returns With Gay Students at Hillman** Netflix’s sequel to the 1987–1993 sitcom brings openly gay characters to the fictional HBCU, a deliberate update to one of television’s most influential Black ensemble shows. According to [*Queerty*](https://www.queerty.com/a-different-world-returns-with-a-refreshing-take-on-a-coming-of-age-queer-story-20260925/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Ali Krieger and Joanna Lohman Run “*The Amazing Race”*** The former pro soccer players compete as a team when Season 39 premieres tonight, September 30, on CBS, in a season that includes the show’s first visit to Albania. From [*Autostraddle*](https://www.autostraddle.com/september-2026-whats-new-gay-and-streaming/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### Dancing With Shakespeare’s *‘Lovely Boy’* Robbie Fairchild’s dance-theater work premiering at Fall for Dance posits that Shakespeare poured the pain of same-sex longing into *“Romeo and Juliet.”* [See in the ](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/arts/dance/dancing-with-shakespeares-lovely-boy.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.DVE.7BrK.XquGE8mFGTLn&smid=em-share&ref=stonewallnews.net)[*NYTimes.*](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/arts/dance/dancing-with-shakespeares-lovely-boy.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.DVE.7BrK.XquGE8mFGTLn&smid=em-share&ref=stonewallnews.net) #### *Queeney Todd* in NYC On a lighter note, Heartbeat Opera, one of New York’s reliably queerest cultural pleasures, returns to Judson Memorial Church October 22–31 with its 11th annual Drag Opera Extravaganza, *Queeney TODD: The Demon Bottom of Fleet Street*. [Tickets are on sale now.](https://www.universe.com/events/queeney-todd-heartbeat-operas-11th-annual-drag-opera-extravaganza-tickets-WT1C6R?ref=stonewallnews.net) --- ### **Coming and Going** #### **Ana Brnabić Becomes Serbia’s Acting President** Remember Ana - [a bit of a prequel to Alice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice%5FWeidel?ref=stonewallnews.net)? She is back: as the world’s first openly lesbian head of state this time. Brnabić, speaker of parliament and former prime minister, took over presidential duties on September 28, her 51st birthday, after Aleksandar Vučić resigned to lead his party’s list in the October 25 parliamentary elections. The role is largely ceremonial and lasts at most three months, but it makes her, by the Blade’s count, the first. It also makes her the face of a government under which Serbia has slipped below the European average on ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map. Reports [*Washington Blade*](https://www.washingtonblade.com/2026/09/30/ana-brnabic-becomes-worlds-first-openly-lesbian-head-of-state/?ref=stonewallnews.net); background in [*IBTimes UK*](https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ana-brnabic-assumes-serbia-presidential-duties-1822710?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Harriet Hancock, “*Mother of SC Pride,*“ Dies at 89** The Columbia attorney founded South Carolina’s first PFLAG chapter in 1982, two years after her son came out, co-founded Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services in 1985, and helped lead more than 2,000 people to the State House in the state’s first Pride march in 1990\. The Harriet Hancock Center, the state’s first LGBTQ+ resource center, announced her death on September 23, days before her 90th birthday. Read more in [*WLTX*](https://www.wltx.com/article/news/community/harriet-hancock-longtime-south-carolina-lgbtq-advocate-dies/101-e2ce55f9-48e3-4759-bb65-ef145910dcf5?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Japanese Volleyball Player Rui Takahashi Comes Out** The 26-year-old Suntory Sunbirds Osaka player announced he is gay on September 29, crediting his brother Ran, a star of the national team, with helping him accept himself. See in [*The Japan Times*](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2026/09/29/more-sports/rui-takahashi-gay/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Paul Krugman on Scott Bessent** In a[ scathing essay published September 29](https://paulkrugman.substack.com/), Nobel laureate Paul Krugman takes aim at Scott Bessent, arguing that his once-formidable reputation in financial markets is being sacrificed at the altar of Donald Trump. Krugman points to Bessent’s unsuccessful efforts to bring down long-term interest rates and his optimistic predictions about Iran, which he argues have collided with the economic consequences of Trump’s foreign policy. #### **Karine Jean-Pierre Joins HRC’s Board** The Human Rights Campaign added seven directors across its two boards on September 22, including Karine Jean-Pierre, the first Black and first openly queer White House press secretary. According to [*Human Rights Campaign*](https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-and-human-rights-campaign-foundation-welcome-new-lgbtq-champions-to-their-boards-of-directors?ref=stonewallnews.net) and[ on ](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kelleyrobinsondc%5Fim-honored-to-welcome-our-newest-members-activity-7508283040884985857-hVw%5F?ref=stonewallnews.net)[*LinkedIn*](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kelleyrobinsondc%5Fim-honored-to-welcome-our-newest-members-activity-7508283040884985857-hVw%5F?ref=stonewallnews.net)*.* --- ### **The Gay Agenda** #### **October 7–11: ILGA-Europe Annual Conference, Dublin** More than 400 activists from Europe and Central Asia gather in Dublin, hosted by Outhouse LGBTQ+ Center and LGBT Ireland, as ILGA-Europe marks 30 years. Details in [*ILGA-Europe*](https://www.ilga-europe.org/annual-conference-2026/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **October 10–11: Atlanta Pride** The Southeast’s largest Pride fills Piedmont Park, with the parade stepping off at noon on October 11, National Coming Out Day. From [*Atlanta Pride*](https://atlantapride.org/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **October 16: *La Bola Negra* In Theaters** I might have to make my way to the Angelika Film Center. [See here.](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/features/la-bola-negra-theatrical-dates-locations?ref=stonewallnews.net) #### **October 29-30: Koppa’s Annual Forum** On October 29–30,[ KOPPA — the LGBTI+ Economic Power Lab](http://koppalab.org/?ref=stonewallnews.net) will host the second Global Inclusive Finance Forum at the Deutsche Bank Center in New York City (Columbus Circle). More than 150 business leaders, investors and LGBTQ+ advocates will converge to discuss economic opportunities from healthcare or housing to AI and how to hraness them to ensure LGBTQ+ economic power. [Enquire here.](mailto:%20swathi@koppalab.org) #### **November 5-6: Europe’s LGBTQ+ Procurement Summit** How can LGBTQ+ businesses secure a bigger share of Europe’s corporate supply chains? The[ 2026 Forward Summit](https://www.forwardsummit.eu/?ref=stonewallnews.net), Europe’s first pan-European gathering dedicated to inclusive sourcing, will bring together corporate procurement leaders, policymakers, advocacy organizations, and underrepresented suppliers to turn inclusion into business opportunities. Organized by the European LGBTIQ Chamber of Commerce (EGLCC), ESDP and telos.[ Learn more and register.](https://www.forwardsummit.eu/?ref=stonewallnews.net) --- That’s it for this week (check out this[ interview with Graeme Rei](https://genevasolutions.news/human-rights/un-lgbt-rights-expert-authoritarian-populists-fuelling-tide-of-anti-gay-laws-for-votes?ref=stonewallnews.net)d too actually). A little later than usual, as I’m going through the painful exercise of setting up a new computer and have somehow managed to end up with no functioning computer at all. The wonders of technology. A la semaine prochaine… ---