Austria to quash historical convictions of queers
Michigan Democrats continue to notch wins for the LGBT
Austria: The Justice Ministry has announced that it will annul all convictions under anti-gay laws that took place after 1945, and has set up a 33-million-euro compensation fund for victims of persecution. Austria decriminalized gay sex in 1971, but maintained a differential age of consent through 2002. Presumably 1945 was chosen as the start date because that’s when Austria regained its independence from Germany (although the current republic wasn’t officially formed until the Allies withdrew in 1955).
India: The US State Department says it is “closely monitoring follow-up steps” after the Supreme Court refused to legalize same-sex marriage, and encouraged the Indian government to enact reforms for equality for same-sex couples. Meanwhile, anonymous sources in the government have told Reuters it is prepared to offer same-sex couples rights around finances, inheritance, and medical decisions, but will stop well short of marriage.
Mexico: Protestors demanded that the Chihuahua state congress finally deal with a conversion therapy ban bill that has been in the legislative “freezer” for two years.
Ukraine: Here’s a more detailed English-language report on yesterday’s tweet about the civil union bill advancing in Parliament. The government now appears keen to support the bill, to meet its European Convention on Human Rights obligations.
Aruba and Curacao: It’s been more ten months since the common court for the Netherlands’ Caribbean countries found that the ban on same-sex marriage in these two territories is unconstitutional, and we’re still waiting on the Supreme Court of the Netherlands to hear those countries’ final appeals. In the meantime, the Netherlands Antillean Network is hosting a lecture on the subject in The Hague on Nov 10 to try and explain what’s going on.
Greece: The leader of the opposition SYRIZA party married his partner in New York yesterday, as that’s not currently legal in Greece. The Prime Minister has pledged to legalize same-sex marriage within the next four years.
Meanwhile in the States
Michigan Democrats have been busy. Governor Whitmer signed into law bills that bar anti-LGBT discrimination in health insurance.
The Michigan House also passed a bill banning the “gay/trans panic defense.” It now heads to the Senate. If it passes, it would be the third state to do it this year, after New Hampshire and Delaware, bringing the total to 18 plus DC.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Civil Rights held a hearing on two bills that create the crime of “institutional desecration” – basically hate-motivated vandalism, which is inclusive of LGBT people. A broader LGBT-inclusive hate crimes bill awaits hearing in the same committee.
New Jersey has reached a voluntary settlement with five counties that included inaccurate information on their websites that suggested that same-sex marriages, or marriages involving nonbinary people, were not available. The counties are correcting the information.
Over the weekend
We’ll be watching elections in Argentina and Switzerland, where the far-right parties are expected to make gains on Sunday.