Italy: Constitutional Court Declares Statute Requiring Court Approval of Sex Change Unconstitutional
On July 23, 2024, Italy’s Constitutional Court issued Decision No. 143 of July 3, 2024, declaring unconstitutional a statutory provision that required a court to authorize surgery to change an individual’s sex characteristics.BackgroundThe Constitutional Court was asked to declare the constitutional illegitimacy of article 1 of Law No. 164 of April 14, 1982, Rules on … Continue reading “Italy: Constitutional Court Declares Statute Requiring…
Contributor:
Figueroa, Dante
Date:2024-11-25
Article
Liechtenstein: Marriage Act Amended to Allow Same-Sex Marriage
On July 9, 2024, an amendment to the Marriage Act (Ehegesetz, EheG) that allows same-sex couples to enter into marriages was published in the Legal Gazette of Liechtenstein. The Partnership Act (Partnerschaftsgesetz, PartG) was likewise amended to reflect the change. The parliament of Liechtenstein had adopted the amendments on May 16, 2024. They will enter … Continue reading “Liechtenstein: Marriage Act Amended to Allow…
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2024-08-14
Article
South Korea: Supreme Court Rules Same-Sex Couples Qualify for Dependent Coverage Under National Health Insurance
On July 18, 2024, the Supreme Court of Korea ruled that same-sex couples have the same right as heterosexual couples to receive dependent coverage under the country’s National Health Insurance. (Case No. 2023du36800 (in Korean).)Background Plaintiff So has lived together with his partner Kim since February 2017. Although same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in … Continue reading “South Korea: Supreme Court Rules Same-Sex…
Contributor:
Umeda, Sayuri
Date:2024-08-05
Article
Israel: Court Holds Same-Sex Male Spouse May Qualify as a “Housewife” for Social Security Benefits
On July 3, 2024, the National Labor Court ruled that a same-sex male spouse may qualify as a “housewife” for purposes of Israel’s social security program, rejecting an appeal by the Institute of National Insurance (INI) against a Tel Aviv regional labor court ruling. (Labor Appeal (LA) 74074-05-23 INI v. Amir Handel, Takdin Legal Database … Continue reading “Israel: Court Holds Same-Sex Male Spouse…
Contributor:
Levush, Ruth
Date:2024-07-23
Article
Germany: New Self-ID Act for Transgender, Intersex, and Nonbinary Persons Enacted
On July 19, 2024, a new Self-Identification Act (Self-ID Act) (Gesetz über die Selbstbestimmung in Bezug auf den Geschlechtereintrag, SBGG) was published in the German Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt). The law makes it easier for transgender, intersex, and nonbinary individuals to change their gender entry and first name at the civil registry without any bureaucratic … Continue reading “Germany: New Self-ID Act for Transgender,…
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2024-07-09
Article
Iraq: Parliament Passes New Law Prohibiting Prostitution, Homosexuality, Gender Change Procedures
On April 27, 2024, The Iraqi House of Representatives (Iraq’s unicameral parliament) passed a law amending Law No. 8 of 1988 on combating prostitution. According to a statement issued by the Iraqi House of Representatives, the law, which is titled “Law on Combating Prostitution and Homosexuality,” aims to “preserve the entity of Iraqi society from moral … Continue reading “Iraq: Parliament Passes New Law…
Contributor:
Sadek, George
Date:2024-05-15
Article
Sweden: Parliament Approves New Acts Addressing Legal Gender and Medical Procedures Performed on Genitalia
On April 17, 2024, the Swedish Parliament voted to approve a new transgender law that revokes the Transgender Act of 1972 (Lag om fastställande av könstillhörighet i vissa fall (SFS 1972:119)) and makes the process of changing one’s legal gender and one’s genitalia easier.Background to the New LawIn a committee initiative introduced on April 4, … Continue reading “Sweden: Parliament Approves New Acts Addressing…
Contributor:
Hofverberg, Elin
Date:2024-04-21
Article
Scotland: Court Upholds UK Government Order to Block Gender Recognition Bill from Becoming Law
On December 8, 2023, the Court of Session in Scotland issued an opinion refusing a petition for judicial review of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill (Prohibition on Submission for Royal Assent) Order 2023 and upholding the order, which blocks the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill by prohibiting it from being submitted to receive royal … Continue reading “Scotland: Court Upholds UK Government Order…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-01-23
Article
United Kingdom: Private Member Bill to Ban Conversion Therapy Introduced
