Australia and Qatar take opposite tacks on gay prosecutions
Polish and Lithuanian politicians continue to spar on civil unions
Today I’ve got a nice long update as we head into Los Angeles Pride weekend. Speaking of Pride, a great way to show your Pride this season is by supporting the work of your local queer journalists. If you like the work that I do on this newsletter, please consider a paid subscription — you can subscribe for as much or as little as you want. This newsletter relies on subscriptions by donation to ensure that it remains accessible to all.
And now the news
Over at the Los Angeles Blade, I have a report on the sodomy decriminalization bill which appears to have stalled in the Massachusetts House. Bay Staters – call your reps!
I also have a story about Rob Schneider getting booed off stage at a charity event in Saskatchewan for making a series of transphobic jokes.
Australia: The state of New South Wales is issuing a formal apology today to LGBTQ people who were persecuted under the state’s old sodomy laws, which were only repealed in 1984. It was the last state to issue an apology – the others had all done so by 2017.
Qatar: A British-Mexican man who was arrested in a Grindr sting operation has been given a six-month suspended sentence and will be deported – although the state has 30 days to launch an appeal, during which he is not allowed to leave.
Human Rights Watch has a report on how other Middle East states target LGBTQ people even when they don’t have specific laws against gay sex (though Qatar actually does).
Northern Ireland: The Assembly has passed a motion calling on the province’s government to enact a ban on conversion therapy before the end of the current Assembly in 2027.
Chile: Congress has rejected a bill that would have strengthened anti-discrimination laws by creating a body that would aid complainants and provide restitution and counselling. The bill now goes to a joint commission to try to come to agreement with the Senate, which has already approved it. The government has now also introduced a bill to combat anti-LGBTQ bullying in schools.
Singapore: The Science Centre cancelled a panel discussion on LGBTQ issues after conservatives flooded the centre and the ministry of education with complaints.
Canada: Federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is distancing himself from social views expressed by one of his MPs, with a new statement: “I will lead a small government that minds its own business, letting people make their own decisions about their love lives, their families, their bodies, their speech, their beliefs and their money.” One wonders how “letting people make their own decisions about…their bodies” squares with Poilievre’s support for provincial restrictions on gender care.
Mexico: Although MORENA lost the Guanajuato state congress elections last week, a legislator believes their larger opposition bloc will put them in a better position to demand passage of bills to decriminalize abortion and codify same-sex marriage into law.
Lithuania: The fate of a long-stalled civil union bill may come down to horse trading among the coalition partners – the Freedom Party faction is hinting they’ll hold up a nomination for European Commissioner coming from the conservative faction unless they support the bill as previously agreed.
European Union: European elections are this weekend, with far-right parties expected to make big gains. While they likely won’t win a majority, they could become part of a coalition with the mainstream conservative party, pushing out the moderate left parties that have shared power for the last several years.
On a related note, the leader of Poland’s Left Party says she believes the civil union bill will finally be introduced after the EU elections are concluded, and the equalities minister says she expects the hate crime bill and a gender recognition bill to come shortly, too.
Meanwhile, in the States…
The 5th Circuit Federal Court – yes, the one in Texas and Louisiana – has ruled that libraries can’t ban books simply because the decisionmaker doesn’t want people accessing their opinions.
Massachusetts: Back to the Bay State – at a raising of the Pride Flag at the legislature, house leader Mariano says lawmakers intend to pass a same-sex parentage act before the end of the month, but he has made no commitment on the sodomy decriminalization bill.
Washington: A “parents rights” law has been allowed to go into effect after a judge declined an emergency injunction to halt it before a full court hearing. Democrats allowed the law to pass rather than put it on the fall ballot assuming the courts would overturn it.
Colorado: The state Republican party sent out a hate-filled mailer echoing the Westboro Baptist Church with the slogan “God Hates Flags” to denounce Pride. This is sure to help the party out in the former swing state. Coloradans will be voting on a same-sex marriage amendment in November.
Maryland: A reader wrote in to let me know that a bill to protect doctors and people who seek gender-affirming care from having medical records subpoenaed by other states was passed and signed into law by the governor last month.
Delaware: The state legislature is still working a slate of pro-LGBT bills this session. The ones farthest along are a bill to facilitate prescription of PrEP by pharmacists, and one to expand the definition of sexual orientation in state law to include asexuality and pansexuality.
New York: The state legislature has ended, but they managed to pass a couple pro-LGBT rights bills ahead of the deadline, including renaming a New York City subway station to “Christopher Street-Stonewall National Monument Station.”