Global LGBTQ+ News Weekly Round Up: Senegal Arrests, US Trans Healthcare and Copenhagen Pride

LGBTQ+ rights, healthcare and equality have remained firmly in the international spotlight, with major developments emerging across Europe, Africa and North America.

Senegal has continued enforcing its strengthened anti LGBTQ+ legislation, the United States has finalised new federal restrictions affecting gender affirming healthcare, and Copenhagen Pride has marked a major anniversary. Professional tennis has also faced fresh scrutiny over the introduction of genetic testing for players competing in the women’s category.

Europe

Copenhagen Pride Marks 30 Years

Copenhagen Pride celebrated its 30th anniversary with nine days of events across the Danish capital from 8 to 16 August.

The main Copenhagen Pride Parade took place on 15 August, beginning at Frederiksberg City Hall before travelling through the city to Copenhagen City Hall.

The 2026 theme was “Pride: until the job is done!”, reflecting Copenhagen Pride’s message that significant advances in LGBTQ+ equality have been achieved in Denmark while discrimination and threats to LGBTQ+ rights remain.

Copenhagen Pride has organised events for Denmark’s LGBTQIA+ community since 1996, making 2026 its 30th anniversary year.

Africa

Senegal Charges 71 Men Under Anti LGBTQ+ Law

Reporting published on 10 August confirmed a major escalation in Senegal’s enforcement of its laws against same sex relationships.

The public prosecutor’s office said 71 men had been arrested and charged with what Senegalese law describes as “unnatural acts”. Another 28 defendants had their charges dropped.

The arrests come after Senegal strengthened its legislation earlier in 2026. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye approved the new law in March after it passed the National Assembly.

The legislation doubled the maximum prison sentence for same sex sexual acts from five years to ten years and introduced substantially higher fines. It also criminalised the promotion or financing of homosexuality.

International human rights organisations opposed the legislation before it became law. UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned that it threatened rights including dignity, privacy, equality, freedom of expression and freedom of association.

The latest arrests show that the strengthened legislation is now being actively enforced, with more than 100 people reportedly charged since the law came into force.

North America

US Finalises Restrictions on Trans Healthcare Funding

The Trump administration finalised a major rule on 11 August restricting federal Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program funding for certain gender affirming healthcare.

The rule prevents federal Medicaid funding from being used for puberty blockers, hormone treatment and specified surgical procedures for people under 18 when provided to treat gender dysphoria. Under CHIP, the restriction applies to people under 19.

It does not make the treatments illegal. States that want to continue providing coverage could use their own funding rather than receiving federal matching money for that care.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that the changes will reduce combined federal and state Medicaid and CHIP spending by around $235 million over ten years.

The rule is due to take effect on 13 October. Legal challenges are expected as states and healthcare organisations continue to contest federal restrictions affecting transgender healthcare.

Appeals Court Revives QueerDoc Subpoena

A separate legal development followed on 14 August when the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a Justice Department subpoena involving QueerDoc, a provider of gender affirming healthcare.

A federal judge in Seattle had previously blocked the subpoena after concluding that it had been issued in bad faith. A divided appeals court panel rejected that finding and returned the case to the lower court.

The decision does not require QueerDoc to immediately provide all of the information sought by the Justice Department. The lower court can still consider arguments that the subpoena is excessively broad or would place an undue burden on the provider.

The ruling is significant because it is the first time a US federal appeals court has upheld one of the administration’s subpoenas targeting healthcare providers offering gender affirming treatment to minors.

WTA Testing Begins at Cincinnati Open

Professional tennis also became part of the international LGBTQ+ rights debate after genetic eligibility testing began at the Cincinnati Open.

Reuters reported on 13 August that the Women’s Tennis Association requires players competing in the women’s category to complete a one time test for the SRY gene. Testing can be carried out using a cheek swab or blood sample.

American player Jessica Pegula confirmed that testing had begun in Cincinnati.

The Sport & Rights Alliance has called on the WTA to abandon the policy. ILGA World is among the organisations supporting the intervention, with critics raising concerns about the effect of sex testing on transgender and intersex people and the wider implications for women competing in professional sport.

The WTA has said that it recognises the sensitivity of the issue and intends to implement the policy while treating players with dignity and respect.

South America

No major new South American LGBTQ+ development strong enough for inclusion was identified from the credible sources reviewed for this edition.

Rather than repeat ongoing stories or developments previously covered, no South American story has been included.

Asia

There are continuing LGBTQ+ rights debates across Asia, including marriage equality, discrimination and restrictions on LGBTQ+ expression.

However, no sufficiently significant new development from the reporting period was identified for inclusion. Older stories have therefore not been repeated simply to fill the section.

Oceania

Australia’s 2026 Census took place on 11 August and included national questions relating to sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time.

However, the census was already one of the main stories in SoaplandTV’s previous Global LGBTQ+ News Weekly Round Up. It has therefore not been repeated in this edition.

The decision reflects our aim to keep each global round up focused on new developments rather than carrying the same stories forward from one edition to the next.

Across the continents, the latest developments present a sharply different picture. Copenhagen celebrated 30 years of Pride, while Senegal’s latest arrests demonstrated the consequences of increasingly restrictive legislation. In the United States, transgender healthcare remains the subject of major federal policy and legal action, while the WTA’s new testing policy has opened another international debate around LGBTQ+ inclusion and women’s sport.

SoaplandTV brings you a fresh Global LGBTQ+ News Weekly Round Up every week, alongside our dedicated UK LGBTQ+ coverage.

Sources: Reuters, Africanews and Copenhagen Pride.