New Zealand to end gay blood ban
Trump Administration rolled out new anti-LGBT policies over the weekend
New Zealand: Medsafe, the country’s health agency, has approved new blood donation screening that will no longer discriminate against gay and bi men. The rule change will go into effect in early 2026.
Argentina: Thousands protested across the country after President Milei gave a speech decrying “wokeism,” feminism, and LGBTQ rights.
Switzerland: The government is moving to liberalize its assisted reproduction laws, including allowing egg donation and allowing sperm donation to unmarried people.
Meanwhile, in the States
Federal workers have been ordered to remove pronouns from their email signatures and any other features that prompt users to give theirs, which is one of those things that must sound really smart to stupid people.
The State Dept has scrubbed trans people from its web pages, including travel advisories. Where it once referred to “LGBTQI+,” it now says “LGB.”
The Dept of Education announced it is undoing a Biden-era rule that banned discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Thanks to court challenges by red states and Trump-friendly judges, the rule was basically already dead.
The CDC has removed data on sexual orientation and gender identity from its web site, and appeared to temporarily remove information on HIV as well.
The head of the Census Bureau has resigned, giving Trump a free hand to pick a replacement who may try to skew the upcoming census to favor Republican priorities. Questions about sexual orientation and gender identity on the upcoming American Survey are almost certainly going to be gone.
Nebraska: A state legislator has introduced a pair of constitutional amendments that would delete the state’s ban on same-sex marriage and introduce a positive right to marry regardless of gender or race. The resolutions had their first hearings on Friday. Nebraska’s legislature is unicameral and officially nonpartisan, though Republicans generally control it and I’d be surprised if this goes anywhere.
Michigan: A federal judge denied a request for an injunction blocking the state’s conversion therapy ban. A trial over the ban continues.
Texas: Republican Governor Abbott has directed all state agencies to “reject woke gender ideologies.”
Colorado: A bill to repeal the defunct statutory ban on same-sex is set for second reading in the state senate on Tuesday.