Turkish police arrest tourist for 'looking gay'
Nigerian police arrest two men for alleged kiss video
Police in Turkiye also detained a Portuguese tourist for three weeks because he ‘looked gay,’ and was therefore suspected of planning to take part in the banned Istanbul Pride festivities. A regular reminder that Turkey is increasingly become a hostile, anti-LGBT fascist state.
Police in Nigeria’s Kano state arrested two men on suspicion of planning a same-sex wedding after a video of them kissing was circulated online. The men deny they are gay and that the video shows them kissing.
Russia’s latest anti-trans bill is now law, having been signed by President Putin. The bill bans gender affirming medical care, legal gender transition, annuls marriages where one partner transitions, and bans trans people from adopting or becoming foster parents.
The Supreme Court of Michigan has ruled that non-biological LGBT parents may have some custodial rights in cases where marriage was not yet possible under state law. The ruling likely only affects a small number of couples, but is significant in recognizing the equality of same-sex parents.
I haven’t been tracking this closely, but House Republicans have spent the past couple months adding “poison pills” to numerous “must-pass” budget bills. The poison pills target government action on numerous Republican hobby horses, such as banning display of Pride flags, legalizing and endorsing anti-LGBT discrimination, banning funding for abortions, and restricting the ability of agencies to enforce labor and environmental regulations. In all likelihood, the poison pills will all be dropped in the face of united Democratic opposition in Senate and White House, but it’s worth paying attention to what the Republicans are pushing for and how far they’re willing to risk government services.