Courts in Ukraine, Hungary, recognize same-sex families
Abortion rights win at court in Montana, Wisconsin, but SCOTUS takes aim at trans rights again
Ukraine: A local court has for the first time recognized a same-sex couple as being a family. The couple have been together since 2013 and married in the US in 2021. They sought the right to have one partner join the other on his diplomatic posting in Israel but were denied by the government. The court overruled that decision.
President Zelenskyy came out in favor of civil partnerships in 2022 – at the time, he said he even supported same-sex marriage, but acknowledged that would require a constitutional amendment, which is not possible during wartime. A civil partnership bill is before parliament, but has not advanced out of committee due to opposition. This court ruling may add fuel to the bill.
Hungary: Last month I reported that I’d seen a single sketchy report from that the constitutional court ordered the government to recognize foreign same-sex marriages – this week, I’ve seen a number of other outlets confirm the broad details. The government has until Oct 31 to pass some reform allowing couples married abroad to have their marriages recognized as civil partnerships under Hungarian law (same-sex marriage is still banned by the constitution).
Poland: It looks like there might be a breakthrough coming on the civil partnership bill. The left faction says it’s open to compromising with the more conservative part of the coalition and the incoming right-wing president to try to get a bill passed. It looks like the main compromise offered is to change the name from “civil partnership” to “partnership agreement,” and just maybe that’s enough to get it over the line? The president-elect has sounded open to negotiation. Polls of Poles show strong support for same-sex unions, although a majority oppose adoption.
Latvia: 235 couples have formed civil unions in the year since they became legal. And here’s a report on the struggles trans and nonbinary people have due to lack of legal recognition.
While we’re in Central Europe, Global Voices has a look at queer-themed rock music in the former Yugoslavia in the 1970s and 80s.
Spain: The mail service Correos is launching a stamp commemorating the 20th anniversary of same-sex marriage in Spain – the third country to legalize it nationwide.
Mexico: Congress’ foreign affairs committee approved reforms to asylum laws that would (among other changes) replace the term “sexual preference” with “sexual orientation and gender identity,” providing more legal certainty for LGBTQ refugees.
Update on the same-sex marriage codification bill in Guanajuato – the opposition has agreed to hold consultations on the bill over the summer (“within 15 business days”) so that the bill can be voted on as soon as the next session of the state congress begins in September. A bill on banning conversion therapy is also under consideration, and a new bill was just tabled stiffening penalties for hate-motivated murders of trans women (“transfemicide”).
Ditto in Chihuahua, where a marriage codification bill has just concluded committee hearings. It’s expected to be brought to a vote soon.
Guyana: The local LGBTQ advocacy group SASOD is pushing the government to include protections for LGBTQI people in employment discrimination law.
Hong Kong: South China Morning Press thinks the city government’s proposed bill to give limited recognition to same-sex couples married overseas is dead on arrival, given most legislators are expressing opposition. We shall see.
Vatican: Pope Leo has signaled that he will leave in place his predecessor’s policy allowing blessings for same-sex unions, while continuing to oppose same-sex marriage.
Meanwhile, in the States
SCOTUS has ordered lower courts to reconsider a bunch of trans rights cases in light of their decision in Skrmetti, finding that states could ban gender care for trans youth. The cases involve West Virginia and North Carolina’s bans on state insurers covering gender care, and Oklahoma’s ban on changing legal gender on ID.
SCOTUS also announced it will hear a challenge to Idaho and West Virginia’s bans on trans students competing in school sports according to their gender.
Ohio: Efforts to put an equal rights and equal marriage amendment on the ballot in 2026 advanced as the attorney-general approved the petitioners’ amendment description. It now goes to the ballot board, who will determine if the question can be considered in a single amendment. If approval is given, canvassers can start the work of collecting 400,000 signatures across the state.
North Carolina: Republicans are trying to sneak a bunch of anti-trans laws into an unrelated bipartisan bill about protecting people in online porn. The amendments would define trans people out of existence, ban use of state funds for gender care for prisoners. The bill is still in the senate, and if the amendments pass, it would have to return to the house for approval. NC Republicans no longer have a veto-proof majority in House, but would only need one Democrat to join a veto override.
Montana: SCOTUS declined to hear a challenge from the state seeking to reinstate a law requiring parental consent for minors to have an abortion, which the state’s supreme court struck down after voters affirmed abortion rights in the state constitution last year.
Wisconsin: The state supreme court struck down a 19th-century abortion ban in a ruling that had been expected after Democrats won a majority on the court in 2023. The law had snapped back into place after the Dobbs decision overturns abortion rights nationwide, but had been blocked by lower courts. The ruling affirms abortion rights in the state.