End of Singapore’s gay sex ban a ‘small step’ for some LGBT couples

August 22, 2022 – 16:13

By Chen Lin

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore’s decision to lift a colonial-era ban on sex between men is long overdue and will not end discrimination of LGBT groups in the conservative city-state, rights activists and members of the gay community said on Monday.

The announcement by Singapore’s prime minister to repeal the so-called 377A law on Sunday came as he also said the government would take steps to prevent legal challenges that would allow same-sex marriages to be recognised.

More: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/end-of-singapore-s-gay-sex-ban-a–small-step–for-some-lgbt-couples/47844392

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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, he announced the repeal of Section 337A, which provides that:

Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years.

While some activists praised the decision, others argued that LGBTQ+ rights in the country still have a. long way to go. In. particular, Singapore’s Constitution still only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman. Lee stated since “many national policies rely upon this definition of marriage,” such as housing, education, and adoption, Singapore “has no intention of changing the definition of marriage nor these policies.”

Lee announced that this definition of marriage will be protected from any constitutional challenge in the courts, stating on Twitter: “We will protect the definition of marriage, as contained in the Interpre­tation Act and the Women’s Charter, from being challenged constitutionally in the courts. We have to amend the Constitution to protect it, & we will do so.”

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Switzerland: High Court of Zurich considers non-availability of registered partnership for opposite-sex couple as compatible with Articles 8 and 14 ECHR (Judgment in German only)

Verwaltungsgericht des Kantons Zürich: Ablehnung der Eintragung einer verschiedengeschlechtlichen Partnerschaft (Urteil publiziert am 08.08.2022) – Judgment in German only

VB.2021.00612 (URT.2022.23612)  Gewichtung: 24. Abteilung/4. Kammer  Begründung einer eingetragenen Partnerschaft[Ablehnung der Eintragung einer verschiedengeschlechtlichen Partnerschaft.] Nichteintreten auf das Begehren um Feststellung einer Verletzung des Diskriminierungsverbots nach Art. 14 EMRK oder allenfalls Art. 8 Abs. 2 BV mangels eines (aktuellen) Feststellungsinteresses (E. 1.3). […]

Verwaltungsgericht des Kantons Zürich: Ablehnung der Eintragung einer verschiedengeschlechtlichen Partnerschaft — LGBTI Recht in der Schweiz – Droit LGBTI en Suisse – by Professor Andreas R Ziegler

Taiwan blames politics for cancellation of global Pride event

TAIPEI, Aug 12 (Reuters) – Taiwan on Friday blamed “political considerations” for the cancellation of WorldPride 2025 Taiwan after it said the organisers had insisted the word “Taiwan” be removed.

More: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-blames-politics-cancellation-global-pride-event-2022-08-12/

New Article :Petra Sussner, Addressing Heteronormativity: The Not-So-Lost Requirement of Discretion in (Austrian) Asylum Law

in the latest issue of the International Journal of Refugee Law (Vol. 34, no. 1, March 2022).

Andorra becomes the 33rd country with marriage equality

The nation of Andorra will be the 33rd country to recognize marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Lawmakers in the tiny nation – which has a population of about 77,000 and is smaller than the city of Chicago in land mass – voted unanimously to allow same-sex couples access to civil marriage.

Source: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/07/andorra-becomes-33rd-country-marriage-equality/

https://www.consellgeneral.ad/ca/activitat-parlamentaria/iniciatives-legislatives/proposicions-de-llei/proposicio-de-llei-qualificada-de-la-persona-i-de-la-familia (text of the recently approved bill in Catalan)

Secció segona. Sistema matrimonial

Article 74. Formes de matrimoni

1. Es reconeixen les formes de matrimoni següents: – el casament civil – el matrimoni canònic

2. El matrimoni, celebrat sota la forma de casament civil, tindrà els mateixos requisits i efectes quan ambdós contraents siguin persones del mateix  [same] o de diferent sexe.

Uganda shuts down LGBTQ+ NGO over ‘illegal’ operations

Stephen Okello, Executive Director of Uganda’s National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO Bureau), Friday announced that the NGO Bureau had halted Sexual Minorities Uganda’s (SMUG) operations. Okello claimed that SMUG was operating illegally because it was not registered with the NGO Bureau or the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), in violation of the NGO Act 2016.

According to Okello’s statement:

The NGO Bureau also engaged a number of stakeholders that SMUG was partnering with and established that the partners were not aware that SMUG was operating illegally. It is against this background that the NGO Bureau has taken the decision to halt the operations of SMUG with immediate effect. 

SMUG responded to the suspension, claiming it attempted to register with the URSB in 2012 and was denied over its name being “undesirable.” SMUG went on to state:

The refusal to legalize SMUG’s operations that seek to protect LGBTQ people who continue to face major discrimination in Uganda, actively encouraged by political and religious leaders was a clear indicator that the government of Uganda and its agencies are adamant and treat Ugandan gender and sexual minorities as second-class citizens.

