US: Should Doctors Operate On Intersex Babies?

M.C. was born with ambiguous genitalia, a rare condition that doctors addressed with surgery. Now, in a landmark lawsuit, M.C.’s parents are challenging the medical mainstream: Why does a surgeon decide what sex a child should be?

Roughly 1 in every 2,000 babies in the U.S. are born, like M.C., with a range of traits that fall somewhere along the wide spectrum between male and female. Some doctors argue that the number of these so-called intersex babies is even higher — as many as 1 in 100 — depending on what biological markers are used to draw the line where nature hasn’t. Many intersex patients, parents, legal experts, and bioethicists are opposed to surgical fixes, which they argue are often medically unnecessary, riddled with consent issues, and physically and psychologically harmful.

As M.C. begins the anguish of adolescence, Pam and her husband, Mark, are waging a landmark lawsuit against the hospitals and state guardians who decided to put their son through sex-assignment surgery. The Crawfords’ lawsuit is only the latest development in a movement against intersex surgeries that has been building since John Money’s John/Joan case re-emerged in the late 1990s. Read More 

Colombia: Constitutional court held test for global marriage equality

Colombia’s top court held a day-long hearing on whether it should interpret its constitution as giving marriage rights to same-sex couples — framing the debate in a wider discussion about whether international standards now dictate that marriage equality is a fundamental right.

Colombia’s Constitutional Court weighs foreign precedent and international human rights law in its decisions. To discuss the question of marriage equality, the Court’s judges invited a broad range of international opinions, including representatives of the UN human rights office, the U.S.-based conservative legal group the Alliance Defending Freedom, and Albie Sachs, the former chief justice of South Africa’s Constitutional Court who authored a 2005 marriage equality ruling.

The case concerns several questions of Colombian law but the list of participants signals that the justices see themselves as also adjudicating a question that extends beyond the country’s borders: Now that marriage equality is becoming the norm in almost all of the world’s democracies, should it be considered a fundamental right in countries that strive to meet a gold standard for human rights? And if the court concludes that this is the key question in this case, those arguing to uphold the existing marriage law appear to face an uphill battle.  Read More

South Korea: Activist couple test gay rights barriers in conservative South Korea

Growing up as a gay man in South Korea in the 70s and 80s, film director Kim Jho Gwang-soo was warned that his homosexual “disease” would condemn him to a life of loveless, insatiable promiscuity. “From an early age, my dream was to become a director, but instead of making movies I was apparently going to waste all my time and energy looking for sexual partners,” Kim said.

Times have changed. The gay rights movement in South Korea is currently riding something of a mini-wave in terms of support. Last month’s gay pride parade had thousands marching through central Seoul despite vocal protests by conservative Christian groups. And earlier this month, Kim and his longtime partner, Kim Seung-hwan, went to court to demand legal status as a married couple.

The two Kims are the most high-profile gay couple in South Korea and the lawsuit they filed over their marriage license is the first of its kind. Their lawyer, Ryu Min-hee, said she is pushing for the recognition of precedent in existing rulings where courts have struck down discriminatory family law provisions using the constitution’s equal protection clause. 

“This case isn’t just about marriage rights,” Ryu said. “LGBT people in South Korea are discriminated against in law and life and we want to share this story with the Korean public,” she added. “That’s our goal.”  Read More 

Japan: Is same-sex marriage right for Japan?

Article 24 of the Japanese Constitution states, “Marriage shall be based only on the mutual consent of both sexes.” Whether this is a regulation denying same-sex marriage is an issue on which the opinions of scholars are divided. In Japan this spring, a law took effect in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward that recognizes same-sex couples.

How will the world move on same-sex marriage, and how should we consider its domestic institutionalization? We posed these questions to two individuals. Deciding whether to recognize same-sex marriage is a sensitive topic that divides countries right down the middle.

Recently, major corporations have started popping up in Japan that recognize marriage leave for same-sex couples. Such cases show that the eyes of Japanese society have now begun to turn toward the pleas of sexual minorities. From that perspective, the fact that laws granting certificates to same-sex couples have been enacted by local governments, which are so interwoven with the citizenry, is symbolic. We must continue, carefully, to debate whether to change legal systems such as the Civil Code. Read More 

Philippines: 8 in 10 Pinoys oppose same-sex marriage

A poll cited that 8 in 10 Pinoys oppose same-sex marriage – something that LGBT activists say is not surprising because of the continuing effect of religion in the country. Most Filipinos are keen on preserving stereotypical “traditional marriage”, with 84% of Filipinos opposing passing a law allowing same-sex marriage in the Philippines, according to the Standard Poll.

Of the 1,500 respondents from all over the Philippines, 14% somewhat disagreed, and 70% strongly disagreed with passing a law allowing same-sex marriage in the Philippines. The opposition was strongest in Northern and Central Luzon at 92%; with more residents in rural areas rejecting same-sex marriage (87%) than those living in urban areas (80%). Also, more mature respondents reject same-sex marriage (85%) than the younger respondents (81%). Read More

This politician spoke directly to gay families, and her speech was incredible

The deputy leader of the opposition Labor Party, Tanya Plibersek, apologised to all the families who will continue to go without legal recognition because of politicians failing. She said: “I just want to take a moment to talk directly to gay and lesbian teenagers about the decision the Liberal and National Parties made last night. It made be that you feel very disappointed, and it may be that you feel very let down, and it may be that you feel you have been treated by this Parliament as second class citizens. I want to say to you today: That is not true."  Read more via PinkNews

Australia: This Politician’s Speech About His Gay Uncles Will Give You Chills

Federal Labor MP Tim Watts has given a powerful speech in favour of marriage equality following the coalition’s decision to deny a conscience vote on the issue. Watts was speaking this morning on another marriage equality bill, the one introduced by opposition leader Bill Shorten, when he addressed comments allegedly made by conservative senator Eric Abetz that gay men don’t really want to get married. 

