Suriname court orders government to recognize foreign same-sex marriages
Canada's new Prime Minister has big shoes to fill
Suriname: Last month, a court ruled that the state must register two same-sex marriages that occurred abroad, finding that restrictions on same-sex marriage violate the country’s human rights obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The court seems to urge the legislature to amend the law to allow same-sex marriage, but the ruling stops short of actually doing that. It’s also clear in the ruling that the decision is limited to just these two couples, and that the couples must make additional contractual arrangements to effect the legal rights afforded to married couples, until such time as the law is adjusted (see paragraph 4.14).
The couples had previously sought relief from the constitutional court in 2023 but were unsuccessful. Suriname also passed a new Civil Code last year that did not include any recognition of rights for same-sex couples.
I have not been able to find any response from the government or politicians on the ruling.
Suriname is one of only a handful of South American countries that do not recognize same-sex couples. The others are Guyana, Paraguay, and Peru.
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Bangladesh: Activists behind a new political party aimed at reform have ousted a prominent member because he’s gay.
Canada: Over the weekend, the Liberal Party chose Mark Carney as its new leader, who will succeed Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister in the coming days. I’ve written about Trudeau’s lasting legacy on 2SLGBTQIA+ rights in Canada – Carney has big shoes to fill, although queer issues are not terribly front-of-mind in Canada these days and Carney hasn’t really said much on the topic. However, a combination of Carney’s leadership campaign and Donald Trump’s relentless threats on Canada’s economy and sovereignty have triggered a reversal of the Liberal Party’s slide in the polls, and it appears that Liberals now stand a fighting chance of holding office after a federal election that must be held by Oct 20 but is widely expected to be called much sooner.
Meanwhile, in the States
Pennsylvania: A lawsuit is seeking to overturn a regulation that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the state. Since 2023, the PA Human Relations Commission has interpreted the ban on “sex” discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity, just as SCOTUS did in the 2020 Bostock ruling. State Democrats have attempted to pass a law that would make the ban on SOGI discrimination explicit, but have been continuously blocked by Republicans.