Lithuania court says no to same-sex marriage
Nagano, Japan begins registering partnerships
A local court in Vilnius, Lithuania rejected a same-sex couple’s demand to allow them to marry. The court has ruled that the Lithuanian constitution contains wording that limits marriage to heterosexual couples. It’s the second of three pending court challenges seeking to recognize same-sex partnerships; earlier this year a court rejected a couple’s plea to register a same-sex civil partnership, saying that there is no such law they could be registered under. A third challenge is seeking recognition of foreign same-sex marriages. These decisions may still be appealed. Meanwhile, the Lithuanian Parliament is still considering a civil union law, and it awaits a final vote, yet to be scheduled. The president has threatened to veto it if it passes.
In neighboring Estonia, the far-right opposition parties are threatening to block any bills in Parliament unless the government repeals the same-sex marriage law that was passed in the spring. This seems unlikely to work, but worth keeping an eye on.
Japan’s Nagano became the 13th prefecture (of 47) to begin accepting same-sex couple partnership registration today. The smaller city of Seto in Aichi prefecture is the latest municipality to offer them, too.
In India, while the Supreme Court is still weighing a same-sex marriage case heard this spring, LGBT activists are also hopeful that the national government’s planned Uniform Civil Code will be inclusive of queer families and recognize LGBT rights. Personal laws in India have been governed since colonial times by separate legislation for its various religious communities, which has led to various inequities, and which the constitution has envisioned doing away with since independence.
In Guatemala, the left-wing, anti-corruption presidential candidate Bernardo Arévalo is being tarred with accusations that he will introduce same-sex marriage. While he has said he supports minority identities, he has actually distanced himself from same-sex marriage as an issue, and in any event, the president wouldn’t have the power to introduce it. The election runoff will be held Aug 20.
Thailand’s post-election government-formation turmoil continues to bubble over. Courts will hear a challenge to Parliament’s move to block the reformist candidate who won the most votes from becoming prime minister on Thursday, a day before Parliament is scheduled to hold its next vote for PM. The junior coalition partner is reportedly seeking more conservative partners to put them in power, which, if true, may mean that the coalition’s plan to expand trans rights and legalize same-sex marriage may be toast.