We have recently seen two long-overdue victories in the area of trans* health. Most notably, Stockholm’s Administrative Court of Appeals finally struck down Sweden’s indefensible–and remarkably culturally incongruous–law (text available in Swedish only) requiring that trans* people be sterilized before the government would issue them identity documents with their preferred sex indicated. This welcome ruling [...]
Many news reports have noted that the British government announced plans to seek an equal marriage law, but I have seen no press on the remainder of the statement: that the government intends to keep civil partnerships – available only to gay couples – off limits to different sex couples. This is a slap [...]
Governments attempting to use the tired “public morality” excuse to curb LGBT-positive speech: you’re on notice. On November 19th the UN Human Rights Committee issued a landmark ruling in Fedotova v. Russia. The plaintiff is a lesbian who was arrested and fined 1500 rubles in 2009 for displaying signs that read “Homosexuality is normal” and [...]
The High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland has ruled that same-sex couples must be allowed to adopt. In Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission’s Application (for judicial review), [2012] NIQB 77, the court held that a government policy restricting adoption to married couples violated the European Convention on Human Rights. A previous ruling by the House of [...]
Another battle has erupted between an eastern European state and broader European norms regarding homosexuality. Last Tuesday, the Ukrainian Parliament voted to outlaw the “promotion of homosexuality.” By the end of the week, the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner warned that the legislation “runs counter toUkraine’s international commitments to ensure freedom of expression and information.” [...]
Making good on President Hollande’s campaign promise, France’s Socialist government has unveiled their proposed same-sex marriage and adoption law, which will make the country Europe’s ninth to take this important step. Parliament’s Socialist majority makes passage of the bill (knock on wood) virtually certain in early 2013.Also included in the draft bill are two more key [...]