Search Results for: sexual orientation

Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, passed the Self-Determination Act on Friday, allowing transgender and non-binary citizens to modify the gender marker on their legal documents through self-identification. The Transsexuals Act is the German law that is currently in place to govern the legal requirements for modifying gender identity on legal documentation. Section 8 of the act [...]

The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution Thursday on Combating Discrimination, Violence, and Harmful Practices against Intersex Persons who are born with sex characteristics differing from conventional binary perceptions of male or female anatomy. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 24 in favor, none against and 23 abstentions. In Resolution A/HRC/55/L.9, the [...]

The Hong Kong government revised on Tuesday the Hong Kong ID cards sex entry policy. After the revision, individuals who have not completed full sex reassignment surgery may apply to change the gender marker on their identity cards. After the revision, preoperative transgender individuals may still apply for an amendment if the individual has completed [...]

This week in Scotland, a hate crime law that ranks among the world’s strictest entered into force. The Hate Crime and Public Order Act 2021 (Hate Crime Act) aims to modernize and consolidate protections while broadening the scope of recognized hate crimes to encompass a wider range of individuals and circumstances. In other words, the [...]

Scotland’s controversial Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force on Monday. The law intends to unite existing hate crime laws, along with creating several new offenses, most notably criminalizing “threatening or abusive behaviour which is intended to stir up hatred.” Stirring up racial hatred has been an offense since 1986. However, [...]

The French National Assembly passed a bill on Thursday banning discrimination over the texture, length, color or style of a person’s hair on first reading. The bill will now go to the Senate for further approval. The proposed bill aims to amend the wording of existing anti-discrimination measures adopted in the labor code, penal code and [...]

The governing Georgian Dream party announced a controversial bill on Monday aimed at curbing LGBTQ+ rights in the Transcaucasian country. The bill aims to combat what the party has called “LGBT propaganda” and proposes significant changes to the constitution. It seeks to prohibit sex changes, adoption by same-sex couples and gatherings promoting same-sex relationships. Observers [...]

The path toward gender equality is rife with hurdles at every turn, and despite significant progress over the years, setbacks often accompany our victories. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act of 2021 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘SRA’) permits married couples and divorced or widowed women aged 35 to 45 years to utilize surrogacy for having children. [...]

In the wake of the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, many of Israel’s supporters, myself included, have succumbed to the understandable impulse for violent retribution. Israel is a land that I love, both culturally as a Jew — and third-generation Holocaust survivor — and spiritually as an ordained cantor. It follows that [...]

Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys reached a settlement on Monday over the state law dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” The parties came to an agreement after two years of litigation and an appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. This agreement paves the way for students and teachers in Florida [...]