Mexican state passes trans rights law
Lithuanian couples demand legal recognition at European Court
Mexico: Yucatan state congress unanimously passed a gender recognition act, which allows people to update their legal gender, though it does not allow nonbinary options. Now, 22/32 states allow legal gender change.
It also passed an update to its adoption laws, which one reader guess was related to allowing same-sex couples to adopt. But when I dug into it, it appears that Yucatan’s 2021 law on adoption is actually written in a completely gender-neutral fashion, so there shouldn’t be any impediment to adoption there, even though I and other reporters have been saying there are since marriage became legal in 2022. If any readers can shed some light on this, I’d appreciate it.
Meanwhile, federal legislators are calling on the senate to give swift approval to the changes made by the lower house to the conversion therapy bill so that it can finally be brought into force. The Senate resumes sitting tomorrow until April 30, when it is supposed to break for June elections.
Thailand: The Senate is set to debate the marriage equality bill tomorrow. I don’t know if that means they’ll vote on it tomorrow as well, but this is moving a lot faster than many had predicted earlier this year. If the senate approves it, it will go to the king and become law 60 days after royal assent.
Lithuania: A group of same-sex couples is taking the government to the European Court of Human Rights, seeking access to civil unions, marriage, and parental rights. A civil union bill has stalled in Parliament, as the current governing coalition includes a party that has reneged on its deal. ECHR precedent is clear – states are obligated to provide civil union recognition, but not marriage.
Japan: In a sign of growing acceptance, Tokyo Disney has announced it will give spousal benefits to LGBTQIA workers.
Poland: The president has vetoed a bill that would make the morning after pill available over the counter to anyone over the age of 15, saying that it shouldn’t be available to minors without parental knowledge. While the government is putting forward a workaround, it likely signals how the president, from the right-wing party the current government ousted last year, is going to be an obstacle to further reforms around LGBT rights and abortion.
Georgia: The EU has noticed the government’s attempts to pass more anti-LGBT legislation and constitutional amendments, and is being diplomatic about showing its disapproval. Georgia will not be able to join the EU if it doesn’t improve its record on human rights, democracy, and rule of law.
Taiwan: Legislators are looking at liberalizing laws around assisted reproduction, to allow single women and same-sex couples to access IVF, although surrogacy remains off the table for now.
Yemen: A Houthi court sentenced 32 men on dubious charges of sodomy and indecency, including ten who were sentenced to death by stoning and crucifixion.
Meanwhile, in the States…
Nothing solid to report on from the USA over the weekend. State legislatures have mostly finished their sessions by this point, so the pace of anti-LGBT legislation coming from red states should be slowing down now. I’m still tracking a few key bills that are making their way through blue states though:
Massachusetts: Bill to decriminalize sodomy and “walking while trans.”
Hawaii: Constitutional amendment to remove legislature’s right to ban gay marriage.
Michigan: Sodomy decriminalization, hate crimes law, gay panic defense ban.
Connecticut: Constitutional amendment for equal rights, law requiring state forms to have a nonbinary option.
Minnesota: Gay panic defense ban.