Beijing police detain nine activists meeting to discuss anti-gay discrimination

CHINA: Beijing police May 7 detained as many as nine civil society activists meeting for a seminar to discuss obstacles facing gay groups wishing to register as nongovernmental organizations in China, reports GayAsiaNews.com. The group had advertised itself as an event examining “civil society and the state,”stated sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com. The report suspects that the arrests and…

Read More

Members of Pussy Riot released in Sochi

Two members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot were detained briefly Tuesday in central Sochi, after apparently being considered suspects in a theft at their hotel, and then released, CNN reported. Earlier in the day, band members Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were meeting with journalists when police detained them, according to Tolokonnikova’s husband, Petr…

Read More

Six gay-rights activists detained in Moscow released pending court appearance

MOSCOW – RIA Novosti reports that according to police six gay-rights activists who were detained on Wednesday for holding an unauthorized rally in central Moscow have been released. The detainees have been booked for “promoting non-traditional sex relations” and “participating in unauthorized events,” the city police’s press service said, adding that the suspects were to…

Read More

China activist detained on International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia

Xiang Yuhan, 19,  has been detained for at least twelve days in the southern Chinese city of Changsha by authorities after he organized a rally on the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, reports Voice of America. The young activist was detained shortly after police showed up at his hotel room. In China, a person…

Read More