US: An open letter to American Muslims on same-sex marriage

Reza Aslan is a writer and scholar of religions, and Hasan Minhaj is a comedian and correspondent on The Daily Show:

To Our Fellow American Muslims,

Hey there. It’s two of your brothers. We’re writing to you about the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage in all fifty states. The good news is that a whopping 42% of you support marriage equality, as do both of our Muslim elected officials in the United States Congress. One even serves as vice chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus! There are many faithful gay and lesbian Muslims in the US and we love and support all of them.

At the same time, many of you are scandalized by the ruling (we know because you keep tweeting about it), and many more of you are equally perturbed but have chosen to keep it to yourself. With all the rainbow-flag waving and self-congratulatory pats on the back this country is giving itself right now, you don’t need another reason for Americans to dislike you.

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Listen to an episode of BBC’s “World Have Your Say” devoted to Reza Aslan and Hasan Minhaj’s letter.

Italy: Supreme Court rules against sterilisation requirement

The Italian Supreme Court has ruled that medical intervention and sterilisation is not necessary for having one’s gender legally recognized.

A 45-year old trans woman who had been living for 20 years as a woman had been denied the recognition by the court of Piacenza. Basis for the denial was a strict interpretation of Law 164 from 1982 (later modified) that requires more or less invasive reassignment surgery (up to state of the art reconstruction) or at least permanente sterilisation. The Supreme Court clarified now that mandatory genital surgery cannot be justified by a public interest in establishing certain genders. It recognized that the intervention in primary sex characteristics of a person can only be considered as ‘necessary’ if the trans person considers it. Read More 

European Court: Countries must recognise same-sex partnerships

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that Italy has failed to protect the private and family life of cohabitating same-sex couples by not allowing for any legal recognition of same-sex relationships. The ruling does not demand that Italy recognize same-sex marriages. Still, the potential effect of this decision is huge.

The Court argues that not having a law that recognizes same-sex relationships is a human rights violation. The ECtHR has jurisdiction over more than 800 million people in 47 countries, 23 of which do not have any form of registered partnership for same-sex couples. Potentially, this ruling affects all these countries. But the effects are not direct and may not materialize any time soon. Below is a quick explainer. Read More

Ireland: Standing up, being counted in Ireland

Jensen Byrne describes their experience returning home for the marriage referendum--excerpt: Hundreds, possibly thousands, of overseas citizens returned home to vote. #Hometovote trended on Twitter with over 72k mentions in 24 hours. Citizens travelled from as far afield as Namibia, Thailand and Canada and flights to Ireland sold out. Those returning were joined by the 100,000+  primarily young and first-time voters registered  as part of a drive spearheaded by marriage equality campaigners.

LGBTI people and their allies started a 'Call your Granny' movement where people called their elderly relatives and spoke to them about the upcoming vote and what a 'Yes' would mean to them. For many it was the first time they had discussed their sexual orientation or gender identity with a grandparent.

My grandparents all passed when I was young, but my parents are both in their 60’s. My mother, a quiet woman who, while accepting, never spoke about LGBTI issues, broached the topic with friends and acquaintances. She spoke to a friend, my neighbour, who had reservations. She said to her "You never know who your children or grandchildren will be, don't make that assumption now. You might regret it later. Vote with that in mind." Read More

Harvey Milk Foundation awards medal to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon

The Harvey Milk Medal is seen as one of the most significant recognitions from the LBGT human rights community. Stuart Milk, nephew of Harvey Milk and co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation, presented the award to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

excerpt from Sec-Gen's remarks: I have been travelling to many countries and where there was discrimination, I talked to Heads of State or Government. Sometimes, I have been successful.

One day, for example, in  [Malawi] there was [a] gay couple that was put in prison for many years. It became big news in the world. So I told [the president], “this is a violation of human rights principles; can you release them? I’m not going to say publicly but if you release them, I will welcome your decision. He said that I don’t agree with your point but since you are the Secretary-General of the United Nations, saying and asking for that, I will consider what I can do”.

I thought that it would take about two or three months for his decision. Then, when we were having a joint press conference, he announced, “I’m pardoning this couple, right now.” Then they were set free on the same day. [...] I was successful. But in some other countries, when I raise this issue, of course, we have some confrontational dialogue. But they listen to my appeal, and I will continue to help those who are being discriminated. Read the full speech

Czech Republic: Voters now evenly split on same-sex marriage

A new poll of voters in the Czech Republic has found almost half now support same-sex marriage while less than half still oppose it. 49% of those polled said they now support it while only 47% said they still oppose it.

