gdp's Comments

Equality on Trial : 7/26 open thread

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 16:49:25 +0000

In the light of these developments I think that this or the next two years would be just the right time for Californians to finally repeal Proposition 8. For the last ten years it hasn't been considered because of the achieved court victories, so why it shouldn't be done if we already got in this post-Dobbs reality?

Equality on Trial : 3/14 open thread

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 07:32:17 +0000

But the European Court of Human Rights will still have jurisdiction over Russia in regards to human rights violations occurred before 15 March 2022. Of course, Russia stopped abiding the Court's rulings long before its withdrawal, but that will become important when post-Putin Russia will be readmitted to the Council, just like Greece was readmitted in 1974 after five years of withdrawal by the military junta.

Equality on Trial : 3/22 open thread w/ UPDATE

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 21:39:31 +0000

"However, regardless, the Cuban government seems quite intent on proceeding in this specific direction, as it nicely fits within their long-running narrative of "popular participation."" But there have been only two referendums in the history of Cuba and both are constitutional ones. So is a referendum on marriage equality _really_ necessary in Cuban political system?

Equality on Trial : 3/22 open thread w/ UPDATE

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 21:37:13 +0000

Referendums are not among the best practices for advancing LGBT rights.

Equality on Trial : 3/22 open thread w/ UPDATE

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 21:36:19 +0000

The prince stated that he won't oppose SSM bill if it excludes adoption rights.

Equality on Trial : President Biden reverses military's ban on trans military servicemembers

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 09:08:42 +0000

So can they really do it? I understand that there is a federal Democratic trifecta and that the Senate Democrats can end that silly filibuster thing with a simple majority, but are Republicans going to let two more Democrats sit in the Senate for decades so easily? Or will the DC statehood issue be going to tied to the PR statehood issue to be passed? Of course, we can just sit and wait for the Republicans to start saying aloud that providing Congressional representation for almost a million citizens of their own nation doesn't benefit their party so they oppose it. And make themselves look like total douchebags :D

Equality on Trial : President Biden reverses military's ban on trans military servicemembers

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 08:39:50 +0000

But why should at least the California Proposition 8 repeal in post-COVID times be expensive (only statutory ban was repealed and replaced with appropriate legislation, not Prop 8 itself)? As far as I know, the Democrat-controlled state legislature can put this question on ballot by its vote, thus avoiding signature collecting. Popular votes are conducted in California regularly. Regarding campaigning I think - this time - our side can simply rely on overwhelmingly positive public opinion, as well as on post-Obergefell legal reality. And regarding the "it's not necessary, we have Obergefell and gender-neutral statutory law" point: hey, even Alabama started getting rid of its racist constitutional clauses after a referendum held last November! As for Australian vote, it couldn't mean much if it would have negative result with low turnout. But there actually was high turnout and an overwhelmingly positive result reflecting public opinion at that time which Australian politicians already knew about before the "survey". It was yet another needless obstruction.

Equality on Trial : President Biden reverses military's ban on trans military servicemembers

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 21:18:55 +0000

Most referendums concerning marriage equality have been held over initiatives to ban, not to legalize, it (and mostly to ban it in the constitution, which is not really a feast for democracy, a point expressed by many US judges), and there are not that much referendums over legalization. Excluding Australia (which had a non-binding "postal survey") and Ireland (activists feared that a simple statutory law on marriage equality passed in parliament could be ruled unconstitutional by the courts so the referendum to amend the constitution was deemed necessary), only three occasions from the US remain: a successful 2009 Maine people's veto on the bill passed by the legislature, an unsuccessful 2012 Maryland people's veto on the similar bill and a 2012 Maine referendum which approved a statute brought forward by a popular initiative. In the first two cases the referendums were initiated by the opponents of marriage equality, using the people's veto constitutional option (as is the case in Switzerland) and only in the third case the ME supporters used another constitutional option to put legalization on ballot. With all that in mind I wouldn't say that putting gay couples' marriage rights on ballot really became a common thing to do globally, especially after that era ended in the US in 2012. Almost every time it was used by the conservatives to obstruct legalization efforts, even that Australian "postal survey". Now the only useful referendum of such a kind that can be held, especially in the US, is to finally get rid of those nasty constitutional amendments, which are still on the books even if struck down by SCOTUS. I wonder why no US state hasn't held such a referendum (except Nevada which did just that last November)? By "no US state" I mean California first of all. By the way, the Swiss bigots' pointless appeal to the federal constitution that was adopted in 1999, didn't define marriage at all and, according to one interpretation, expressly forbids discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation simply shows how frustrated they are that they weren't sneaky enough to drag that anti-gay definition in the constitution's text 20 years ago. Without it their stance seems to be intellectually bankrupt at this moment.

Equality on Trial : President Biden reverses military's ban on trans military servicemembers

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 20:23:18 +0000

We can hope that Slovenian parliament will pass same-sex marriage law again and that the conservatives' push for a new referendum won't succeed, maybe with the help of the constitutional court (it didn't really help six years ago).

Equality on Trial : President Biden reverses military's ban on trans military servicemembers

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 20:19:31 +0000

As a citizen of a Slavic country I am waiting for either Slovenia or Czechia to become the first Slavic country with marriage equality as well. Also the Montenegrin partnership law comes into force this July, so Montenegro will soon become the first Slavic Orthodox-majority country, the first non-EU Slavic country and the first non-EU Orthodox-majority country effectively recognising and protecting same-sex unions.

