This morning, the Supreme Court released one decision in an argued case, but it wasn’t one of the Title VII discrimination cases we’re following. We’ll find out at the end of the week when the next opinion day is.
SCOTUS update 6/2-6/4 BREAKING: SCOTUS holds Title VII protects...
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10 Comments
1.
Randolph_Finder | June 11, 2020 at 6:03 am
Can someone please explain what just happened in Switzerland? It seems like Marriage (or at least the ability to have a referendum) passed one house. I'm not understanding beyond that. 🙁
2.
VIRick | June 11, 2020 at 4:39 pm
Switzerland: National Council Passes Marriage Equality Legislation
Per Rex Wockner:
Today, 11 June 2020, the National Council of Switzerland passed the pending marriage equality legislation. The vote was 132 in favor, 52 against, 13 abstentions. The bill now goes to the upper legislative body, the Council of States, for approval.
https://wockner.blogspot.com/2018/06/worldwide-ma…
Ehe für Alle: Grosse Hürde geschafft
Der Nationalrat hat sich heute morgen, 11 Juni 2020, für eine Ehe entschieden, die gleichgeschlechtlichen Paaren genau die gleichen Rechte verleiht wie heterosexuellen Paaren. Die LGB-Organisationen und die betroffenen Familien sind über diesen Entscheid, auf den sie seit mehr als 20 Jahren warten, hoch erfreut und erleichtert. Nun liegt es am Ständerat, die vollständige Gleichstellung zu ermöglichen.
Der Nationalrat hat sich in der Gesamtabstimmung mit 132 zu 52 Stimmen (13 Enthaltung) für eine umfassende Gleichstellung entschieden und damit auch für den Zugang zur Samenspende und die Elternschaftsanerkennung ab Geburt.
https://www.pinkcross.ch/news/2020/ehe-fuer-alle-…
Marriage For All: Big Hurdle Cleared
This morning, 11 June 2020, the National Council decided in favor of marriage, giving same-sex couples exactly the same rights as heterosexual couples. The LGB organizations and the families affected are delighted and relieved by this decision, which they have been awaiting for more than 20 years. It is now up to the Council of States to enable full equality.
The National Council decided favorably in the overall vote with 132 to 52 votes (13 abstentions) for comprehensive equality and thus also for access to sperm donation and the recognition of co-parenthood from birth.
Today's move was entirely legislative, passing the first of the two houses in Switzerland's parliament. There was nothing in it about any referendum. If/when there is to be any referendum, it will come later, after full passage of the legislation, but before implementation, once the haters gather their signed petitions together and force such a referendum (assuming they can conjure the required 50,000 legitimate signatures within 100 days of the bill's final passage in the Council of States).
Per Más Igualdad Perú:
¡Grandes noticias desde Suiza! El Congreso de este país acaba de dar el primer paso hacia el matrimonio igualitario, y ahora depende del Consejo de Estados de este país dar el "Sí" final.
https://twitter.com/masigualdadpe/status/12710738…
Great news from Switzerland! The Congress of this country just took the first step toward marriage equality, and now, it depends upon the Council of States of this country to give the final "Yes."
3.
Randolph_Finder | June 15, 2020 at 10:08 am
Honestly, this was faster than I expected Switzerland to move. The good news is that if the situation by Party is the same in the Upper House as the Lower (which is Swiss People's Party and Christian Democratic People's Party being against by about 2-1 and everyone else in favor) it should pass the upper house easily.
4.
VIRick | June 11, 2020 at 11:00 am
Wheeling WV: Trans Woman Wins Seat on City Council
Rosemary Ketchum, a transgender woman, has won a seat on the Wheeling, West Virginia, city council. She is the first trans person elected to public office anywhere in the entire state. Ketchum won by a slim margin in the non-partisan four-way race, picking up 287 of the 731 total votes cast in the election.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/06/trans-woman-w…
5.
VIRick | June 11, 2020 at 11:08 am
Jacksonville FL: City Council Again Passes LGBTQ Non-Discrimination Ordinance
The first Jacksonville FL LGBTQ non-discrimination law was struck down by the court on a legal technicality after a hate group sued. So, the city council has passed it again.
