Having technical problems? Visit our support page to report an issue!
Equality On Trial
SIGN UP FOR BREAKING NEWS
Equality Case Timeline
Equality on Trial's Case Timeline is the go-to place to find thorough, up-to-date information on the myriad of marriage equality lawsuits taking place across the US.
78 Comments
1.
ianbirmingham | September 1, 2022 at 5:23 pm
10 prison years for cop-assaulting Trumpanzee who is himself a retired NYPD cop
Thomas Webster, a 20-year NYPD veteran and former Marine, was the first Capitol riot defendant to be tried on an assault charge and the first to present a self-defense argument.
Webster drove alone to Washington, D.C., from his home near Goshen, New York, on the eve of the January 6 'Stop the Steal' rally, where Trump addressed thousands of supporters. Webster was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a Marine Corps flag on a metal flagpole when he joined the mob that stormed the Capitol.
A jury rejected Webster's claim that he was defending himself when he assaulted Metropolitan Police Department officer Noah Rathburn using a bike rack and then using his metal flagpole, then tackled Rathbun, grabbed his gas mask, and held him down while choking the officer by his gas mask, while others in the mob kicked the officer, leaving him with multiple injuries.
Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before they convicted Webster of five felony charges relating to an assault on a law enforcement officer and one misdemeanor, including a charge that he assaulted Rathbun with a dangerous weapon.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced Webster, 56, to 10 years in prison plus three years of supervised release.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11170963…
2.
ianbirmingham | September 1, 2022 at 6:50 pm
'Christians For Ukraine' posts homophobic opposition to SSM
Zelensky’s words were “very disturbing”, states Christians for Ukraine, since the President only referred to the Constitution that cannot be changed during wartime. “There was no denial of the permissibility of homosexual marriages in Ukraine or reference to Ukrainian traditions and moral norms in the president’s answer,” the platform writes. Zelensky does not defend the current wording of the Constitution. “From this, it can be concluded that in the absence of this restriction, the president allows the amendment of Article 51 of the Basic Law.” That article says that “marriage is based on the free consent of a woman and a man”.
The website fears that this shows Zelensky’s “commitment to the leftist agenda”, which is “harmful and inappropriate in a time of war.”
According to the news site, it is difficult for Ukraine to stop this legislation. “The country now really needs the help of the West, which can dictate any conditions. And the promotion of LGBT ideology can be one of them.”
In Ukraine, the Constitution is not easy to change. The parliament has to vote about it in at least two sessions; the amendments must have the consent of the Constitutional Court and receive at least 300 of the 450 votes.
Many countries in Central and Eastern Europe have marriage described in the Constitution as a relationship between a man and a woman. This week, a group of Members of Parliament in the Czech Republic proposed to do the same in that country.
https://cne.news/artikel/1537-heavy-resistance-ag…
3.
ianbirmingham | September 1, 2022 at 6:57 pm
Ukraine war fuels public support for same-sex marriage
The petition demanding the legalisation of same-sex marriage has amassed more than 28,000 signatures to-date, which LGBTQ+ activists said was a huge improvement on other efforts in recent years that had only gained the support of a few hundred people.
'Nash Svit' – a LGBTQ+ rights centre – said Ukrainian public opposition against same-sex civil unions had dropped to 41.9% in 2022 from 69% in 2016, based on two polls conducted for the organisation by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
The war, which recently passed the six-month mark, has united the nation and inspired Ukrainians to look past their prejudices when it comes to LGBTQ+ people, according to Jul Sirous, a coordinator for volunteers and teamwork at KyivPride.
"(People are) now looking at some things in a completely different light because compared to the fact that a person might be gone tomorrow, the fact that they are gay or a lesbian – we're not paying attention to that," Sirous said. "This war has helped in this way."
https://news.trust.org/item/20220825105312-qwxas
4.
ianbirmingham | September 3, 2022 at 9:07 am
Positive Views of Supreme Court Decline Sharply Following Abortion Ruling
Americans’ ratings of the Supreme Court are now as negative as – and more politically polarized than – at any point in more than three decades of polling on the nation’s highest court.
Following a term which saw the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling ending the federal guarantee of the right to abortion along with several other high profile cases that often split the justices along largely ideological lines, this shift in views of the court has been driven by a transformation in Democrats’ views.
Just 28% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now view the court favorably, down 18 percentage points since January and nearly 40 points since 2020. Positive views of the court among Republicans and Republican leaners have increased modestly since the start of the year (73% now, 65% then).
As a result, the partisan gap in favorable views of the Supreme Court – 45 percentage points – is wider by far than at any point in 35 years of polling on the court.
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/09/01/p…
5.
VIRick | September 3, 2022 at 12:25 pm
Chile: Referendum Vote on New Constitution, 4 September 2022
Per LGBT Marriage News:
The referendum on the new constitution will take place tomorrow, Sunday, 4 September 2022. Provisions include the recognition of sexual and reproductive rights.
Per Ricardo Baruch:
El borrador de la nueva Constitución que se vota en Chile este domingo reconoce los derechos sexuales y reproductivos, y "las diversidades y disidencias sexuales y de género."
https://twitter.com/baruchdom/status/156573790953…
The draft of the new Constitution that is voted on in Chile this Sunday recognizes sexual and reproductive rights, as well as "sexual and gender diversity and dissent."
6.
VIRick | September 3, 2022 at 7:49 pm
Oaxaca: First Marriage of a Same-Sex Couple in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán
Per TVBUS Noticias Oaxaca:
Por primera vez en Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, se celebra una boda entre dos personas del mismo sexo. Miguel Ángel Ramírez Pérez de 23 años y Nicolás Yescas Cruz de 31 años unieron sus vidas este sábado, el 3 de septiembre. Felicidades.
https://twitter.com/tvbus/status/1566254530311819…
For the first time in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, a wedding is celebrated between two persons of the same sex. Miguel Ángel Ramírez Pérez, 23, and Nicolás Yescas Cruz, 31, united their lives this Saturday, 3 September. Congratulations.
Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán is a separate municipality with a population of 82,000, located just 5 km. south of the state capital, Oaxaca de Juárez. The state of Oaxaca has had marriage equality since 26 August 2018 by order of the State Director of the Civil Registry, an order then codified into state law by the Congress of Oaxaca one year later, in August 2019.
7.
VIRick | September 3, 2022 at 9:14 pm
It's Hurricane Season and Tropical Storm Earl Is Here
At 11 PM AST on 3 September 2022, TS Earl is centered at 19.5N, 64.2W. We are at 18.3N, 64.9W, meaning that its center is presently about 80 miles to our NNE. Early tomorrow, the worst of it will pass by just to our north. Presumably, we will remain on the "safe" side by a hair, assuming the winds do not increase as its forward speed decreases.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?start…
At 11 AM AST on 4 September, TS Earl is now centered at 19.5N 64.4W, about 75 miles to our NNE. During the past 12 hours, it has barely moved from that same location, as it appears to be shifting its (potential) forward direction, rather than intensifying its wind speed. Still, it remains right in our face, with the BVI being even closer (by 20-50 miles) to its center. The worst weather remains over the open Atlantic, east of the storm's center.
At 5 PM AST on 4 September, TS Earl is now centered at 20.0N 65.2W, about 100 miles to our NNW, and thus, has slowly begun to move away from us. It is forecast to continue moving away on a rather northerly course, while slowly intensifying into a major hurricane.
8.
VIRick | September 4, 2022 at 3:14 pm
Iran: Two Gay Rights Activists Sentenced to Death
The Islamic Republic of Iran imposed the death penalty on two LGBTQ activists for allegedly promoting homosexuality, the human rights organization, Hengaw, reported on Sunday, 4 September 2022.
According to Hengaw, an organization from neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan that documents human rights violations, “Zahra Sediqi Hamedani, known as ‘Sareh,’ 31, from Naqadeh, and Elham Chubdar, 24, from Urmia, both activists of the LGBT community, were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Urmia in a joint case on the charge of ‘Corruption on Earth’ through the promoting of homosexuality.”
The Hengaw Human Rights Organization added that “the sentence has been announced to them in the past few days in the women's ward of Urmia Central Prison.” Urmia (Orumiyeh) is the capital and largest city of West Azerbaijan Province of Iran, its westernmost province, one bordering Iraqi Kurdistan, eastern Turkey, and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. Within Iran, it further borders on East Azerbaijan, Zanjan, and Iranian Kurdistan.
