Lithuania's top court legalizes civil unions
Poland's president sinks hate speech law
Lithuania: The constitutional court found that the absence of same-sex civil partnership legislation violates the constitution, and ordered parliament to pass regulations to bring the civil partnership law into force and allow same-sex couples to use it. In the meantime, couples can register their partnerships through the courts. This is similar to how neighboring Latvia had same-sex civil unions brought into force back in 2020. And thanks to this development, now the only EU countries that do not recognize same-sex couples are Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania.
The court’s decision turns on a 24-year-old civil partnership law that was passed, but without regulations to bring the law into force. The court found the delay in regulations to be unreasonable, and found that the law’s restriction to opposite-sex couples to be unconstitutional.
A same-sex civil partnership bill has been stalled in parliament for years. The current governing coalition of social democrats and far-right nationalists oppose the bill, but this judgement may give the social democrats to vote with the more moderate conservatives to pass the bill. Or we may need to wait until the next election in 2028.
Poland: The president has referred a law that would criminalize anti-LGBT hate speech to the constitutional court rather than signing it. The referral appears to be a move to kill the bill by deferral rather than vetoing it.
The equalities minister has also announced that the civil partnership bill will be heard in committee on April 24.
A new president will be elected May 18-June 1, and the liberal candidate appears to be leading, although the polls are close.
Moldova: The minister of foreign affairs was forced to issue a statement denying the veracity of a document that was circulating on social media in which he is alleged to be asking bureaucrats to create a framework for same-sex marriage, including amendments to the constitution. This sounds like Russian muck-raking to me, given that there’s barely any organized domestic LGBT movement in Moldova, and they’re certainly not agitating for marriage rights.
UK: Librarians in the UK are reporting increases in calls to remove books featuring LGBTQ characters, as anti-LGBTQ campaigners mirror efforts in the US.
Reports are also emerging that the US administration is pressuring the government to repeal hate speech laws in order to get a US-UK free trade deal going.
Mexico: A Sheraton hotel in Puerto Vallarta is repeatedly discriminating against gay couples who want to get married there.
Mongolia: The Bangkok Post has a post on what it’s like for “LGBTQQIP2SAA youth” in Mongolia.
Australia: QNews has announced it is ceasing print publication and going online only.
Meanwhile, in the States
The federal government has created a snitch line to report on doctors who provide gender care for minors – and issued guidance that medical professionals can report on doctors and patients despite Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules to protect patient privacy.
Hawaii: The state legislature is working on a bill that would ban discriminatory “restrictive covenants” in housing sales and rentals. It’s passed both houses, but needs agreement on amendments added by the house.
Maine: The federal department of justice is suing the state over its refusal to ban trans students from playing in girls’ sports, fulfilling Governor Janet Mills’ prophecy. Minnesota and California are also in the DOJ’s crosshairs on this issue.
The Lewiston school board is attempting to thread the needle by maintaining a ban on gender identity discrimination, but hearing those cases under a separate procedure. Not sure what to make of that.
North Carolina: The state house passed a bill that would ban books with “sexual content” from school libraries. It heads to the senate. It will likely be vetoed by the governor, and Republicans are one seat shy of a veto override in the house.
Florida: A bill to tighten an existing ban on “explicit” books in school libraries appears to have stalled, even as the state house is moving to advance it. The senate has assigned it to a committee that has no more meetings scheduled before the end of the session.
Alabama: The house passed a bill that would ban drag shows in public schools and libraries; it now heads to the house. The house also passed a bill to expand the “don’t say gay” law to cover all schools through grade 12. Another bill to require abstinence-only sex education is pending in the senate.