đThailand: Parliamentâs lower house voted overwhelming to pass a same-sex marriage bill that includes adoption rights. The margin is so strong that itâs unlikely the senate will be able to block it (although we havenât had any indication it wants to). Iâll have a report up later today on the Los Angeles Blade â look out for it. Â
Japan: The Mainichi says last weekâs Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples must be treated like common-law married couples for the purposes of crime victim benefits should pressure the government to extend other legal benefits to same-sex couples on the same legal theory. Theyâre speculating on pensions, health insurance, and family leave, but thereâs a whole constellation of benefits that accrue to married couples that will have to be examined.
Poland: The equalities minister says the proposed civil union law has hit a bit of a hiccup, as come members of the governing coalition do not support it. Sheâs working with them to come to a conclusion with a comprehensive bill that includes full adoption rights for same-sex couples, but admits that the bill has missed its originally announced â100 daysâ deadline. It looks like the government wonât introduce it until after local elections in early April (and possibly until after EU elections in June).
đźMexico: The first same-sex couple was able to formalize the adoption of a child in Baja California state. The state has allowed it legally since it codified equal marriage in 2021, but itâs taken this long for the couple involved to go through the process.
Meanwhile, one state down in Baja California Sur, the governor has vetoed a bill that would have allowed same-sex couples to adopt, giving conflicting reasons â that itâs unclear who would be the mother and father in a same-sex couple, and unclear budget implications. He says itâs up to the state congress to fix this. The legislature first passed this bill way back in November 2022.
And a legislator has introduced a bill to amend Aguascalientesâ state law to allow same-sex couple adoption, although the stateâs position has been that no law prohibits it.
âŞFinland: This Christian newspaper says a bid to have the state Lutheran Church officiate a form of same-sex marriage looks unlikely to succeed at the church synod in May.
Hungary: Budapest has been rocked by protests this week as new information has leaked tying Prime Minister Orbanâs staunchly anti-LGBT and anti-democratic government to political corruption. This is likely the biggest shock to Orbanâs grip on power although, Orbanâs party has an absolute majority of the parliament and national elections are not scheduled for another two years.
DR Congo: In a bad sign for human rights, the government has lifted the 21-year-long moratorium on the death penalty, supposedly to deter rising violence and an incipient rebellion.
Wanna feel old?
đGrindr is now 15. Thatâs right â itâs old enough to have its own social media profile under Florida law.
And same-sex marriage in the UK celebrates ten years of being legal. Well, in England and Wales. Scotlandâs 10-year anniversary will be in December. And Northern Ireland only celebrates four years this year. Oh, and the crown dependencies all have different start dates too. And itâs still not legal in all the territories.
Meanwhile, in the States:
The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case seeking to restrict access to the abortion pill on Tuesday, and it sure seems like the court is going to toss the case. Weâll likely get a final judgement in June.
đVermont: A bill to restrict school book bans has passed through the senate. It heads to the state house.
đConnecticut: A proposed state constitutional amendment for nondiscrimination passed its first committee hearing.
đSouth Carolina: The city of Myrtle Beach advanced a hate crime ordinance by a unanimous vote on Tuesday. It will likely come back for a second reading at the next council meeting.
đAlabama: Democrats won a special election to the state house, flipping it from Republicans. This doesnât change the balance of power in the legislature, but does continue a trend of Democrats outperforming Republicans in special elections this cycle, particularly when they campaign on reproductive rights. Alabama has four more special elections coming up before November.
đTennessee: A bill to delete an obligation not to discriminate based on sexual orientation from the state Teachersâ Code of Ethics has passed through the senate and is in consideration by a house committee. It really does seem like the GOP is just digging way to be cretinous at this point.
đFlorida: Disney has reached a settlement with the state over the stateâs takeover of the Disneyworld local government, and the companyâs free-speech lawsuit which it launched against the state claiming the takeover was obvious retaliation for its criticism of the stateâs âDonât Say Gayâ law. Iâm no expert, but it looks like both sides just agreed to walk away, and that the state basically gets what it wants.
đGeorgia: The state legislature used procedural tricks to rush through to omnibus anti-trans bills ahead of the legislature ending its session today. The first bars trans students from gender-appropriate sports teams and bathrooms. They second bars prescribing puberty blockers for gender-affirming care.
đNew Hampshire: The state house passed a bill to bar trans girls from sports. The bill is now with the senate.
Also, starting April 1, partnership registries will come online in at least five prefectures in Japan (Aichi, Hyogo, Nara, Oita and Tokushima), bringing the total to a majority of 26/47 prefectures.
The removal of sexual orientation discrimination protections for gay children in Tennessee schools by the privileged, straight, Republican majority in the Senate is deeply disturbing. This will green light bullying and harassment of gay children resulting in trauma and harm. Iâm thankful the Democratic minority was unified in opposing this hateful and dangerous legislation. Iâm concerned that in red states it may now become a priority to repeal existing statutory protections for LGBTQ children.