Marriage Equality cases advance in South Korea, Peru

Argentina's president threatens to introduce a slew of "anti-woke" laws

South Korea: Two couples have filed a suit seeking a right to same-sex marriage at the Constitutional Court. The case had originally been filed at several district courts in October 2024, and last month, the first of those courts dismissed the suit, opening the case up for an appeal to the Constitutional Court.

It is still likely an uphill battle to get this deeply conservative court – which recently upheld a ban on gay sex in the military – to recognize same-sex marriage, and the court is not likely to take the case in the near term, as the Court is embroiled in the current controversies around (suspended) president Yoon Suk Yeol (illegally) declaring martial law last December.

Peru: A lesbian couple has filed a suit seeking to force the civil registry to recognize their marriage in Argentina. Ten cases have been filed across the country seeking same-sex marriage equality.

Argentina: Keep an eye here; there’s speculation President Milei will introduce bills to repeal a law against “femicide” (gender-based hate crimes), and to ban abortion and same-sex marriage. It doesn’t appear he has the votes to pass any of these initiatives – for now.

Philippines: About 140 same-sex couples held a symbolic marriage ceremony in Manila on Valentine’s Day.

South Africa: A gay imam was murdered in Gqeberha Saturday after officiating a lesbian wedding.

Australia: The Bureau of Statistics has revealed the questions that will be on the next census will include questions about sexual orientation and gender identity, after a bit of drama last year. Parliament still has to amend legislation around sex data collection before it can go forward.

Meanwhile, in the States

The National Park Service scrubbed all references to trans people from the web site for the Stonewall Inn National Monument last week, prompting outrage from the LGBTQ+ community.

The US Army announced it would no longer allow trans people to join the military and would no longer facilitate gender transition for existing service members. Both actions are in accord with Trump’s EO denying the existence of trans people.

ABC News reports on proposed state constitutional amendments to protect same-sex marriage in a handful of US states.

• Virginia has already passed an amendment through its state legislature; it needs to be passed again next year to be put on the ballot in 2026.

• Idaho Democrats have introduced an amendment, but it stands exactly zero chance of being passed through the legislature, as state Republicans in the house have already passed a resolution calling on the Supreme Court to overturn equal marriage.

• A Nebraska Democrat has also introduced a pair of marriage amendments, but it stands little chance of passage in the Republican-controlled legislature.

• Arizona Democrats have introduced a marriage amendment; Republicans have narrow majorities in both houses, so it’s unlikely to pass there either.

TL;DR – there won’t likely be any ballot questions about same-sex marriage in 2025, and Virginia is the only place it’s currently likely in 2026.

Iowa: Half of Iowa’s school districts have not removed any books from school libraries, in apparent defiance of a state law that just went into effect banning books depicting “sex acts” from school libraries. The boards rightly explain that there’s no guidance around the legislation, and the law is too broad and vague to be applied. Still, 3400 books have been removed from the other school boards, including dozens of classics and otherwise innocuous books.