The independent Iranian news Twitter feed, 1500tasvir, also reported on the sentencing, writing, “Homosexual rights activists Zahra Seddighi, 31, and Elham Choobdar, 24, have been sentenced to death.” Iran’s regime has executed between 4,000 and 6,000 gays and lesbians, under a whole series of pretexts, ever since its 1979 Islamic revolution.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/iran-sentenc…
9.
scream4ever | September 5, 2022 at 9:59 am
Chilean voters have overwhelming rejected the proposed constitution:
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/09/04/americas/chile…
10.
ianbirmingham | September 6, 2022 at 12:32 am
With almost all of the ballots counted, 62% of voters rejected the proposal with 38% voting in favor, according to the Chile Electoral Service.
The document was rejected in all of Chile's provinces, including the more progressive capital of Santiago and its metropolitan area, where voters had overwhelmingly supported Boric last December during the presidential election.
After much deliberation, the final draft of the revised constitution was submitted to Boric, Piñera's successor, in July this year.
But although most Chilean voters supported the idea of constitutional change back in October 2020, divisions appeared over the proposed draft.
Soon after the draft was made public, different polls began showing an increasing trend toward the rejection of the charter, with the government publicly recognizing that scenario.
The defeated constitution would have been one of the most progressive in the world, giving the state a front-line role in the provision of social rights.
The right argued the draft would shift the country too far left, or that it was too ambitious and difficult to turn into efficient laws. In the lead-up to the vote, even some of its supporters on the left wanted adjustments made, with their slogan "approve to reform."
The opposition has vowed to begin a new process to rewrite the constitution, promising voters the next one will better reflect their interests.
11.
VIRick | September 5, 2022 at 11:40 am
Yucatán: First Marriage of a Same-Sex Couple in Acanceh
Per Antonio Garcia:
El 5 de septiembre 2022, se llevo a cabo el primer matrimonio igualitario en el municipio de Acanceh, y el primero en el estado (entre dos mujeres, sin amparo).
https://twitter.com/AntonioGarciatv/status/156683…
On 5 September 2022, the first equal marriage in the municipality of Acanceh took place, and the first in the state (between two women, without amparo).
12.
ianbirmingham | September 5, 2022 at 3:56 pm
The Importance Of Getting Democratic Voters Into The Voting Booth
Sabato's Crystal Ball rates the US Senate as dead even, with 49 predicted Democrats, 49 predicted Republicans, and 2 tossups (seats that could go either way).
https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2022-se…
Sabato's Crystal Ball rates the US House as leaning Republican, with 192 predicted Democrats, 216 predicted Republicans, and 27 tossups (seats that could go either way).
https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2022-ho…
Both Houses of Congress are closely balanced. Voter turnout is absolutely crucial.
13.
ianbirmingham | September 6, 2022 at 3:41 pm
Democrats will push to pass marriage equality in the Senate in race to the midterms
Lawmakers are looking at a couple of options to protect gay marriage rights amid concerns the Supreme Court could roll them back as it did with abortion rights.
One is to approve the Respect for Marriage Act. The House passed the bill in July in a 267-157 vote, with 47 Republicans joining all Democrats in supporting the measure. It needs to be approved by the Senate before President Joe Biden can sign it into law.
Senate Democratic leadership also could add language protecting gay marriage to a stopgap bill to keep the federal government funded in a bid to increase pressure on Republicans to support it, a Democratic source told Reuters on Tuesday.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11186591…
14.
VIRick | September 6, 2022 at 7:19 pm
Edomex: Marriage Equality Bill Expected to Pass in Committees Next Week
Per "Diario Portal," el 5 de septiembre 2022:
El diputado, Daniel Sibaja (Morena), anunció que las bancadas de Morena, MC, y PRD cuentan con los votos necesarios para que el matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo se apruebe (la próxima semana) en comisiones del Congreso estatal.
https://diarioportal.com/2022/09/05/diputados-lis…
The deputy, Daniel Sibaja (Morena), announced that the Morena, MC, and PRD benches can count on the necessary votes for marriage equality to be approved (next week) in the committees of the state Congress.
15.
scream4ever | September 7, 2022 at 8:15 am
Great this will really cut down on the population in Mexico without marriage equality.
16.
Randolph_Finder | September 8, 2022 at 5:44 am
If I've got my numbers correct, right now 24% of Mexico lives in areas without ME, Edomex is about 12% of the country's population, so the percentage would be cut in half…
17.
ianbirmingham | September 7, 2022 at 9:28 am
Harvard Law Review article analyzing Otto v. City of Boca Raton:
https://harvardlawreview.org/2021/06/otto-v-city-…
18.
VIRick | September 7, 2022 at 8:57 pm
Florida: LGBT Groups Sue to Block Anti-Transgender Medicaid Healthcare Rule
Per Lambda Legal:
On 7 September 2022, LGBT and health advocacy groups Lambda Legal, Southern Legal Counsel, Florida Health Justice Project, and National Health Law Program, together with international law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, filed a federal lawsuit challenging Florida’s anti-transgender health care rule denying coverage for transgender Medicaid beneficiaries’ medically necessary gender-affirming medical care.
The lawsuit, "Dekker, et al., v. Marstiller, et al.," was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida against the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), on behalf of four plaintiffs: August Dekker (he/him) and Brit Rothstein (he/him), as well as two minors identified under pseudonyms, Susan (represented by her parents Jane and John Doe) and K.F. (represented by his mother, Jade Ladue).
https://www.lambdalegal.org/news/dekker_fl_202209…
The complaint is here:
https://healthlaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/…
Per Equality Case Files, the case has been assigned to Judge Robert L Hinkle, with referrals to Magistrate Judge Martin A Fitzpatrick. Judge Hinkle is the same federal judge who struck down Florida's ban on same-sex marriage.
19.
VIRick | September 7, 2022 at 9:19 pm
Texas: Somehow, Requiring PrEP Drug Insurance Coverage Violates Religious Freedom
Per Chris Geidner:
On 7 September 2022, US District Judge Reed O’Connor in Texas ruled that requiring employers to provide coverage for PrEP drugs (preventing the transmission of HIV) violates the religious rights of employers under federal law (RFRA).
https://twitter.com/chrisgeidner/status/156752387…
The full ruling is here:
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscou…
O’Connor, a GWB appointee, regularly rules against Democratic administrations and Democrat-backed policies, leading conservative plaintiffs to seek him out to judge their cases. He has ruled against the ACA or ACA-related policies multiple times. Plus, he has a history of anti-LGBTQ rulings, both as to marriage and Title IX’s sex discrimination ban. He also has a history of overstepping, and his rulings have repeatedly been reversed on appeal or effectively overturned by contrary SCOTUS opinions.
20.
ianbirmingham | September 8, 2022 at 8:39 am
Miami-Dade school board rejects LGBTQ history month over fears it violates Florida's new ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law
Miami-Dade school board members passed a similar resolution acknowledging LGBTQ history month in 2021 by a 7-1 vote but found themselves in a different situation this fall under the Parental Rights in Education law. The Republican-led Legislature approved the law in March and it continues to affect how Florida schools address issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Although the board’s own attorney said the recognition was on a solid legal footing, board members voted 1-8 against the idea after dozens of parents and community members raised their opposition at a marathon meeting.
Aside from recognizing October as LGBTQ history month, the proposal was tweaked this year to explore the possibility of providing resources for teachers in 12th-grade social studies to teach about “important landmark civil rights” cases. That includes the Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling which recognized same-sex marriage and Bostock v. Clayton County, a 2020 high court decision that protects gay or transgender employees from discrimination.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/07/miami-da…
21.
VIRick | September 8, 2022 at 1:59 pm
Mexico: Same-Sex Marriage and Social Security Benefits
Per Héctor Salinas:
El 8 de septiembre 2011, hace 11 años, mi esposo y yo ganamos el amparo judicial directo contra el ISSSTE que se negaba a reconocer nuestro derecho a la seguridad social. Con ese triunfo, ayudamos a hacer la jurisprudencia para que hoy, personas unidas en matrimonio igualitario ejerzan este derecho.
https://twitter.com/HectorSalinasH/status/1567888…
On 8 September 2011, 11 years ago, my husband and I won the direct judicial amparo against the ISSSTE who refused to recognize our right to social security. With that triumph, we helped to make the jurisprudence so that today, persons united in equal marriage can exercise this right.
ISSSTE = Social Security Service for State Workers (for federal civil service employees)
22.