On November 20, 2023, the Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill was introduced in the House of Lords as a private members’ bill. If enacted, the bill would ban conversion therapy across the entirety of the United Kingdom (U.K.), and anyone found guilty of conducting the therapy would commit an offense.The bill … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Private Member Bill to…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2023-12-21
Article
Japan: Supreme Court Rules Conditioning Change of Legal Gender on Surgical Removal of Reproductive Organs Unconstitutional
On October 25, 2023, Japan’s Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a condition under a law requiring a person to undergo surgery before they can legally change their gender to one different from their registered gender. (2020 (ku) No. 993.)The Act on Special Cases in Handling Gender Status for Persons with Gender Identity Disorder first defines “a … Continue reading “Japan: Supreme Court Rules Conditioning Change…
Contributor:
Umeda, Sayuri
Date:2023-10-31
Article
Germany: Government Proposes Self-Identification Law for Transgender, Nonbinary, and Intersex Persons
On May 9, 2023, the German Federal Ministry of Justice (Bundesministerium der Justiz, BMJ) and the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, BMFSFJ) published a proposal for a self-identification law (self-ID law) (Gesetz über die Selbstbestimmung in Bezug auf den Geschlechtseintrag, SBGG) that … Continue reading “Germany: Government Proposes Self-Identification Law for…
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2023-05-22
Article
United Kingdom: UK Olympic Governing Body Prohibits Transgender Women from Competing Outside Their Biological Gender
On March 31, 2023, UK Athletics, the national governing body for Olympic athletics in the United Kingdom (U.K.), issued a principle statement in which it prohibited transgender women who underwent puberty as a male from competing in the female category of sports. The updated policy applies the recently updated World Athletics Eligibility Regulations for Transgender … Continue reading “United Kingdom: UK Olympic Governing Body…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2023-05-18
Article
Netherlands: Constitution Amended to Explicitly Prohibit Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Disability
On January 17, 2023, the Dutch Senate (Eerste Kamer), the upper house of the Dutch parliament, approved in a second reading an amendment to the constitutional principle of nondiscrimination to include sexual orientation and disability. The amendment was approved in a roll-call vote with 56 members of parliament (MPs) voting in favor and 15 MPs … Continue reading “Netherlands: Constitution Amended to Explicitly Prohibit…
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2023-02-09
Article
United Kingdom: Government Blocks Scottish Gender Bill
On January 16, 2023, the government of the United Kingdom (U.K.), for the first time, made an order using section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 to prevent a Scottish Parliament bill from moving forward to receive Royal Assent and become law. The blocked bill is the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which was passed … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Government Blocks Scottish Gender…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2023-02-09
Article
South Korea: Supreme Court Decides Transgender Person with Minor Children Can Change Gender in Family Relations Register
On November 24, 2022, the South Korean Supreme Court ruled that a divorced and not-remarried transgender person with two minor children could change her gender from male to female in the government’s Family Relations Register. The court overturned the ruling of the Seoul Family Court, which had rejected the person’s application for a change of … Continue reading “South Korea: Supreme Court Decides Transgender…
Contributor:
Umeda, Sayuri
Date:2023-01-25
Article
Saint Christopher and Nevis: High Court Rules Buggery Offenses Do Not Apply to Consensual Sexual Acts between Adults in Private
On August 22, 2022, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court’s High Court of Justice struck down buggery provisions in sections 56 and 57 of the Offences against the Person Act [OPA] of 1861, Cap 4.21, as amended. The court held that the sections violated the fundamental rights to protection of privacy and self-expression under sections 3(b)–(c) and 12 of … Continue reading “Saint Christopher and…
Contributor:
Levush, Ruth
Date:2023-01-04
Article
Antigua and Barbuda: Buggery Laws Struck Down as Unconstitutional
On July 5, 2022, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court’s High Court of Justice — the superior court of six Caribbean states and three British dependencies — struck down sections 12 and 15 of Antigua and Barbuda’s Sexual Offences Act 1995 concerning buggery. Section 12 defined “buggery” as anal sex either between two males or between … Continue reading “Antigua and Barbuda: Buggery Laws Struck…
