It’s now illegal to provide radical healthcare for transgender youth in Alabama after a federal judge failed to rule on a motion Friday that could have temporary halted the law from going into effect.
As of Sunday, the new law makes it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for medical providers to give puberty blockers or hormones to those under the age of 19.
This enforcement is a first for a state. The Arkansas Legislature passed a similar measure last year but a federal judge blocked it from going into effect while a lawsuit challenging the prohibition plays out.
Banning sterilization of children is the right thing to do
Post originally made here was moved to Society and Demographics News and Discussion thread.
Edit: Replaced with this:
Texas Judge Blocks State from Investigating Parents of Trans Kids by Kirk McDaniel
June 10, 2022
Introduction:
AUSTIN, Texas (Courthouse News) — A Texas judge on Friday temporarily blocked the state child welfare agency from investigating three families who provide gender-affirming care to their transgender children for child abuse. The order also protects all members of a nationwide organization that provides support for families of LGBT youth.
Ruling from the bench, Travis Country District Court Judge Jan Soifer issued a temporary restraining order against the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The order comes days after three families and the organization PFLAG filed an 80-page lawsuit against Republican Governor Greg Abbott, DFPS and the department’s commissioner, Jamie Masters. The plaintiffs are seeking a permanent injunction barring DFPS from conducting any further investigations.
The three families who filed the lawsuit have minor children who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and are receiving gender-affirming care. Adam and Amber Briggle are one set of parents who sued and are the first to be publicly named in a lawsuit against the state.
Along with the families, over 600 members of PFLAG also were granted protection from being investigated by the state. As an organization, PFLAG advocates on behalf of LGBTQ people and their families. It is a nationwide organization with 17 chapters in the state of Texas alone.
Abbott, a Republican who is currently running for reelection, has argued that gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and surgeries constitutes child abuse. This claim was supported by Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is also running for reelection this fall.
Indiana lawmakers enact trans sports ban with veto override
Source: AP
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Indiana voted Tuesday to override the GOP governor’s veto of a bill banning transgender females from competing in girls school sports and join about more than a dozen other states adopting similar laws in the past two years.State senators voted 32-15 in favor of overriding Gov. Eric Holcomb following the same action in a 67-28 vote by the House earlier in the day.
Holcomb had said in his veto message that bill did not provide a consistent policy for what he called “fairness in K-12 sports” when he unexpectedly vetoed it in March. The override votes were nearly party line and no lawmakers changed their votes from earlier this year. Four Republican senators joined all Democratic senators in voting to uphold the veto. In the House, three Republicans voted to sustain the veto, while one Democrat supported overriding it.
Opponents have argued the bill is a bigoted response to a problem that doesn’t exist. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit minutes following the override in hopes of blocking the law from taking effect as scheduled on July 1. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a 10-year-old girl who plays on her school’s all-girls softball team in Indianapolis. The new law would deny the fourth-grader the right to rejoin her team because she is a transgender girl, which is a violation of Title IX and the U.S. Constitution, according to the complaint.
Republican sponsors of the bill maintain it is needed to protect the integrity of female sports and opportunities for girls to gain college athletic scholarships but have pointed out no instances in the state of girls being outperformed by transgender athletes. “(This measure) does not solve an issue. It does not bring people together. It does not benefit our state in any way,” Democratic Sen. J.D. Ford of Indianapolis said shortly before the Senate vote. “Why do you press upon the government to solve this issue, which there is no issue?”
Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes announces she is gay - and kept it hidden for 34 years
Dame Kelly Holmes has announced she is gay, and says she has hidden it for 34 years.
Speaking during Pride month, the two-time gold medallist said she realised she was gay at the age of 17 after kissing a fellow female soldier, and that her family and friends have known since 1997.
The Olympic champion told the Sunday Mirror: "I needed to do this now, for me. It was my decision. I'm nervous about saying it. I feel like I'm going to explode with excitement.
"Sometimes I cry with relief. The moment this comes out, I'm essentially getting rid of that fear."
The 52-year-old also revealed she struggled with her mental health because of having to hide her sexuality, and that she had to keep several same-sex relationships she had during her time in the Women's Royal Army Corps secret, for fear of being courts marshalled.
Until 2000, it was illegal for gay, lesbian and bisexual people to serve in the British Army, Royal Navy and RAF - and Dame Kelly feared she would still face repercussions for breaking that law during her time in the forces.