Urgent Release. Statement on the shutdown of Sexual Minorities Uganda operations by the NGO bureau. pic.twitter.com/hqrBK8k0PN

— Sexual Minorities Uganda | SMUG (@SMUG2004) August 5, 2022

Uganda is a deeply religious country with a complex history of discrimination against its LGBTQ+ citizens. In 2009, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was proposed, which criminalized sexual activity between those of the same sex. It penalized “the offense of homosexuality” and “aggravated homosexuality,” with the punishments being life in prison and death, respectively. The bill was signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni in February 2014. It was later nullified by the Supreme Court of Uganda, in August 2014, on procedural grounds. 

The post Uganda shuts down LGBTQ+ NGO over ‘illegal’ operations appeared first on JURIST – News.

World Triathlon Executive Board approves Transgender Policy

World Triathlon’s Executive Board has approved the Transgender Policy, following a period of consultation with the Medical Committee, Athletes Committee, Coaches Committee, Legal & Constitution Committee, Women’s Committee and the Equality, Diversion & Inclusion Commission, as well as multiple experts in the field and the transgender community.

The Policy, that will be put in place in 30 days’ time, states:
“To compete in the female category in an Elite or Age-Group triathlon competition, a Transgender athlete must demonstrate that the concentration of testosterone in the athlete’s serum has been less than 2.5 nmol/L continuously for a period of at least 24 months. Also, at least 48 months must have elapsed since the Transgender athlete has competed as a male in any sporting competition”.

The Transgender Policy was approved by the majority of the Executive Board, with the votes against of Vice President Ian Howard and President of the Athletes Committee Tamas Toth.

“We have been studying this matter for over a year, we have listened to the voices of all World Triathlon stakeholders, and I can only thank all the Committees and Commissions for the detailed work carried out by them to inform this policy. We are a small International Federation, but one that has always had inclusion and gender balance in our DNA. The Policy that we have just approved shows that we are prioritizing the fairness principle but showing inclusiveness. It is fully aligned with the IOC’s recommendation, and similar to what other IFs have done in the last months. We will of course monitor the situation and the evolution of this policy, and we are open to reviewing and discussing it as much as necessary over time, as this subject is still evolving and we need to be flexible”, said World Triathlon President and IOC Member, Marisol Casado.

Among the groups consulted in the last month by World Triathlon are sport scientists including Emma Hilton, Yannis Pitsidalis and Ross Tucker; University experts including Dr. Roger Pielke Jr, Dr. Alun Willims and Dr. Ada Cheung; IOC Human Rights expert Madeleine Pape; IOC advisor Daniel Berezowsky, and transgender athletes including Joanna Harper, Chris Mosier, Rachel McBride, Verity Smith, Patty Actually, Annie Lieberman and Veronica Ivy.

Source: https://www.triathlon.org/news/article/world_triathlon_executive_board_approves_transgender_policy

Zelensky says Ukraine’s government may allow civil partnerships for same-sex couples

Read: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/world/europe/zelensky-same-sex-marriage.html

France creates new post of LGBTQ rights ambassador

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Thursday announced the creation of a new position of ambassador for LGBTQ rights in efforts to fight discrimination across the world.

Borne spoke while visiting an LGBTQ center in Orleans, central France, on the 40th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in the country.

Borne said an ambassador will be named by the end of the year and will notably be in charge of pushing for universal decriminalization of homosexuality and trans identity.

She also announced the creation of a 3 million-euro ($3.05 million) fund to finance ten new LGBT+ centers, in addition to the 35 already existing in France.

Borne’s announcements followed criticism of the government after one minister made comments seen as stigmatizing homosexuality and LGBTQ people.

Asked about her opposition to France’s 2013 law authorizing gay marriage and adoption, the minister, Caroline Cayeux, said: “I have a lot of friends among all those people. ” The remarks last month shocked many LGBTQ people and activists against discrimination and abuse, and provoked calls for her resignation.

On Thursday, Borne said that “the President of the Republic’s approach, my approach, the government’s approach is not ambiguous: we will continue to fight to make progress on the rights of the LGBTQ.”

Borne added that the minister “made unfortunate comments, she apologized.”

(AP)

Read: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220804-france-creates-new-post-of-lgbtq-rights-ambassador

Austrian Constitutional Court turns down restriction of automatic co-parenthood and motherhood-recognition to medically assisted procreation (MAP)

The Austrian Constitutional Court in a judgment of 30 June 2022, delivered today, turned down as violating equality rights the statutory restriction of co-parenthood and motherhood-recognition in female same-gender couples to medically assisted donor insemination.

There is no valid reason, the court stated, to withhold co-parenthood to spouses or registered partners (automatic) or cohabiting partners (by recognition) of a woman giving birth to a child sired in other ways than medically assisted donor insemination (for instance by home insemination). And it found sex and sexual orientation discrimination in relation to opposite-gender spouses, registered partners and cohabiting partners (where automatic or recognized co-parenthood is not restricted to medically assisted donor insemination but available for all children). The court also found the restriction to MAP violates the fundamental rights of children to protection and promotion of their best interests.

Read: https://www.vfgh.gv.at/medien/Begruendung_von_Elternschaft.php

(reported by Dr Helmut Graupner)