Page 2 - Lgbtq

Judge junks Biden's Title IX rules, upturns protections for LGBTQ+ students

The Biden administration's Title IX rules expanding protections for LGBTQ+ students have been struck down nationwide after a federal judge in Kentucky found they overstepped the president's authority. In a decision issued Thursday, US District Judge Danny C. Reeves scrapped the entire 1,500-page regulation after deciding it was fatally tainted by legal shortcomings. The rule had already been halted in 26 states after a wave of legal challenges by Republican states. President-elect Donald Trump previously promised to end the rules on day one and made anti-transgender themes a centrepiece of his campaign. The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti called it a rejection of the Biden administration's relentless push to impose a radical gender ideology. Because the Biden rule is vacated altogether, President Trump will be free to take a fresh look at our Title IX ...

No error: SC dismisses pleas seeking review of same-sex marriage verdict

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a batch of pleas seeking to review its October 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage. A five-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, B V Nagarathna, P S Narasimha and Dipankar Datta took up about 13 petitions related to the matter in chambers and dismissed them. "We do not find any error apparent on the face of the record. We further find that the view expressed in both the judgements is in accordance with law and as such, no interference is warranted. Accordingly, the review petitions are dismissed," the bench said. It said the judges have carefully gone through the judgements delivered by Justice (since retired) S Ravindra Bhat speaking for himself and for Justice (since retired) Hima Kohli as well as the concurring opinion expressed by Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha, constituting the majority view. The bench also rejected a prayer made in the review petitions for hearing in an open court. According to ...

Same-sex marriage: 5-judge SC bench to consider review pleas on January 9

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court will on January 9 consider the pleas seeking review of its October 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage. A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, B V Nagarathna, P S Narasimha and Justice Dipankar Datta will take up about 13 petitions related to the matter in chambers. According to practice, the review pleas are considered in chambers by judges. The top court had refused to allow an open-court hearing on the review pleas. The new bench was constituted after Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the present CJI, recused from hearing the review petitions on July 10, 2024. Notably, Justice P S Narasimha is the only member of the original Constitution bench comprising five judges which delivered the verdict, as former CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justices S K Kaul, Ravindra Bhat, and Hima Kohli have retired. According to the Supreme Court's causelist, the review petitions would be considered at around 1.55 pm on January 9. A five-j

Lesbian couple may live together, parents not to 'interfere': Andhra HC

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has upheld the right of a lesbian couple to live together, affirming their freedom to choose partners. A bench comprising Justices R Raghunandan Rao and K Maheswara Rao was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Kavitha (name changed), one of the women, alleging that her partner Lalitha (name changed) was detained by her father against her will and kept her at his residence in Narsipatnam. The Court on Tuesday further directed the parents of Lalitha not to interfere with the relationship of the couple, asserting that their daughter is a major and can make her own decisions. The couple has been "living together" for the past one year in Vijayawada. Based on a missing complaint by Kavitha earlier, police traced Laitha at her father's home, and rescued her. After that, she was kept at a welfare home for 15 days though she pleaded to the police that she is a major and wants to live with her partner. Lalitha also lodged a complaint against her father in

Crossing the trans bar: Thanuja Singam's journey through struggles and hope

Treading a path outside the gender binary is no easy task. In candidly raising the alienation and abuse that these people face, dental hygienist Thanuja Singam's memoir is an inspiring read

US election 2024 sees historic wins for LGBTQ, Asian, and Latino leaders

Historic firsts in US election 2024: Several states in the United States made history by electing their first candidates from previously unrepresented groups

Thailand legalises same-sex marriage, allows couples to wed from January

Thailand's landmark marriage equality bill was officially written into law on Tuesday, allowing same-sex couples to legally wed. The law was published in the Royal Gazette after endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and will come into effect in 120 days. This means LGBTQ+ couples will be able to register their marriage in January next year, making Thailand the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to allow same-sex marriage. The bill, which grants full legal, financial and medical rights for marriage partners of any gender, sailed through both the House of Representatives and the Senate in April and June respectively. Congratulations to everyone's love, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra wrote on X, adding the hashtag #Love Wins. Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusivity but struggled for decades to pass a marriage equality law. Thai society largely holds conservative values, and members of the LGBTQ+ community say they face discrimination in everyday ..