Contributor:
Chalupovitsch, Michael
Date:2022-08-15
Article
Germany: Federal Government Allows Flying of Pride Flags in Front of Federal Government Buildings
On April 6, 2022, German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser issued a special decree allowing the public flying of pride flags in front of federal government buildings. This was the first time that such permission had been granted.Accordingly, on the Day Against Homophobia, which is celebrated on May 17, the pride flag was raised … Continue reading “Germany: Federal Government Allows Flying of…
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2022-06-26
Article
Kuwait: Constitutional Court Rules Provision Criminalizing “Imitating the Opposite Sex” Unconstitutional
On February 16, 2022, the Constitutional Court of Kuwait ruled that article 198 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes the act of “imitating the opposite gender in any way,” was unconstitutional. (Case No. 5 of 2021, regarding the constitutionality of Law No. 16 of 1960 on the Penal Code, art. 198, as amended by Law … Continue reading “Kuwait: Constitutional Court Rules Provision Criminalizing…
Contributor:
Sadek, George
Date:2022-02-28
Article
New Zealand: Bill Prohibiting Conversion Therapy Passed
On February 15, 2022, the New Zealand Parliament passed the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill, “an omnibus bill to prohibit conversion practices that seek to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.” The bill defines conversion practices as any practice, sustained effort, or treatment thatis directed towards someone because of … Continue reading “New Zealand: Bill Prohibiting Conversion Therapy…
Contributor:
Buchanan, Kelly
Date:2022-02-16
Article
Germany: Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court Rules on Infringement of Personality Rights When Shopping Online
In a decision published on February 1, 2022, the Higher Regional Court of Karlsruhe (Oberlandesgericht Karlsruhe, OLG Karlsruhe) decided that offering only the gender options “female” or “male” for registering customers in an online shop constitutes a violation of the personality rights protected by the German General Act on Equal Treatment (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, AGG). However, … Continue reading “Germany: Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court Rules…
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2022-02-13
Article
Canada: Bill C-4 Banning Conversion Therapy Comes into Force
On January 7, 2022, Bill C-4, a federal bill that amends Canada’s Criminal Code by creating new criminal offenses related to conversion therapy, came into effect. The new offenses include knowingly causing another person to undergo conversion therapy, promoting or advertising conversion therapy, and receiving financial or material benefit from conversion therapy. Minister of Justice … Continue reading “Canada: Bill C-4 Banning Conversion Therapy…
Contributor:
Ahmad, Tariq
Date:2022-01-19
Article
New Zealand: Bill Enabling Gender Self-Identification on Birth Certificates Passed
On December 9, 2021, the New Zealand Parliament unanimously passed the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Bill, which will repeal and replace the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Act 1995. Among other matters, the bill “changes the process for amending the sex shown on a birth certificate from one which requires people to … Continue reading “New Zealand: Bill Enabling Gender Self-Identification…
Contributor:
Buchanan, Kelly
Date:2021-12-20
Article
Switzerland: Transgender Persons May Change Gender Marker and First Name Starting January 1, 2022
In its session of October 27, 2021, the Swiss Federal Council — Switzerland’s government — in accordance with amendments passed by the Swiss parliament, decided that effective January 1, 2022, transgender persons or persons with a gender variance will be able to change their gender marker and first name quickly and without bureaucratic hurdles. The … Continue reading “Switzerland: Transgender Persons May Change Gender…
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2021-11-18
Article
France: President Macron Signs New Law on Bioethics
On August 2, 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron signed into law a bill on bioethics that, among other measures, will open access to medically assisted reproductive technology to lesbian couples and single women.Medically Assisted ReproductionBefore the adoption of the new bioethics law, medically assisted reproduction was available only to couples made up of a “man … Continue reading “France: President Macron Signs New Law…
