Poland government finally puts forward civil union bill

Protest against LGBT rights fizzles in Namibia

In case you missed my “Out in the World” column at the Los Angeles Blade yesterday, here it is.

🇵🇱 Poland: The civil partnership act has been officially put on the government’s schedule, although it is projected not to be completely passed until later in the fall. Partnerships will be open to straight and same-sex couples, and will afford people rights in inheritance, property, taxation, and support, although a common family name and adoption are not in the current draft.

🇳🇦 Namibia: A protest against same-sex marriage appears to have fizzled, with only a handful showing up. They’re pledging not to vote until the government pronounces itself on the draconian anti-LGBT bill which, honestly, sounds like a win. Meanwhile, the government is sending out ministers to assure people that they are against same sex marriage and against the court’s verdict striking down the sodomy law (although no appeal of the latter decision has been announced… yet).

🇳🇬 Nigeria: The governor of Kano state in the Muslim-majority north has announced another periodic crackdown on LGBT people and advocacy. Kano is Nigeria’s most populous state and operates under sharia law.

Meanwhile, it seems that legislators and the media are having another periodic freakout about the “Samoa Agreement,” which is a development agreement between the EU and 79 African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries. Bigots are freaking out because they believe the Agreement contains a legal obligation to promote LGBT rights and same-sex marriage, despite neither being mentioned anywhere in the document.

🇪🇨 Ecuador: I simply cannot follow this report on twin decisions from the constitutional court regarding legal gender change and assisted reproduction for same-sex couples. I believe the court ordered congress to update the laws to facilitate legal gender change and assisted reproduction, but I’m not entirely sure on the specifics. If anyone can point me to some clarification, I’d appreciate it.

🇧🇷 Brazil: The Supreme Federal Court ruled that schools must take steps to address homophobic bullying.

🇻🇪 Venezuela: Pride marchers in Caracas this weekend called for same-sex marriage, legal name/gender change, and prohibition of discrimination.

🇮🇳 India: The Supreme Court has denied petitioners request that their reconsideration of last year’s ruling against same-sex marriage happen in open court. The reconsideration will happen in chambers tomorrow instead.

🇲🇽 Mexico: Baja California Sur state has officially passed a law recognizing “trans childhoods,” ie, allowing minors to update their legal gender. Legislators there are also hoping to re-pass a law recognizing same-sex parents/adoption which was vetoed by the governor earlier this year.

Errata

🇫🇷 France: While openly gay prime minister Gabriel Attal offered his resignation in the way of Sunday’s election, President Macron rejected it, asking Attal to stay on for stability while a new government is formed. Indeed, if a broad coalition of the centre, centre-left and centre-right is formed in parliament, Attal may stay on after all.

California: Yesterday, I wrote that the same-sex marriage ballot question has been assigned the name Proposition 2. That was a typo. It’s actually Prop 3.

🇺🇸 Meanwhile, in the States…

The Republican Party committee responsible for drafting the national platform has softened old planks regarding abortion and same-sex marriage in apparent response to Trump’s direction. The new platform, which must still be accepted at the convention, no longer refers to defining marriage as between opposite-sex partners, and says abortion laws should be up to the states.

Over at Public Notice, Aaron Rupar reports on how the Supreme Court’s decision last month striking down the Chevron decision, which held that courts should defer to experts at regulatory agencies when it comes to interpreting rules and statutes, has already led to courts striking down regulations meant to protect trans people in schools and health care. And this is only the beginning…