Ecuador: Lawmakers approve civil unions bill

Ecuadorian lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a bill that seeks to amend the country’s civil code and would allow for the legal recognition of civil unions in the South American country. 

El Comercio, an Ecuadorian newspaper, reported the measure would allow LGBT couples to receive “the same rights and obligations of a marriage” in terms of pensions, purchasing a home together and other benefits. It would also eliminate the requirement that couples must wait two years before entering into a civil union and demonstrate that they had lived together during this period. The proposal would also apply to unmarried straight couples.

“It is a major achievement,” Diane Rodríguez, president of Silueta X Association, an Ecuadorian LGBT advocacy group, said after the vote. Read More

Japan: Lesbian couple 'wed' amid calls for same-sex marriage

A lesbian couple held a symbolic wedding ceremony in Tokyo on Sunday, as calls grow for Japan to legalise same-sex marriage. While their marriage will not be recognised under law, actresses Ayaka Ichinose, 34, and Akane Sugimori, 28 - both dressed in white - tied the knot in front of some 80 relatives and friends.

"We held the wedding ceremony so that it might become easier for others to do the same in the future," Sugimori told press afterwards. Last month, a Tokyo council voted to issue "partnership" certificates to gay couples, the first such recognition of same-sex unions in Japan. Other municipalities are now considering doing the same.

While Japan is largely tolerant of homosexuality, there is no specific legal protection for gay people, who complain that they may be prevented from visiting sick loved ones in hospitals because their relationship is not recognised. Read More

France: Top anti-gay hate group becomes a political party

Manif Pour Tous, a group that came to fame protesting same-sex marriage in France, is becoming a political party. But the group says it doesn’t want to win elections. Instead, they admit that their new status will mean they benefit from tax breaks and donors will be able to make tax-deductible gifts. Manif Pour Tous willcontinue to lobby in the political sphere and will make voting recommendations.

The National Assembly of France passed marriage equality rights in 2013. Read More

US: Protecting students from homophobic bullying

Students who are bullied because of sexual orientation have willing defenders in their classmates -- motivated by leadership, courage, their beliefs in justice, altruism and having lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender friends, according to a Boston College professor and co-author of a new report on bullying at school.

With as many as eight out of every 10 LGBT students enduring bullying at school, the findings can help shape new programs to make schools safer, said Lynch School of Education Associate Professor Paul Poteat, who presents the study today at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association.

"Homophobic behavior often goes unchallenged, and there has been little attention to the large segment of students who witness homophobic behavior," said Poteat. "It is important to distinguish those who actually intercede or support students when homophobic behavior occurs."

An eight-year Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found between 12 to 28 percent of LGBT students reported they had been threatened or injured at school the prior year. The 2011 Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network national survey found 82 percent of LGBT. Read More

UK: Phrase 'that's gay' acceptable to nearly half of young people

The last 15 years have seen some big changes to the laws on sexuality, from equal age of consent to same sex marriage. But over that time the words we use to talk about the subject have changed and social media allows people to make mistakes more easily. It also allows people to react to possible offence more quickly & easily.

Of the words about sexuality which put to the audience, "faggot" was the one that people found most offensive. Many agreed the context in which a word is used is as relevant as the person who is using it. Some young people were also confused about which words people would find offensive when talking about sexuality. Around 15% didn't know if "queen" was an inappropriate term while almost 10% believed using the word homosexual was not acceptable in any circumstance.  Read More 

Guam: Half of university students support gay marriage, according to poll

A poll of students at the University of Guam found 55% of students support same-sex marriage while 29% oppose it. About 16% had no opinion.

"Almost everybody you talk to on Guam has an uncle or an aunt or a cousin or a sister ror brother who is gay, and so this is a readily understandable sort of issue. So one of the things, when we focus group people on this particular topic, having gay people in stable relationships is preferable to having them in unstable relationships, so this may be an extension of that kind of view," said the researcher. Read More 

South Koreans becoming more open-minded about LGBT rights

A recent South Korean poll showed young South Korean respondents are increasingly open-minded about the rights of sexual minorities and their favorable attitudes toward the LGBT community have doubled from 2010 to 2014. The trend, according to South Korea's Asan Institute, showed South Korea is moving toward consolidating its democratic and liberal values.

LGBT rights became a headline issue in South Korea when Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon told the San Francisco Examiner in 2014 that he hoped South Korea becomes the first Asian nation to legalize same-sex marriage. Read More

Northern Ireland: Thousands add their name to petition calling for referendum on gay marriage

More than 17,000 people have added their name to an online petition calling for a referendum on gay marriage after Martin McGuinness proposed a referendum to settle the vexed issue of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. 

Earlier this week, a proposal in the Northern Ireland Assembly to have gay marriage legalised in Northern Ireland was rejected. Monday marked the fourth time the divisive issue has been defeated at the Stormont Assembly and came hours after under-pressure DUP health minister Jim Wells resigned amid controversy over remarks about same sex relationships. Read More

Gay marriage friends, foes spar outside U.S. Supreme Court

After camping out for days, the scene was raucous outside the columned, white marble edifice, with the combined crowd from both sides of the issue estimated at more than a thousand gathered for the court's historic arguments on whether the U.S. Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage.  Read More

US: Supreme Court hears same-sex marriage arguments

The United States Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in Obergefell v. Hodges, a case that could determine whether same-sex marriage is a constitutional right. Justices appear to be divided, with Justice Anthony Kennedy returning to a familiar role as the court's pivotal vote. Speculation is that the case will come down to a 5-4 decision in favor of same-sex couples’ marriage rights. The court scheduled an extraordinary 2 1/2 hours of argument over the case and a decision is expected to come this June. 

Media coverage of the case has been equally split with some heralding success for marriage equality and others cautioning that the court remains divided. 

"I think it went really well," said Marc Solomon, national campaign director for the group Freedom to Marry. "What's so clear to me is how completely bankrupt our opponent's arguments are." Meanwhile opponents of same-sex marriage were buoyed because they believed the judges seemed skeptical of "redefining marriage."

Marriage Equality Arguments First Reaction: Ginsburg Strikes, Kennedy Wavers

Hear/Read excerpts from the case

Bangladesh: TV actress commits suicide over social stigma of same-sex relationship

She wooed audiences with her performances in popular Bengali sitcom, Tumi Ashbey Bole but gave in to the social pressure created by her same-sex relationship. From a journal left behind, police say social stigma over her same-sex relationship with another TV actress led her to commit suicide.

After the actress Ganguly was linked to learned of her suicide, she also attempted suicide, jumping in front of a running train at Howrah station. However, bystanders rescued the actress. Currently, she is undergoing treatment at a hospital after sustaining minor injuries. Read More 

US: Trans woman, 23, kills herself after being attacked online

Rachel Bryk jumped off the George Washington Bridge, the bridge between New York and New Jersey, on Thursday night. An eyewitness is believed to have seen the young woman leave her purse on the bridge and jump off into the Hudson River.

Rachel is the 8th trans person in the US to commit suicide in the last 5 months. Also in the last 5 months, 8 trans people have been murdered in the US. Read More