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

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

From This Way Out: The International LGBTQ Radio Magazine by Overnight Productions, Inc.

May 5, 2026 · 29 min

About this episode

This episode examines the global rise of anti-LGBTQ laws and their implications.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Ebony Joseph

Guests: Neela Goshal, Gurchaten Sandhu, Annamaria Linczowska

Topics covered

  • anti-LGBTQ legislation
  • global politics
  • human rights
  • queer identity
  • grassroots movements
  • authoritarianism

Keywords

  • anti-LGBTQ laws
  • global wave
  • morality
  • tradition
  • child protection
  • political power
  • violence
  • advocacy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Outright International, ILGA World

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