FINA votes to effectively ban transgender swimmers in elite women's competition - and create 'open' category
Sunday 19 June 2022
Swimming's world governing body has voted to effectively ban transgender athletes from competing in women's elite races.
FINA will explore establishing an "open" category for them in some events as part of its new policy.
The new policy was passed with a roughly 71% majority after it was put to the members of 152 national federations with voting rights who had gathered for the congress at the Puskas Arena.
It will require transgender competitors to have completed their transition by the age of 12 in order to be able to compete in women's competitions.
A statement from FINA said that male-to-female transgender athletes will be eligible to compete only if "they can establish to FINA's comfortable satisfaction that they have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 (of puberty) or before age 12, whichever is later".
^^^This is a tough issue, but I think maybe the "open" category is the best solution. Of course, in a way it is calculated to satisfy no one. Tansgender folk are likely to take offense at being forced into another category. Still, is it really fair that they compete against women who do not have the biological advantages of being male in their early years?
Japan court says ban on same-sex marriage constitutional
Source: AP
By MARI YAMAGUCHI
TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court ruled Monday that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage does not violate the constitution, and rejected demands for compensation by three couples who said their right to free union and equality has been violated.
The Osaka District Court ruling is the second decision on the issue, and disagrees with a ruling last year by a Sapporo court that found the ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional. It underscores how divisive the issue remains in Japan, the only member of the Group of Seven major industrialized nations that does not recognize same-sex unions.
In its ruling, the Osaka court rejected the plaintiffs’ demand for 1 million yen ($7,400) in damages per couple for discrimination they face.
The plaintiffs — two male couples and one female couple — were among 14 same-sex couples who filed lawsuits against the government in five major cities — Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Osaka — in 2019 for violating rights to free union and equality.
Getting back to an "open" category in sports, that could really result in some fun competitions. Aging men no longer at the top of their game might decide to try their luck in the open competitions, while younger women might, in its initial stages, see it as a field with less real competition and therefore a greater chance of winning prize money. It would also be a way of accommodating transgender athletes, although perhaps not to their complete satisfaction.
Has anybody noticed the increase in anti-LGBT rhetoric online in the US? I've been noticing it. It seems like as soon as Roe vs Wade was overturned, or shortly after that, the political strategy of conservative groups shifted. It just seems like the violent rhetoric is much more common now (aka, deserving to be lined up and shot in the head, or deserving to suffer in one way, shape, form, or another). I always knew LGBT activist culture was pushing people too hard too fast, as humans don't adapt to change very well, and I always knew elements of this nature existed, but I am unsure yet how far this rhetoric will be taken. I also predict that the court will push marriage for LGBT people back to the states, maybe go even as far as pushing making it illegal to be LGBT unless one is a "normal" gender and not sexually active back to the states as well, but after that, I don't know. It has been a lot on my mind lately, to be honest. I think my strategy for survival in such a culture (whether it becomes reality for most states or not), is to escape, if not escape then hide/blend, and if not hide/blend then fight but only what is reasonable force met with force (and know when to let go of your life and just lay down too). Also, retreating from the public eye is a good strategy. You can't get in trouble when you aren't seen or people aren't aware of you much. That's how I survived the other places I've lived in my life, and I know I could do it again. Ironically, I remember having to do that as a Christian in an Islamic country too, even before my current identity. That's actually how I came to realize how little American Christians actually know about persecution, even though they are always complaining about it. When you are truly being persecuted, you have little energy or visibility to complain about it, except among peers. That's also why a lot of LGBT protests in the US that are the most vocal are usually in liberal states because a lot of the LGBT in conservative states are just trying to survive day to day.
One of the most compassionate people towards me, when I left my former religion, was not my family, or my religious leaders. It was the woman who I befriended that had been beaten mercilessly and was at risk of being sent to a reconversion camp by her Islamic family for her belief in Christianity. The one who had lost everything to follow a different belief system. Sometimes, it is people like that who understand what true compassion really means and live out their beliefs better than their peers because they sacrificed everything to follow their path. To this day, I really believe I felt an understanding there between us, that I couldn't put into words with anyone else. It's because she knew what it was like to sacrifice everything to follow a new path that is wholly alien to the culture surrounding you. Also forgot to add, that she was the only person that actually ever asked in my life if anyone was mistreating me. Nobody else ever asked me that question or showed that kind of concern.