A clearly emotional Watts told the story of his uncle Derek, who was in a long term same-sex relationship when he died of AIDS when Watts was a child. Read more

Australia: With no Coalition free vote, where to now for same-sex marriage?

The much-anticipated announcement of the government’s position on same-sex marriage raised more questions than it answered. By rejecting a free vote on same-sex marriage for Coalition MPs during this term of parliament, the government ensured that Australia will continue to be the only developed English-speaking country in the world where marriage is an exclusively heterosexual institution.

72% of Australians believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, according to a 2014 poll. The government’s position is out of step with the Australian population. So what is the way forward? Prime Minister Tony Abbott raised several possibilities: a referendum, a national vote, a court challenge, and parliament. Let’s consider each of them. Read More

Australia: Marriage rallies across the country

Thousands are turning out in Australia to call for same-sex marriage, as its Federal Parliament prepares to debate the reform next week. In Brisbane, more than 5,000 people attended a rally at Queens Garden. Lisa Origliasso from band The Veronicas spoke, saying “I hate to say it by Australia is still sadly standing behind the rest... Now is the time for us to get loud. Now is the time for us to kick and scream for human rights. The right to be you. The right to me. To put it simply, we stand hand in hand with our loved ones today, unified to send a message to this great nation, that we are here to make this country better.

In Hobart, 1,500 people packed Hobart City Hall, with the crowd so large it flowed out onto the street. They heard from Tasmanian celebrities, leaders and advocates, including Hobart Lord Mayor Sue Hickey. The audience also heard from Nick Outterside, who spoke about being raised by two mothers and the death of one before they were able to marry.

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman has also supported the Federal Government allowing federal MPs a free vote on the issue. "Ahead of the introduction of a cross-party bill this week, the rally sends a strong message to federal parliament that Tasmanians want marriage equality,” says Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome. Rallies were also held in Sydney and Perth. Melbourne and Adelaide rallies will happen next Saturday. Read More

Portugal: The 'trans' who wants to be MP

Julia does not like the word transsexual. She says it is a medical term that carries pejorative of a pathology. Instead, she prefers to be called - and others like her - 'trans': people who are born with mismatched body of their gender identity. At 25, she is running for a seat in Parliament by the Left Bloc (BE). If she can win this battle, she will be the first trans MP in Portugal, though not in the world.

In November 2011, Anna Grodzka reached the integrated Polish parliament in the liberal movement of left-wing Janusz Palikot. Julia Mendes Pereira, who is running for deputy for integrated Setúbal circle in the list headed by Joan Mortágua, joined the block in 2010 and around the same time began to make her voice heard on several fronts to fight for the rights of sexual minorities. 

Julia Mendes Pereira is campaigning on several issues. The first is to fight for self-determination of 'trans' people, requesting the right to change their civil status according to their gender identity, without testimony from doctors and psychologists. Additionally, she is interested in feminist issues, defending the right to abortion, gender violence, and LGBT parenting. "These are my priorities as much as intersex rights," says Julia. For clarification, intersex people are born with sexual characters of both sexes, making it difficult to identify as a man or woman. Read More

Venezuela: First transgender candidate to run for Congress

The first transgender politician to run for popular election in Venezuela registered as candidate for Congress as part of the opposition bloc, promising to advance gay rights in the traditionally macho South American society. Lawyer and gay rights activist Tamara Adrian had to register under her given name Thomas Adrian despite a 2002 sex change, because Venezuelan law does not allow anyone born male to legally become female or take a woman's name.

"We're going to fight so that everyone gets respect," said Adrian, amid a tussle of candidates and cheering supporters at the gates of an elections authority office in Caracas. Adrian is running with the opposition party Voluntad Popular, which includes some of the most outspoken critics of President Nicolas Maduro. Two gay candidates are also running with Voluntad Popular.

She argued that Venezuela, along with Paraguay, Guyana, Suriname and Peru, has done little to extend equal rights to homosexuals. It was not immediately evident if the electoral council will register Adrian as a woman. In June the council said at least 40% of candidates in the upcoming vote must be women.  Read More

Sierra Leone: To be gay and African should not be a crime

George Reginald Freeman: In my home country of Sierra Leone, homosexuality is punishable by a minimum of 10 years in jail. My first punishment was when I was 12 and came out. I confided in my uncle. Instead of the acceptance, he beat me up and called me names: “shob am na kaka hole,” which loosely translates to “ass-fucker.” His screaming and yelling brought neighbors out of their homes. They yelled at me while my uncle went to get the police, who arrested me.

Sierra Leone is my homeland, yet I lived in constant fear of the police and officials who arrested and detained me numerous times because I am gay. Yet there are longstanding traditions of homosexuality in African history. The Mende tribe in Sierra Leone has the “sande bwake,” which means male cross-dresser. The word “mabole” means a woman who plays the role of a man and at times dresses like men, while eschewing “women’s” activities.

Even the masquerades allow cross-dressing during festivals and cultural performances. Most women who are not able to give birth are allowed to marry their fellow women for child-bearing. These women are not considered the wife to a husband, but the wife to a wife. Homosexuality is not “un-African.” We are the cradle of human life, and nothing human is alien to us. Read More