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. 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

A gay Syracuse, N.Y. high school student’s “senior spotlight” moment turns a beam on homophobia when he reveals on TikTok that the principal