On the occasion of Pride Month, franceinfo interviewed lesbian, gay, queer, transgender, intersex or non-binary people. They tell of the difficulties they face even as their rights advance in their country.

For some, liberating progress thanks to groundbreaking laws. Worrying setbacks for others due to restrictive measures. Marching through the streets of Paris on Saturday June 24th, franceinfo gives a voice to lesbian, gay, queer, transgender, intersex or non-binary people living in Asia, Africa, America or Europe during the Pride March. They report on their ongoing fight for equal rights for LGBTQIA+ citizens and the fragility of their successes.

Steven, 25, gay in Uganda: “I can be sentenced to death”

Steven, a 25-year-old gay man, is threatened by the “anti-homosexuality” law in Uganda. (ASTRID AMADIEU / FRANCEINFO)

“Since the ‘anti-homosexuality’ law was passed at the end of May, I have feared for my life. Because I’m gay and a member of an association defending LGBTQIA+, I could be sentenced to death. On social networks, police catch gays to find them. They explain to the population how they can “recognize” us. Members of my family, people I don’t know, follow me. I received an email the other day from someone who said, “We know something.” Neighborhood where you live. We’ll pick you up.” Someone on Twitter sent me a picture saying they were going to cut me into pieces. I cried a lot and wonder what I did to deserve this.

I had to run and hide. I only go out at night to get some fresh air so my body doesn’t forget what it means to be outside. I don’t know when I’ll see the light of day again. I don’t call my friends because I’m afraid the police might use them to get to me. I don’t use my credit card to avoid leaving a trace. I have some savings that will allow me to survive, but I will soon run out of groceries. I have nothing to do every day. I write poetry on my blog. My favorite is called The Poisonous Seed of Hate. [“La graine vénéneuse de la haine”].

The government, the churches, the media…spread massive amounts of misinformation about homosexuals. They say that we are spreading HIV, that we are pedophiles and that we must go to protect Ugandan culture.

Steven Kabuye

at franceinfo

I thought about running away. I have relatives in the US or UK who could welcome me, but no western country will give me a visa because Uganda is not at war. If you’re black and you’re from Africa, you’re not welcome. I fear many LGBTQIA+ people will commit suicide.”

Lois, 45, a lesbian in Taiwan: “I am a legal stranger to my son”

Lois, a Taiwanese lesbian, fights for legal recognition for her family. (ASTRID AMADIEU / FRANCEINFO)

“I met Cécilia when I was studying in the UK. She is Chinese, I am Taiwanese agreed to donate sperm to us, and Cecilia gave birth to our son Leo in Taiwan. Since same-sex marriage was still not legal in the country, we went to the US to get married.

In 2019, Taiwan legalized marriage for all. It was the first country in Asia to allow this. Taiwan is really a tolerant country towards LGBTQIA+ people. There are many activists fighting for our rights and I have never felt discrimination on a daily basis.

But there is still a long way to go: my wife is only allowed to stay in the country for six months a year and has to apply for a visa to visit me with my son. My transnational marriage to Cecilia is not recognized due to current tensions with China. However, a heterosexual couple between a Taiwanese man and a Chinese woman is legal. It’s discriminatory.

“My family has no official legal status in Taiwan.”

This situation makes our family life very complicated. For my part, I am a legal stranger to my son. I am not recognized as his mother because Cecilia carried him to term and Taiwanese law prohibits me from adopting him. But I’m the one who takes him to school, to the park, who takes care of him… If he’s sick and one of his parents has to sign a document in the hospital, I didn’t allow them to do this. With my partner, we avoid talking to him about it to protect him. But Leo knows he has two mothers.

I’ve written letters to the government, I’ve visited NGOs, but nothing seems to be happening at the moment. I intend to take my case to court. Our love and family have existed for years. You have to recognize that.”

Logan, 24, young trans man in the US: “Having to leave the country is terrible”

Logan, a young American transgender man, is about to leave Florida due to a new spate of anti-transgender measures. (ASTRID AMADIEU / FRANCEINFO)

“That was about a month ago. The night we heard the news, my trans girlfriend and I thought, ‘This is only going to get worse.’ On that day, Florida decided to pass a law requiring trans people to use public restrooms reserved for people of their sex at birth.

