Protests in Belgrade after rise in violence
Following a string of violent acts against Queer Serbians, LGBTQ activists gathered in a park in central Belgrade to demand action from the state.

In one incident, a young man was stabbed, and activists said three other Gay men were attacked last month, with one man being struck with a bottle. Activist groups have reported 68 attacks on Gay people since August.

"We will no longer tolerate such attacks that have become frequent," said activist Aleksander Savic.

Another activist, Ana Petrovic, appreciated the arrests of suspected attackers but wanted thorough investigations.

"We are calling on the institutions to start doing their job," she said. "Arrests should be just a beginning."

Riot police were present at the protest event, and no incidents were reported, but Serbia remains a conservative nation with emboldened right-wing extremists. Belgrade also banned last year's pan-European Pride march over threats from such groups.

World's first Trans MP dies "surrounded by nearest and dearest"
New Zealand's Georgina Beyer, the world's first openly Trans member of parliament, died on Monday at the age of 65. Statements about her death make no mention of the cause.

Beyer's close friend Scotty Kennedy said in a Facebook post, "Georgie was surrounded by her nearest and dearest 24/7 over the past week, she accepted what was happening, was cracking jokes and had a twinkle in her eye, right until the final moment."

Beyer was a consistent advocate for the rights of LGBTQ people, and throughout her political career, she contributed to the legalization of Gay marriage and the decriminalization of prostitution. She was also an actor, a drag queen, and a former sex worker.

She spoke before Parliament about prostitution reform in 2003: "I support this bill for all the prostitutes I have ever known who have died before the age of 20 because of the inhumanity and hypocrisy of a society that would not ever give them the chance to redeem whatever circumstances made them arrive in that industry."

"I certainly think that Georgina blazed a trail that has made it much easier for others to follow," said Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.