This Gay Week: LGBTQ Rights Under Pressure Worldwide
Oct 8, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min · 33 segments
This Gay Week: LGBTQ Rights Under Pressure Worldwide It’s This Gay Week, and Karel and Scott Jacobsen are taking a trip around the world to see where LGBTQ+ rights are advancing, where they’re…
This Gay Week: LGBTQ Rights Under Pressure Worldwide It’s This Gay Week, and Karel and Scott Jacobsen are taking a trip around the world to see where LGBTQ+ rights are advancing, where they’re retreating—and why the same political patterns keep appearing in very different countries. This week, there’s some genuinely welcome news: specialized 988 crisis services for LGBTQ+ young people have returned in the United States, while educators in Ireland are working to make schools safer and more welcoming for LGBTQ+ students and teachers. But elsewhere, the picture is far more troubling. Australia is being criticized for rejecting UN recommendations on LGBTQI+ human rights. Turkey has shut down an independent news outlet after prosecutors accused it of publishing “LGBT propaganda.” In Ghana, a Catholic bishop is pushing back against acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. And the International Criminal Court is pursuing senior Taliban leaders over alleged gender persecution involving women, girls and LGBTQI+ people in Afghanistan. Scott also brings us an important historical question: How much of the world's criminalization of homosexuality is actually a legacy of colonialism? Many countries that still criminalize same-sex relationships inherited those laws from colonial powers. And that leads to perhaps the biggest question of the week: Why have LGBTQ+ people—particularly transgender people—become such frequent political targets? A UN LGBTQ+ rights expert points to the rise of authoritarian populism and the political usefulness of turning vulnerable minorities into convenient targets. Plus, we remember Dr. Robert Coles and the profound difference a great teacher and mentor can make in someone's life. There’s a lot happening—but there’s also a lot worth fighting for, celebrating and talking about. Join Karel and Scott for This Gay Week. Tell us what you think in the comments, LIKE the video, SUBSCRIBE to The Karel Cast, and SHARE the show. Support independent media on Patreon: patreon.com/reallykarel Watch and subscribe: youtube.com/reallykarel The Karel Cast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Spreaker and other major platforms, plus TikTok and Instagram. #ThisGayWeek, #LGBTQ, #LGBTQNews, #GayNews, #LGBTQRights, #HumanRights, #TransRights, #GayRights, #Pride, #988Lifeline, #WorldNews, #Equality, #TheKarelCast, #KarelCast, #ScottJacobsen https://youtube.com/live/BFN1oK3RI2E Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-karel-show--1368295/support. The Karel Show is supported by your donations at patreon.com/reallykarel and streams live Monday–Thursday at 10:30am PST. Available on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Apple Music, Spotify, iHeart Media, Spreaker, and all major platforms.
This Gay Week: LGBTQ Rights Under Pressure Worldwide It’s This Gay Week, and Karel and Scott Jacobsen are taking a trip around the world to see where LGBTQ+ rights are advancing, where they’re…
