Growing crackdown on LGBT rights across Europe part of anti-democracy movement

Trump admin smashing remaining protections for LGBT people

A new report from ILGA-Europe warns that a growing crackdown on LGBT rights across Europe is part of an alarming anti-democracy trendline emerging across the continent.

Lithuania: President Nauseda has come out strongly against the civil union bill that is pending in parliament (but was unlikely to pass soon anyway). He prefers a bill on “close relationships” that doesn’t recognize same-sex couples as families or parents. The Constitutional Court has already ruled that same-sex couples can form families as defined under the constitution. The next scheduled elections are in 2029.

Montenegro: The Adriatic country is turning out to be a destination for same-sex couples from around the region wishing to access the country’s same-sex civil unions (life partnerships), which have been legal since 2021. Budva, on the coast, registered 70 same-sex unions last year, of which 68 were between foreign nationals. The story doesn’t have any data on this, but presumably, these couples are mostly from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, and Kosovo, all bordering countries with no same-sex union laws (Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia also share the same basic language).

Northern Ireland, UK: The government accidentally published a database with the personal, contact, and sexual orientation information of people who’d participated in consultations on the province’s equality legislation last week. Eep.

Also last week, Stormont heard testimony from an anti-trans group that wanted to bar trans women from single-sex spaces for women, which was objected to by the left and centre-leaning parties that represent the bulk of the assembly. This story also asserts that gender self-ID has been implemented in the province despite it having never been legislated. I haven’t heard anything about that before.

Mexico: LGBT groups demonstrated in front of the Chihuahua state congress demanding lawmakers codify same-sex marriage and adoption into state law, to reduce bureaucratic impediments to same-sex couples and families. Legislators said they would get around to this last year, but no movement has been made.

Peru: A man was given a four-year suspended sentence for harassing and inciting violence against a trans woman online after she apparently refused to have sex with him on a date.

Kenya: Parliament is moving closer to abolishing the death penalty, which has been under moratorium since the 1980s.

Trump Watch

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A federal judge excoriated the Department of Justice for defending Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving openly in the military. Judge Reyes noted the order’s “unadulterated animus” against trans people and said it was factually incorrect that there are only two genders. The judge says she will not rule until the Pentagon issues updated guidance, expected March 3.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has moved to dismiss all its pending cases on discrimination against trans people, in line with Trump’s executive order claiming trans people don’t exist. This clearly contradicts the Supreme Court’s Bostock ruling that specifically bans discrimination against trans employees.

The Department of Homeland Security has rescinded guidance barring personnel from spying on people due to the sexual orientation or gender identity, in apparent compliance with Trump’s executive orders.

Meanwhile in the States

Various efforts to on same-sex marriage bans in the states:

• Missouri: Republicans voted down a proposal to strike the state’s zombie constitutional ban.

• Georgia: An openly gay Democrat lawmaker introduced an amendment to repeal the zombie ban on same-sex marriage and enshrine a right to marriage in the state constitution. It stands no chance of advancing in the Republican-controlled legislature.

• North Dakota: A Republican has introduced a resolution calling on the Supreme Court to overturn equal marriage, mirroring an effort in process in Idaho. The resolution has made it through the house committee stage and is on the schedule for a floor vote in the house.

A couple states are proposing laws that would endanger LGBTQ foster youth, by preventing the state from barring prospective parents with anti-LGBTQ views from adopting them. In Kansas, bill has advanced out of committee to the house floor, while a bill is still in committee in West Virginia. Both are likely to pass due to lopsided Republican majorities; Kansas’ Democratic governor can veto it, but Republicans have enough votes to override her.

Minnesota: State Democrats have introduced a trans refuge law that would prevent other states from prosecuting trans people and their families for travelling to Minnesota for gender care. As Democrats lost control of the state house in last year’s election, it faces a challenge getting passed, though perhaps not an insurmountable one.

Delaware: Lawmakers have introduced a state constitutional amendment to make the document “gender silent” by removing all gendered pronouns.

Ohio: The city of Westerville (a suburb of Columbus) has become the 13^th in the state to ban conversion therapy.

Alaska: A school board in Cordova (pop. 2600) added language protecting sexual orientation and gender identity to its nondiscrimination policy.

Montana: Republicans are advancing a bill that would require parents to “opt-in” to any classroom discussion about sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex education. The bill appears to be intentionally confusingly written so as to discourage any discussion of these topics in school.

Utah: Republicans are advancing a bill that would bar public funding for adult gender care – blocking access for anyone receiving care through Medicaid or Medicare, as well as presumably through public service insurance plans. Republicans have already barred gender care for youth in the state.