VIRick | September 8, 2022 at 2:36 pm
Durango: Another Same-Sex Couple (with Amparo) Marries
Per Tadeo Campagne:
Hoy, el 7 de septiembre 2022, acompañé a Héctor y Luis como testigo en su boda civil, un acto de amor en familiar. Sin duda, ver a sus mamás,. papás, y familia acompañarles con amor y respeto, nos hace tomar fuerza. El amor siempre gana.
https://twitter.com/tadeocampagne/status/15677079…
Today, 7 September 2022, I accompanied Héctor and Luis as a witness in their civil wedding, an act of family love. Without a doubt, to see their moms, dads, and family accompany them with love and respect, makes us have strength. Love always wins.
23.
VIRick | September 8, 2022 at 3:18 pm
Quintana Roo: A Peruvian Same-Sex Couple Marries in Cancún
Estamos en Cancún, celebrando la boda de mi mejor amigo. Aunque tuvimos que ir lejos de Perú para que puedan sellar su amor, estamos y nos sentimos muy afortunados.
https://twitter.com/VIRGUIT/status/15679859937348…
We are in Cancún, celebrating my best friend's wedding. Although we had to go far from Perú so that they could seal their love, we are and we feel very fortunate.
24.
VIRick | September 8, 2022 at 4:56 pm
Dominican Republic: Same-Sex Couple Celebrates 25 Years of Marriage
Per Sergia Galvan:
Hoy, el 9 de agosto 2022, cumplimos 25 años de casadas! Aunque la sociedad dominicana y sus leyes no reconocen nuestra unión, el amor, terco y persistente, no se puede negar.
https://twitter.com/sergiagalvan/status/155700941…
Today, 9 August 2022, we celebrate 25 years of marriage! Although Dominican society and its laws do not recognize our union, the love, stubborn and persistent, cannot be denied.
25.
VIRick | September 9, 2022 at 3:34 pm
California Blocks State-Funded Travel to 5 (More) States Passing Anti-LGBT Laws
The government of California has banned all state-funded travel to Georgia in protest of House Bill 1084, Georgia’s recently-passed law banning transgender girls from playing on sports teams matching their gender identities.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed the law in early April. Less than one month later, the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), the athletic association that oversees Georgia high school sports, voted unanimously to enact a trans youth sports ban. The ban went into effect at the start of the 2022 school year.
In passing the ban, Georgia ran afoul of California’s Assembly Bill 1887. Said bill, enacted into law in 2016, “restricts state agencies, departments, boards, or commissions from authorizing state-funded travel to a state that has enacted a law authorizing, or repealing existing protections against, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,” according to a press release from the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
For six years before Gov. Kemp (R) signed HB 1084, the GSHA had allowed individual schools and school boards to decide which teams transgender students could play on. When pushing the bill, Georgia state House Speaker David Ralston (R) denied that HB 1084 would ban trans youth from playing sports outright. The bill seemed to call for the GHSA to establish a committee to study the issue. But after Kemp signed the bill, the GHSA quickly voted on the issue without additional research.
California has also banned travel to Indiana, Louisiana, and Utah because each state passed similar trans sports bans. California added Arizona to its restricted travel list for passing Senate Bill 1138 which prohibits healthcare professionals and insurance companies from offering gender-affirming care to minors.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/09/california-bl…
26.
ianbirmingham | September 10, 2022 at 11:14 am
Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith), FL's first LGBTQ Latino legislator:
DeSantis’ 2018 election was decided by just 32,463 votes, 0.44% of turnout.
The LGBTQ Floridians he gleefully attacks on a daily basis represent 4.6% of our state population and we’re mad as hell.
Our community is motivated. We can and will decide this election.
https://twitter.com/CarlosGSmith/status/156861359…
27.
ianbirmingham | September 10, 2022 at 11:50 am
Amy Coney Barrett is set to rule on an LGBTQ discrimination case, where the client suing is represented by anti-LGTBQ attorneys who paid Amy 5 times for previous speaking engagements.
In other words, a judge on the highest bench is bought out by homophobic dark money. A rigged system.
https://twitter.com/DashDobrofsky/status/15684066…
28.
VIRick | September 10, 2022 at 6:18 pm
Oklahoma Students Sue the State Over Anti-Transgender School Restroom Law
On Tuesday, 6 September 2022, three transgender students and their families sued the state of Oklahoma over its anti-trans school restroom law. The suit, "Bridge v. Oklahoma State Department of Education," was filed in US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, and contends that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 by discriminating on the basis of sex, gender identity, and transgender status.
Senate Bill 615, passed by the Oklahoma legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) in May, requires students in public schools and public charter schools to use the multiple-occupancy restrooms and other facilities designated for the gender they were assigned at birth. It further requires each school board and charter school governing board to create a policy to discipline those who violate the restriction and requires the Oklahoma State Department of Education to penalize schools that do not comply with the law with a 5% reduction in state funding.
The students, Andrew Bridge and two others identified by pseudonyms, Mark Miles and Sarah Stiles, and their families are represented by Lambda Legal, the ACLU, the ACLU of Oklahoma, and the law firm of Covington & Burling. The named defendants are the Oklahoma State Department of Education, members of the Oklahoma Board of Education, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister, Oklahoma Attorney-General John O’Connor, and several school districts. The suit seeks to block the law’s enforcement while the case is heard, in addition to it being permanently struck down.
https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2022/9/09/ok…
29.
ianbirmingham | September 11, 2022 at 4:40 am
Queer Hungarians in Berlin: 'We can finally hold hands in public'
Over the past years, the situation for LGBTQ individuals in many EU countries has improved, even if often only haltingly. But Hungary is another story. There, homophobia and transphobia have become not only staples of government policy but also national ideology.
Since the end of 2020, the country's constitution has contained indirectly homophobic passages in addition to the following sentence: "The mother is a woman, the father is a man." It is also all but illegal for gay couples to adopt children.
Moreover, since summer 2021, representing or promoting homosexuality and gender reassignment surgery to or in the presence of people 18 years of age or younger has been criminalized. Critics say the law also equates pedophilia with homosexuality and transgender identities.
DW interviewed queer Hungarians who felt suffocated by Victor Orban's government policies and emigrated to Berlin.
https://www.dw.com/en/queer-hungarians-in-berlin-…
30.
VIRick | September 12, 2022 at 2:46 pm
Sri Lanka: Government Not Opposed to Bill Decriminalizing Homosexuality
On 11 September 2022, the president of Sri Lanka said his government will not oppose a bill that would decriminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations in the country. The "Colombo Gazette," a Sri Lankan newspaper, reported Ranil Wickremesinghe made the comment during a meeting with US Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power. Sri Lanka, a former British colony, is among the 69 countries worldwide in which homosexuality still remains criminalized.
In March 2022, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women ruled that the criminalization of consensual same-sex sexual activity in Sri Lanka violated the rights of Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, executive director of Equal Ground, a Sri Lankan LGBTQ and intersex rights group.
In August, parliamentarian Premnath Dolawatte introduced a bill that would amend Sri Lanka’s Penal Code to decriminalize homosexuality. The "Colombo Gazette" further reported that Wickremesinghe said that individual MPs will have to decide whether or not to support the measure.
https://www.washingtonblade.com/2022/09/12/sri-la…
31.
ianbirmingham | September 13, 2022 at 12:07 am
Sri Lanka is the oldest democracy in Asia. Religiously, ~70% are Theravada Buddhist. Freedom House rates Sri Lanka as being 'Partly Free', with both its scores in the low 50s.
https://freedomhouse.org/country/sri-lanka/freedo…
https://freedomhouse.org/country/sri-lanka/freedo…
32.
VIRick | September 13, 2022 at 4:16 pm
Montana Again Blocks Self-Declared Gender Identity on Birth Certificates
On 9 September 2022, Montana’s public health department said that it would adopt a new administrative rule barring state residents from changing the sex on their birth certificates except in very narrow circumstances. The now-final rule makes it nearly impossible for transgender Montanans to update the document to align with their gender identity.
The department’s change comes despite a judge’s preliminary injunction in April blocking a related law restricting birth certificate changes. That law, Senate Bill 280, would have required proof of surgery and a court order before a person could change the listed sex on their birth certificate, a less restrictive threshold than the new rule.
As written, the new policy says the sex listed on a person’s birth certificate may only be corrected if it was the “result of a scrivener’s error or a data entry error,” or if a person’s listed sex was proven to be incorrect by “chromosomal, molecular, karyotypic, DNA, or genetic testing.”