Congress, NCP name LGBTQ+ activists to key posts in a major moment

Congress, whose political clout has risen after doing much better than expected in the April-June general election, named LGBTQ+ activist Mario da Penha this week to head its new unit

Wells Fargo launches 'Transgender persons hiring' in India for diversity

Leading financial services company Wells Fargo on Thursday said it has broadened its talent attraction strategy by launching the Transgender Persons Hiring Program in India, a move that will increase diverse representation across levels. Building on the programme's initial pilot with its 2022 cohort of 13 individuals hired in its technology function, the company aims to train and attract additional talent across multiple lines of business in 2024. The programme aims to provide employability skills training and professional development for transgender talent, Wells Fargo said in a statement. "Investing in diverse communities to upskill and unlock potential and, at the same time, set up the right environment for success is a critical area of focus for Wells Fargo," said Uday Odedra, executive vice president and Region head of Wells Fargo India & Philippines. In partnership with community organisation PeriFerry, the company currently sponsors 30 transgender individuals focused on ...

Medical curriculum rollback: Sodomy, virginity topics reinstated by NMC

This shift has raised concerns among activists and medical professionals, especially due to the removal of distinctions between consensual queer relationships and criminal acts like incest

Govt asks public input on LGBTQI+ policies as new measures are implemented

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has sought inputs from stakeholders and the general public to ensure the inclusivity and effectiveness of policies related to the LGBTQI+ community. The government has initiated several measures aimed at safeguarding the rights and interests of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) community, following the Supreme Court's directive in October 2023 in the Supriya vs Union of India case. In compliance with the SC judgment, the government established a high-level committee chaired by the cabinet secretary to define and elucidate the scope of entitlements for the queer community, the ministry said in a statement. The L"lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and quee This committee, constituted in April 2024, includes key officials from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Women and Child Development and Health and Family Welfare, with the DoSJE secretary serving as the Member Convenor. The committee convened a meet

No restrictions for queer community to open joint bank accounts: FinMin

The ministry also said that a clarification in this regard has also been issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to all the scheduled commercial banks on August 21, 2024

Olympian boxer Imane Khelif sues Elon Musk, JK Rowling over gender remarks

At the Paris Olympics, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif faced intense scrutiny over her gender on social media after her opponent exited their August 1 bout in the 66 kg boxing category in just 46 seconds

Olympics: Women's boxing sparks gender row as Khelif knocks out Carini

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, a biological male, has sparked controversy at the Paris Olympics after winning her opening about in just 46 seconds

Why the global league of autocrats thrives

One of the great failures of neoliberalism was to assume that all good things would go together

Anusuya to Anukathir Surya: Govt approves IRS officer's gender, name change

The order approved by the government states that henceforth, Hyderabad-based officer M Anusuya, will be identified as M Anukathir Surya in all official records

Gender minorities to comprise 25% of Tata Steel workforce: Official

Tata Steel aims at having a minimum of 25 per cent of its workforce made up of diverse groups, including gender minorities, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ individuals, within the next few years, a company official said. It is one of the first companies in the country to roll out a special recruitment drive for transgender talent, having recruited over 100 members from the community for various roles across different locations, the official claimed. "Continuing this drive, we aim to have 25 per cent of our workforce from diverse groups in the next couple of years," the official said. A total of 113 transgender individuals have been onboarded and posted at various locations, including manufacturing, operations and maintenance, mining, and services. These employees are stationed in Noamundi, West Bokaro, Kolkata, Kharagpur, Kalinganagar, and Jamshedpur. Some of these employees work all three shifts and operate Heavy Earth Moving Machinery (HEMM) at th

In a first in Southeast Asia, Thailand passes marriage equality bill

LGBT advocates called the move a "monumental step forward," as Thailand would be the first nation in Southeast Asia to enact marriage equality legislation

No queer representation in 2024 Lok Sabha, 108 MPs vocal on LGBTQIA+ issues

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, all three transgender candidates lost their security deposits for not securing one-sixth of the total valid votes

LGBTQI, disabled persons feature in below 1% of campaigns: Report

Cultural diversity is missing from the country's advertising, a report by the industry's self-regulatory body ASCI and a UN body said on Tuesday. The report said that less than one per cent of promotional campaigns feature persons belonging to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) community as well as disabled, while only 4 per cent campaigns show people aged above 65. The study by Kantar on behalf of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and UN Women Convened Unstereotype Alliance scrutinised over 261 ads in 13 languages, and mapped them on dimensions of age, gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, physical appearance, social class, disabilities, and religion. "Ads that are stuck in stereotypical depictions are missing a trick in connecting with India's diverse consumer base," ASCI's chief executive and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, adding progressive advertising works better for society and for brands. With 45 per cent of ...