First words
The trajectory of the first year of cardinal Prevost as Leo XIV, the first ever American pope is the main topic of the SPW July 2026 Bulletin. Exactly thirteen years ago, we published our first robust assessment of Vatican politics: a special issue canvassing what could be predicted about the potential outcomes of the election of Cardinal Bergoglio as pope Francis I. As time elapsed, key moments of his papacy – particularly regard gender, sexuality and abortion rights matters, were looked at periodically. As, for example, in the interview with Maximo Prearo (November, 2021) about neo-Catholicism that also offers sharp insights into Francis I politics.
Then, in August 2025, we interviewed Stefano Fabeni, director of Synergía Initiatives for Human Rights, to review Francis´ legacies and preliminarily explore what could be expected from cardinal Prevost, as the new head of the Catholic Church. For this issue we once again invited Fabeni to a conversation as to hear him about the complicated geopolitics of the new papacy – particularly the open confrontation with Trump – but also prospective directions of current Vatican´s LGBTQI+ politics. The interview can be read here.
In addition, two other relevant trends in sexual politics are brought to the attention of our readers. The bulletin looks at marked cross-continental regressions in relation to LGBTIQ rights, offering an overview about the sequence of draconian anti LGBTIQ + laws approved in West Africa, as well as a concise analysis of the highly restrictive reform of the gender identity law approved in Portugal (March 2026). Lastly, we revisit the state of art of abortion rights politics in Brazil as the country heads towards a new presidential election that remains hovered by the specter of a return of the far-right to power.
LGBTQIA+ Rights: Transcontinental Setbacks
In West Africa, the erosion of LGBTQIA+ rights continues in tandem with the multiplication of autocratic regimes. Against a backdrop of frequent military coups and expanding high-profile activities of US far-right Christian groups, three new laws targeting LGBTIQ+ rights were passed in 2026. These setbacks were preceded by legal reforms promoted in Mali by the military regime established in 2021, which, in 2024, criminalized same-sex relationships; and by the law adopted in 2025 in Burkina Faso, where the military government has already led to the first conviction.
In March 2026, in Senegal, a law doubling the punishment for same-sex relationships to 10 years was passed and went into effect. The impacts so far have been devastating: arrests and convictions occurred almost immediately, and in the context of the response to HIV/AIDS, the law has driven patients away from health services, as reported by El País and Reuters. In a similar vein, on late June, a constitutional amendment was approved to ban same-sex marriage—a right that has never been widely revindicated in the country.
In Niger, the new Penal Code enacted by the military junta — in power since 2023 —has been in effect since early June, which also criminalizes both same-sex relationships and “LGBTQIA+ practices.” According to some interpretations, the law criminalizes intersex people as well as those who may identify as asexual. Penalties can reach up to 20 years. Arrests and the denial of healthcare services to patients have also been reported, in a social climate that The Guardian describes as a “witch hunt.” Furthermore, according to human rights activists working on the African continent, it was not possible to access the text of the law, which is also the case with the law passed in Burkina Faso.
Also in Ghana, Parliament passed a similar law in May—which had been under debate since 2023 — to criminalize same-sex relationships and the promotion of “LGBTQIA+ activities.” The bill though still awaiting presidential approval has created a climate of social panic, as reported by The Guardian.
Portugal
Meanwhile, there are also signs that such setbacks may begin to proliferate further in Europe. In March, Portugal’s National Assembly approved the preliminary text of three bills to amend the 2018 Gender Identity Law. The provisions introduced by the traditional conservative parties PSD and CDS in partnership with the far-right CHEGA. The changes call for a return to the requirement for medical validation to change one’s name and gender on civil records, a requirement that existed until 2018.
The proposals also ban discussions about gender in the classroom and prohibit gender-specific health procedures for children and adolescents. At the same time, a campaign led by a free speech advocacy group and the prison guards’ union has been launched to abolish the right of transgender people to be incarcerated in facilities corresponding to their gender identity. A strong campaign is underway to block the reform of the gender identity law through executive branch procedures, either by veto or by referring the approved text to the Constitutional Court for review. For analyses, we offer an compilation of news and assessments.
The right to legal abortion in Brazil: another setback
In Brazil, as we insistently noted in recent years, legal abortion is under fierce assault, and these attacks take on new forms as electoral seasons approach. Since the end of the Bolsonaro era, despite promises, no progress has been made to firmly defend legal abortion in the cases provided for by law. On the contrary, the forces opposing the right to abortion have become increasingly organized to obstruct even the limited access already permitted by law. The Lula administration, now in its third term, is nearing its end without having adopted any significant policies to improve, protect, or organize existing legal abortion services. Furthermore, on two occasions, the government has performed disappointingly regarding a resolution adopted by CONANDA—the National Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents—which sets out a clear path for access to these services. To analyze these episodes and their political impacts we interviewed Laura Molinari, co-coordinator of the “Neither Imprisoned Nor Dead” Campaign.
In the context of the complex and high-stakes 2026 presidential race, it has become further clear that the right to abortion is not, in fact, a priority for the government. In a recent interview with the newspaper O Globo, the spokesperson for the PT’s Catholic Group declared that the issue had been “resolved” internally within the party, suggesting that the omission observed between 2023 and 2025 may not have been accidental. Feminists on the front lines fighting for this right vehemently disagree. As Niege Pavani so aptly pointed out in an article published on the Catarinas website, feminists are tired of repeating evidence “against a narrative that, in order to maintain its appeal to a supposedly conservative segment of society that will help us win this election, disregards objective data.”
Sexuality & Art
Revisiting Ana Mendieta: In November 2015, we published a brief note on Ana Mendieta’s work, which highlighted the central role of bodies — particularly her own body — in her prolific body of performative interventions. Mendieta’s aesthetic does not focus on the female body per se, but rather on the way the body integrates with the world and leaves its mark on its surfaces. Read more here.
We recommend
Antigender politics
How Donald Trump transformed the federal government’s treatment of LGBTQ+ Americans – Advocate
“Counterterrorism” Now Officially Means Targeting Trans People – Mother Jones
The Supreme Court’s Anti-Trans Ruling Goes Well Beyond Sports – The Nation
The Transgender Sports Decision Was About Something Deeper Than Law – NY Times
LGBTQIA+ Rights
Abortion Rights
Liberia’s abortion law reform: A new front in the global culture wars – The New Humanitarian
The Anti-Abortion Movement’s Alarming Control Tactics – The New Republic