Last edited by SerethiaFalcon on Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
SerethiaFalcon wrote: ↑Fri Jul 01, 2022 5:59 am
Has anybody noticed the increase in anti-LGBT rhetoric online in the US? I've been noticing it. It seems like as soon as Roe vs Wade was overturned, or shortly after that, the political strategy of conservative groups shifted. It just seems like the violent rhetoric is much more common now (aka, deserving to be lined up and shot in the head, or deserving to suffer in one way, shape, form, or another). I always knew LGBT activist culture was pushing people too hard too fast, as humans don't adapt to change very well, and I always knew elements of this nature existed, but I am unsure yet how far this rhetoric will be taken. I also predict that the court will push marriage for LGBT people back to the states, maybe go even as far as pushing making it illegal to be LGBT unless one is a "normal" gender and not sexually active back to the states as well, but after that, I don't know. It has been a lot on my mind lately, to be honest. I think my strategy for survival in such a culture (whether it becomes reality for most states or not), is to escape, if not escape then hide/blend, and if not hide/blend then fight but only what is reasonable force met with force (and know when to let go of your life and just lay down too). Also, retreating from the public eye is a good strategy. You can't get in trouble when you aren't seen or people aren't aware of you much. That's how I survived the other places I've lived in my life, and I know I could do it again. Ironically, I remember having to do that as a Christian in an Islamic country too, even before my current identity. That's actually how I came to realize how little American Christians actually know about persecution, even though they are always complaining about it. When you are truly being persecuted, you have little energy or visibility to complain about it, except among peers. That's also why a lot of LGBT protests in the US that are the most vocal are usually in liberal states because a lot of the LGBT in conservative states are just trying to survive day to day.
One of the most compassionate people towards me, when I left my former religion, was not my family, or my religious leaders. It was the woman who I befriended that had been beaten mercilessly and was at risk of being sent to a reconversion camp by her Islamic family for her belief in Christianity. The one who had lost everything to follow a different belief system. Sometimes, it is people like that who understand what true compassion really means and live out their beliefs better than their peers because they sacrificed everything to follow their path. To this day, I really believe I felt an understanding there between us, that I couldn't put into words with anyone else. It's because she knew what it was like to sacrifice everything to follow a new path that is wholly alien to the culture surrounding you.
The only way you can do that is to vote all the republicans from the majority of the states in the country.
“In the quantum multiverse, every choice, every decision you've ever and never made exists in an unimaginably vast ensemble of parallel universes.”
Amazon bows to UAE pressure to restrict LGBTQ+ search results
Thu 30 Jun 2022
Amazon has bowed to pressure from the United Arab Emirates and restricted search results for LGBTQ+-related products such as books and rainbow-coloured flags on its website in the country.
The company decided to restrict the searches after being threatened with penalties by the UAE government, according to the New York Times which first reported the story.
The news comes as Pride month, designed to celebrate LGBTQ+ people around the world every year, comes to an end.
Homosexuality is illegal in the UAE, one of 69 countries in the world that have laws that criminalise being gay.
“As a company, we remain committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and we believe that the rights of LGBTQ+ people must be protected,” an Amazon spokesperson told the BBC.
However, they added: “With Amazon stores around the world, we must also comply with the local laws and regulations of the countries in which we operate.”
@Time_Traveller I hate to take sides and agree with you, but with the way people are talking on that side anymore, I have no faith in their desire to preserve my right to even just exist and believe what I believe or follow the path that I choose to follow. I used to try to see from both, but when it comes down to my right to exist, I have a huge problem with that.
@erowind Yeah, it must be so scary for you, I can only imagine. We are such a small population. The one thing I do think is that more people would probably become allies of us, especially with the threat of the government getting too involved in people's sexual lives in general. That would not be a popular move, especially after not having that be a problem for so long. For now, I'm in a state that is more liberal, so I think my fight will be to keep it that way. If we have to fight to defend the space, then I'm sure we will do so, if we can. If I had remained where I was, I don't think there would have been much chance of survival, to be honest. So, turns out, this move seemed to be something positive that I could not have foreseen. I don't much participate in groups and stuff with LGBT people, mainly because in some ways I've been an ideological outlier, being more centrist. But, this will probably force my hand to get more involved and more defensive of a stance. It's just always been our strategy as a couple to be more...blending in when we have to be because we don't fit into any one box of how to be anyway. So, I'll have to think about that. As far as a concentration camp is concerned, I've kind of taken the stance of Jewish people with that. They say "never again the Holocaust." In my own life, I say "never again" to be in a situation where I have no control over my life and others make all decisions for me. My strategy, in that case, is to force their hand to either backdown or kill me, so that I don't have to be a lamb led to the slaughter. So, I'm with you on the self-defense thing.
