EU registers initiative to ban conversion therapy
Spain's Asturias region moves to protect trans rights
Canada: A school board in British Columbia has taken the unprecedented step of barring the public from attending future meetings in person, due to regular harassment from a small group of anti-LGBT protestors. The psycho anti-LGBT movement, which has grown out of the anti-vax movement in Canada, has been disrupting school board meetings as a regular tactic for the past year.
Panama: Musician and former Minister of Tourism Reuben Blades has voiced support for same-sex marriage in the country. Last year, the Supreme Court issued a long-delayed ruling against equal marriage, contradicting the Interamerican Court of Human Rights’ ruling on the issue, and this year, presidential candidates are squaring off on how anti-LGBT they can be.
Mexico: Not entirely sure I follow what’s happening here, so if a reader who understands Mexican politics better wants to fill me in… Anyway, it looks like a federal legislator is proposing a national trans rights law, but it will require 17 states to sign onto it, because it would require states to meet basic standards for trans rights (presumably including legal gender change and hate crime laws).
Chile: LGBT activists are working to have proposed articles struck from a draft adoption law that they claim are homophobic. The proposed laws would allow children the option to reject being adopted by same-sex couples.
Spain: The Asturias regional government is drafting an LGBTI rights law, which will protect trans people from discrimination. Until December, Asturias was one of only two regional governments (along with Castille & Leon) that did not have local laws to protect trans people’s rights and recognize their gender – in December, Madrid repealed its law, becoming the third.
Latvia: The civil partnership bill was officially signed into law last week by openly gay President Edgaras Rinkevičius. It takes effect July 1.
Greece: Well, that was short. Cabinet met today to discuss the same-sex marriage bill that I told you was delayed yesterday. It’s still expected to be brought to Parliament and passed by mid-February. Meanwhile, the archbishop of Cyprus has joined the Greek Orthodox Church Synod in condemning same-sex marriage; there is not currently a marriage bill proposed in the island country.
Turkey: Parliament approved Sweden’s NATO accession yesterday. The last holdout is Hungary, and its Parliament isn’t scheduled to sit again until February 26. Hungarian PM Orban is attempting to use the delay to force Sweden and the EU to stop holding it to democratic, rule of law, and human rights standards, all of which is surely making Putin smile.
European Union: The European Commission has registered a citizen’s initiative to ban conversion therapy across the EU. If the organizers collect 1 million signatures total from at least 7 member states, the commission will have to respond to the initiative.
Czechia: The Senate is voting later today on ratification of the Istanbul Convention on Domestic Violence, and it looks to be a squeaker, amid far-right concerns that it protects and promotes LGBT rights. Czechia is one of only 5 EU countries not to ratify the treaty; 3 other Council of Europe states have not ratified it either.
United Nations
Human Rights Committee Universal Periodic Reviews have begun again. On Monday and Tuesday, China, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Senegal were reviewed. UN members called on China, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to end the death penalty. Senegal was called on to protect the rights of LGBT people. China was called on to ban anti-LGBT discrimination. Nigeria was called on to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which precedent has found bans criminalization of gay sex, and was directly called on decriminalize gay sex. Today, Mexico and Mauritius were reviewed, but I didn’t see any LGBT-specific recommendations put forward.
Meanwhile, in the States
Donald Trump won the New Hampshire primary election, solidifying his path to the nomination.
The fact that only Republicans had a competitive primary yesterday likely also helped Republicans win two special elections for the NH House of Representatives, widening their narrow majority to five seats.
Ohio: A state law that requires candidates for office to disclose all previous names on signature collection forms is being applied inconsistently by local boards when it comes to trans people. Three trans candidates have sought to run, but two have been cleared while one was not.
Missouri: Republicans are attempting to ban trans students from using bathrooms and locker rooms corresponding to their gender as part of a “parents bill of rights.” MAGA Republicans in the state are also attempting to force through a state constitutional amendment that would make it harder for citizen initiatives to pass, in an effort to block a proposed initiative to restore abortion rights.