Marriage bill sails through Thai senate first reading
US states gear up for high-stakes elections with marriage and abortion on the ballot
Some big news across the world today, but first some announcements:
Going forward, I’ll be writing The Los Angeles Blade’s weekly Out in the World feature, where I recap LGBTQ+ news from Europe and Asia-Pacific. Check out my first column, with news from Japan, Poland, Serbia, Lithuania, Australia, and New Zealand.
I also have a couple of arts stories up today. First, a preview of the upcoming PBS broadcast of the tribute show honoring Elton John and Bernie Taupin for receiving the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize. Second, I have a preview up of Geffen Playhouse’s production of the Pulitzer-winning play Fat Ham (pictured above).
Now, the world news…
Thailand: The same-sex marriage bill sailed through its first reading in the senate yesterday on a 147-3 vote. The bill goes to committee, which will have 60 days to review the bill before it’s sent back to the senate for second and third readings by July.
Separately, the government began consideration of a bill to legalize surrogacy for foreign and same-sex couples.
Japan: Five more prefectures and over forty municipalities began issuing same-sex partnership certificates April 1, bringing the totals to 26/47 prefectures and 417 municipalities.
Philippines: A legislator has filed a same-sex cohabitation bill. Although this is a really milquetoast bill, I would not expect this to make any more progress than previous anti-discrimination and civil union bills.
Poland: The equalities minister says the threat of a presidential veto is holding up work on the proposed civil union bill. The bill is written, but she doesn’t want to submit it to parliament until a) the government agrees to list it as a government priority, assuring it higher precedence, and b) she’s certain she has the votes to pass it and that it will survive a veto threat.
Meanwhile, in the States…
Colorado: The state senate has advanced a bill out of committee that would add “gender identity and gender expression” as protected categories under the state’s hate crime law. It goes to the senate floor, and then the house. This is really a clean-up bill; existing law includes “transgender status” under its definition of “sexual orientation,” which is inaccurate and may not actually include the gamut of gender identities or expressions that may need protection from hate crimes. (For example, an effeminate, cisgender, heterosexual man or a masculine, cisgender, straight woman may not be protected under existing law).
Wisconsin: Democratic Governor Tony Evers vetoed a Republican-backed bill that would require schools to bar trans athletes from sports corresponding to their gender. The veto is unlikely to be overridden.
Hawaii: The senate committee examining the proposed constitutional amendment to protect same-sex marriage will hold a public decision-making hearing tomorrow. Assuming it passes, it’ll go to the senate floor for a final vote ahead of the November elections.
Maine: Both houses of the state legislature have passed a bill to join the National Interstate Popular Vote Compact, with just one more procedural vote to put it into law. Speaking of presidential elections, Nebraska Republicans are suddenly taken with the idea of changing state law to award electoral college votes on a winner-take-all basis, to deny Biden the one electoral vote Democrats usually have a good chance of winning in the Omaha-centered district. If they do so before the session ends April 18, I imagine Maine will do the same to deny Trump the one vote Republicans often win in its more rural district.
Florida: The state supreme court approved a citizen-initiated referendum to put abortion rights into the state constitution. Aside from abortion rights in themselves, there’s at least some hope that the referendum will motivate Democratic turnout. And while it’s unlikely, it could help make the state competitive and possibly flip some congressional and legislative districts.
Tennessee: The state legislature gave final approval to a bill that bars the department of children’s services from considering a prospective parent’s anti-LGBTQ beliefs in adoption and fostering decisions. It goes to the governor for approval.
Kansas: State Republicans rebuffed a Democratic party attempt to force a floor vote on a bill that would have removed language banning same-sex marriage from the state code.