Brazil, Turkiye far-right take aim at LGBTQ
Backsliding on rights is a real possibility. Remain vigilant.
Brazil: A bill to ban same-sex marriage was pushed through a committee of the federal lower house, and moves on to two more committees before it will be voted on by the full house and then the senate. Same-sex marriage has been legal by a series of court orders beginning in 2011. Right now, right-wing, conservative, and Evangelical parties hold a majority in both houses of the federal congress, so it’s entirely possible that this bill does make it all the way – though some analysts say that’s unlikely. President Da Silva has vowed to veto the bill if it comes to his desk, and it’s likely the bill wouldn’t survive a legal challenge.
Turkiye: LGBT and women’s activists are concerned about proposed constitutional amendments that will attack long-held rights in the name of protecting the family and religion. The proposed amendments reportedly present LGBT people as “deviants” and a “threat” to the family, which would legitimize restrictions on expression, organization, privacy, and basic rights, while encouraging violence and discrimination against them.
UK: The attorneys-general of UK and its overseas territories and dependencies held a meeting last month in Montserrat, where they discussed (among other things) legislation to recognize same-sex couples. Most territories have passed such legislation, except Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands, Monserrat, Anguilla and Turks & Caicos. The UK encourages all of them to comply with international obligations (notably under the European Convention on Human Rights) to recognize couples in law.
The UK Virgin Islands’ Premier has made it clear he does not want the UK to impose same-sex marriage on the territory, and says he still intends to go ahead with a referendum on the issue. The referendum has apparently been delayed by technical issues around the voting machines, and how long they must store ballots after last May’s election before another vote can be planned. (One wonders what the territory would do if an election resulted in a hung Parliament and a new vote needed called…)
Kazakhstan: While several EU states continue to debate ratifying the Istanbul Convention on domestic violence, the Kazakh government is apparently also considering acceding to the convention. Kazakhstan is eligible to accede to the convention as an observer of the Council of Europe.
Russia: Russia lost its bid to return to the UN Human Rights Council, being beaten out by Bulgaria and Albania for the two open Eastern Europe seats.
Meanwhile, in the States:
Major LGBT organizations the Human Rights Campaign, Equality PAC, and the National Centre for Transgender Equality have endorsed President Biden for reelection.
The US Justice Dept has filed 23 charges against gay Republican NY Rep George Santos, alleging fraud and money laundering, among many other charges.
Democrats in the US Senate have filed a bill to help LGBTQ veterans who were discharged unfairly to receive benefits.
Florida Democrats have once again filed a bill to repeal the state’s statutory ban on same-sex marriage. The bill has no chance of passing through the Republican-controlled legislature next year. Florida also has a state constitutional ban that would need to be repealed by referendum.
Michigan’s Senate gave final approval to a bill that will bar sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination in health insurance in state law. The bill now heads to Governor Whitmer’s desk; she has already indicated she will sign it. While the law duplicates existing federal protections and provisions in the state’s civil rights law also passed into law this year, it’s considered an important backstop or clarification in case federal law ever changes. This is just the latest LGBT rights legislation passed by Michigan’s new Democratic trifecta.
Massachusetts: The bill to repeal the state’s sodomy and “walking while trans” laws has been reported out of the Joint Judiciary Committee and is now in the Committee on Rules. (I believe this is a procedural requirement, because Judiciary’s amendments technically made it a new bill, so it’s beyond the January filing deadline and needs permission to advance).
And it’s National Coming Out Day!