Two more laws were passed. One of them stipulates that only physicians can offer gender-equitable care. Our medical center, consisting of nurses, informed us that they could no longer offer us our hormone treatment. I’ve called four doctors who offer this treatment, but they have six-month waiting lists. A second law proposes a conscience clause, allowing caregivers to refuse to care for transgender people if they so choose. That upsets me a lot.

We need $10,000 [environ 9 120 euros] to rebuild our lives in Illinois. My father and his family members live there. We know we will be safe there. Without the online kitty we put in place, we risk it taking more than six months to leave. Six months of fear and worry.

“In this context and in the face of these laws, we are afraid to leave our homes.”

It’s awful to have to leave. All my friends, my mother, my aunt, my grandmother and my cousins ​​are here. My partner has never lived anywhere else. Part of me wants to fight and stay, but I also want to make sure we’re safe. We want to live normal lives.

Nathanaël Lobo, 29, non-binary in Argentina: “My ID card finally says who I am”

Nathanël, a non-binary person in Argentina, has held an ID card recognizing his chosen first name and non-binary status for almost two years. (ASTRID AMADIEU / FRANCEINFO)

“Two years ago, a decree allowed the appearance of ID cards with the suffix “X” for non-binary people. The text allowed me to make this change of marital status and change my name. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life. I’ve been trying to get my real name out there for 13 years. I was afraid of dying with someone’s name that wasn’t me.

Ever since I was a child, I’ve felt that I don’t fit into male or female role models and stereotypes. They called me Carlos Javier, my father’s name was Juan Carlos. We inherited a first name from the men in our family. Even as a youngster I knew that I didn’t find myself in the legacy of my father, all these traditions and these men. I was someone else From this came the first name Nathanael. I still had to give my official first name and lived that as a lie.

The day I received my new ID card and saw my first name, Nathanaël, I decided to go for a walk. I looked at the document, the people around me and the sun and I laughed with joy.

“I couldn’t stop looking at my map and I felt like I belonged in this world. I think at that time I just stopped existing and started living.”

Nathaniel Lobo

at franceinfo

Electricity, telephony, banks… I’ve contacted all the services to change my identity. In some public services, the procedures were very simple. Less so with other private services… But what makes me happy is that I no longer have to explain my situation. I live this happiness every day, because my identity card finally says who I am.

Nikolett Tyukász, 31, Transgender Woman in Hungary: ‘My Name and Gender Cannot Be Legally Changed’

Nikolett, a transgender woman in Hungary, cannot legally recognize her trans identity or change her first name. (ASTRID AMADIEU / FRANCEINFO)

“I’m 31 years old and came out as transgender a year and a half ago. However, my name and gender cannot be legally changed. In 2020, authorities ruled that it was impossible to change their first name to a person’s first name, adopt the opposite gender, or change their gender on any identification document. Only people who had already started this procedure could continue. For people like me who started doing this after 2020, it’s impossible.

“Every time I have to show my ID to someone, it immediately leads to questions, discomfort. It is exhausting.”

Nikolat Tyukasz

at franceinfo

A policeman has already asked me for my identity card, his gaze oscillates between me and the document. He asked me if it was me. I explained to him that I was a transgender woman and he rolled his eyes.

I recently worked in delivery for two months. Colleagues asked my gender in front of everyone. “I don’t take you for a woman”; “I just call someone by their name on their ID card,” some employees said. It was very stressful and it’s all because of this name and gender change ban.

Such harassment would not be possible with a new ID card. Those people wouldn’t know my old name and my ID would match my looks. It would make transgender people’s lives so much easier.

Magda, young queer person in Egypt: “We don’t believe in our existence”

“I’m demisexual [une personne qui ressent une attirance sexuelle uniquement envers des personnes avec qui elle a noué des liens affectifs forts]and I’m also panromantic [une personne qui peut avoir une relation amoureuse avec quelqu’un, peu importe son sexe ou son genre]. It was amazing realizing that and finding my place. I can’t tell my family about this, but they know I support the queer community. It popped up on social media.

In 2019 I started working for an educational organization. One morning, after two weeks of classes, I was told that I no longer work for the school. The head of the organization merely replied to me in writing that there was logic in this decision. A few months later, a friend who works for the school showed me screenshots of conversations between teachers and principals. I saw screenshots of my social media posts there, such as marriage for all content.

