Germany Justice Minister Heiko Maas [official profile] announced Wednesday that the country’s cabinet has approved a measure to pardon and provide compensation to approximately 50,000 men convicted under a Nazi-era law against homosexuality. The law, paragraph 175[text] of Germany’s criminal code, was put in place in 1871, broadened under the Nazi regime, and was used to convict men as recently as 1967. Living men wrongfully convicted are expected to receive [DW report] €3,000 for each conviction and €1,500 for each year in jail as compensation. The bill must still be approved by parliament before it is enacted.

The movement for LGBTQ rights is pressuring legislators globally. In February the Washington Supreme Court ruled against [JURIST report] a florist who refused to sell flowers to a same-sex couple, thus upholding the State’s anti-discrimination laws. The following week the Arkansas Supreme Court struck down [JURIST report] Fayetteville city’s ordinance extending nondiscrimination laws to include gender identity and sexual orientation. On Monday Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin signed a bill [JURIST report] to protect students’ freedom of religious expression, which could also be used to exclude LGBTQ students religious student organization.