The Global Rise of Anti-LGBTQ Laws (Part One)

In part one of a two-part series, This Way Out’s Ebony Joseph examines a growing global wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation—from Africa to Eastern Europe and Central Asia—where governments are increasingly criminalizing queer identity under the guise of “morality,” “tradition,” or child protection. Featuring insights from Neela Goshal of Outright International, Gurchaten Sandhu of ILGA World, and Polish advocate Annamaria Linczowska, the report connects these laws to political power plays, colonial legacies, and rising authoritarianism, while highlighting their real-world consequences—from increased violence to the silencing of advocacy. Despite legal shifts in some regions, the piece underscores the ongoing struggle for safety, visibility, and basic rights, and the critical role of grassroots movements in pushing back. Featured speakers: Phil Thoman, Pope Leo XIV, Father James Martin, Steven Reigns, Ebony Joseph, Neela Ghoshal, Gurchaten Sandhu, Annamaria Linczowska In NewsWrap: Russia escalates its campaign against LGBTQ communities, as courts label advocacy groups “extremists,” a U.S. appeals court upholds West Virginia’s ban on Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming surgeries, raising concerns about broader limits on transgender healthcare nationwide, transgender Idaho residents sue the state over what some are calling the harshest bathroom ban in the country, human rights groups issue travel warnings ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America citing risks for LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities, and Pope Leo XIV weighs in on same-sex marriage, emphasizing unity over doctrine as debate continues within the global Church—and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Joe Boehnlein and Tanya Kane-Parry (News Writer Ebony Joseph, News Producer Brian DeShazor). Credits: Associate Producer Lucia Chappelle, News Producer/ Host Brian DeShazor, News Editor Ebony Joseph, feature report Ebony Joseph producer, NewsWrap reporters Joe Boehnlein and Tanya Kane-Parry, music by Joy Oladokun and Kim Wilson.