“My former colleagues said it was not safe to leave me with the children and the parents were afraid I would teach them ‘unnatural’ things.”

I was very shocked. At that point I had not found a job for several months. Living in a small town, I’m sure my support for the queer community played a part.

When I started living a double life, things got better. I removed all my friends from my social media accounts, made them private and created a public, more professional account. A complaint to the authorities would have exposed me even more: the law does not protect us because Egyptians do not believe in our existence.

This small incident had a big impact on the way I live my life today. I used to be a very hospitable person and now I feel withdrawn. It’s like I’ve always felt in danger.

Asmi Molina, 63, intersex in Spain: “The state must protect us”

Asmi Molina, an intersex person in Spain, is fighting to end mutilation and non-consensual medical procedures on intersex babies and children. (ASTRID AMADIEU / FRANCEINFO)

“Being born with intersex characteristics shaped a large part of my life. When I was born, I was given a female name and raised female, but a part of me has always been male. There was always this conflict.”

The strongest medical violence began at the age of 16. I spent a month in the hospital because they wanted to examine me. Every day I was undressed, people commented on my body, they touched me. One day the doctors told me they would do a laparoscopy [une intervention chirurgicale sur la cavité abdominale]. In fact, I had my internal sex glands removed. Then I took female hormones to feminize myself and at 18 I asked for a vaginal tightening. In the hospital they never asked me who I really was. So I agreed to conform to this female gender. But never, never would I have thought that I was a woman.

“Being an activist, coming out as an intersex person and explaining it to people… The more I talk, the more it normalizes me. It makes me feel very good.”

Asmi Molina

at franceinfo

I got out five years ago. In a video I told my story about Intersex Awareness Day. I testified in the Basque Parliament and raised the issue with politicians. Along with other activists, I was recently involved in the drafting of the Act on Actual and De facto Equality for Transgender People and Guaranteeing the Rights of LGBTI People. From now on, all child mutilations on intersex people are prohibited in Spain, unless the doctor deems the procedure necessary.

A progress? No, it is not a protection. If the doctor has a binary vision, male or female, the door is open to new mutilations. Our suggestions were ignored. For me there should be no mutilation, period. The state has to protect us.”

When the International Monetary Fund published its economic forecasts in April, it caused a stir that Russia would grow faster than Germany and the United Kingdom. This was taken as confirmation that the sanctions imposed by the West in response to the invasion of Ukraine are not working, or at least not working as expected. However, a new study has refuted this hypothesis, arguing that closer analysis of several economic indicators would show that the punitive measures are instead “working” and will soon have “devastating effects”. Yesterday, on the very day that the European Union gave the green light to its 11th package of sanctions, the Wilfried Martens Center for European Studies released its report entitled From Bad to Worse: The Continued Impact of Sanctions on Russia.

“The IMF only considers macro indicators such as GDP and there the declines in the economy are mild, but if we look at certain sectors we see that those related to the war are performing excellently but the others are struggling “The production of bombs, which are then dropped in Ukraine, does not generate profits like other goods and, moreover, the defense industry is supported by public funds, which are now running out, also thanks to the sanctions,” explains the author of the book Studio , Vladimir Milov, who in the past was also deputy energy minister in Vladimir Putin’s Russia (in 2002) before leaving the presidency and becoming one of the opposition leaders.

Because Berlin wants to sanction companies and not states that export to Russia

As the PPE-affiliated tink tank study explains, the start of this year was marked by two major trends in government finances. First, oil and gas revenues have fallen sharply, mainly due to the EU oil embargo. Second, Moscow has pre-funded military spending at unprecedented levels. According to estimates based on data from the Ministry of Finance, in January-April 2023 more than 3 trillion rubles (32.72 billion euros) were transferred to the Ministry of Defense, which is more than half of the total annual budget for 2023 (that’s 5). trillion rubles in total). As a result, the Ministry of Finance of Russia reported that the total budget deficit in January-April 2023 reached 3.4 trillion rubles, which is 17% higher than the planned deficit for the full year approved under the Budget Law.

