By Elio Wilder (they/them)
Happy Pride Month! A time to celebrate, commemorate, debate, and discuss the past, present, and future of our community. It has been a chaotic past year all round. I find it can be easy to get caught up in the bad news and set-backs in LGBTQIA+ rights, so I wanted to bring you some positivity this June. Below is a summary of all the advancements made in LGBTQIA+ rights across the globe in the past 12 months.
June 2021:
Tamil Nadu becomes the first Indian State to move to ban ‘conversion therapy’ after The Madras High Court of India delivered a verdict in the case of S Sushma v Commissioner of Police. In his verdict, Justice N Anand Venkatesh suggested introducing measures to decrease prejudice towards the community through training and education.
Sinaloa becomes one of the final Mexican states to legalise and recognise same-sex marriage.
July 2021:
The Israeli High Court rules to amend the Surrogacy Law, which discriminated against same-sex couples.
September 2021:
The people of Switzerland return a ‘Yes’ vote at a referendum to legalise same-sex marriage.
November 2021:
An executive order is signed in Spain allowing single women and female couples to receive free IVF treatment.
The Botswana Appeals Court upholds the decision of the High Court to decriminalise gay sex.
The Chamber of Deputies of Chile and the Senate of Chile supports a bill allowing same-sex marriage.
Sao Paulo region of Brazil legally recognises non-binary people.
December 2021:
Canada makes providing and/or advertising ‘conversion therapy’ to anyone of any age illegal.
January 2022:
Canada implements ‘conversion therapy’ ban.
The Greek Health Minister and Deputy sign a ministerial decree removing ‘homosexual acts’ as a reason for debarring someone from donating blood.
‘Conversion therapy’ is banned in France and French territories including French Guiana, New Caledonia, and French Polynesia.
‘Conversion therapy’ is banned in Idaho, USA.
February 2022:
The New Zealand Parliament passes a law banning ‘Conversion therapy’ outright for anyone under 18 or with impaired decision-making capacity. The law also stipulates that conversion practices are banned for all ages if they cause ‘serious harm’.
March 2022:
The French Health Minister’s plan to remove the waiting period for LGBTQIA+ blood donors comes into effect.
April 2022:
Rio de Janeiro, region of Brazil, joins Sao Paulo in recognising non-binary people on legal documents.
May 2022:
‘Conversion therapy’ is banned in Greece; however, this does not extend to adults who ‘consent’. This legal loophole allows spiritual leaders and priests to perform conversion practices.
Coming soon!!
The below is legislation that has passed and is set to come into effect on the following dates.
June 2022:
From June 17, those in Quebec, Canada are able to be recognised as non-binary on their birth certificate through an accessible process. They can also be recognised as ‘parent’ rather than ‘mother’ or ‘father’ on a child’s birth certificate.
July 2022:
From July 1st, Vermont, USA residents are able to change their gender marker to ‘X’ on their birth certificate.
September 2022:
Following an amendment to the Canadian Blood Services guidelines, from September 30, men/AMAB people who have sex with other men/AMAB people will be able to donate blood in Canada without a waiting period.
It’s wonderful to see advancements in LGBTQIA+ rights in every inhabited continent across the globe. Let’s keep up the Good Fight for the year to come! With our continued determination as a community, we can continue to collect these little wins until we have equality for a rainbow family across the world. Wishing you all a fabulous Pride Month and year to come!
References/ Further Resources:
2022 in LGBT Rights History | Timeline | Equaldex
2021 in LGBT rights - Wikipedia
S Sushma v. Commissioner of Police - Wikipedia
Same-sex marriage in Mexico - Wikipedia
LGBT Rights in São Paulo, Brazil | Equaldex
LGBT Rights in Brazil | Equaldex
France removes restrictions on gay blood donors | Euronews
New Zealand passes law banning conversion therapy - CNN
Ground News - New Zealand passes law banning conversion therapy
Ban On Gay Or Bisexual Men Giving Blood Donations Lifted In Greece (greekcitytimes.com)