My Out in the World column at the Los Angeles Blade is up, with more in-depth stories from Serbia, Hong Kong, Albania, and Georgia.
I also have a preview up about Echo Theatre’s upcoming west coast premiere of Clarkston by Samuel D. Hunter, the playwright behind the Oscar-winning film The Whale.
🇦🇺 Australia: The census questions about LGBTQ people that caused so much controversy over the last two weeks have been leaked. The government has still not announced what the new question about LGBTQ status is going to be.
🇮🇳 India: Following on a suite of announcements of new benefits for same-sex couples by the government, the opposition Congress Party (which has recently tended to be the more pro-LGBT party) has announced the creation of a new internal group for LGBTQ rights. The smaller Nationalist Congress Party—SP faction has also appointed a spokesperson who is openly LGBTQ, a first for a major party in India.
Meanwhile, the government is still hoping to pass a massive overhaul of the country’s civil laws during the current term, with the aim of ending discrimination based on religion, gender, and sexual orientation – although it still seems same-sex marriage will not be proposed.
🇭🇰 Hong Kong: It’s been a year since the Court of Final Appeal gave the government two years to enact some form of legal recognition of same-sex couples, and the government does not appear to have taken any action so far.
Meanwhile, people are having fun mocking a new sex ed curriculum that encourages youngsters to sublimate their desire for sex by playing badminton.
🇨🇮 Cote d’Ivoire: LGBTQ activists are sounding the alarm on attacks fueled by social media posts.
🇸🇰 Slovakia: EU News has more on the proposed “LGBTQ propaganda” bill that’s been proposed by the far right party in the current governing coalition.
🇷🇸 Serbia: Several thousand people marched in what’s being called the largest ever Belgrade Pride, calling for a same-sex partnership law and recognition of legal gender identity. Belgrade is unlikely to acquiesce to either, despite partnerships being promised a decade ago under lesbian former PM Ana Brnabic.
🇦🇱 Albania: Anti-LGBT commentators are trying to stir up bullshit controversy over a third-grade language textbook, in use for eight years already, that has a wizard wearing a rainbow cape on its cover.
🇬🇪 Georgia: The draconian anti-LGBTQ law is inching closer to passage, having advanced through second reading in Parliament last week, with a final vote scheduled for Sept 17. The bill is apparent posturing for October 26 elections, but will likely do long-term damage to the LGBTQ community and Georgia’s EU ambitions.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: Parliament ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court last month, which should make the country its 125th member, after the ratification is deposited. Ukraine has given the ICC jurisdiction over crimes committed on its territory already but has also invoked a clause limiting its jurisdiction over its own nationals for seven years, which has opened some legal questions about how this will work.
🇵🇪 Peru: Gay politician Carlos Bruce, fresh off his marriage in Madrid, has resigned from his political party, in speculation that he may seek to run for mayor of Lima in 2026.
🇲🇽 Mexico: Ten years after Coahuila became the first Mexican state to pass a same-sex marriage law, the LGBTQ community says there are still major reforms needed.
New Euphemism Alert
Peruvian actor Carlos Carlin, asked about his sexual orientation, announced, “If you want to put a term on it, you can put whatever term you want. I have tried all the creams.”
Meanwhile, in the States
🥔 Idaho: A federal judge granted an injunction blocking a state law that barred prisoners from accessing hormones for gender-affirming care. The injunction only applies to prisoners, and prisoners are still banned from getting gender-affirming surgeries. The injunction does not stop the law from preventing non-incarcerated Idahoans from accessing gender-affirming care through state funds (ie, through Medicare or Medicaid, or from another public health insurance plan), because the case is arguing that the prohibition of care is a form of “cruel and unusual punishment” barred under the eighth amendment, and not a general due process/equal treatment claim.
🇴 Ohio: The city council of Lorian voted unanimously to ban conversion therapy last week, making it the twelfth city in the state to do so.