The country also suffers from a lack of investment, especially abroad. With Western capitals fleeing, China, India and Asian nations are no longer interested in investing heavily in technology and skills in the Federation like the West has done for the last 30 to 40 years. As of early 2022, cumulative Asian foreign direct investment (FDI) in Russia was exceptionally low: $3.3 billion from China, $2.4 billion from Hong Kong and $0.6 billion from India, according to the Central Bank of Russia . There have been no major new investments since the beginning of the war.

The EU wants to close the loopholes for sanctions against Moscow (but without touching China and Turkey)

The Russian government reported a fairly positive number on fixed investment growth in 2022: 4.6%, which is excellent. But in reality, the 4.6% figure would be a bias, the report says. Investment grew 13.8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022 (before sanctions even started to take effect), before slowing to 2-3% growth in the remaining three quarters of 2022 and just 0% year-on-year .7% declined in the first quarter of 2023. As with GDP, a breakdown between war-related industries and the rest of the civilian economy reveals that in areas related to war and related government-funded efforts (transport, (construction, public administration and military security, warehouses) investment often increases by tens of percentage points, while in key areas of the real private economy it falls significantly.

However, the study recognizes that Putin has so far been able to circumvent most of the sanctions with more or less deliberate help from third countries. Moscow has managed to secure not only trade in various sanctioned goods, but also imports of industrial and consumer goods that are not sanctioned, but have been lost due to the withdrawal of Western companies from the Russian market. Parallel imports of these goods, for example, amounted to over 20 billion US dollars in 2022.

Russia has replaced many of the direct western imports lost by buying the same goods in countries like Turkey, whose exports to the federation increased by 62% (to $9.3 billion) in 2022 and January-April 2023 On the other hand, Russian exports to the UAE grew by as much as 71% in 2022, reaching $8.5 billion, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov As the report points out, there appears to be no such additional demand for Russian goods in the UAE, and the rise in Russian exports largely reflects trade plans aimed at circumventing sanctions and reselling these goods where otherwise would be prohibited .

And the eleventh package of sanctions, which the European Union approved yesterday after lengthy negotiations lasting around a month and a half, focused on closing these loopholes. The package essentially concerns the circumvention of the measures against Moscow with the complicity of third countries such as Turkey and former Soviet states such as Armenia, but also China and the Emirates as well as third-party companies in the host countries and affects the trade, transport and energy sectors. In particular, with regard to trade, the new anti-tax avoidance tool will allow the EU to restrict the sale, supply, transfer or export of certain sanctioned goods and technology to certain third countries when it is deemed to be in fact the case is acting as a gateway for these goods to Russia.

How finances are gaining thanks to sanctions against Russia

They are subject to stricter export restrictions than dual-use items and advanced technology, for example some coolers containing chips that Russia could mine and then use them for other purposes, including military ones. In addition to the Russian and Iranian companies already listed, the sanctions also apply to companies based in China (three in Hong Kong), Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Armenia and Iran. The transport measures include a total ban on Russian trucks with trailers and semi-trailers transporting goods to the EU. There is also an entry ban for ships in EU ports that are suspected of transporting Russian oil from ship to ship and thus actually smuggling it, or for so-called “ghost ships”, i.e. those who manipulate or deactivate their navigation system during transport russian oil.

In addition to this ruse, which has only limited effects, Russia has for some time been compensating for the oil sales ban in Europe and the price cap in the West, again thanks to the complicity of third countries. Moscow has ramped up crude oil exports to countries including India, China and Pakistan in recent months, while data shows the EU is importing large quantities of refined fuel from those countries. In New Delhi, for example, shipments of Russian crude rose from around 1 million barrels a month to 63 million a month in April alone. Meanwhile, diesel exports to the EU have increased tenfold and kerosene deliveries have increased by more than 250%. However, this practice does not violate the sanctions as the G7 wanted to limit Russia’s gains without destabilizing global oil markets.

As a result, the International Energy Agency reported in May that despite price controls, Moscow’s crude oil supply volume rose 50,000 bpd to 8.3 million barrels, the highest since the invasion of Ukraine. According to the Wilfried Martens Center for European Studies report, the economic losses in this sector would still be huge for the Russian Federation, as buyers in saturated Asian markets bought Russian oil at huge discounts. “In addition, deliveries to new markets that do not have pipelines like in Europe are expensive and require longer times. A ship delivery to India takes more than a month, and in general Russia loses about $10,” says Milov.

