LGBTQ+ Rights
Thailand to allow same-sex marriage from January 2025 👩🏽❤️💋👩🏼 🏳️🌈 👨🏻❤️💋👨🏾
Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has signed the Marriage Equality Act, making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize same-sex marriage. The law, which will come into effect in January next year, will allow LGBTQ+ couples to legally marry and grant them full rights. Same-sex couples will also have the right to adopt, and the law is progressive in its use of gender-neutral terms instead of “men,” “women,” “husbands,” and “wives.”
This legal milestone, passed by both houses of parliament, is the culmination of years of campaigning for marriage equality. Thailand has long had a reputation for being a tolerant country toward the LGBTQ+ community, and local public opinion polls show overwhelming support for marriage equality. However, despite this progressive move, many members of the LGBTQ+ community still report ongoing discrimination in everyday life, especially within the traditionally conservative Buddhist society. [1]
Georgia passes controversial law severely limiting LGBTQ+ rights 🇬🇪 💔 🏳️🌈
The approved law allows authorities to ban Pride events, prohibit public display of the rainbow flag, and impose censorship on films and books with LGBTQ+ themes. It also bans gender transition, adoption by homosexual and transgender individuals, and nullifies the recognition of same-sex marriages performed abroad within Georgian territory. Although President Salome Zurabishvili has criticized the law and vowed to veto it, the ruling party, “Georgian Dream,” has enough support to override her veto.
The law has sparked strong criticism both within Georgia and from the European Union, which warned that its passage could have a significant impact on Georgia’s efforts to integrate into the EU. LGBTQ+ rights have long been a contentious issue in Georgia, which has constitutionally banned same-sex marriage since 2017. Support for conservative values, including the influence of the Orthodox Church, remains strong, and the government frames this law as a protection of traditional moral standards. [2]
Roma Minority
Czech Republic still commits discrimination against the Roma minority ❌
The European Commission has sent an additional formal notice to the Czech Republic, urging it to end violations of EU law due to the ongoing segregation of Roma children in Czech schools. This marks the beginning of an infringement procedure, and the Czech Republic now has two months to respond and address the repeatedly highlighted shortcomings. If it fails to do so, the Commission may decide to issue a “reasoned opinion,” which would be the next step toward bringing the case before the European Court of Justice.
The legal regulation that the Czech Republic, according to the European Commission, is failing to comply with is the so-called “Racial Equality Directive” (Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000, which implements the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin). The first notice regarding the violation of this directive was sent to the Czech Republic by the Commission back in 2010. However, according to the European Commission, “Roma children remain disproportionately represented in separate classes or schools for pupils with mental or physical disabilities or severe developmental or behavioral disorders.” The Commission also takes issue with the fact that “many Roma children who attend mainstream education in the Czech Republic are segregated into separate classes or schools, such as those for Roma students only, or schools with lower educational standards aimed solely at Roma.”
The Czech Republic, along with Hungary - which received a similar notice - may now join Slovakia, whose case was brought before the European Court of Justice last May. This also intensifies the pressure on the Czech Republic, which is being held accountable by multiple institutions for the segregation of Roma pupils in education - not just by the EU, but also by the Council of Europe, which has long criticized the Czech Republic for its failure to adopt corrective measures in response to the D.H. v. Czech Republic ruling, decided back in November 2007 (17 years ago).
