Lithuania court considers civil partnerships
Hungary protesters take to the streets over proposed Pride march ban
Lithuania: The constitutional court began consideration of a case brought by the former government, which sought clarification on whether it’s constitutional to limit civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples. A bill to legalize same-sex partnerships has been stalled in Parliament for years and awaits a final vote, but the current governing coalition and president oppose it.
Germany: A Protestant church in Bavaria has announced it will offer equal same-sex marriages, to bring the practice in line with national law.
Hungary: Thousands of protestors blocked the Elisabeth Bridge in central Budapest yesterday in a demonstration against a proposed law banning Pride parades and other demonstrations against the government which the government is fast-tracking through Parliament. The EU has said it will fight the law if it breeches freedom of expression rights, which, I mean obviously it does.
In a further blow for human rights, the government also announced its intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.
India: A Pride parade in Amritsar scheduled for April 27 has been cancelled, following threats from Sikh religious groups.
Trinidad and Tobago: The attorney-general has come out in favor of scrapping the “savings clause” from the constitution, which shields pre-independence laws from constitutional challenge, and which was key to a recent court decision to reinstate the country’s bugger laws. An appeal of the court decision is pending at the UK Privy Council. Amending the constitution would require a 2/3 vote in parliament; elections are scheduled for April 28.
Meanwhile, in the States
The Bureau of Land Management has dropped protections for sexual orientation and gender identity from its equal employment statement, in line with President Trump’s executive order on gender identity.
Colorado: It’s official – Governor Polis signed the bill codifying same-sex marriage into state law on Monday.
Last week, the state house also passed bills protecting access to gender care for trans people – including requiring insurance coverage – and protecting trans youth in schools and courts, with a provision that deadnaming and misgendering are considered discrimination under state law. They both pass to the state senate.
Legislators also passed a bill enshrining abortion rights into state law following last year’s referendum on the issue. It
Kansas: Democratic Governor Kelly vetoed a bill that would have removed protections for LGBTQ children in foster care, but Republican legislators plan to override the veto next week.
Oklahoma: The Tulsa School Board has adopted a “parents’ bill of rights,” which allows parents to opt students out of sex ed and requires schools to out LGBT students to their parents.
Texas: A bipartisan bill to repeal the state’s defunct sodomy law had a committee hearing on Tuesday, but no further action has been taken yet. The bill retains a section that requires schools to teach students that “that homosexual conduct is not an acceptable lifestyle” that is “accepted by the general public.” Last session, more than half the state house sponsored the bill, but it didn’t get a vote due to opposition from the Republican leadership. This time, the bill has only five sponsors (3D, 2R).
Massachusetts: A scheduled committee hearing on the sodomy law repeal bill did not yield a decision.
North Carolina: Wake County School Board is going ahead with removing protections for LGBT students from its nondiscrimination policy, following a proposal that received unanimous approval from the board at first reading yesterday.
Meanwhile, the state supreme court paused the court of appeal’s ruling that sought to overturn an election to the NCSC and hand a seat to the Republican. The appeal will now be heard at the supreme court.