The policy doesn’t allow a birth certificate change based on self-reported gender identity, based on alignment with other official documents, or after gender-affirming surgeries. It makes Montana one of the most restrictive states in the country for trans people who want to change their birth certificates.
The department’s new policy says the changes reflect its belief that sex, unlike a person’s gender identity, is a “biological concept” that cannot be changed. Additionally, the health department said the rule filled a “regulatory gap” created by Judge Michael Moses’ temporary injunction of SB 280, and also met the department’s obligation to maintain accurate vital records.
The new rule will go into effect despite the ongoing legal battle over SB 280. Attorneys with the ACLU of Montana, which is representing the transgender plaintiffs in that case, said they will be back in court on 15 September 2022 in a hearing to clarify the judge’s preliminary injunction from April.
33.
VIRick | September 13, 2022 at 6:14 pm
Edomex: Legislative Up-Date on Marriage Equality Progress
Per AD Noticias y Quadratín Edomex:
El presidente de la Jucopo, Profesor Maurilio Hernández González (Morena), confirmó que el matrimonio igualitario se discutirá en comisiones el próximo 23 de septiembre. Además, previó que en octubre la votación (del proyecto de ley) llegue al pleno del Congreso de Edomex y proyectó que el dictamen pase. Morena apoyará la iniciativa.
https://twitter.com/ADNoticiasMex/status/15697833…
https://twitter.com/QuadratinEdomex/status/156985…
The president of Jucopo, Professor Maurilio Hernández González (Morena), confirmed that marriage equality will be discussed in the committees on 23 September. In addition, he anticipated that in October the final vote (on the bill) will occur in the full Edomex Congress and projected that the draft measure passes. Morena will support the initiative.
Jucopo = la Junta de Coordinación Política del Congreso de Edomex
34.
VIRick | September 14, 2022 at 1:05 pm
Another Venezuelan Same-Sex Couple Marries
Per Oneill Gregg, 14 September 2022:
Nos casamos!
https://twitter.com/oneillgregg/status/1570115897…
We married (but does not say where they married. Obviously, it was not in Venezuela).
From the accompanying photo of the happy couple, complete with marriage certificate in hand, it would seem fairly likely that they married in Florida.
35.
VIRick | September 14, 2022 at 1:33 pm
Quintana Roo Congress Legalizes Adoption for Same-Sex Couples
Per Homosensual, el 13 de septiembre 2022:
El 31 de agosto de 2022, se aprobó la reforma a la Ley de Adopción del estado de Quintana Roo para que personas LGBT puedan formar una familia. La reforma fue iniciativa de la diputada, Iris Adriana Mora Vallejo (PRD).
https://www.homosensual.com/lgbt/quintana-roo-per…
On 31 August 2022, the reform to the Adoption Law of the state of Quintana Roo was approved so that LGBT persons can form a family. The reform was the initiative of the deputy, Iris Adriana Mora Vallejo (PRD).
Because of the gender-neutral language utilized in the Quintana Roo Marriage Law, in 2012 it was officially determined that it had never been illegal for same-sex couples to marry in that state, making Quintana Roo the second jurisdiction in Mexico where same-sex couples have been able to marry. It has taken 10 years for the Quintana Roo Adoption Law to be re-written in a similar fashion, thus making Quintana Roo the 18th jurisdiction (of 32) where same-sex couples can adopt, the first additional state to do so in 3 years.
Many of the most-recent states to approve marriage equality have only approved the most basic of requirements, namely marriage itself, but without many of the side benefits like adoption. As best as can be determined, these are the 9 reluctant states that have yet to approve of adoption by same-sex couples: Nayarit, Baja California Sur, Oaxaca, Tlaxcala, Sinaloa, Sonora, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, and Yucatán (plus the last 5 states still without marriage equality).
36.
ianbirmingham | September 14, 2022 at 6:15 pm
Data Finds Republicans are Obsessed with Searching for Transgender Porn
To understand the Republicans’ love for transgender related porn, we scraped daily Google search trend data from June 1, 2022 to June 19, 2022, segmented by DMA (metro area) and compared search volume to both 2020 election voting trends, and public opinions about LGBT rights.
The data tells a tragic tale of self-loathing closet cases, Republicans who privately get off sexually to trans folks, while publicly trying to remove trans peoples’ rights and stoking hate against them…
https://lawsuit.org/general-law/republicans-have-…
37.
ianbirmingham | September 14, 2022 at 6:21 pm
Mike Pence Says Stripping Women of Rights More Important Than Midterm Gains
Former Vice President Mike Pence says he believes implementing a national abortion ban and continuing the conservative fight to restrict bodily autonomy for women “is profoundly more important than any short-term politics.”
The comments came in an interview with RealClearPolitics, during which Pence urged his fellow Republicans not to “shrink from the fight” after some GOP legislators distanced themselves from an effort by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham to implement a national abortion ban. Some Republicans are wary that a push for a federal ban could galvenize pro-choice voters in the November midterms and cost them highly coveted legislative seats.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-ne…
38.
ianbirmingham | September 14, 2022 at 6:30 pm
Supreme Court sides with LGBTQ group at Yeshiva University
The Supreme Court refused to block a state court order that requires New York’s Yeshiva University to officially recognize an LGBTQ student group.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the court’s three liberal justices on Wednesday in a 5-4 decision that lifted a temporary hold on the state court order and denied the university an emergency request for relief.
The majority of justices on Wednesday said Yeshiva would first have to ask the New York courts to expedite considering their appeal, which they say the university had not done before elevating the matter to SCOTUS.
Yeshiva could also file for permission to appeal the stay to the highest state court, they wrote.
University officials could then return to the Supreme Court, if denied both options by the state.
https://nypost.com/2022/09/14/supreme-court-sides…
39.
ianbirmingham | September 14, 2022 at 10:05 pm
Miami Beach Commission votes 5-1 for a resolution urging principals to recognize October as LGBTQ History Month, provide related instruction “to the fullest extent permitted by law” and recommending that parents of Miami-Dade students do the same at home
The resolution also provides sample language that will be uploaded to city’s website so “student bodies, clubs, or other student organizations wishing to honor and recognize LGBTQ history” can do so.
Commissioner Steven Meiner cast the lone “no” vote.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/556198-miami…
40.
VIRick | September 15, 2022 at 5:55 pm
Montana: Judge Again Blocks the Ban to Gender Changes on Birth Certificates
A judge in Montana has temporarily blocked the new state rule, finalized on 9 September 2022, that bars transgender people from changing the gender on their birth certificates. Judge Michael Moses said that his earlier April order to revert to the simple process of 2017 to change the gender marker was "as clear as a bell."
The ACLU and its Montana affiliate, representing transgender residents, along with a private law firm, had asked Moses to block the new rule, and he did so on Thursday, 15 September 2022, temporarily stopping its enforcement while the original court case against the law, SB 280, continues. In the meantime, the state must now return to the online procedure previously in place since 2017.
https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2022/9/15/ju…
41.
ianbirmingham | September 16, 2022 at 10:33 am
The Supreme Court Is Now Ignoring Precedent It Doesn’t Like
The Supreme Court’s recent overruling of Roe v. Wade and other foundational decisions makes clear that key precedents are no longer safe. But as we take account of the court’s last term and look ahead to the next one, it is critical to understand that the aggressive conservative supermajority has also embraced a new, quieter way of annulling other long-established legal rules — a tactic I call barricading precedent. Any assessment of the court’s fidelity to past judicial decisions should include a tally not just of decisions the court overrules but also those it walls off from any future extensions.
Should they follow the rule of the old case or overrule it? As it turned out, the court did neither. The court professed to accept the prior decision, but it refused to apply it. The new factual setting, the court held, was itself reason enough to withhold application of disfavored precedent — regardless of how comparable the new setting was. The framework the court established 20 years ago strongly suggested the answer was yes. Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Gorsuch, however, supplied the pivotal votes against the plaintiff on the ground that that framework itself was faulty and thus should never be extended. Some in the court’s newly constituted majority seem to have a different conception of the judicial role — one which allows them simply to refuse to apply past decisions they do not like.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/09/16…
42.
VIRick | September 16, 2022 at 12:24 pm
Tropical Storm Fiona Now Approaching Guadeloupe
At 2:00 PM AST on 16 September 2022, TS Fiona is centered at 16.2N 60.3W, about 75 miles due east of Guadeloupe in the eastern Caribbean. TS Fiona is on a track heading due west at 14 mph, and is predicted to begin crossing directly over that island and its largest city, Pointe-a-Pitre, within a few hours, before entering the Caribbean Sea.
