Gay couple marries in space
Georgia government advances anti-LGBT laws
Over at the Los Angeles Blade, my Out in the World column has stories from the UK, France, Spain, Russia, and Japan.
Philippines: The lead sponsor of the SOGIE Equality Bill is calling on the new senate leadership to finally allow debate on the bill on the senate floor. The new leadership prefers a competing Anti-Discrimination Act that is also before the senate.
Meanwhile, another lawmaker is urging local politicians to enact ordinances to protect LGBT rights given the longstanding reluctance of national lawmakers.
Georgia: Fresh off passing the Russia-style “foreign agents” bill that restricts activities by NGOs and media, the government has formally introduced its anti-LGBT package of bills. The package restricts legal and medical gender change, bans adoption by LGBT people, bans LGBT activism, bans depictions of LGBT people in the media, bans discussion of LGBT people in schools, and officially declares May 17 – the International Day Against Homophobia – to be a day to celebrate traditional families. The government expects to pass it by the autumn, ahead of national elections.
Canada: Federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has had to stamp down comments made by one of his MPs, who said that he would support bills to ban abortion and same-sex marriage if the Conservatives form government. Poilievre did not address’ the MP’s comments about supporting restrictions on trans people.
Thailand: The Prime Minister marched in Bangkok Pride this weekend, and vowed to continue to support same-sex marriage. A marriage equality bill is currently before the senate and expected to pass this month.
Italy: An Italian couple will be the first gay couple to be married in outer space, as they celebrate their vows in a private space flight. Their marriage will not be legal when they return to Italy.
Zimbabwe: The government is expediting a bill to abolish the death penalty – possibly by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, the government almost re-introduced a law criminalizing HIV transmission, but has agreed to remove it from a proposed Criminal Laws Amendment Bill. The bill’s main purpose is to raise the age of consent from 16 to 18.
Election Roundup
Mexico: As expected, Claudia Scheinbaum won election as Mexico’s first female president, continuing MORENA’s control of the government. MORENA also scored a landslide in the national congress, which has spooked some analysts who worry they may be able to pass some of the anti-democratic constitutional reforms floated in the last term.
MORENA also kept the governorship and congress of Veracruz state, where a trans gender ID bill had been stalled until after the vote. It also maintained control of Chiapas, where they have long failed to pass a bill codifying same-sex marriage into law.
PAN maintained control of the state congress of Guanajuato, where several LGBT bills have stalled, including codifying same-sex marriage into law.
India: Prime minister Modi’s Hindu-nationalist BJP party appears to have swept to a third electoral victory, although it has fallen short of the 2/3 majority needed to amend the constitution, a prospect feared by many minorities.
European Union elections are this weekend
Meanwhile, in the States…
Congressional Democrats have introduced a bill, the PRIDE Act, to remove gendered terms in the tax code (ie, husband/wife) and allow same-sex couples who were married before the Supreme Court ordered the US government to recognize same-sex marriage to amend their tax filings to claim owed credits and refunds.
Pennsylvania: A new advocacy group is calling on the senate to pass an LGBT-inclusive anti-discrimination law. The bill passed the Democrat-led house last year, but has stalled in the Republican-controlled senate. The senate is a top target for Democrats in November, though it may take two cycles for the Democrats to take control, as only half of the seats are up every two years.