#UGANDA: Online Protest Targets Gov't Corruption

[world politics news]

Abuse of public funds. Failing hospitals. Potholes in the streets of Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

These and other issues feature in an online protest campaign that is rattling government officials and others in this East African country where street protests are practically outlawed — and where corruption is widespread and often deadly.

The campaign has been trending on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, as #UgandaParliamentExhibition. It relies on leaks of official documents and has been cast as an "exhibition" — in a sequence of postings — about controversial issues.

President Museveni, 79, Blames "foreigners and Western pro-gay activists" for criticism of the government, calling them "enemies of the people." Uganda has passed some of the most restrictive anti-gay laws in the world, drawing condemnation and causing homosexuals to literally flee for their lives. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#GREECE: Parliament Set To Legalize Gay Marriage

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Greece’s parliament is to vote Thursday to legalize same-sex civil marriage in a first for an Orthodox Christian country and despite opposition from the the powerful Greek Church.

As lawmakers debated the bill for a second day, opinion polls suggest that most Greeks support the proposed reform by a narrow margin. The issue has failed to trigger deep divisions in a country more worried about the high cost of living.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#LATVIA: Parliament Approves Gay Civil Unions

[world politics news]

Latvian lawmakers voted on Thursday to allow same-sex civil unions, providing same-sex couples with legal recognition for the first time. However, same-sex couples will still have fewer rights than married couples.

The legislation allows same-sex couples to register their partnership, giving them hospital visitation rights as well as tax and social security benefits, but not the right to adopt children or inheritance. It is due to take effect in mid-2024.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#JAPAN: Supreme Court Rules In Transgender Bathroom Case

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Japan's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that restrictions imposed by a government ministry on a transgender female employee's use of restrooms at her workplace are illegal, in a landmark decision that could promote the rights of LGBTQ+ people in a country without legal protections for them.

It was the court's first ruling on the working environment for LGBTQ+ individuals.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CANADA: Ottawa School District Wants "Bubble" To Keep Parents From Protesting Near Schools

[world politics news]

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee Nili Kaplan-Myrth has called for safety zones or "bubble zones" around schools to block future parental rights protests, one of which was scheduled for today, which she portrayed as being led by outsiders.

“There are anti-LGBTQ protesters, from the US, planning to show up outside Ottawa, Canada schools June 9th,” said Kaplan-Myrth in a Wednesday tweet.  “It puts students and staff and community at real risk.” 

A distict statement on its website said protecting rights of S2LGBTQIA+ students was a paramount concern of the district, which also portrayed parents protesting as dangerous bigots, led by those, "promoting inflammatory, transphobic, and hateful content against members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community." 

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UGANDA: New Law Would Make Identifying As Gay A Crime

[world politics news]

New legislation being proposed in the parliament of Uganda would criminalize identifying as a homosexual or engaging in same sex relations.

Under the proposed law, anyone who engages in same-sex activity or who "holds out" as LGBTQ could face up to 10 years' imprisonment.

The speaker of the parliament says hearings will begin on the bill this week. Uganda has notoriously strict anti-homosexual laws, already.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#GHANA: MP To Introduce Anti-Gay Legislation In March

[world politics news]

The bill on Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values is set to be laid before Parliament by the end of March this year.

This was revealed by a proponent and sponsor of the bill and Member of Parliament (MP) for the Prampram Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Sam Nartey George.

His revelation comes after the committee yesterday held a closed-door hearing with the State Attorney on his Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) raising some human rights challenges with the bill.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SINGAPORE: Laws Against Gay Sex Repealed

[world politics news]

Singapore’s Parliament has voted to repeal its colonial-era laws criminalizing sex between men while also endorsing a constitutional amendment that prevents court challenges to the heterosexual definition of marriage on Tuesday, November 28. The vote drops the number of countries that criminalize gay sex to 68.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#GHANA: Parliament Will Pass Bill To Criminize Gay Marriage & Gay Rights By 2024 Election

[world politics news]

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has given the clearest indication that the House will pass the controversial Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill before the 2024 election.

Bagbin gave the assurance in a media engagement on Friday, October 28, 2022. “Sexual Rights and Human Values bill that is being handled by the Committee, definitely we will pass it before the next election.We will pass it,” he said.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#RUSSIA: Proposed Law Would Double Fines For "LGBT Propaganda "

[world politics news]

Russia is considering doubling fines for exposing children to what it calls "LGBT propaganda" and making any event or act seen as promoting homosexuality an administrative offence, the text of proposed new legislation made public on Wednesday showed.

Russia's existing "gay propaganda" law, passed in 2013, bans any person or entity from promoting homosexual relationships to children, though lawmakers argued in July the law should be extended to include adults as well.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SINGAPORE: Gay Sex Ban To Be Lifted, But No Gay Marriage Yet

[world politics news]

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced this past week that the country will repeal a colonial-era law criminalizing gay sex, though he maintained that the government will continue to “uphold” marriage as being between a man and a woman. 

