UK Labour not offering much for LGBTQ voters

A trans woman is about to make history in Delaware

My latest Out in the World column is up at the Los Angeles Blade, with stories from France, Greece, Georgia, Singapore, Poland, Lithuania, and Pakistan.

UK: The Labour Party, which is widely expected to form the new government after elections July 4, has released its election manifesto, which includes scant promises for the LGBTQ community. The party is committing to strengthening hate crime laws and passing a trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy.

The party is also pledging to simplify the process of updating one’s legal gender, but says they will continue to require a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a specialist doctor. They also say that they’ll continue to support the existence of single-sex (read: trans-exclusionary) spaces.

Mexico: A gay couple in Jalisco won a court injunction requiring the state to recognize them as the parents of their children who were born through surrogacy. This is a first for the state.

Ukraine: Kyiv Pride took place this weekend  for the first time since the ongoing Russian invasion began in 2022. Among the participants were many war veterans who called for legislation banning discrimination and recognizing same-sex unions.

Global Affairs: The G7 met this weekend, and its final communique left out any direct references to protecting LGBTQ people and references to abortion rights. Host country Italy denied removing the references (which were present in last year’s communique) after French president Macron insinuated the country’s far-right government removed them.

The Week Ahead

Thailand: The senate is expected to give final approval to the same-sex marriage and adoption bill on Tuesday. If it passes, it goes to the king for assent and takes effect 120 days after publication, so we’d likely be looking at a November effective date.

Namibia: The ruling in the case seeking to strike down the country’s sodomy laws is expected to be handed down on Friday.

Meanwhile, in the States

Delaware: State senator Sarah McBride is on a glide path to Congress, as her main challenger in the primary for the state’s safe Democratic at-large seat has just dropped out. If she wins, she’ll be the first openly trans legislator elected to Congress, and the youngest legislator sent to Congress from Delaware since… Joe Biden in 1973. There currently isn’t even a Republican challenger for the seat, although one could file by the July 9 deadline. The primary is September 10.