On September 16, 2022, Iran’s Basij Resistance Force, a volunteer paramilitary organization that operates under the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, arrested Mahsa Amini for her refusal to comply with the country’s headscarf requirement, an alleged breach of its public morality code. Reports surfaced that the Basij severely beat Amini for resisting an officer’s insults, after which Amini [...]
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UN expert warns LGBT rights being eroded in US, urges stronger protections
A UN Independent Expert Tuesday said that the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and gender diverse (LGBT) people are being “deliberately undermined” by some state governments in the United States and urged the Biden administration to strengthen and protect LGBT rights. Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the UN Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity, [...]
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Sunday announced the government’s plans to decriminalize sex between men, saying this was “the right thing to do and something that most Singaporeans will now accept.” Specifically, Lee announced the repeal of Section 377A, which provides: Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or [...]
Lithuania Parliament votes to consider alternative civil union and 'close relationship' laws
The Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) has voted to consider two alternative draft laws on partnerships, with the former being on civil unions and the latter on “close relationships.” The draft Law on Civil Union passed the first reading in the parliament on Thursday, with 70 votes in favor, 49 against and six abstentions. The bill seeks to [...]
Romania rights groups urge MPs to reject LGBT 'propaganda' legislation
Romanian Human Rights group Friday criticized Romania’s so-called LGBT+ “propaganda” bill and called on lawmakers to stop it in its tracks. The bill, which has been approved by the Senate and is to now be decided by Romania’s lower house, prohibits the use of materials in schools that “promote” being LGBT+. The bill has been [...]
Legal Complications for LGBTQ+ Refugees in Ukraine: A Critical Analysis
As the Ukrainian military and its citizens defiantly fight back against Russian forces, LGBTQ+ citizens face a unique fight of their own, the fight to safely be themselves. Last month, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations authored a disturbing letter, warning of serious human rights violations if Russia successfully occupies Ukraine. Ambassador Bathsheba Nell [...]
Saurabh Kirpal is on track to becoming India’s first openly gay judge. Last week, the country’s Supreme Court recommended the nomination of Kirpal, a senior advocate and self-described “accidental LGBTQ activist,” to serve as a judge in the Delhi High Court, in what is considered by many to be a significant equal rights milestone—the latest [...]
Hungarian Anti-LGBTQ+ Campaign: Restricting Portrayals of Homosexuality to Minors
In June 2021, the Hungarian Parliament passed certain amendments to several acts, which curtailed the dissemination of information concerning homosexuality and sex reassignment (“H&SR”) among minors and school-goers. Inter alia, the legislation: (1) bans the availability of any material portraying or promoting H&SR or any other forms of deviation from one’s sex assigned at birth [...]
Queering the Discourse Around Uniform Civil Code and Marriage Laws in India
While hearing a divorce case for a heterosexual Hindu couple a few days ago, the Delhi High Court opined that the time had come for the Central Government to introduce a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for all Indians. In an order dated July 7, 2021, the judge presiding over the case, Justice Prathiba M. Singh, exclaimed that the modern [...]
Vatican makes unprecedented protest of Italy anti-discrimination bill
The Vatican has delivered a protest to Italy’s embassy over a bill intended to combat homophobia, the Corriere della Sera confirmed Tuesday. The “Zan Bill,” named after Democratic legislator Alessandro Zan, is a response to rising homophobic crime that would criminalize discriminatory conduct on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. The [...]