On Tuesday, 9 June 2020, by a 15-4 vote, the Jacksonville City Council restored the city’s LGBTQ non-discrimination protections after a Florida appeals court struck down the original measure in May due to a legislative technicality. Mayor Lenny Curry has signaled that he will sign the ordinance into law, and that it will go into effect as soon as it reaches his desk.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/06/florida-citys…
6.
VIRick | June 11, 2020 at 1:22 pm
Virginia/Minnesota/Alabama: Multiple Confederate/Columbus Statues Toppled
On Wednesday, 10 June 2020, in Richmond VA, protesters tore down a statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis, the latest in a growing list of monuments depicting Confederate leaders, enslavers, and colonizers to be toppled during recent Black Lives Matter protests. The bronze statue of the president of the Confederate States during the Civil War had stood on Monument Avenue for over 100 years in front of a column monument. After protesters pulled it down, it lay on its back in the street, an arm outstretched. The crowd cheered when a tow truck came and took it away.
On the previous night, a 93-year-old statue of Christopher Columbus was toppled in Richmond, set on fire, and thrown into a lake. Last week, a statue of Confederate leader Williams Carter Wickham was pulled down in a Richmond park.
About 80 miles away, in Portsmouth VA, protesters threw paint, beheaded, and set on fire a large statue of four Confederate leaders, as horns played. After an attempt to use a rope to pull the statues down had failed, protesters then smashed the statues off in pieces with sledgehammers.
In St. Paul MN, Native American protesters brought down another Columbus statue outside the Minnesota Capitol building, to cheers. Video shows that protesters then played Native American drums and sang in front of the toppled statue.
Early Wednesday, 10 June 2020, in Boston MA, for the third time in 15 years, another Columbus statue was beheaded. Last week, in Montgomery AL, a statue honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was brought down outside a high school.
In Bristol, England, a statue of Edward Colston, a famed UK slave trader, one that people had unsuccessfully attempted to have peacefully removed for the past 100 years, was ripped from its pedestal and unceremoniously thrown into Bristol Harbor. Colston's company transported more than 100,000 enslaved men, women, and children from West Africa to the Caribbean and the Americas between 1672 and 1689. At least 20,000 died during the crossings due to the wretched conditions on the ships, their bodies thrown overboard.
In Belgium, a statue of colonial King Leopold II was removed from the city of Antwerp after being defaced by anti-racist protesters. During the leader’s reign over the Congo, an estimated 10–15 million people died.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/amberjamieso…
The word "deface" first entered the English language in the mid-1600s during the Protestant Reformation in the Netherlands when protesters angrily went from cathedral to cathedral chopping off the faces of all interior and exterior statuary, right down to the last cherub and angel. Having seen many examples of this original "defacing" throughout the Netherlands, none of which has ever been restored or repaired, that literal imagery never escapes my mind. The plethora of little uncut penises on chubby, naked toddlers belong to the hundreds of "defaced" cherubs, while all the "defaced" angels are asexual.
7.
VIRick | June 11, 2020 at 9:26 pm
Veracruz: New Civil Code Recognizing Same-Sex Cohabitation Comes into Effect
Per LGBT Marriage News:
Entra en Vigor Nuevo Código Civil y Se Anuncian Amparos
Este jueves, el 11 de junio 2020, entraron en vigor las reformas al código civil, que establece que el concubinato es la unión de hecho entre dos personas que tienen las mismas obligaciones y derechos que un matrimonio, será controvertida por grupos que defienden los derechos de la comunidad LGBTTTI y por "Profamilia." Con la publicación en la Gaceta Oficial del Estado se validan los cambios que regulan el concubinato, y permite la unión de parejas del mismo sexo.