Registered partnerships for same-sex couples, first introduced in the Czech Republic in 2006, were strongly supported by Czech voters with three-out-of-four people saying they supported them, or nearly 75%. However adoption by same-sex couples remains controversial among Czechs, with a majority still saying they should not be able to adopt children from adoption agencies. Read More

Germany: Same-sex unions at the end of the Regenbogen

Since 2001, German gay and lesbian couples have been able to enter civil unions, and enjoy the same rights as heterosexual spouses for tax and inheritance. But same-sex couples do not have full adoption rights, and their union is not called marriage. Many Germans find this embarrassing.

A 2013 poll found 74% in favour of full marriage rights for homosexuals. So are the opposition Greens and Die Linke in parliament, as well as the Social Democrats, the junior party in the ruling grand coalition. The upper-house Bundesrat, where these three parties have a majority, recently passed a non-binding resolution urging the government to make marriage available to all.

That was largely symbolic, because of opposition within Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right block, consisting of two “Christian” parties: her own Christian Democratic Union and the more conservative Bavarian Christian Social Union. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the premier of Saarland, recently argued that if you allow gay marriage, incestuous or polygamous nuptials might be next.

Yet within the CDU attitudes are changing. The defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen told the party’s executive committee that “something fundamental has changed in society.”  Read More

Australia: The push for same-sex marriage is back on

The conservative side of politics is grappling with whether government MPs should be allowed to have a free vote on marriage equality. Tony Abbott cast doubt on the idea after the bill was revealed when a spokesperson said “It is rare for a private members’ bill to be voted on and any bill would be subject to the usual process. The prime minister’s position remains the same as it has always been and he supports the current policy that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

A pending vote would trigger Coalition party room debate on the issue and open up the possibility of a free vote. NSW Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos told Sky News the cross-party bill was “finally bringing the issue to a head”. Without a free vote, government ministers would be required to back the party’s existing position or expected to resign from the ministry if they wanted to support the bill.

Labor leader Bill Shorten attempted to introduce a private member’s bill last month in the wake of Ireland’s referendum, but it failed.  Read More 

Pitcairn Island: World’s smallest country, with no gay couples, legalizes same-sex ‘marriage’

Pitcairn Island, a tiny speck in the Pacific that is home to just 48 people, has passed a law allowing same-sex marriage, but has no gay couples wanting to wed.

Pitcairn deputy governor Kevin Lynch said on the new law came into effect on 15 May but initially was not published online after the island’s website encountered some technical problems. He said the change was suggested by British authorities after England, Wales and Scotland legalised same-sex marriage last year. The law change was unanimously approved by the local council.

As with most law changes, she said, a notice was put up on the verandah of the town hall and a second at the island’s general store. Read More

Japanese out politician urges South Korea to improve LGBT rights

Taiga Ishikawa, Japan’s only gay politician, has spoken about South Korea’s progress on LGBT rights.

He attended the Korea Queer Festival, which was protested against by conservative Christian groups. Police attempted to ban the parade, on public safety grounds, but the ban was overturned by the courts.

Mr Ishikawa said: “I was shocked to hear that the parade was blocked by the state forces. It saddened me. Then it hit me; there isn’t an openly LGBT lawmaker in Korea yet. Policymaking in Japan as a whole is conducted as if sexual minorities do not exist. I wish to be an advocate of LGBTs, as I am one myself."

Mr Ishikawa became Japan’s first gay politician in 2011, when he won a seat on the Tokyo Assembly. He has been firm advocate for LGBT rights. Read More 

Israel: Ministers reject opposition MK’s LGBT rights bill

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Monday voted down a bill that would make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT people in any way. The legislation, proposed by MK Ofer Shelah, would make any law prohibiting discrimination based on gender, age, country of origin, etc. apply to LGBT people as well.

Shelah noted that no other Likud ministers voted in the anti-discrimination bill's favor, though some attended last week’s Gay Pride Parade in Tel Aviv. “Such a simple matter, that all laws prohibiting discrimination should apply to discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, did not get the approval of the current government,” Shelah said. “On Pride Week, some of the Likud tried to paint rainbows on their faces. Don’t be fooled: Behind that, you’ll find their true faces.”
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