Holocaust Memorial Day: How the Nazi pink triangle became a defiant symbol of LGBT+ rights

France bans barbaric conversion therapy – no ifs or buts

Hong Kong court rules trans people must undergo invasive surgery to change legal gender

Read: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/01/26/hong-kong-trans-gender-id-law-court-appeal/

Namibia High Court refuses to recognize same-sex marriage

The High Court of Namibia Thursday ruled against recognizing same-sex marriages.

The judge agreed with the arguments put forward by the applicants, but he held that the High Court is bound by precedent. The Supreme Court had previously held in the case of Chairperson of the Immigration Selection Board v. Frank that same-sex relationships are not legal in Namibia.

Two same-sex couples had filed a joint application for recognition of their marriages. The parties were married in South Africa and Germany, respectively, to Namibian citizens.

Judges Hannelie Prinsloo, Orben Sibeya and Esi Schimming-Chase noted that they must follow the 20-year-old Supreme Court ruling even though the reasoning is outdated and wrong. They further noted that it is time to recognize that homosexuality is part and parcel of the fabric of society and that homosexual relationships must be afforded the same rights as other citizens.

The court also stated that the Supreme Court had wrongly interpreted international law in the Frank case. They further found that this discrimination based on orientation amounted to “cherry-picking of human rights” and stated that: “The Constitution must, because it is a moving, living, evolving document, stand evolution and the test of time, be broadly interpreted so as to avoid the austerities of tabulated legalism.”

Applicants’ Lawyer Carli Schickerling said that they are “moderately satisified” with the judgment and are likely to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The post Namibia High Court refuses to recognize same-sex marriage appeared first on JURIST – News.

Interesting Articles on “Queering International Law”

AJIL Unbound has posted a symposium on “Queering International Law”. The symposium includes an introduction by Gráinne de Búrca and contributions by Damian A. Gonzalez-Salzberg, Odette Mazel, Bérénice K. Schramm, Juliana Santos de Carvalho, Lena Holzer, & Manon Beury, Dianne Otto, Giovanna Gilleri, and Claerwen O’Hara.

Hungary – Ombudsman’s decision concerning a case of a trans employee

More: https://www.equalitylaw.eu/downloads/5556-hungary-ombudsman-s-decision-concerning-a-case-of-a-trans-employee-113-kb

Germany: Tax court in Münster has ruled that a gay couple has no right to deduct the costs of surrogacy from their taxes

More: https://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=40915

Register now for the Summer School on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in International Law (The Hague and Amsterdam, 27 July – 5 August 2022)

More information here: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/education/study-programmes/summer-schools/sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-in-international-law-human-rights-and-beyond

Lauch of the Leiden Overview on SOGIESC in International Law – free and online, Wednesday 26 January, 17:15 to 18:45 hrs

You are all invited to the official online launch on 26 January of the new online resource developed by Kees Waaldijk (professor of comparative sexual orientation law at Leiden University’s Grotius Centre) and Waruguru Gaitho (human rights lawyer and academic, currently working at Leiden University’s Van Vollenhoven Institute): the Leiden Overview on SOGIESC in International Law.

Subtitle: A list of online introductory video/audio/reading materials for anyone interested in the international legal aspects of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or sex characteristics – and in particular for anyone (considering) taking part in Leiden University’s Summer School on SOGI in International Law, 
see: www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/education/study-programmes/summer-schools/sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-in-international-law-human-rights-and-beyond/leiden-overview-on-sogiesc-in-international-law. 

On Wednesday 26 January, 17:15 to 18:45 hrs, this Leiden Overview will be presented to two key players in this field of law:  Flávia Piovesan (Rapporteur on the Rights of LGBTI Persons, member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and professor of Constitutional Law and Humans Rights in São Paulo)  &  Gurchaten Sandhu (who works on non-discrimination at the ILO, and is President of UN-GLOBE, the organization advocating for the equality of LGBTIQ+ personnel and dependents in the UN system).  For more information about the four speakers mentioned, and for registration for this online launch,

see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/2021/12/online-launch-of-the-leiden-overview-on-sogiesc-in-international-law.  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeidenLaw/status/1479067881816137731?s=20

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeidenLawSchool/posts/10159857791041392

Please spread the word about this event – and about the Summer School on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in International Law (The Hague and Amsterdam, 27 July – 5 August 2022).

France removes restrictions on gay blood donors

France is to allow LGBT citizens to donate blood without “discriminatory” conditions, the country’s health ministry has announced.

From 16 March, blood donation will be open to all French citizens regardless of their sexual orientation, health minister Olivier Véran said.

Read: https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/12/france-removes-restrictions-on-gay-blood-donors