J. Lester Feder
World Bank President: Our Efforts Have Slowed Rise Of Anti-LGBT Laws
Canceling a loan to Uganda has had global repercussions, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim told BuzzFeed News.
J. Lester Feder
LGBT Employee Leader Under Investigation At World Bank
"We have a zero tolerance policy against retaliation in this and every other case," World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said during an interview with BuzzFeed News. The employee's lawyers say the timing of the investigation is suspicious.
J. Lester Feder
World's Most Progressive Gender Identity Law Passes In Europe
"The act is a beacon of hope," said an European LGBT leader in response to the law passed Wednesday in the Malta, whose Constitution officially deems the country Catholic.
J. Lester Feder
Nigerian President Accuses Opponent Of Pledging To Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
In the closing days of the election, President Jonathan's campaign now wants to draw attention to his support for sweeping anti-LGBT legislation he signed into law.
J. Lester Feder
European Court Rules Turkey Cannot Make Sterilization A Requirement For Gender Reassignment
Europe's top human rights court sides with a trans man who was denied gender reassignment in Turkey unless he was sterilized.
J. Lester Feder
Slovenian Parliament Votes In Favor Of Marriage Equality
The vote comes as several other Eastern European nations have passed laws barring same-sex couples to marry.
J. Lester Feder
World Bank President Declines Meeting With Leading Critic Of Human Rights Record
"What [President] Kim has said about discrimination ... all point[s] to the fact that he could take the lead on [human rights] if he wanted to, but so far he hasn’t," a U.N. human rights rapporteur told BuzzFeed News in Washington.
J. Lester Feder
Seven Arrested In Latest Egyptian Raid On Charges Of Homosexuality
The arrests suggest police are continuing to aggressively prosecute charges of homosexuality despite embarrassing acquittals in a high-profile case in January.
J. Lester Feder
First Ever LGBT Special Envoy Comes To Washington
"This appointment is really … a way of sending a compelling message: we have a moral obligation to speak out against the persecution and the marginalization of LGBT persons," Secretary John Kerry said.
J. Lester Feder
Mexico's Quiet Marriage Equality Revolution
“Outside of Mexico, and even inside of Mexico, these advances are not widely known ... but it is irreversible,” the lawyer who started the wave of cases now sweeping the country told BuzzFeed News.
J. Lester Feder
U.S. State Department Formally Appoints Its First Special Envoy For LGBT Rights
"Defending and promoting the human rights of LGBT persons is at the core of our commitment to advancing human rights globally," said Secretary of State John Kerry announcing the appointment.
J. Lester Feder
Pope Compares Transgender People To Nuclear Weapons
His comments appear to contradict the Holy See's gesture of welcome to an LGBT Catholic group at the Vatican this week.
J. Lester Feder
Colombian Constitutional Court Limits Adoption Rights Of Same-Sex Couples
"Same-sex couples can only adopt when the request [concerns] the biological child of a permanent partner," the court announced on Twitter.
J. Lester Feder
LGBT Members Of Congress Object To Free-Trade Deal With Countries Criminalizing LGBT People
"These two countries are responsible for severe human rights abuses, including adopting penal codes permitting the imprisonment and physical harm of LGBT people," the representatives write.
J. Lester Feder
Egyptian Doctors Think This Torturous Exam Can Detect "Chronic Homosexuals"
Anal exams are performed by police in many countries that criminalize homosexuality — and they base their work on 150-year-old European science. BuzzFeed News' J. Lester Feder and Maged Atef report from Cairo.
J. Lester Feder
China's Largest Tech Company Throws Its Weight Behind Marriage Equality
Ten couples were chosen by the public to be flown to California to marry this summer in a contest run by the online retailer Alibaba.
J. Lester Feder
Italy's Top Court: No Right To Marriage For Same-Sex Couples
A ruling Wednesday is at least the third time the judiciary has called on the legislature to provide same-sex couples with legal recognition since 2010.
J. Lester Feder
Meet The Trans Sex Worker Who Transformed A Gang-Controlled Prison
Karla Avelar survived a serial killer, gang attacks, and four years in a Salvadoran prison to become a trans activist on the global stage. J. Lester Feder and Nicola Chávez Courtright report from El Salvador.
J. Lester Feder
Referendum To Bar Same-Sex Couples From Marrying And Adopting In Slovakia Fails
Fewer than 50-percent of voters cast ballots in Saturday's vote, which means the proposal cannot become law under the country's voting rules.
J. Lester Feder
Randy Berry Likely Pick For First Special Envoy For LGBT Rights
Berry currently oversees consular operations for the United States in the Netherlands. Update: LGBT rights advocates are expecting an announcement the announcement as early as February 23.
J. Lester Feder
