1. People around the world celebrated Lesbian Visibility Day
Thursday was Lesbian Visibility Day, celebrated every year on April 26 since its inception in 2008. Amidst mysterious origins and lack of media coverage, the day resonated with people across the world wanting to see an end to homophobia. Celebrating the diverse and intersecting identities among lesbians, Lesbian Visibility Day provides a global platform for increasing the visibility and inclusion of lesbians in all spheres of society.
2. Nicaragua: thousands of protestors risk their lives demanding president’s resignation
They’ve had enough. For nearly two weeks thousands of Nicaraguans have been on the streets calling for the end of President Daniel Ortega’s 11-year rule. Sparked by Ortega’s proposed social security reforms requiring workers to pay more but receive less upon retirement, the protests broke out after years of widespread discontent with his policies. The excessive use of force by police and pro-government thugs in response to the demonstrations, causing the deaths of dozens of people, fueled tensions further.
Last Sunday Ortega rescinded his social security measures. The opposition movement is far from satisfied. They are demanding investigations into the deaths of university students who participated in the protests and ultimately Ortega’s resignation.
3. Friday of Rebellious Youth: protestors in Gaza honor Palestinians killed during Great Return March
Week five. The spirit of Palestinians in Gaza remains strong as they continue demanding their right to return to their homes, which existed before the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Organizers of the Great Return March declared April 27 as Friday of Rebellious Youth, honoring the 40 Palestinian protestors shot dead by Israeli soldiers over the last four weeks. Twenty-seven of them were 30 years old or younger.
As part of their peaceful resistance, protestors said they would be releasing hundreds of balloons bearing images of Palestinian protestors killed to date.
We’ve been featuring the Gaza protests in our weekly news wrap, including updates on April 6 and April 13.