Japan expands partnership registries
France moves to compensate victims of anti-gay laws
Japan: Nara prefecture is the latest to announce that it is implementing a same-sex partnership registry, bringing the total to 29 out of 47 prefectures. The registry is meant to open next month.
Thailand: The government is planning to increase availability of HIV medicines with the goal of eliminating all new infections by 2030.
Kosovo: Religious and social conservatives are successfully blocking a bill to regulate IVF by denying Parliament a quorum whenever it comes up, although it’s believed it has the votes to pass. The bill allows all women access to IVF, whether they are married, single, or in same-sex couples.
Ireland: Voters rejected two constitutional amendments to replace outdated and sexist language defining the family and the role of women in society, but margins of 2-to-1. Not great! Yahoo! has a look at what went wrong.
Portugal: Voters ousted the left-wing government yesterday, in an election that saw the center-right party emerge with the most seats. The far-right party appears to hold the balance of power, but the presumptive prime minister has said he does not plan to form a coalition or governing agreement with them.
India: The Supreme Court has directed lower courts that they cannot order gay people into conversion therapy.
Scotland: A new hate speech law comes into effect in April, having been passed into law three years ago.
France: The National Assembly has passed a bill that would provide compensation to people who were convicted under anti-gay laws between 1942 and 1982. The bill goes to the Senate.
Meanwhile in the States…
Idaho: A state house committee has killed a bill that would have banned “political” flags (ie, the Pride flag) in classrooms.
Oklahoma: The Dallas Observer has a look at several anti-LGBT bills in the legislature.
The week ahead:
Thursday is going to be a busy day this week! On just that one day, we’re expecting:
· decisions on separate same-sex marriage cases in Tokyo and Sapporo, Japan.
· The Supreme Court of Nepal to re-hear the same-sex marriage petition in front of the full bench
· Thailand’s parliament to begin debate on the same-sex marriage bill
Tomorrow, New Hampshire will hold two special elections to its legislature, but that is not expected to alter the balance of power in the Republican-controlled chamber.