Japanese high court rules that ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional

A Japanese high court ruled that the country's lack of legal recognition for same-sex marriage violates the right to equality under the Constitution, saying the ban leads to discriminatory treatment of people based on sexual orientation. It became the second high court to rule that the ban is unconstitutional.

The court also ruled that the marriage ban violates the section of the Constitution that says laws concerning matters pertaining to marriage and family "shall be enacted from the standpoint of individual dignity and the essential equality of the sexes."

It became the second high court to rule that the ban is unconstitutional. The Sapporo High Court ruling in March said not allowing same-sex couples to marry and enjoy the same benefits as straight couples violates their fundamental right to equality and freedom of marriage.

Japan remains the only Group of Seven major industrialized country that has not legalized same-sex marriage or civil unions, despite growing pressure from the LGBTQ community and its supporters.

Although Japan does not recognise same-sex marriage, a majority of Japanese show their support, and a number of municipalities issue partnership certificates for LGBTQ couples.

It's time Japan!!!

Queer, the new movie with Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey

 

Queer is an 2024 gay romance drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino from a screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes, based on the 1985 novel by William S. Burroughs. Set in 1940s Mexico City, the film follows an outcast American expat William Lee (Daniel Craig) who becomes infatuated with a beautiful younger man called Eugene (Drew Starkey).

The movie, in its first half, is a luscious barbed comedy of liberation, punched along by its anachronistic music choices (Nirvana, Prince, New Order). Lee, who calls himself a “man of independent means” (he has family money), is content to live this life of pleasure and indolence, to revel in his addictions. The Mexico City queer scene we see is both squalid and a kind of paradise. The men share their cruising stories and bitch at each other with bitter understanding.

In its second half, turns into a very different movie, a trippy road comedy about the search for mind-altering transcendence, because Lee wants to find the fabled hallucinogen yage, or ayahuasca, because he’s heard it gives the user telepathic powers and he wants to discover what Eugene really thinks and feels about him. Even as film sinks into a kind of torpor, it is also a fulfillment of the film’s vision of Burroughs, and of queer love.

Asked about the film, Craig said “I always felt that Burroughs had a very public face, and I wanted to know what the private part of him was like,” said Craig, who spoke to a few people who knew him. “I think in ‘Queer’ you sort of see more of that than you do in his other books.”

“There’s nothing intimate about filming a sex scene … we just wanted to make it as touching and as real and as natural as we possibly could,” Craig said. “Drew is a wonderful, beautiful, fantastic actor to work with. We kind of had a laugh. We tried to make it fun,” he added.

Queer premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, in-competition for the Golden Lion, and the movie earned 11-minute ovation.

Watch the trailer below:

Thai actors Mew and Tul are engaged

Popular Thailand actors, “Mew” Suppasit Jongcheveevat (ศุภศิษฏ์ จงชีวีวัฒน์) and “Tul” Pakorn Thanasrivanitchai (ตุลย์ ภากร ธนศรีวนิชชัย), got engaged during a press conference, following Thailand’s legalisation of same-sex marriage.

Mew held a press conference to promote his new single “Absence (Heart’s Gap)”. However, during the event, the actor called his boyfriend Tul onto the stage, surprising the audience and fans. “As I’ve said before, this song was written for the person who came to fulfil my empty heart,” said Mew as Tul got up on stage.

The actor then proceeded to kneel in front of his boyfriend to propose, much to everyone’s shock. With Mew’s unpredicted romantic gesture, Tul was seen tearing up before he accepted the proposal. The actor quickly embraced him and the beautiful moment was captured by the press and lucky fans who attended the event. 

Thailand become the first country in southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, last month. The legislation will also allow LGBTQ+ couples to adopt, as well as giving them equal access to marital tax savings, rights to property, and the ability to decide medical treatment if their partner is incapacitated. 

Congratulations!!!

LGBTQ+ rights are far better under Biden-Harris Administration than Trump's

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is out with a new report that lays bare the dramatic differences in how federal agencies approached LGBTQ+ rights under the administrations of Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. 

The comprehensive analysis provides a critical look at the policies that have shaped the lives of LGBTQ+ people over the past several years. It reveals that under Biden the LGBTQ+ community is faring much better than under Trump.

“The analysis makes clear what we have seen across the country,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “Actions have consequences. Time and again, the Trump Administration ushered in policies and positions that did damage to LGBTQ+ lives. Meanwhile, in their first term, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken steps to make our lives better. Federal agencies take actions that impact nearly every aspect of our lives. And Americans deserve a government that steps up to defend freedom and equality for all.”

Under Trump, the rollback of LGBTQ+ rights was relentless, according to the report. Agencies systematically rescinded rules and guidance that had previously affirmed legal protections for LGBTQ+ people. In stark contrast, the President Biden administration has worked diligently to restore and expand protections for LGBTQ+ people, HRC reports.

President Joe Biden made history by selecting Kamala Harris as the first woman of color as a vice president (VP), and a rising political star who has demonstrated a commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. Kamala Harris has a strong record of support for LGBTQ+ causes.

The full report is available here.

Yes, We Kam!!!

The King of Thailand signs marriage equality law

 

The King of Thailand signed a new law recognizing marriage equality, the government announced in its official Royal Gazette.

The Prime Minister of Thailand announced in November 2023 that his cabinet approved a bill to provide legal recognition to same-sex marriages. This year, Thailand’s House of Representatives approved the law in March, while the Senate passed it in June, sending it to the king.

