Japanese trans woman sues for right to change gender without divorcing wife

India takes steps to protect LGBTQ prisoners' rights

My Out in the World column at the Los Angeles Blade has news from the UK, Japan, Philippines, Burkina Faso, and Poland.

I also have a report on LA County’s latest moves to help transition youth from the foster system to permanent housing, to help them avoid homelessness, and a wrap-up on this past weekend’s South LA Pride Festival.

🇯🇵 Japan: A trans woman has filed a case in the Kyoto High Court seeking to change her legal gender without first divorcing her wife, which is required under current law.

🇦🇺 Australia: The South Australia Greens are planning to introduce legislation to remove the right of religious schools to discriminate against LGBT employees and students.

🇵🇱 Poland: President Duda is still refusing to comment on whether he will veto the civil union bill until it is actually introduced – and maybe even passed – in parliament.

What it seems like he’s doing is allowing the government coalition to tear itself apart over the details for as long as possible. If he just said it would be vetoed, then they would unite against him and force him into some kind of negotiation. This way, he can foment discord, and still eventually veto the bill. The next presidential election is next year.

🇮🇳 India: The national government has asked all states to ensure that LGBTQ prisoners are treated equally in the prison system. The action comes out of the work of the committee set up to investigate impediments to LGBTQ equality set up in response to the Supreme Court ruling against same-sex marriage last year. (No, the reconsideration hearing of that ruling has not yet been rescheduled as far as I know).

🇨🇮 Cote d’Ivoire: The West African nation acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the UN Treaty aiming at global abolition of the death penalty. The penalty has never been applied there since independence.

Dearly Departed

🏋️‍♂️Richard Simmons passed away over the weekend. The gay fitness icon was 76 years old.

🇺🇸 Meanwhile in the States…

Did anything important happen in the US this weekend?

Well, former President Trump has picked Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate. GLAAD has has a record of his anti-LGBTQ actions and statements – including saying he would’ve voted against the Respect for Marriage Act and introducing a bill to criminalize gender care.

The Hill has an explainer on how Vance would be replaced in the US senate in the case Trump/Vance win the White House. The short answer: Republican governor appoints a replacement, and a special election would be held in Nov 2026.

Meanwhile, the Republican convention so far has already been filled with lots of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, no matter what some outlets are saying about Republicans softening their tone.

South Dakota: A court has tossed a case seeking to remove an abortion rights question from the November ballot, so voters will get their say on repealing the state’s abortion ban this fall.

Michigan: A lawsuit has been filed seeking to overturn the state’s ban on conversion therapy.

🏳️‍⚧️California: Governor Newsom has signed a bill that bans school boards from requiring teachers to notify parents when students request to use a different name or gender.

In response, noted anti-trans bigot Elon Musk announced that he is moving Twitter and SpaceX from California to Texas.