Mexico close to passing hate crime law
Government appeals sodomy decriminalization in Namibia
Mexico: The national congress is inching closer to passing a hate crimes law that includes protections for LGBT people, after the bill made it out of committees. The bill is named the Osiel Baena law after a non-binary judge who was murdered last year. 22 of Mexico’s 32 states have LGBT-inclusive hate crime laws.
Ghana: The Supreme Court upheld the country’s sodomy law, which had been challenged as a violation of the constitutional right to privacy. The court has not yet published its reasons but says it will. The court is still considering a separate challenge to the anti-gay bill passed earlier this year, which makes the penalties for homosexuality much harsher and criminalizes LGBT rights advocacy.
Namibia: The government has filed an appeal of last month’s High Court ruling decriminalizing sodomy. I think it’s unlikely the Supreme Court upholds the law.
Curacao: The island’s first same-sex marriage is happening this Saturday, after the Court of Cassation made it legal earlier this month. Felicitacion!
Meanwhile, in the States…
Another federal court has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Biden administration’s interpretation of Title IX to include protection for transgender students. The new ruling applies to Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota. The rule is blocked in about two dozen Republican-led states.
Michigan: Governor Whitmer signed the bill banning the use of the gay panic defense, making Michigan the 20th state to ban it. Just another reminder why Democrats deserve to be returned to power in the state in November.
Great reporting Rob. What a major disappointment that the biased Ghanaian Supreme Court does not recognize the right to liberty, privacy, and justice for all its people. Unfortunately, this decision is another major setback for the region where the military junta in Burkina Faso (on Ghana’s border) recently seized power and announced a ban on same-sex sexual activity, where previously such acts had always been legal. This legislation still needs to be passed by the militant-controlled parliament. Burkina Faso’s junta recently pivoted toward Russia from its historical ties to enlightened France.