German third gender, TV characters and a rainbow wave

Your Daily Package of newsy and naughty bits from around the world

German court orders third gender category

A German court has ruled it violates citizens rights to force them to identify as male or female. The court ordered the government either create a third gender category for those who do not identify as male or female, or get rid of gender on public documents altogether. [The New York Times]

LGBT TV characters at record high

LGBT advocacy group GLAAD says there are more LGBT characters on television than ever before, making up 6.5 percent of all characters.

Wave of new LGBT lawmakers win US elections

State and municipal elections across the United States have put a new wave of LGBT politicians into power, including a transgender legislator in Virginia and a lesbian mayor in Seattle.

Human Rights Campaign gives perfect score to 609 US companies

The US LGBT rights group The Human Rights Campaign has awarded a perfect score to 609 companies on its Corporate Equality Index this year. In 2002, when the index launched, only 13 companies met all its criteria.

The legacy of ENDA

Ten years ago, gay activists and lawmakers in the United States made a crucial compromise that moved gay rights forward while leaving transgender people out. The Washington Blade looks at how ENDA shaped the gay movement for a decade.

Niko Bell

Niko Bell is a writer, editor and translator from Vancouver. He writes about sexual health, science, food and language.

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