It’s International Women’s Day – a time to celebrate the driven women in our community and also a chance to agitate for change. This year’s theme is – Changing Climates: Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow – a theme that recognises the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are working to change the climate of gender equality and build a sustainable future.

Here on World Wide Wave we have been privileged to speak with some powerful, change-making women over the years. And tonight we celebrate them and inspire you. You’ll hear from:

* New York Times best-selling author and essayist, Lauren Hough, who has gone through more trauma than any single person should but has come out the other side stronger.

* Samoan fa’afafine trailblazer, Amao Leota Lu, who works to advance LGBTIQ rights across the Pacific.

* New Zealand Olympian and world champion rower, Emma Twigg, who is mentoring LGBTIQ sports people.

Listen to the week’s World Wide Wrap where we round up all that was in international LGBTIQ+ news for the week to March 8, 2022.

World Wide Wave aims to promote awareness of international LGBT issues. Our program provides in-depth analysis and interviews. We focus on the challenges facing the global LGBT community as well as some of our successes.

We take pride in interviewing a wide range of international LGBT people and supporters including politicians, activists, academics, parents, authors, students, professionals and more.

As Russia launched an attack on its neighbour, Ukraine, the world held its collective breath. The brazen and unprovoked attack is a David and Goliath battle. Ukraine’s LGBT community has already stated that it will fight for their country. And they have a lot to lose too, if Russia brings its history of persecutions against the rainbow community and stamping out any opposition to authority.

Since leaving the Soviet Union, Ukraine has been on a path of change for LGBT people – with rights and visibility both improving. Kyiv Pride is one example of increasing acceptance and visibility which risks evaporating if Russia succeeds in their invasion. Tonight we hear from the Executive Director of Kyiv Pride, Lenny Emso. Plus we will tell you how you can help Ukraine’s LGBTI community.

Listen to the week’s World Wide Wrap where we round up all that was in international LGBTIQ+ news for the week to March 1, 2022.

World Wide Wave aims to promote awareness of international LGBT issues. Our program provides in-depth analysis and interviews. We focus on the challenges facing the global LGBT community as well as some of our successes.

We take pride in interviewing a wide range of international LGBT people and supporters including politicians, activists, academics, parents, authors, students, professionals and more.

Early in his Papacy, Pope Benedict made a public statement about Gay Catholics saying, “Who am I to judge?” It was probably the most positive statement from the Church about LGBTI people ever. Many Rainbow Catholics dared to hope of a more inclusive institution under his reign. However last year, the Vatican called same-sex unions “sinful” and reiterating a ban on priests giving them blessings.

Some in the Catholic Church have taken a stand. 125 priests and staff employed in the German Catholic Church held a collective “coming out” last month to give visibility to LGBTI people in the Church. Rebecca Lögas da Silva was one of those people – part of a campaign for change called Out In Church.

Listen to the week’s World Wide Wrap where we round up all that was in international LGBTIQ+ news for the week to February 22, 2022.

World Wide Wave aims to promote awareness of international LGBT issues. Our program provides in-depth analysis and interviews. We focus on the challenges facing the global LGBT community as well as some of our successes.

We take pride in interviewing a wide range of international LGBT people and supporters including politicians, activists, academics, parents, authors, students, professionals and more.

Discrepancies between gender appearance or identity and official documents can cause monumental challenges for Transgender people, particularly in countries where you must carry an identity card in daily life. Accessing airlines or banking, applying for housing, even accessing public toilets bring extra pain and torment to trans people. In Hong Kong, current laws only allow transgender people to change their sex on their identity cards if they undergo invasive sexual reassignment surgery.

One person who is not willing to accept this harsh invasive treatment to become the person that they are is Henry Tse. They launched a legal bid to Hong Kong’s High Court to change the laws. But just a few weeks ago, the Hong Kong Court of Appeal ruled that the current laws will stay in place. But is the battle over…certainly not!

Listen to the week’s World Wide Wrap where we round up all that was in international LGBTIQ+ news for the week to February 15, 2022.

World Wide Wave aims to promote awareness of international LGBT issues. Our program provides in-depth analysis and interviews. We focus on the challenges facing the global LGBT community as well as some of our successes.

We take pride in interviewing a wide range of international LGBT people and supporters including politicians, activists, academics, parents, authors, students, professionals and more.

Religious organisations have rarely been famous for their welcoming attitude toward the LGBT community and sadly the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints – The Mormons – have been no different. Despite some recent change, the church has a long history of non-acceptance, and with the continued teaching that homosexual acts are a sin, it’s no surprise that their university has come under fire for this very thing.

Brigham Young University is a private school funded by the Mormon Church. Students who attend this university are almost all Mormon and agree to abide by an honour code that mandates behaviour in line with the church teachings, which until recently, included a ban on any physical acts of homosexuality. In this podcast, we talk to Calvin Burke, a former student at the university who tells us about his experience there and what led to a federal investigation by the US Department of Education.

Listen to the week’s World Wide Wrap where we round up all that was in international LGBTIQ+ news for the week to February 8, 2022.

World Wide Wave aims to promote awareness of international LGBT issues. Our program provides in-depth analysis and interviews. We focus on the challenges facing the global LGBT community as well as some of our successes.

We take pride in interviewing a wide range of international LGBT people and supporters including politicians, activists, academics, parents, authors, students, professionals and more.