China court recognizes same-sex parents
World Health Organization calls mpox a global health emergency
Yesterday’s column about the death of Outfest and the self-appointed elders who gatekeep the queer community generated quite a few messages. You can read it here if you missed it.
And a little housekeeping: I’ve changed the name of this publication to “LGBTQ Global” to better reflect the fact I’m covering a broader range of issues connected to the fight for queer equality.
And now, news
🇨🇳 China: For the first time, a court has recognized the possibility of same-sex parenting. The court ruled in favor of a woman seeking visitation of her daughter, who she carried as a surrogate, but who was conceived using an egg from her partner, with whom she was legally married in the US before the relationship broke down. The court, however, did not grant similar rights for the girl’s brother, who was born to the ex and has no genetic link to the woman.
🇺🇬 Uganda: A Ugandan LGBT activist who founded PFLAG Uganda met with Pope Francis at the Vatican and they discussed the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act.
🇨🇦 Canada: LGBTQ activists are decrying an alarming rise in hate speech and hate-motivated attacks.
🇯🇵 Japan: PM Kishida is stepping down, triggering a party leadership race. Kishida tried to get an anti-discrimination bill passed last year, but settled for a watered-down “LGBT understanding” bill. It’ll be interesting to see if LGBT issues play a role in choosing his successor.
🇦🇷 Argentina: A government minister (Secretary for Religion) who opposes divorce and same-sex marriage has resigned for “personal reasons.” His successor doesn’t look much better.
🇺🇳 The World Health Organization has declared an emergency over an outbreak of mpox (formerly monkeypox) which has affected people in 13 countries, with most of the deaths occurring among children in Congo.
🇺🇸 Meanwhile, in the States
⭐ Texas: A federal judge has expanded his injunction against the Biden Administration’s interpretation of Title IX to protect LGBT students – the administration is no enjoined from doing anything to include “sexual orientation or gender identity” protections under Title IX.
This is, of course, nuts. The administration’s interpretation is simply the logical extension of the Supreme Court’s Bostock ruling defining sex discrimination to include SOGI.
🌴 South Carolina: Lake City has passed a local hate crime ordinance, joining a small list of cities in the state that punish hate crimes. SC is one of only two states with no statewide hate crime law.
Abortion Updates
Arizona and Missouri election officials have approved ballot questions on abortion access for November. Ten states will have abortion questions on the ballot this year.
Arizona’s Supreme Court also ruled on Wednesday that the information pamphlet for the question can refer to the fetus as an “unborn human being,” language which is pretty inflammatory, but that’s what you get with a packed Republican court. The same court imposed a total abortion ban based on an obsolete 19th century law earlier this year.
The good news is that the abortion initiative seems to be motivating Democratic turnout for the election, which ought to help Harris win the state, and Democrats to capture the state legislature (they currently need to flip two seats in each chamber).
Arkansas abortion supporters are still in court after the secretary of state refused to count their petition signatures, citing bullshit. The court is expected to make a decision in September.
Florida’s abortion ballot initiative has put Trump in an apparent bind, as he’s still refusing to say how he’ll vote on it.
Montana’s Supreme Court struck down a law requiring parental consent for a youth to have an abortion. An abortion question is also on the ballot here, and Democrats are struggling to hold a Senate seat against a Trump-endorsed rival.
Ohio’s abortion law is playing a part in the state’s Supreme Court elections in November, which could tip the balance to Democrats if things go well.
Two Texas women have filed federal complaints for being denied emergency abortions, which could have caused life-threatening complications.