Tropical Storm Warnings and Watches are in place for all the islands in the eastern arc from Dominica through to the Dominican Republic, inclusive. We expect that its center will be passing about 90 miles to our south from Saturday afternoon, 17 September, into Sunday morning. At about the same time, the center will also be passing both St. Croix and the south coast of Puerto Rico by about 40-50 miles (or perhaps a bit less) before directly impacting into the south coast of the Dominican Republic near the capital city, Santo Domingo, very early Monday morning, 19 September, with near-hurricane wind speed. After crossing the DR, TS Fiona is next predicted to become a hurricane in the vicinity of the Turks/Caicos Islands, as it continues NW.
The predicted path for TS Fiona puts all of the islands on the storm's "bad" side, with the additional tendency for such storms to begin curving more to the north, seemingly at the last minute, defying all predictions. In 3 of the 4 times that we were really hammered with major disasters, the spinning vortex rapidly increased in wind speed as the entire storm mass shifted more to its north, right into us. TS Fiona is increasing in size and intensity.
The US Coast Guard will close all ports in the USVI as of 8:00 PM today, 16 September.
https://stthomassource.com/content/2022/09/16/wor…
43.
VIRick | September 17, 2022 at 12:41 pm
Tropical Storm Fiona to Become a Hurricane, Approaches Puerto Rico
At 2:00 PM AST on 17 September, the center of TS Fiona is located at 16.6N, 64.1W, or 90 miles SE of St. Croix and 130 miles SE of St. Thomas, moving west at 8 mph. The forward speed has slowed, as the storm gradually increases in intensity, and begins the gradual shift to the north. The latest forecasts now state that TS Fiona is to curve into the SW quadrant of Puerto Rico, a factor that will also bring more of the most adverse wind and heavy rain closer to us, as well as to the heavily populated San Juan metro area. On this track, Fiona will pass directly over Mayagüez as a hurricane.
https://stthomassource.com/content/2022/09/17/hur…
At 5:00 PM AST on 17 September, the center of TS Fiona is located at 16.7N, 64.6W, or about 70 miles south of St. Croix, 110 miles SSE of St. Thomas, and 160 miles SE of Ponce, PR, moving WNW at 9 mph. So far, with a direct hit, Guadeloupe has measured 19 inches of rain at St-Claude in its mountainous SW.
At 11:00 PM AST on 17 September, the center of TS Fiona is located at 16.6N, 64.9W, or 75 miles south of St. Croix, 115 miles due south of St. Thomas, and 150 miles SE of Ponce, PR, moving west at 8 mph. Minimum central pressure is down to 29.44 inches.
https://stthomassource.com/content/2022/09/17/upd…
44.
VIRick | September 18, 2022 at 7:57 pm
Hurricane Fiona Makes Landfall on Puerto Rico; Now Approaches Dominican Republic
At 3:20 PM AST on 18 September, at landfall, the center of Hurricane Fiona is located at 18.0N, 67.1W, or 15 miles SSE of Mayagüez, 30 miles west of Ponce, and 130 miles WSW of St. Thomas, moving NW at 9 mph.
https://stthomassource.com/content/2022/09/18/fio…
At 8:00 PM AST on 18 September, the center of Hurricane Fiona is located at 18.1N, 67.8W, or about 45 miles west of Mayagüez and 50 miles east of Punta Cana DR, moving WNW at 9 mph. The minimum central pressure has dropped to 29.06 inches. All of Puerto Rico is engulfed by very heavy rains, with catastrophic flooding occurring, and with more of the same anticipated for the eastern and north coast of the DR. Puerto Rico is also experiencing a complete island-wide electricity outage.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022…
At 11 PM AST on 18 September, the center of Hurricane Fiona is located at 18.0N, 68.1W, or 45 miles SSE of Punta Cana DR, moving WSW at 10mph. There has been a distinct westward shift of the hurricane center, potentially resulting in the eye passing much closer to Santo Domingo on the Caribbean side of the island.
At 2:00 PM AST on 19 September, the center of Hurricane Fiona is located at 19.6N, 69.5W, near Samana DR, or 165 miles SE of Grand Turk, moving NW at 9 mph. The minimum central pressure has dropped to 28.79 inches. Samana reported winds to 98 mph, while Puerto Rico continues to experience catastrophic flooding and a complete electricity outage.
45.
VIRick | September 16, 2022 at 7:17 pm
Liechtenstein: Marriage Equality Bill to Be Introduced on 21 September 2022
Per LGBT Marriage News:
The local LGBT group in Liechtenstein says that the motion for the marriage equality legislation will be introduced into Parliament on 21 September 2022. The motion has the support of at least 15 of the 25 members of Parliament.
https://twitter.com/LGBTMarriage/status/157083135…
Am 21. September werden 15 Abgeordnete in Vaduz eine Motion zur Einführung der "Ehe für alle" einreichen.
https://www.kath.ch/newsd/gleichgeschlechtliche-p…
On 21 September, 15 members of parliament in Vaduz will submit a motion to introduce “marriage for all."
46.
Randolph_Finder | September 17, 2022 at 5:41 pm
I think the Prince can still veto without the ability to override, the same way that he threatened to do on a measure to Legalize abortion. (which given that the equivalent in the United States would be to have Washington DC have abortion illegal but with Maryland and Virginia being fully pro-choice) doesn't make that much difference (Abortion is illegal in Liechtenstein)
47.
scream4ever | September 17, 2022 at 11:08 pm
Either way a referendum is likely to occur.
48.
Randolph_Finder | September 18, 2022 at 12:18 pm
True. Note, I'm only mildly worried in case of a referendum. 2017 survey had support of ME at 69%.
49.
ianbirmingham | September 17, 2022 at 7:07 pm
Yeshiva University halts clubs while seeking to bar LGBTQ group
Yeshiva University on Friday abruptly halted the activities of all its undergraduate clubs while it considers how to respond to a U.S. Supreme Court order compelling the private New York school to recognize an LGBTQ student group.
The move is the latest attempt by the Modern Orthodox Jewish university to avoid giving the Y.U. Pride Alliance the same access to campus facilities as other clubs, including a classroom, bulletin boards and a club-fair booth.
The announcement came two days after a five-justice majority told Yeshiva that it must at least temporarily comply with a state judge’s order instructing it to recognize the Pride Alliance while it pursues a potential appeal in the case in the state court system.
The judge said the university was subject to the New York City Human Rights Law, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
A lawyer for the students, Katie Rosenfeld, called the university’s decision to cancel club activities rather than accept the group “a throwback to 50 years ago when the city of Jackson, Miss., closed all public swimming pools rather than comply with court orders to desegregate.”
https://archive.ph/R9Ya3
50.
ianbirmingham | September 17, 2022 at 7:27 pm
Travis County District Court issued a third injunction today blocking the State of Texas from implementing a directive targeting trans youth and their families across Texas.
The directive ordered the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to investigate parents who work with medical professionals to provide their adolescent transgender children with medically necessary healthcare. The directive could have led to transgender youth being placed in foster care and their parents criminally charged with child abuse — just for following the advice of their physicians and mental health providers.
Today’s ruling in PFLAG v. Abbott covers all Texas families who are members of PFLAG National, a national LGBTQ+ organization with 17 chapters in Texas. It also covers Adam and Amber Briggle and their son, M.B. Earlier, the court had issued an injunction blocking DFPS from investigating two other plaintiff families in the PFLAG v. Abbott lawsuit who are anonymous for purposes of the lawsuit. These injunctions became necessary to protect Texas families after the statewide injunction against the directive issued in an earlier lawsuit, Doe v. Abbott, was put on hold during the State's appeal.
The ruling comes after the plaintiffs notified the court last week that DFPS was continuing intrusive investigations against PFLAG members, including by pulling a student out of class and questioning him at school about his medical history.
“Once again a Texas court has stepped in to say what we knew from the beginning: State leaders have no business interfering with life-saving care essential for transgender youth,” said Adri Pérez (they/them), of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.
The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU of Texas, Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, Jon L. Stryker and Slobodan Randjelović LGBTQ & HIV Project, the ACLU Women’s Rights Project, and the law firm of Baker Botts LLP.
https://www.aclutx.org/en/press-releases/texas-co…
51.
ianbirmingham | September 19, 2022 at 6:01 am
National conservative groups pour money into local school board races
A commercial that aired in Florida ahead of its August primary opened with a drag queen reading to children. Designed to attack a candidate for school board, the ad issued warnings about Democrats “indoctrinating” students and “teaching trans-ideology and anti-American critical race theory.”