Inherited from the British colonial era, section 377A of Singapore’s penal code penalizes sex between men with up to two years in jail.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#RUSSIA: Duma Considers Further Restrictions On Support For Gay Rights

[world politics news]

Russia’s parliament is moving to tighten already stringent restrictions on the discussion of LGBTQ rights and relationships.

A draft bill calling for the broadening of a 2013 ban on the “promotion of non-traditional sexual relations” to minors, widely referred to as the “gay propaganda” bill, was announced on the website of the parliament, or Duma.  The draft bill introduced this week is proposing a ban on public discussions of LGBTQ relationships in a positive light, and queer content in cinemas.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SOUTHAFRICA: Groups Call For Quick Passage Of Hate Crimes/Hate Speech Bill

[world politics news]

The Women’s Legal Center and the Triangle Project have called for the speedy passage and implementation of the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill, to combat crimes perpetrated against members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The organizations, making a joint oral submission to the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services, believed that having a specific written law makes it clear that the country rejects hate and prejudice, and protects diversity and equality.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#NEWZEALAND: Parliament Bans Gay Conversion Therapy

[world politics news]

New Zealand became the latest country to ban gay conversion therapy this week in a near-unanimous vote of its parliament.

Legislation outlawing the practice passed New Zealand’s unicameral legislature on Feb. 15 by an overwhelming 112-8 margin, with all “no” votes coming from the centre-right National Party. 

The Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill outlaws any attempt to “cure” the sexual orientation or gender identity of an LGBTQ+ minor, and violators will face up to three years in prison.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who is gay, dedicated the bill to a friend who had committed suicide.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ITALY: Senate Kills Gay Anti-Discrimination Bill Over Free Speech Concerns

[world politics news]

The Italian Senate has voted down a proposed law against homophobia which faced vehement opposition from right-leaning parties and the Vatican.

The bill, known as the ‘ddl Zan." after its 2018 author, sought to punish acts of discrimination and "incitement to violence" against gay, lesbian, transgender and disabled people.

It was proposed in May 2018 by Alessandro Zan, a member of parliament from the centre-left Democratic Party, in response to what he called an “exponential rise in the number and seriousness of acts of violence towards gay and transgender people."

Critics of the law said it risked endangering freedom of expression - because incitement could be interpreted as lack of approval of the gay lifestyle - and would have paved the way for “homosexual propaganda” in schools.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HUNGARY: PM Orban Defies EU Over Blocking Funds

[world politics news]

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused the European Commission of blocking funds over the country's LGBT policies.

Orban has claimed that the EU had failed to approve Hungary's coronavirus recovery plan because of their disagreements over gay rights.

"The funds are loans that Brussels does not want to give us because of the debate on our LGBT policy," he said in an interview with state media.

In June, the Hungarian parliament banned the "promotion and portrayal of homosexuality" to citizens under the age of 18. 

Orban presented the legal amendment as a child protection tool.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#POLAND: Region Declared "LGBT-Free" Zone By Council; EU To Pull Funding

[world politics news]

A Polish regional council has voted to re-affirm its status as an “LGBT -free zone” despite the EU threatening to remove billions of euros in funding.

The council of Malopolska – a southern region of Poland which includes the country's second city Krakow and 3.4 million citizens – passed a resolution in 2019 which declared itself an “LGBT-free” region.

This prompted a rebuke by the European Commission , which sent a letter to the council demanding it revoked the resolution by the middle of September. If it did not, it could lose the more than €2.5bn (about £2.1bn) in funding it receives from the EU.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SCOTLAND: New Gov't Guidance Allows Four-Year-Olds To Choose Their Gender At School

[world politics news]

Children as young as four will be able to change their gender at school without their parents’ consent under guidance introduced in Scotland.

Any pupil who decides they want to switch gender must be supported and listened to in school following the Scottish Government advice.

The guidance applies in primary schools, where the youngest children are only four or five, because "recognition and development of gender identity can occur at a young age."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#FRANCE: Parliament Approves In-Vitro Fertilization For Lesbian Couples

[world politics news] 

The French parliament has approved a bill that will give Lesbian couples and single women access to fertility treatments for the first time. Under current French law, only heterosexual couples have the right to access medically assisted fertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). 

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#POLAND: Ruling Party Says It Opts Out Of EU "Social Revolution"

[world politics news]

The European Union is plotting a cultural revolution to destroy traditional families and the continent’s Christian heritage, according to Poland’s most powerful politician.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of the nationalist ruling Law & Justice party, is an architect of Poland’s crackdown on gay rights over the last half decade. 

His government has been repeatedly sued by the EU’s executive for eroding the rule of law and may soon face disciplinary action after towns and regions across Poland declared themselves “free of LGBTQ ideology.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.