Equality on Trial : President Biden reverses military's ban on trans military servicemembers

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:47:05 +0000

Switzerland: Anti-marriage equality referendum committee formed In early December 2020, the Council of States, Switzerland’s upper house voted in favour of same sex marriage, finalising a government decision to change Switzerland’s laws to allow marriage equality for all. Since then those opposed to the idea have been busy. The proposed referendum is entitled: Yes to marriage and family, no to marriage for everyone. The committee behind it describes themselves as: The non-partisan referendum committee against marriage for everyone and access to sperm donation for lesbian couples, suggesting the vote is focused on a specific element of marriage equality: medically assisted procreation. The organisers, who describe same sex union as pseudo marriage, believe the planned legal changes required to implement it undermine the constitution. Article 14 of Switzerland’s constitution guarantees a right to marriage and family, and vote organisers argue that this means the natural union of men and women, a definition that excludes same sex marriage. According to the initiative website, the committee behind the recent initiative includes a number of members of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC), the Democratic Christian Party (CVP/PDC) and the Federal Democratic Union (EDU/UDF). https://lenews.ch/2021/01/14/swiss-referendum-lau... Note: I had to rewrite the headline as the original one implied that enough signatures have been already collected for the referendum to be held. Actually, the initiative committee is quite frank about it on its website: "From December 31, 2020 to April 10, 2021, we need to collect at least 50,000 certified signatures. Unfortunately, corona measures make collecting signatures very difficult." I hope they won't collect enough signatures. Human rights, especially minorities rights, should not be placed on ballot. Even though referendums are a common practice in Switzerland, if held, such a referendum would set a harmful precedent for other countries.

Equality on Trial : Happy holidays open thread!

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 16:44:41 +0000

The Swiss marriage equality law was officially published today https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/federal-gazette/2020/... It means that in order to trigger a referendum on this law the haters will have to collect 50 thousand signatures in 100 days (by 10 April 2021). Then the government will set a date of the law's entry into force after either the positive referendum outcome or the certification of insufficient signatures count to trigger a referendum. For example, the registered partnership law was passed by the Swiss parliament in June 2004, a referendum was held in June 2005 and the law came into effect only on 1 January 2007. It seems that even if the referendum won't be held this time the law won't come into effect before 1 January 2022. And if the referendum will be held then we may even see the first same-sex couples' weddings in Chile to take place sooner than in Switzerland. P.S. The same conditions on entry into force apply for a gender self-declaration law published today as well https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/federal-gazette/2020/...

Equality on Trial : 11/2 open thread

Thu, 5 Nov 2020 06:01:11 +0000

When will Californians do the same to Proposition 8?

Equality on Trial : 6/29 open thread UPDATED 7/2

Thu, 2 Jul 2020 11:41:34 +0000

Greece and Cyprus became the first Orthodox-majority countries to legally recognise same-sex couples in 2015. But we can also say that Montenegro is the first Slavic Orthodox-majority country, the first non-EU Orthodox-majority country and the first Slavic non-EU country to do that. Given that the president is a leader of the party that voted in favor of this bill, he will sign it.

Equality on Trial : SCOTUS update 6/2-6/4

Sun, 7 Jun 2020 09:09:58 +0000

Wow. I suppose that was quite unexpected (if not a 5-4 ruling rejecting ME then at least such a bigoted wording of the ruling). I hope the couple will submit a complaint to IACHR, it would be such a shame for Chile to be specifically slapped down after the Court gave its binding opinion on marriage equality in 2018.

Equality on Trial : 5/4 open thread

Mon, 11 May 2020 07:12:23 +0000

I am sorry for making my comment look negative, anyway that certainly was not me who downvoted your post. I just pointed out that the "coercion, threats or deception" clause looked strange, as if it would be legal to coerce a 27+ years old person to undergo "conversion therapy". Undoubtedly this law will be of a great significance for German LGBT youth and for advancing similar laws in other European countries. But I am afraid that such minors only ban is not going to eradicate the discredited practice of "conversion therapy", but only to limit it as it leaves some legal space to perform it to adults.

Equality on Trial : 5/4 open thread

Fri, 8 May 2020 19:44:27 +0000

So if you are at least 27 years old and are subjected to coercion, threats or deception "conversion therapy" will still be legal to perform? Or will coercion, threats or deception be illegal regardless of that?..

Equality on Trial : 4/27 SCOTUS update

Fri, 1 May 2020 19:12:27 +0000

Well, such a conclusion to the story was quite predictable. And that reaction by the local LGBT community is not surprising at all. A similar story from Russia concluded much worse, I'd say https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-arr...

Equality on Trial : SCOTUS news (not strictly LGBT-related)

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 09:56:51 +0000

When will California follow? As far as I know, there needs to be a single vote by the legislature for this question to be placed on the ballot.

Equality on Trial : SCOTUS news (not strictly LGBT-related)

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 20:41:42 +0000

Actually, there already is a Muslim majority territory where same-sex marriage is legal, that is a French overseas department Mayotte, located between Madagascar and Mozambique, with population about 280,000. Although this fact is due to the whole of France legalising same-sex marriage in April 2013, out of three members of French Parliament representing Mayotte two ones voted in favour (one of two senators voted against). The first same-sex marriage there was performed in September 2013 and in the first four years of legalisation there were about 240 marriages of same-sex couples. Anyway, when the FBiH legalises even some kind of same-sex partnerships by the decision of FBiH lawmakers only it will be another historic first for LGBT rights.