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EU's highest court rules that in the case of foreign marriages, member states must recognize same-sex marriage

The EU’s highest court just ruled that same-sex marriages are legal throughout the entire bloc in a landmark decision involving two Polish men whose marriage (which was done in Berlin) was not legally recognized by the Polish government. The ruling states that Poland’s refusal to recognize the same-sex marriage “infringes not only the freedom to move and reside, but also the fundamental right to respect for private and family life,” however it does not require member states to recognize the legality of gay marriages in their own laws. The court also stated that EU member states have no right to discriminate against same-sex couples in the case of foreign marriages. I think that this ruling is very important and welcome amidst rising homophobia worldwide, and I’m glad that the court sided with the two men, but the lack of a concrete ruling of whether or not gay marriage is truly legal a la the US’ Obergefell makes me a little doubtful. If there’s anything to take away from this, it’s t...
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Supreme Court declines to review legality of same-sex marriage

In recent news, the Supreme Court has declined to review its landmark decision to protect same-sex marriages (Obergefell v. Hodges), upholding gay rights in a surprising turn of events given the current state of this current administration. Former clerk Kim Davis challenged the ruling after she declined to give a marriage license to a same-sex couple and was found in contempt of court and fined $360,000, along with losing her clerk re-election. Davis challenged the ruling on the basis of religious discrimination, stating that “If ever there was a case of exceptional importance, the first individual in the Republic's history who was jailed for following her religious convictions regarding the historic definition of marriage, this should be it.” She is not alone in her sentiments, as many other key figures such as Justice Clarence Thomas have espoused anti-LGBTQ views and called into question the legality of gay rights. Despite all this, gay marriage would still have some protections...
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T in LGBT acronym removed in many US intelligence documents as part of larger purge of "DEI" content

(makeup for week of 09/22) As part of a broader campaign of purging “DEI” content from the government, US intelligence documents have removed the TQ from LGBTQ, leaving only LGB (lesbian, gay, bisexual) in the acronym. In conjunction with this, many documents have been scrubbed of any mention of transgender people, with phrases such as “anti-LGB grievances” becoming commonplace. This may seem out of the ordinary until you realize that Kristi Noem and Tulsi Gabbard are the secretary of homeland security and director of national intelligence, respectively, and they both hold extremely anti-trans views, with Noem actively pushing to discriminate against trans athletes in high school sports during her time as governor of South Dakota. Gabbard, another vocal opponent of the queer community at large, stated that trans people were “insanity and darkness”. I’m not surprised by the sheer amount of anti-trans sentiment that the current administration has, and I’m especially not surprised by the...
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Supreme Court appears ready to legalize conversion therapy

(makeup for week of 10/06) The Supreme Court appears poised to uphold conversion therapy as a legal practice, as a Christian counselor in Colorado argued that a state law that fines institutions that implement the practice is against the 1st Amendment. Many key liberal figures such as Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson and Colorado Governor Jared Polis condemn the practice as they claim that it’s well within the state’s rights to prohibit a healthcare practice it deems ineffective and archaic, and that conversion therapy as a practice should be illegal, as it is in the state of Colorado. Many conservative figures, such as chief justice John Roberts, oppose these claims, stating that the practices of conversion therapists fall under free speech, and that “a patient who seeks to "end or lessen" their same-sex attraction” should be able to do so. To put it simply, I am terrified. Conversion therapy, which was once widely condemned across the nation, may now be making a...
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UC Riverside Study Finds That LGBTQIA+ People in Congress leads to more LGBTQIA+ representation

A study by UC Riverside shows that openly LGBTQIA+ people in Congress translates to more support for LGBTQIA+ rights. This news comes amidst a sweeping campaign of discrimination of the LGBTQ+ community within all aspects of government by the Trump administration, particularly in the military and executive branch. In the past two decades, LGBTQIA+ support has risen among the general public and in the government, with court cases such as Obergefell v. Hodges and further protections against employment discrimination. The authors of this study used complex methods and data from the Human Rights Campaign to determine that LGBTQIA+ members of Congress do, in fact, vote for their own interests in supporting LGBTQIA+ rights. In my opinion, I think representation is generally a good thing and that more people voting in favor of LGBTQIA+ rights will always be welcomed. I don’t know why it took a whole study to get to that conclusion, but it’s nice to have some reinforcement. I think that there ...
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Mental health of LGBT adults is worsening, shows a UCLA study

A recent study conducted by UCLA found that transgender and bisexual adults are more likely to report serious thoughts of suicide and mental health issues, compared to their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts. The study found that these individuals are three times more likely to seriously think about suicide (48% vs. 17%) than their straight counterparts, as well. The highest level of mental health issues were among transgender people, followed by cisgender lesbians and bisexual females, then cisgender men who identify as gay or bisexual. Along with this, thoughts of suicide are highest among younger LGBTQIA+ adults (ages 18-24 and 25-34). Despite these statistics, it seems that many of these people do not receive the care they need, with 81% of LGBT adults who need mental health care not seeing a mental health practitioner or primary care physician for their issues.  One important thing to note is that this study was conducted in the state of California, known for its large L...
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61 Members of Congress urge Sec. Rubio to restore LGBTQIA+ Data to Human Rights Report

In recent news, a coalition of 61 Members of Congress spearheaded by Rep. Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Rep. Robert Garcia (CA-42), and Rep. Julie Johnson (TX-32) came together to urge Secretary of State Marco Rubio to restore LGBTQIA+-specific data to the 2024 Country Report on Human Rights. This comes amidst extreme and frankly ghoulish attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community across the country, particularly transgender people. The Co-Chairs of the Congressional Equality Caucus’s International LGBTQI+ Rights Task Force, as they are known, say that this information is vital to LGBTQIA+ Americans travelling abroad, as many parts of the world are very unsafe to travel to for these people. They also cite Secretary Rubio’s speaking out against LGBTQIA+ discrimination in the past, when he was a senator. As stated before, the current administration has been on a tirade of rolling back LGBTQIA+ and particularly transgender rights, which is why we need action now more than ever. This letter is nothing mor...
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