These Caribbean islands could be the next equal marriage states

Meanwhile, Catholic Church gives ok to baptizing trans people, but not their children?

Aruba and Curacao: The Court of Cassation in The Hague heard these islands’ appeal of last year’s lower court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage today. If I understand the google translation correctly, the next hearing is January 19 (Dutch speakers and/or legal experts, please weigh in).

While the ruling does not directly apply to Sint Maarten, that island’s constitution has the exact same non-discrimination clause that the lower court found required Aruba to offer same-sex marriage, so if the Cassation goes in favor of equality, it’s likely that Sint Maarten will be next.

Namibia: The Ombudsman appointed staff to handle complaints relating to LGBTQ issues. A ruling in the pending legal challenge to the state’s sodomy law is expected to be handed down on May 17, 2024.

Spain: The regional government of Madrid, which is run by a far-right party, has announced it plans to repeal all of the regional government’s LGBT rights legislation, including recognition of gender identity, nondiscrimination laws, and its conversion therapy ban. However, national laws still protect all of these rights in the region.

Latvia: More details about the civil partnership bill that passed yesterday and the opposition’s attempt to halt it before it becomes law.

Duly Noted:

The Vatican put out a statement explaining that trans people can be baptized, godparents, or witnesses to a marriage. The statement said the same about gay people, but implied that in any case, the priest should consider whether there might be someone more appropriate to be a godparent. Bizarrely, the statement – which you can read in the original Portuguese here – suggests that children born to same-sex couples either through IVF or surrogacy might not be eligible for baptism, as the Church might not trust their parents to raise them Catholic.

Now, it’s been a while since I went to Catholic school, but that seems to miss the point that Catholics are supposed to believe that baptism is important regardless of how a child is raised. Speaking of which… Catholics usually baptize children very shortly after birth. Who are these trans children being baptized? Is the Church awash in adults to who change their gender and then realize they also need to convert to Catholicism?

Massachusetts: Small advance on the sodomy/walking while trans repeal bill. Yesterday, the Joint Committee on Rules reported it out favorably, and it’s now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. I believe once it’s reported out of that, it can be sent back to both houses for final approval. Ways and Means needs to weigh in because the bill sets up a commission to investigate other archaic laws.

Michigan: The legislature managed to pass its “institutional desecration” bill yesterday, which is the state’s first LGBT-inclusive hate crime law. It doesn’t look like the legislature will pass any other LGBT-related bills before it goes on hiatus on Tuesday, pending special elections that will give the Democrats back the majority in the state House.

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin announced he’s not running for reelection next year. That means his seat is almost certainly going to the Republicans, and gives Democrats an even bigger challenge to maintain their majority. Democrats will have to hold the White House and not lose any of their seats up for election, including in red states like Montana and Ohio, and purple states like Arizona, Nevada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Michigan, while their only real pickup opportunities are longshots in Texas and Florida.