Read more on Europa.Today.it

ROME, June 24 (Prensa Latina) Italian rescue workers today continue the search for the more than 40 migrants who disappeared after the shipwreck a few hours ago off the coast of the southern island of Lampedusa, a spokesman said.

Flavio Di Giacomo, spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said in statements published on La Repubblica newspaper’s website that of the 46 people on board, only four were rescued alive and seven were among those missing. Women, one of them was traveling with a newborn.

The tragedy happened on the night of last Friday, caused by bad weather conditions in the central Mediterranean area that caused the shipwreck just six hours after its departure from the Tunisian coast of Sfax.

According to the latest report from Italy’s Interior Ministry, from January 1 to June 23, 2023, 59,767 immigrants arrived on this country’s coast, 131.0 percent more than the 254,795 registered in the same period last year.

Of these, 7,574 are from Ivory Coast, 7,038 from Egypt, 6,374 from Guinea, 5,915 from Pakistan, 5,754 from Bangladesh, 4.61 from Tunisia and 3,527 from Syria.

In addition, 2,393 nationals were from Burkina Faso, 2,077 from Cameroon, 1,612 from Mali while the remaining 12,527 were from other nations, and out of the total, 6,481 were unaccompanied minors, the report said.

While in 2021 the number of irregular migrant disembarkations was 67,477, the following year it reached 105,127 and by 2023 this latest figure is expected to double as the largest number mainly occurs in the summer months, the analysts at this organization estimate.

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Last Day 15, the first person to be diagnosed with autism (ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder) died at the age of 89. This is American Donald Triplett, diagnosed in 1938. It is no exaggeration to say that what happened changed history forever by opening doors for scholarly study in the field.

The American was identified as “Donald T.” in the article “Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact” by Leo Kanner (Johns Hopkins Hospital). His case was also detailed in the Pulitzer Prize finalist book In a Different Key: The Story of Autism, which spawned a documentary that aired on PBS in 2022.

Triplett began working at Bank of Forest in his native Mississippi in 1958. The company issued a statement in his honor on the day of his death:

Donald Gray Triplett joined Bank of Forest in July 1958. Every member of staff who has walked through our doors since then has fond stories and memories of them that we will cherish as we gaze enviously at his travel photos and allow us to be photographed by him as a new employee, a collection of trinkets and postcards given as gifts over the years, a nickname or number given to him when he first met him, or even the fact that he was wearing a rubber band was shot. Don has been a fixture at the bank for almost 65 years and will continue to be a fixture in our hearts for years to come.

It was an honor to watch her story unfold over the years. It was amazing to see him appear in the book “In A Different Key” and then in the documentary of the same name. We are truly blessed to be a small part of his story as the first child with autism.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Don’s family and many friends. We ask that you keep our banking family in your prayers.

In the study that brought his condition to light, Triplett was one of 11 children examined. He became known as “Case 1”.

Several studies are currently focused on elucidating autism, specifically how the disorder affects the brain. The most recent study published in Advanced Science has suggested that levels of nitric oxide in the brain may play a key role in autism.

Previous research has also shown that autism changes the white matter of the brain over time.

main signs of autism

Experts show that early diagnosis is essential for a person with autism to receive appropriate treatment and develop a productive and inclusive life. The main symptoms of the disorder in question are little eye contact, no interaction with other people, and not responding when called by their name.

In addition, difficulties in paying attention together, speech delay, lack of use of nonverbal communication, unusual sensory behavior (annoyance from loud noises or other people’s touch), sole play with toy parts (e.g., a wheel on a cart or a button). Unusual movements such as shaking hands, rocking, running, jumping, or turning for no apparent reason are also signs of autism.

How to improve the quality of life of people with autism

Earlier we pointed out ways to improve the quality of life for people with autism: one of the initiatives is to train the staff of a given facility on how to deal with clients with this disorder.

Another issue that could improve the quality of life of people with autism is employability. According to the Autism Speaks portal, 85% of the autistic population is unemployed. Nevertheless, it is important to innovate people with ASD and train them for the labor market.

Source: The New York Times, CNN, Department of Health