The spot didn’t come from another candidate running for the board in Central Florida. It wasn’t even paid for by a group from within the state. It was the American Principles Project’s first foray into a local school-focused race hundreds of miles from the super PAC’s headquarters in Arlington, Va.
Since the group’s “resounding victories” in Florida, the group is getting attention from the likes of popular conservatives including Ben Shapiro and more than 300 new school board candidates have reportedly applied for endorsements.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/19/conserva…
52.
Randolph_Finder | September 19, 2022 at 1:18 pm
Marriage equality in the state of Durango, Mexico. https://www.milenio.com/estados/durango-aprueban-… . (I can't read the spanish, but the machine translation looks pretty good.) Note, this is by the decree of the Governor.
The google translate of the headline is "By decree, they approve same-sex marriage in Durango" and the subheading is "The decree will enter into force at the time it is published in the Official State Gazette."
53.
VIRick | September 19, 2022 at 1:52 pm
Durango: Governor Issues Decree Authorizing Marriage Equality
Per "Via Tres:"
El 19 de septiembre 2022, el gobierno de Durango publicó un decreto que autoriza el matrimonio igualitario sin restricciones.
https://twitter.com/viatresmx/status/157195891895…
On 19 September 2022, the government of Durango published a decree that authorizes marriage equality without restrictions.
Per Antonio Medina:
Hoy, el gobernador de Durando, Esteban Villegas Viilareal, publicó un decreto para que parejas del mismo sexo puedan acceder al matrimonio igualitario.
https://twitter.com/antoniomedina41/status/157194…
Today, the governor of Durango, Esteban Villegas Villareal, published a decree so that same-sex couples can access marriage equality.
Per Fuera del Clóset A.C.:
Reconocen matrimonio igualitario en Durango mediante la expedición de un decreto del gobernador, Esteban Villegas Villa real, donde instruye al Registro Civil a celebrar las uniones civiles entre parejas del mismo sexo sin necesidad de ningún amparo.
https://twitter.com/FueraCloset_AC/status/1571891…
Marriage equality is recognized in Durango through the issuance of a decree by the governor, Esteban Villegas Villareal, where he instructs the Civil Registry to celebrate the civil unions between same-sex couples without the need of any amparo.
54.
Randolph_Finder | September 19, 2022 at 4:09 pm
Four left: Edomex, Guerrero, Tabasco and Tamaulipas…
At least Edomex looks like they are trying… And All of Tamaulipas have Morena controlled legislatures. So my guess for last is Tamaulipas.
55.
VIRick | September 19, 2022 at 1:31 pm
Montana District Judge Strikes Down 3 State Laws as Unconstitutional
A state district court judge in Montana has ruled that a state law banning transgender women from competing on college women’s sports teams is unconstitutional. The 2021 law was one of three passed by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature that Gallatin County District Court Judge Rienne McElyea struck down, all in the same ruling.
McElyea ruled that Montana’s constitution gives the state board of regents full authority to govern public college campuses. The three laws, McElyea wrote, attempt “to directly control internal university affairs and inject legislative policy judgments into the Montana University System administration, contrary to the letter and intent of the Montana Constitution.”
Along with the transgender sports ban, McElyea also struck down a law that prohibited campuses from limiting support for student groups based on their activities or beliefs and another that restricted campus political activity.
The decision comes after a Montana Supreme Court ruling in June that struck down a law relaxing gun restrictions on college campuses, on similar grounds that the state legislature had violated the board of regents’ constitutional authority to oversee campus policies.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/09/judge-ends-mo…
56.
ianbirmingham | September 19, 2022 at 2:37 pm
Thousands march in Turkey to demand ban on LGBTQ groups
An anti-LGBTQ group marched Sunday in Istanbul, demanding that LGBTQ associations be shuttered and their activities banned, in the largest demonstration of its kind in Turkey.
Several thousand people joined the demonstration dubbed “The Big Family Gathering.” Kursat Mican, a speaker for the organizers, said they had gathered more than 150,000 signatures to demand a new law from Turkey’s parliament that would ban what they called LGBTQ propaganda, which they say pervades Netflix, social media, arts and sports.
Hatice Muge, who works as a nanny, came to the gathering from Bursa province.
“People are here despite the rain for their children, for future generations,” she said, urging the Turkish government to take action. “They should save the family, they should save the children from this filth.”
LGBTQ parades have not been allowed in Turkey since 2015.
ILGA Europe, which works for LGBTQ equality, tweeted it was extremely concerned about the risks of violence.
“The Turkish state needs to uphold its constitutional obligation to protect all its citizens against hate and violence,” it said.
Amnesty International’s Turkey office said public service announcements listing the event violated Turkey’s equality and non-discrimination principles.
Top Turkish officials have called LGBTQ people “perverts” who aim to hurt traditional family values.
https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-turkey-gay…
57.
ianbirmingham | September 19, 2022 at 10:03 pm
Independents once ready to vote for Republicans wavering ahead of midterm elections
A midterm campaign that the GOP hoped would be a referendum on President Joe Biden and the economy is at risk of becoming a comparison of the two parties, putting Republicans in an unexpectedly defensive position.
“Having former President Trump so prominently in the news in so many ways makes it easier for Democrats to frame the midterm as a choice between two competing futures as opposed to a referendum on the Democrat governance,” said Republican pollster Whit Ayres. “That’s hurting Republicans. It’s distracting from the referendum message and allowing more of a focus on a choice of two different parties.”
In interviews with more than a dozen independent voters here over two days last week, many were rethinking their support of the GOP this fall.
The court decision [on abortion] “upended the physics of midterm elections,” said Jesse Stinebring, a pollster advising several Democratic campaigns.
It gave voters the rare opportunity to judge a policy advance backed by the minority party, distracting them from a pure up-or-down vote on majority Democrats, he said.
“The backlash from a political perspective isn’t directed at the traditional party in power, but is actually reframed in terms of this Republican control of the Supreme Court,” Stinebring said.
Mary Percifield is a lifelong independent voter who says the abortion decision motivated her to vote Democratic because she worries the court might overturn other rights.
“A right has been taken away from us,” the 68-year-old customer service representative from Pardeeville, said. “I question if a woman’s right to vote will be taken away. A woman’s right for birth control.”
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/independent…
58.
ianbirmingham | September 20, 2022 at 9:16 am
What the numbers really say about abortion and Democrats in the midterms
Democrats have been on a voter registration tear since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. There’s just one problem for them — they are digging out from under major Republican gains in the previous 18 months.
Altogether, the new voter data points to a midterm landscape that has shifted toward Democrats compared to earlier this year — but remains uncertain with just weeks to go until the midterms.
But Democrats hope the post-Dobbs trend in states including Pennsylvania, Kansas and elsewhere indicates broader voter enthusiasm that will also translate into higher turnout among women, young voters and others inclined to vote for Democrats.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/20/roe-abor…
59.
VIRick | September 20, 2022 at 6:42 pm
El Salvador: Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Trans Name/Sex Change on Documents
Por primera vez, una persona trans pudo cambiar su nombre y sexo en el documento (en la acta de nacimiento).
Karla Guevara, abogada y directora del Colectivo Alejandria, había iniciado hace 3 años el proceso que desembocó en este fallo que responde a una demanda de inconstitucionalidad presentada en 2016 por defensoras de DDHH.
https://twitter.com/PresentesLatam
En febrero pasado la Sala de lo Constitucional de la Corte Suprema de Justicia de El Salvador emitió un fallo parcial donde reconoció que las personas trans pueden cambiar su nombre en los documentos de identidad acorde a su género autopercibido y ordenó al Congreso a legislar para cumplir con la sentencia. En ella, advertían que los Artículos 11 y 23 de la Ley del Nombre de la Persona Natural (LNPN) vulneran el derecho de las personas trans a cambiar su nombre.
https://agenciapresentes.org/2022/09/16/por-prime…
For the first time, a trans person was able to change their name and gender on the document (on the birth certificate).
Karla Guevara, lawyer and director of the Alejandria Collective, started the process 3 years ago that led to this ruling that responds to a demand of unconstitutionality filed in 2016 by human rights defenders.
