Hungarians take dick-shaped march against Pride ban

Boise city government flouts new state law banning Pride flags

I don’t think I shared this when it went live, but I interviewed a lesbian running to be California’s next Lieutenant-Governor for the Los Angeles Blade.

Hungary: Thousands of people joined the largest rally yet against the government’s proposed law banning Pride events and rainbow iconography. The satirical rally took a penis-shaped path through the capital and featured greyscale Pride flags. The next election is no more than a year away.

Greece: The Supreme Court heard a challenge from malcontents who say that same-sex marriage, which became legal last year, is unconstitutional.

Japan: Daily newspapers The Mainichi and Asahi Shimbun called on the government to legalize same-sex marriage in the wake of several court rulings finding the current ban unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the city of Iga has begun issuing certificates to same-sex couples who have registered their partnership as “spouses,” joining the handful of cities that has begun officially referring to same-sex partners that way.

Philippines: LGBTQ issues have become a topic in upcoming midterm elections (May 15), with one leading opposition senate candidate drawing fire for her opposition to same-sex marriage, riling her progressive base.

Cayman Islands: In a debate ahead of legislative elections April 30, all party leaders agreed that they would not legalize same-sex marriage or abortion, though they expressed support for the current civil union law.

Trinidad and Tobago: An organization is calling on candidates in the April 28 election to commit to creating an LGBT-inclusive anti-bullying policy.

EU: File this under “interesting” – Iceland’s new government is proposing a referendum by 2027 on restarting EU accession talks, which have been suspended since 2015. Norway is also considering restarting accession talks. If either does restart negotiations, each should proceed through talks fairly quickly. Two very progressive countries joining the union would help balance an increasing anti-LGBT trend emerging among Eastern European members and candidates.

Meanwhile, in the States

The federal Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services is ordering states not to use Medicaid funds for gender affirming care for minors.

Kansas: Republican legislators overrode the Democratic governor’s veto of a bill that would ban the state from requiring foster parents to affirm an LGBT child’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Florida: A Satellite Beach teacher has become the first person to lose their job for using a trans student’s preferred name without getting their parent’s permission first.

West Virginia: The state house passed a bill requiring teachers to out students who question their gender to their parents. The house also passed a particularly cruel bill that closes a loophole in the state’s existing ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth that allowed teens who were considered at risk of suicide or self-harm to receive the care. The house even rejected a Republican-proposed amendment that would have allowed those receiving treatment to continue receiving treatment for a year while they either “taper off” or move out of state. Both bills now await the governor’s signature.

Idaho: The city of Boise has decided to ignore a recently passed state law that bans government buildings from flying Pride flags. There’s actually no enforcement mechanism on the law, so there’s nothing happening.