Authoritarian Regimes
Hope for families of political prisoners in Belarus: Unexpected amnesty offers new chances 🇧🇾 ⚖️
Belarusian journalist Dmitry Luksha, sentenced in 2022 to four years for his reports on mass protests against the regime and Belarus’ involvement in the invasion of Ukraine, was recently unexpectedly released as part of the first wave of amnesty for political prisoners. Dmitry, who spent time in a labor camp alongside murderers and drug traffickers, is now in Poland with his wife Polina, who was convicted as his “accomplice.” Human rights organization Viasna estimates that 78 political prisoners have been released in recent weeks, offering hope to other families. However, the exact conditions for the amnesty remain unclear.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, whose regime faced widespread protests since 2020, violently suppressed with Russian support, is set for another election next year. Many believe these amnesties are aimed at improving his image ahead of the elections. However, many political prisoners remain in Belarusian camps, with Dmitry estimating that political detainees make up 20-30% of all prisoners in Belarusian prisons. [4]
Remaining Category, or What You Shouldn't Miss Either
Lebanon in flames: Civilian suffering threatened by new atrocities 🇱🇧 🫂 💔
The Lebanese civilian population, already suffering from the effects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, now faces serious risks of further war crimes. Since September 23, 2024, the Israeli air force has carried out more than a thousand airstrikes on Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of hundreds, including children, with local reports citing thousands of injuries. Human Rights Watch warns that civilians across the country are at risk of further atrocities, with Israeli attacks targeting not only Hezbollah (a Lebanese Shia Muslim political party) but potentially the broader Lebanese population. In response to repeated Hezbollah rocket attacks, Israel's Chief of General Staff mentioned the possibility of a ground invasion.
The situation in Lebanon, where more than 90,000 people have been displaced in the past five days of airstrikes, continues to worsen, compounded by tens of thousands of people displaced during previous conflicts. Humanitarian organizations, including Human Rights Watch, are raising concerns about ongoing and escalating human rights abuses in the region, as well as Israel’s disregard for preventive measures mandated by the International Court of Justice. [5]
France considers including explicit consent in the definition of rape: Justice Minister open to change !! 🇫🇷 ❤️🩹
France’s new Justice Minister, Didier Migaud, has expressed support for a legislative change that would include the concept of consent in the definition of rape. The current definition in French law defines rape as any act of sexual penetration committed by violence, threat, or surprise, but it does not explicitly mention the requirement for consent. This issue has resurfaced following a shocking gang rape case involving over 50 men.
The case of Dominique Pélicot, who admitted to drugging his wife and allowing other men to rape her, has sparked a wave of public interest and renewed pressure for legal change. His wife, Gisèle, who has recently become a feminist icon after relinquishing her anonymity to push for societal change, hopes her case will contribute to shifting attitudes toward sexual violence in France. Despite growing support for consent-based laws, the government has yet to adopt such legislation, although other European countries, such as Spain and Belgium, have already enacted “only yes means yes” laws. [6]
[1] Thailand to allow same-sex couples to marry in January. Online. Al Jazeera. 2024. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/25/thailand-to-allow-same-sex-couples-to-marry-in-january. [cit. 2024-10-06].
[2] Georgia’s parliament approves law curbing LGBTQ rights. Online. Al Jazeera. 2024. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/17/georgias-parliament-approves-law-curbing-lgbtq-rights. [cit. 2024-10-06].
[3] CHODIL, Jakub. Evropská komise vyzvala Česko, aby přestalo diskriminovat romské děti. Online. Česká televize. 2024. Available at: https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/domaci/evropska-komise-vyzvala-cesko-aby-prestalo-diskriminovat-romske-deti-353639. [cit. 2024-10-06].
[4] RAINSFORD, Sarah. Families cling to hope in Belarus after first release of political prisoners. Online. BBC. 2024. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qg8d50z1zo. [cit. 2024-10-06].
[5] Lebanon: Israeli Strikes Kill Hundreds as Hostilities Escalate. Online. Human Rights Watch. 2024. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/09/25/lebanon-israeli-strikes-kill-hundreds-hostilities-escalate. [cit. 2024-10-06].
[6] GOURY-LAFFONT, Victor. French justice minister says he’s open to adding consent to legal definition of rape. Online. POLITICO. 2024. Available at: https://www.politico.eu/article/french-justice-minister-didier-migaud-open-adding-consent-legal-definition-rape-dominique-pelicot/. [cit. 2024-10-06].
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