Natasha Kahungi is JURIST’s Africa Bureau Chief. She files this from Nairobi. Many voices are being raised as Kenya braces for the anticipated introduction of an anti-LGBT bill in parliament, creating a cacophony of both support and opposition to the planned legislation. This vibrant outpouring of viewpoints highlights the complexity of this pressing social issue [...]
Search Results for: gay marriage
More than 30 embassies urge Hungary to protect LGBTQ+ rights ahead of Pride Festival
Multiple embassies and various cultural institutions from over 30 countries released a joint statement on Friday supporting the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Hungary, ahead of the 28th Budapest Pride Festival. Signatories to the statement included the US, the UK, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy and others. The group emphasized the importance of revoking laws that [...]
Russian lawmakers unanimously passed a bill on Friday to ban gender-affirming surgeries for transgender people in the country. The Chairman of the Russian State Duma Viacheslav Volodin announced the bill’s passage on his Telegram channel, claiming the bill will protect Russian citizens and children. The bill prohibits surgery and hormone therapy for transgender individuals as [...]
Nepal Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage in landmark verdict
The Supreme Court of Nepal issued an interim order to the Nepali government on Friday to recognize same-sex marriage by allowing same-sex couples and other non-heterosexual couples to register for marriage in the country. The order issued by Justice Til Prasad Shrestha calls for necessary amendments to the provisions related to marriage and marriage registration within [...]
US Supreme Court finds in favor of web designer who refused to create websites for LGBTQ+ couples
The US Supreme Court ruled Friday in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis that a Colorado-based web designer cannot be compelled to create wedding websites for LGBTQ+ couples, despite the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) which protects LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in public accommodations. The Court determined that forcing the designer to comply with CADA would violate [...]
Estonia Parliament passes bill allowing gender-neutral marriage
Estonia’s Parliament, the Riigikogu, passed a bill Monday to allow gender-neutral marriage in the country. The bill was sent to President Alar Karis for approval on Tuesday. Estonia is the first Baltic nation and the first former Soviet Union nation to legalize gender-neutral or same-sex marriage. The bill defines marriage as being between two people [...]
A Century of Meyer v. Nebraska: The SCOTUS Case that Defined Personal Liberties
June 4 marks the centennial of Meyer v. Nebraska, in which the US Supreme Court commenced its modern role as the guardian of non-economic personal liberties by striking down laws in Nebraska, Iowa, and Ohio that prohibited the teaching of German to elementary school children. Meyer itself remains a vital cornerstone for the protection of [...]
Nepal Supreme Court orders government to recognize same-sex marriage
The Supreme Court of Nepal Tuesday instructed the government to legally recognize same-sex marriage. They further recommended a five-step plan in order to allow same-sex couples and non-cisgender individuals to get married in line with a 2015 court-ordered report, which has not yet been acted upon by the government. In the latest of many recent [...]
Uganda Parliament passes bill that would punish gay sex with life imprisonment
Uganda’s Parliament Tuesday unanimously passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023, a bill that would make the “promotion” of homosexuality punishable by 20 years’ imprisonment and homosexual sex acts punishable by life imprisonment. It also allows the death penalty for engaging in “aggravated acts of homosexuality,” which is when one of the persons has HIV or a [...]
The so-called Anti-Homosexuality Bill, introduced to Uganda’s parliament on Thursday, seeks to ban all forms of homosexual relations, as well as vaguely described “related matters.” Under the legislation, introduced by Member of Parliament Asuman Basalirwa, individuals convicted of the “offense of homosexuality” would face 10 years in prison. Notably, this offense includes not only sexual [...]