Jazz Bustamante, integrante de la comunidad LGBTTTI, adelantó que tres organizaciones que promueven los derechos de la comunidad lésbico-gay recurrirán a amparos por la omisión legislativa en la que incurrieron los integrantes de la 65 Legislatura. La activista destacó que mientras en el Artículo 139, que regula el concubinato, se valida la unión de hecho entre personas del mismo sexo, no se modificó el Artículo 75, en el que se establece que el matrimonio es la unión entre un hombre y una mujer. En ese sentido, dijo, buscarán que se declare inconstitucional el Artículo 75, pues el código va contra el principio de progresividad de la legislación, pues existe una contradicción entre ambos artículos, lo que además es discriminatorio.
https://www.diarioelmundo.com.mx/index.php/2020/0…
New Civil Code Enters into Force and Amparos Are Announced
This Thursday, 11 June 2020, the reforms to the civil code that came into force, establishing that cohabitation is the de facto union between two persons who have the same obligations and rights as in marriage, will be contested by groups that defend the rights of the LGBTTTI community and by "Profamilia." With the publication in the Official State Gazette, the changes that regulate cohabitation are validated, and permits the union of same-sex couples.
Jazz Bustamante, a member of the LGBTTTI community, announced that three organizations promoting the rights of the lesbian-gay community will resort to amparos against the legislative omission incurred by the members of the 65th Legislature. The activist stressed that while Article 139, which regulates cohabitation, validates the de facto union between persons of the same sex, Article 75, which establishes that marriage is the union between a man and a woman, was not modified. In that sense, she said, they will seek to have Article 75 declared unconstitutional, since the code goes against the principle of progressiveness in legislation, as there is a contradiction between both articles, which in addition is discriminatory.
Note: One has 30 days from 11 June 2020 to file an "Action of Unconstitutionality" against Article 75 with the SCJN.
8.
ianbirmingham | June 12, 2020 at 5:58 pm
US Erases Transgender Civil Rights Protections In Healthcare
The Trump administration announced the move on the four-year anniversary of the massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando and in the middle of Pride Month.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/us/politics/tr…
9.
VIRick | June 12, 2020 at 8:36 pm
Ecuador: First Anniversary of Marriage Equality
Per "Revista Vistazo:"
Hace un año, el 12 de junio 2019, la Corte Constitucional de Ecuador reconoció el matrimonio igualitario, una conquista para los derechos de la población LGBTI. 122 parejas del mismo sexo pudieron casarse.
https://twitter.com/revistavistazo
One year ago, on 12 June 2019, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador recognized marriage equality, a conquest for the rights of the LGBTI population. 122 same-sex couples have been able to marry.
Per Tatiana Sonnenholzner:
Hace un año, la Corte Constitucional del Ecuador reconoció como un derecho el matrimonio civil para personas del mismo sexo. Pero, no fue hasta el 9 de julio de 2019 que se efectivizó, con el fallo publicado en el Registro Oficial. Desde esa fecha, 122 parejas han gozado del matrimonio igualitario.
https://twitter.com/tsonnenholzner
One year ago, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador recognized as a right civil marriage for persons of the same sex. But, it was not until 9 July 2019 that it went into effect, with the ruling being published in the Official Register. Since that date, 122 couples have enjoyed marriage equality.
Today, 12 June, Is Also "Loving" Day
It took LGBT people in Ecuador to remind me that these two important court rulings both occurred on the same date:
Per Lolo Miño:
Casualmente, hoy se celebra en EEUU el 53 aniversario de la sentencia de "Loving v. Virginia," donde la SC de EEUU validó los matrimonios interraciales, hasta entonces criminalizados en varias leyes estatales.
https://twitter.com/LoloMino
Coincidentally, today in the United States the 53rd anniversary of the ruling in "Loving v. Virginia" is celebrated, one where the US Supreme Court legalized inter-racial marriages, until then criminalized in various state laws.
10.
VIRick | June 13, 2020 at 2:53 pm
Colorado: Legislature Passes Bill Banning "Gay Panic" Defense
Per LGBT Marriage News:
On the second try this session, legislative Democrats and Republicans passed a bill that takes away "panic" as a defense against assaulting a gay or transgender person. On Friday, 12 June 2020, Senate Bill 221 passed the House, 63-1, and now moves to Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado's first gay governor, to become law.
The bill replaced House Bill 1307, which stalled out earlier in the session. The renewed legislation was sponsored by Reps. Brianna Titone, a Democrat from Arvada and the state's first transgender legislator, and Rep. Matt Soper, a Republican from Delta.
https://www.coloradopolitics.com/legislature/colo…