Last February, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of El Salvador issued a partial ruling where it recognized that trans people can change their name on identity documents according to their self-perceived gender and ordered Congress to legislate to comply with the judgment. In it, they warned that Articles 11 and 23 of the Law of the Name of the Natural Person (LNPN) violate the right of trans people to change their name.
60.
VIRick | September 20, 2022 at 7:41 pm
Durango Congress Committees Approve Marriage Equality Draft Bill, 20 September 2022
Per Marisol Carrillo Quiroga (Morena), Diputada Estatal del Congreso de Durango:
El 20 de septiembre 2022, en las Comisiones Unidas de Justicia y Derechos Humanos del Congreso de Durango, se aprobó el dictamen que permite el matrimonio igualitario en Durango.
https://twitter.com/Marisol_CaQu/status/157239701…
On 20 September 2022, in the Joint Committees of Justice and Human Rights of the Durango Congress, the draft bill that permits marriage equality in Durango is approved.
The measure now moves to the full congress for a final vote.
61.
VIRick | September 21, 2022 at 2:44 pm
Durango Congress Passes Marriage Equality Legislation, 21 September 2022
Per Alejandro F de la P:
Hoy, el 21 de septiembre 2022, el Congreso de Durango sometió a votación, ante el Pleno, el matrimonio igualitario. Se aprobó por 15 votos a favor, 9 votos en contra, y 1 ausencia, lo que da formalidad al decreto emitido por el gobernador, Esteban Villegas Villarreal.
https://twitter.com/AlejandroFdelaP
Today, 21 September 2022, the Durango Congress submitted marriage equality to a vote during the Plenary session. It was approved by 15 votes in favor, 9 votes against, and 1 absence, so that it gives formality to the decree issued by the governor, Esteban Villegas Villarreal.
Per Horacio Alejandro Aranda Guereca:
Hoy, con 15 votos a favor y 9 en contra, ganó la dignidad humana y el valor de todas las personas en Durango. El Congreso de Durango acaba aprobar las adecuaciones del codigo civil para permitir definitivamente el matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo.
https://twitter.com/harandaguereca/status/1572669…
Today, with 15 votes in favor and 9 against, human dignity and the value of all people in Durango won. The Durango Congress has just approved the amendments to the civil code to definitively allow same-sex marriage.
62.
VIRick | September 22, 2022 at 1:30 pm
Liechtenstein: Marriage Equality Motion to Be Debated in November Session
Per LGBT Marriage News:
Die Liechtensteiner Motion für die Ehe für alle wird im Novemberlandtag behandelt, sagt der FBP-Abgeordnete und Motionär, Daniel Seger, im Interview mit Radio Liechtenstein. Die Motion wurde heute eingereicht und stosse bisher auf wenig Gegenwehr, so Seger.
https://www.radio.li/news-1/motion-fuer-ehe-fuer-…
The Liechtenstein motion for marriage for all will be considered in the November state parliament, said FBP MP and lead sponsor, Daniel Seger, in an interview with Radio Liechtenstein. The motion was submitted today (21 September 2022) and so far has met with little resistance, says Seger.
63.
ianbirmingham | September 22, 2022 at 9:49 pm
Church of England bars Desmond Tutu's daughter from leading funeral
Mpho Tutu van Furth is an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Washington and had been asked to officiate at the funeral of her late-godfather, Martin Kenyon, in Shropshire on Thursday.
The Church of England does not permit its clergy to be in a same-sex marriage because its official teaching is that marriage is only between one man and one woman. However its sister Anglican church in the US, The Episcopal Church, does allow clergy to enter into gay marriages.
After Mr Kenyon's family was told of the Church's decision, they moved the funeral service from St Michael and All Angels in Wentnor, near Bishops Castle, to a marquee in the vicarage next door so Ms Tutu van Furth could officiate and preach.
Her father Desmond Tutu, who died in December 2021, won the Nobel peace prize in 1984 for his struggle against apartheid in South Africa. He also campaigned in favour of gay rights and has backed same-sex marriage.
"I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven. No, I would say sorry, I mean I would much rather go to the other place," he said in 2013. "I would not worship a God who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this."
He added: "I am as passionate about this campaign as I ever was about apartheid. For me, it is at the same level."
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63003282
64.
VIRick | September 23, 2022 at 2:50 pm
Edomex Congress Finally Ready to Pass Marriage Equality Legislation
Per "Hoy Estado de México:"
El matrimonio igualitario en el Estado de México está en la antesala de ser aprobado, pues solo es cuestión de que se ultimen detalles en comisiones para que se obtenga el dictamen, y posteriormente subir éste al Pleno camaral mexiquense para su votación, de la que existen condiciones a favor.
Lo que se cuida al interior del grupo parlamentario de Morena, es que dentro de la misma aprobación del matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo, no se incluya la adopción.
https://www.hoyestado.com/2022/09/matrimonio-igua…
Marriage equality in the State of Mexico is on the verge of being approved, since it is only a question of finalizing the last details in committee so that the final draft is obtained, and afterward to submit this to the full Edomex Congress for its vote, now that conditions exist to favor it.
What has been taken care of inside the Morena parliamentary group is that within the same approval of marriage between persons of the same sex, adoption is not included.
65.
VIRick | September 23, 2022 at 6:07 pm
Chile: New Labor Regulations Include Same-Sex Couples within Its Scope
Per " Araucanía Diario:"
El 23 de septiembre 2022, la Dirección del Trabajo dictamina sobre derechos laborales para matrimonio igualitario. El organismo interpretó normas de alcance laboral de Ley 21.400, que modificó diversos cuerpos legales, para regular el matrimonio entre personas disidentes.
https://araucaniadiario.cl/contenido/18156/direcc…
https://sindical.cl/derechos-laborales-matrimonio…
On 23 September 2022, the Labor Directorate issued regulations on labor rights for equal marriage. The body interpreted the rules of the work scope of Law 21,400, one that modified various legal particulars, to also include marriage between dissident persons.
Note: "personas disidentes" is an extreme Chilean colloquial term for a gender non-conforming couple. I sometimes need to "translate" Chilean Spanish into Mexican Spanish before translating the result into English. However, this term has no equivalent in either Mexican Spanish or standard English, other than in the hyper-partisan political sense, which simply does not apply to its Chilean usage.
66.
VIRick | September 25, 2022 at 9:33 am
Cuba: Referendum on New Family Code Today, 25 September 2022
Per Adriano Antinoo:
El matrimonio igualitario, la gestación subrogada, y la pluriparentalidad (del mismo sexo) son parte del abanico de opciones que los cubanos votarán hoy, domingo, el 25 de septiembre 2022, en referéndum contenidas en el Código de Familias. Están convocados a responder "Sí" o "No" a la única pregunta: "¿Estás de acuerdo con el Código de las Familias?" La ley entrará en vigor inmediatamente si obtiene más del 50% del sufragio.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/afp/cubanos-votan-en…
Marriage equality, surrogacy, and multiple (same-sex) parents are part of the range of options that Cubans will vote upon today, Sunday, 25 September 2022, in a referendum pertaining to the Family Code. They are called upon to answer "Yes" or "No" to the only question: "Are you in accord with the Family Code?" The law will immediately enter into force if it obtains more than 50% of the vote.
67.
scream4ever | September 26, 2022 at 9:14 am
It passed with a 2:1 margin!!!
68.
VIRick | September 26, 2022 at 9:50 am
Cuba Votes in Favor of New Family Code with Marriage Equality/Adoption/Surrogacy
Per Elecciones en Cuba:
Resultados Preliminares que incluyen Cuba y el exterior
Parte Básico: 8 447 467
Ejercieron el derecho al voto: 6 251 786
Porciento de votación: 74.01%
Boletas validas: 5 892 705
Votos por el "Sí:" 3 936 790 (66.87%)
Votos por el "No:" 1 950 090 (33.13%)
https://twitter.com/Elecciones_Cuba/status/157437…
Preliminary Results that include Cuba and outside
Registered voters: 8,447,467
Those exercising the right to vote: 6,251,786
Percentage who voted: 74.01%
Valid ballots: 5,892,705
"Yes" votes: 3,736,790 (66.87%)
"No" votes: 1,950,090 (33.13%)
The results of the vote become official on Friday, 30 September 2022, at which time the new Family Code takes effect, making Cuba country #34 with marriage equality.
69.
Randolph_Finder | September 26, 2022 at 12:47 pm
Can you please point me to a Reliable Source for the "immediately into force" including Marriage Equality at the time of the final announcement (Step 30)
70.
