Belize lawmaker calls for antidiscrimination law
Ohio Republican wants to decriminalize HIV
My Out in the World column is up at the Los Angeles Blade, with stories from Russia, UK, Spain, Russia, and the UN.
🇧🇿 Belize: A single government minister has spoken up against her own party in Parliament, over its decision to scrap an Equal Opportunities Bill, which would have banned discrimination based on disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The bill faces opposition from the usual religious groups.
🇪🇸 Spain: Four men were convicted over the weekend for a homophobic killing that sparked nationwide protests in 2021. More in Out in the World.
🇷🇺 Russia: Putin signed into law a ban on adoptions by citizens of countries where gender transition is legal. More in Out in the World.
🇦🇺 Australia: A nine-month review of hate speech laws in New South Wales has now recommended no changes be made, despite the law only netting one successful prosecution in six years.
🇵🇱 Poland: The right-wing candidate for next year’s presidential election refused to give his stance on the civil partnership bill or abortion when asked.
🇯🇵 Japan: Nippon.com is reporting that 85% of the population lives in a prefecture or municipality with access to same-sex partnership registries. These registries have no legal force, but help couples access some government services.
🇺🇳 At the UN
The COP29 conference in Azerbaijan caved to pressure from the Vatican, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, and Egypt to remove planned diversity and gender language from its update of its gender and climate programme, over their concerns that it would legitimize LGBT people. Without unanimous approval, the gender program would have expired. More on this, you guess it, in Out in the World.
The UN’s Third Committee once again passed its biennial resolution calling on states to abolish the death penalty with an overwhelming majority of 132 votes in favor to 36 against, with 21 abstentions.
🇺🇸 Meanwhile, in the States
✈️ Ohio: A Republican lawmaker introduced bills to repeal the state’s laws criminalizing HIV. It’s unlikely the bills pass before the end of the current session, but it’s interesting that a Republican is even interested.
🥔Idaho: Several state universities are dissolving DEI units preemptively, afraid of what the coming legislative session will bring.
Oddly, the state board of education is weighing a resolution that states, in part:
Institutions shall establish and maintain equality of opportunity for all students regardless of personal identity characteristics
Institutions shall ensure that no central offices, policies, procedures, or initiatives are dedicated to DEI activities
Institutions shall ensure student success centers are dedicated to all students
Surely, those goals are contradictory, no? How can an institution ensure equality of opportunity without policies related to diversity, equity, or inclusion?