The new law amends the country’s civil code and ensures same-sex married couples receive full legal, medical, and financial rights, as well as full inheritance and adoption rights. The new law also amends the civil code to use gender-neutral rather than binary language.

With the royal ascent of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Thailand became Southeast Asia’s first country and only the third country in Asia to recognize marriage equality. The new law will take effect on January 22, 2025.

“To all the love,” Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra posted to X Twitter. “Congratulations on everyone’s love.”

Congratulations Thailand!!!

Same-sex civil partnerships' bill presented by Poland's government

Poland’s government has presented a bill to introduce legally recognised partnerships for same-sex couples. 

The proposed law would allow any two unmarried adults, regardless of their gender, to enter a registered partnership at a registry office. This would provide them with enhanced rights and obligations relating to taxation, healthcare and inheritance, among other things.

However, although their introduction is supported by most of the groups that make up Poland’s ruling coalition, it is likely to face opposition from one of their conservative allies. Even if the bill were to be approved by parliament, it faces a possible veto by conservative President Andrzej Duda.

The country is currently one of only five in the EU that does not offer such partnerships, and the European Court of Human Rights ruled last year that this violates the rights of same-sex couples.

Seems a growing majority of Poles favour the legalisation of same-sex civil partnerships or marriage, with almost two thirds now in favour, a new poll has shown.

It's time Poland!!!

#LoveIsLove

A new Netflix series focused on a trans character

 

The Secret of the River is the new Netflix series focused on a transgender character and set in Mexico.

The series follows two children named Erik and Manuel in a small Mexican village, who became friends and witness a horrific death together which they must keep secret.

Nearly 20 years later, the two friends cross paths again. But their differences might be more pronounces than ever especially as Manuel now goes by Sicarú.

Despite trying to figure out who they are to each other now, they must face their past together before it all comes crashing down around them.

The stars are Diego Calva as Erik and Trinidad González as Sicarú.

Watch the trailer below:

Heartstopper Season 3 is here

 

Heartstopper Season 3 is already out on Netflix. The series, based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels, follows loved-up teens Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke), and their gang of friends. 

Alice Oseman told: “Season 2 ended with Nick beginning to understand the extent of Charlie’s mental health issues, and it’s this that will drive the story through Season 3. While Heartstopper will always celebrate the joyful and point towards hope, I’m really excited that we are allowing the tone of the show to mature alongside our beloved characters growing up." 

"Mental health, sex, university ambitions, and more: Nick, Charlie, and the Heartstopper teens are getting older, learning more about themselves and each other, and experiencing new desires, new fears, and new joys as they approach adulthood,” she added.

Heartstopper Season 3 took inspiration from Volume 4 and Volume 5; there is a sixth and final novel on the way. Oseman confirms she is in talks with Netflix and Heartstopper’s production company about what will come next for the television series. 

Wathc the trailer of season 3 below:

Unicorns, a powerful movie with heartfelt performances

Unicorns is a powerful story of forbidden love and colliding cultures unfolds when hard-working single father Luke meets beautiful, seductive drag queen Aysha. Ben Hardy and newcomer Jason Patel shine in this must-see romance.

Unable to deny the spark between them the pair are forced down the unexpected path of transformation, where they must question their identities and confront their individual truths. 

Co-directed by Sally El Hosaini and filmmaker-actor James Krishna Floyd, the film alternates between the thrill of raw desire, the gravity of familial responsibility, and the transformative power of being seen for who you really are. 

The movie, recently won both the Barrière Special Jury Prize and the Hitchcock Audience Award for Best Feature at Dinard Film Festival.

Watch the trailer below:

Cross-strait same-sex marriages can be registered in Taiwan

A Taiwanese & Chinese gay couple officially registered their marriage in Taiwan, becoming the island's first-ever legally married cross-strait same-sex couple.

Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriages in 2019 and last year, the island changed its previous interpretation to recognize gay marriages between its citizens and their foreign partners even if the partners' countries do not allow such unions.

The couple, a 38-year-old Kaohsiung resident and a 48-year-old from Beijing, received the long-awaited paperwork that recognizes their union from a household registration office in the southern port city.

The couple first met in Kaohsiung in 2016. However, their application in October 2020 was initially rejected by the island's immigration agency.

After the couple partially won lawsuits to have their marriage legally recognized on the island, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said on Sept. 19 that cross-strait same-sex couples married in a third country can register their marriage in Taiwan.

Congratulations!!!

Remember October 7, 2023

 

Top European Court rules for automatic recognition of legal gender throughout EU Member States

 

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that Member States of the European Union (EU) should recognise legal gender recognition granted in another Member State.

This decision supports Arian Mirzarafie-Ahi, a Romanian trans man who was denied recognition in Romania after changing his gender marker in the UK. The CJEU ruled in favour of Arian, stating that Romania must recognise the legal gender recognition granted in the UK. 

The Court emphasised that the refusal to acknowledge changes of forename and gender acquired in another Member State is contrary to the fundamental rights of EU citizens, particularly the principles of free movement and non-discrimination. 

The importance of this judgement extends beyond the applicant’s individual circumstance, and underscores the broader issue faced by trans people whose legal gender recognition in one Member State is not acknowledged elsewhere in the EU, preventing them to travel freely, live, work or study across the EU, or even to vote, as any other citizen is able to.  

The judgement confirms the principle that rights legally obtained in one Member State must remain valid throughout the EU. 

Read the court ruling of the case here.