VIRick | September 26, 2022 at 2:46 pm
Per "Swissinfo:"
Es la primera vez que los cubanos validan una ley en referendo, y de obtener más del 50% de los votos a favor, entrará en vigor una vez que se conozca el resultado final y el presidente Díaz-Canel la refrende.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/afp/cubanos-concluye…
It is the first time that Cubans have validated a law in a referendum, and if they obtain more than 50% of the votes in favor, it will enter into force once the final result is known and President Díaz-Canel endorses/signs it.
Per the Consejo Electoral Nacional (CEN), the official final tabulation of all votes is to be released on Friday, 30 September 2022 by the same CEN. You can find their official account here:
https://twitter.com/Elecciones_Cuba
In addition to the numbers already cited above:
Quedan pendientes por informar los resultados de 36 circunscripciones: 24 de Holguín, 11 de La Habana, y 1 de Santiago de Cuba.
https://twitter.com/Elecciones_Cuba/status/157437…
The results from 36 constituencies remain pending to be reported: 24 from Holguín, 11 from Havana, and 1 from Santiago de Cuba.
The vote numbers from those 36 constituencies are not yet tallied in the totals.
The new Family Code is written in a gender-neutral format throughout.
71.
VIRick | September 26, 2022 at 3:37 pm
85% of Population in Western Hemisphere Now Have Marriage Equality
The up-dated marriage equality map of Latin America reflecting the positive results obtained from the referendum in Cuba concerning the new Family Code is here:
https://twitter.com/oapaza13/status/1574418706750…
72.
ianbirmingham | September 25, 2022 at 4:45 pm
FL: Pride Center vandalized in Gainesville, Democrats blame GOP hateful rhetoric
The Pride Center shared photos on its Facebook page of a shattered glass in a door and front window to the facility. Inside, a curtain rod is shown that was torn to the ground. In another photo, debris surrounds materials on the ground including a rainbow-colored booklet in the lobby.
“The Pride Community Center of North Central Florida has been vandalized, with a rock thrown through the front door and window, accompanied by a hateful note.”
Officials noted the vandalism at the Center came less than a month before the Gainesville Pride Festival, which returns to the city on Oct. 22 after being canceled because of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
“We are heartbroken this has happened in our community, but we are undeterred,” the Facebook post concluded. “The Pride Community Center of North Central Florida remains committed to being a safe place, and this display of hatred has only strengthened our resolve to continue to show up with love for our beautiful LGBTQ community.”
The Alachua Democrats, meanwhile, put out a more pointed statement pinning blame on the current political climate. Party leaders noted the county Democratic headquarters also recently endured vandalism. An individual broke windows with a brick the evening of Aug. 6, Gainesville police told WCJB at the time.
There were also recently fliers promoting antisemitism delivered to numerous houses in the area, tossed on steps in plastic bags and filled with corn. The planned-out messaging, Maggio said, was in some ways more upsetting than the acts of vandalism. The fliers included homophobic messages and used rainbow imagery attributing a “gay agenda” among Jewish people.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/558465-pride…
73.
VIRick | September 27, 2022 at 12:48 pm
Cuba: President Signs New Family Code into Law
Per LGBT Marriage News:
Although already signed into law, the new Family Code of Cuba will finally.take effect once it has been published in the Official Gazette (and the required 5-day interval following the referendum has transpired).
Per Presidencia Cuba (official):
El 26 de septiembre 2022, en acto oficial, el Presidente de la Asamblea de Cuba, Esteban Lazo Hernández, y el Presidente de la República, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, firmaron y refrendaron la nueva Ley del Código de las Familias, luego de la victoria en el Referendo Popular.
https://twitter.com/PresidenciaCuba/status/157449…
On 26 September 2022, in an official act, the President of the Cuban Assembly, Esteban Lazo Hernández, and the President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, signed and endorsed the new Law of the Family Code, following the victory in the Popular Referendum.
If you do watch the accompanying video, try not to laugh when they invoke the memory of Fidel, without the slightest hint of irony or sarcasm whatsoever, while solemnly signing the new Family Code into law. I am sorry, but Fidel's legacy on LGBT rights was only negative and totally retrograde ever since the revolution occurred. It has taken many hard-working advocates, yourselves included, over 60 years to correct that hideous blunder.
74.
VIRick | September 27, 2022 at 5:18 pm
Venezuela: President Congratulates Cuba for Approving the New Family Code
Per Nicolás Maduro, Presidente de Venezuela:
Felicito al pueblo cubano por la extraordinaria participación en el Referendo Popular del Código de las Familias, aprobada con más del 60 % del voto popular. Una jornada histórica que continúa profundizando la lucha revolucionaria por la protección de las familias. ¡Grande Cuba!
https://twitter.com/NicolasMaduro/status/15744884…
I congratulate the Cuban people for the extraordinary participation in the Popular Referendum for the Family Code, approved with more than 60% of the popular vote. An historic day that continues to deepen the revolutionary struggle for the protection of families. Great Cuba!
Needless to say, his hollow congratulations to Cuba have led many to ask the obvious question: When will Grande Venezuela bravely follow suit and do the same? If Venezuela waits much longer, it could easily become "last in line" among the Latin nations of South America in approving marriage equality, as well as all the other LGBT rights, like gender identity and homoparental adoption. Being "last in line" is hardly a revolutionary stance.
75.
VIRick | September 27, 2022 at 7:57 pm
Edomex Approves Marriage Equality in the Joint Committees
Per "Diario Portal:"
El 27 de septiembre 2022, el matrimonio igualitario fue aprobado en comisiones unidas del Congreso mexiquense. Si se aprueba de manera plena, el Edoméx sería la entidad número 29 que considera en su legislación civil el matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo.
https://twitter.com/Diario_Portal/status/15749422…
On 27 September 2022, marriage equality was approved by the united committees of the Edomex Congress. If approved by the full congress, Edomex would be jurisdiction #29 that has marriage between persons of the same sex in its civil legislation.
Per Gonzalo Kinich Fernández Bravo:
Con mayoría de votos (Morena, PRI, PT, PRD, Verde, y MC) y dos abstenciones (PAN), se aprueba en comisiones la iniciativa de Morena que reconocé el matrimonio (y concubinato) igualitario en el Congreso del Estado de México. Pasará al pleno para su votación.
https://twitter.com/GonzKinich/status/15748944660…
With a majority of votes (Morena, PRI, PT, PRD, Verde, and MC) and two abstentions (PAN), the Morena initiative that recognizes marriage (and cohabitation) equality is approved in committee in the Congress of the State of Mexico. It will go to the full congress for its vote.
76.
scream4ever | September 27, 2022 at 11:03 pm
When they approve it it'll up the number of Mexican residents living in a municipality with marriage equality to around 95% from the current 80% (including the municipalities in Guerrero that allow it).
77.
ianbirmingham | September 28, 2022 at 6:28 am
LGBTQ advocates, women worry in Italy after Meloni's win
Worried that the conservative tide of political sentiment that emerged in Sunday's voting for Parliament might erode hard-won civil rights, Italy's women are mobilizing, organizing rallies in a dozen cities for Wednesday evening to raise their voices in defense of abortion rights.
Organizers said they feared Meloni's Brothers of Italy party will launch “a triad of ‘God, homeland and family,'" policies — a reference to her political manifesto.
That could impose “rigid gender roles and assign women the task of reproduction and growth of a white, patriarchal and heterosexual nation," organizers said in their announcement of the rallies against the agenda of Meloni, who would become Italy's first far-right premier of the post-war period and its first woman in that office.
Perhaps Italy's most celebrated living civil rights activist, Emma Bonino, lost her Senate seat to a Rome city councilwoman from Brothers of Italy, the party co-founded a decade ago by Meloni, who exalts motherhood and “traditional” families and who decries LGBTQ “lobbies.” Lavinia Munnino's no. 1 campaign priority was growing Italy's birthrate.
https://www.local10.com/news/world/2022/09/28/lgb…
78.
ianbirmingham | September 28, 2022 at 7:00 am
The Infamous Orange Trumpanzee Tried To Abolish The Ninth Circuit
Trump’s demands on his team included outlandish requests like abolishing the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals after it blocked one of his immigration policies.
“Let’s just cancel it,” he told Nielsen, according to the book. He told Nielsen if such a move required legislation, “then draft a bill to ‘get rid of the f–king judges’ and have it sent to Congress as soon as possible.”
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/14/politics/donald-tr…