Also, with the voting thing, I'm aware they are taking that part away for a lot of people too. Do you think that protesting and shutting down things will get them to change, or will it just result in a doubling down of sorts? From my observation, it seems non-violent protesting doesn't force change, only ignoring the problem. But, violent protesting just leads to being labeled "thugs" and being taken to court, etc. So, I don't see any solution that works in this scenario that isn't explained away, blamed on something else, or where the attention is redirected.
Uniformed police not welcome at Pride in London, say organisers
Thu 30 Jun 2022
Pride in London says uniformed officers should not march in the parade, following calls from LGBTQ+ campaigners to bar them due to Scotland Yard’s “homophobic” handling of the investigation into the serial killer Stephen Port.
The move came after the human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said the case, which the independent police watchdog recently announced it was reinvestigating, showed that “institutional homophobia is alive and kicking in the Metropolitan police”.
Tatchell added that the case, as well as other recent revelations of homophobia, racism and misogyny in the force, meant Pride in London needed to take a stand on police officers’ participation in the parade.
He said if the Met police had conducted a proper investigation after the murder of Port’s first victim, Anthony Walgate, the three other young gay men Port subsequently killed would still be alive.
Officers failed to link the deaths between June 2014 and September 2015, despite striking similarities and the fact that three of the men were found in St Margaret’s churchyard, Barking, yards from Port’s home, while the fourth was found outside his flat.
Tatchell said: “While there are many good officers, and they are welcome to march in civilian clothes, Pride needs to challenge the police as an institution, otherwise they will never reform.”
SerethiaFalcon wrote: ↑Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:53 amAs far as a concentration camp is concerned, I've kind of taken the stance of Jewish people with that. They say "never again the Holocaust."
Something of note, while they were the primary target and victims of the Holocaust, the Jews weren't in the concentration camps alone - among the Nazis' list of undesirables were homosexuals as well. The LGBTQ community should take the same lessons from those dark times as the Jews have, because they were there with them.
Hopefully such will never happen in America - hopefully such will never happen again anywhere. But the only true guard we have against such things reoccurring again is to be forever vigilant.
After Switzerland voted to legalise same-sex marriage in a nationwide referendum on September 26th, 2021, the new law has entered into force on July 1st.
Gay and lesbian couples will also be able to convert their registered partnership — which did not provide the same rights as marriage, including for obtaining citizenship and the joint adoption of children — will suffice to convert a current partnership.
After Facial Feminization Surgery, Transgender People Report Better Psychosocial Health
by July 6, 2022
Introduction:
(EurekAlert) A UCLA study offers the first evidence that transgender patients who receive gender-affirming facial feminization surgery reported better mental health after their procedures.
The study was published in the journal Annals of Surgery.
According to Dr. Justine Lee, UCLA’s Bernard G. Sarnat Professor of Craniofacial Biology, gender-affirming facial surgery is frequently classified by insurers as a cosmetic procedure, in part because of a lack of evidence that the procedure improves patients’ quality of life.
“Access to facial gender-affirming surgeries under health insurance coverage in the U.S. is more limited than gender-affirming surgeries of other anatomic regions due to a lack of data on mental health quality-of-life outcomes,” said Lee, who was the study’s lead author and is an associate professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “Our findings have the potential to change health insurance policies for the better for transgender patients.”
Researchers compared mental health assessments for 107 patients who were awaiting surgery with those of 62 people who had already completed it, an average of a little more than 6 1/2 months after their procedures.
The Constitutional Court legalised same-sex marriage and adoptions with immediate effect after finding a law under which only heterosexual partners can marry and same-sex couples cannot adopt children to be in contravention of the constitutional ban on discrimination.
Announcing the news on Friday, the court gave the National Assembly six months to amend the law accordingly, but until the law is amended its ruling stands as the law and means that marriage is a union between two persons regardless of gender, and same-sex partners living in a civil partnership may adopt a child together under the same conditions as married spouses.
The court deliberated on the matter based on a constitutional complaint by two same-sex couples who, respectively, failed in front of regular courts to marry or to make the list of candidates for adoption.
Referring to marriage, it said discrimination against same-sex couples "cannot be justified with the traditional meaning of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, nor with special protection of family."
The decision "does not diminish the importance of traditional marriage as a union of a man and a woman, nor does it change conditions under which persons of the opposite sex marry. All it means is that same-sex partners can now marry just like heterosexual partners can."
