[논평] 故 변희수 하사의 전역처분을 취소한 법원의 판결을 환영하며, 군의 진정한 사죄와 반성을 촉구한다.

오늘(7일) 대전지방법원은 육군본부가 변희수 하사에 대해 한 전역처분이 위법하여 취소되어야 한다고 판결했다 pic.twitter.com/3bmMMOf6wB

— 무지개행동_rainbowaction (@rainbowactionkr) October 7, 2021

South Korea: trans soldier’s discharge was “undoubtedly illegal”

The decision to dismiss an out trans soldier last year was “undoubtedly illegal and should be cancelled”, a court in the Daejeon District of South Korea ruled.

The tank operator was discharged from the military after coming out as a trans woman and undergoing gender affirmation surgery in Thailand. She launched a legal challenge against her dismissal—one she couldn’t see it through, as she passed away in March. Her family carried on her lawsuit after her death.

LGBT group Rainbow Action welcomed the ruling, while calling on the government “to ensure that transgender and LGBT people can serve as soldiers on an equal basis”.

A policy of military conscription for male citizens exists in South Korea, with women being allowed to join the armed forces voluntarily. Trans persons are barred from entering, though no explicit law exists to account for those who medically transition while in the armed forces.

In response to a Tweet from a primary opponent, #Texas Gov. Greg Abbott removed a page from the state's child welfare website that included a suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth.

The livelihoods of #LGBTQ youth should not be reduced to political pawns. https://t.co/Qjy7Ko8Hv1

— Movement Advancement Project (@lgbtmap) October 12, 2021

United States: Texas removes resources for LGBT youths from its website

Texas removed two web pages from its website which provided resources for LGBT youths, including a link to a suicide prevention hotline.

The page now reads “The Texas Youth Connection website has been temporarily disabled for a comprehensive review of its content. This is being done to ensure that its information, resources, and referrals are current”. Republican candidate Don Huffines, the primary opponent of the current governor Greg Abbott, had heavily criticised the pages before their removal.

“The state is responsible for these kids’ lives, yet it actively took away a resource for them when they are in crisis,” said Ricardo Martinez, CEO of the advocacy group Equality Texas. “What’s worse, this was done at the start of Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. LGBTQ youth who have been in foster care report three times greater likelihood of attempting suicide in the past year (according to a Trevor Project research brief). Again and again this year, we are simply asking that these kids’ lives not be politicized.”

Botswana: court postpones decision on appeal seeking to overturn decriminalisation ruling

The Court of Appeal in Botswana has postponed the ruling on a case in which the State is aiming to overturn the 2019 decision that decriminalised same-sex intimacy between consenting adults. The president of the Court hasn’t set a date for a ruling, arguing that the matter needed considerable research and debate.

As ILGA World’s latest update of the State-Sponsored Homophobia report states, Botswana’s High Court decriminalised same-sex intimacy in June 2019, deeming the outlawing provisions incompatible with the country’s Constitution.

Before this week’s hearing, LEGABIBO (Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana) Ceo Thato Moruti said that the LGBT community looks forward to putting “the matter to rest”.

The 2019 judgment of the High Court decriminalising consensual same-sex sexual conduct had already led to positive change in Botswana. A recent Afrobarometer survey recorded a 10-percentage-point gain in tolerant attitudes towards LGBTIQ persons. The country’s five-year plan for removing barriers to accessing HIV and health services also noted that “the recent overturning of laws criminalising same-sex sex removes a significant human rights barrier for gay men, men who have sex with men and other LGBT persons.”

En Hidalgo realizan primeros registros de hijos de madres lesbianas https://t.co/lxbVFYdt7Y vía @Milenio

— Lol Kin Castañeda Badillo (@lolkincast) October 11, 2021

Mexico: two municipalities register children of lesbian mothers in the State of Hidalgo

In a reported first under new regulations in the State of Hidalgo, the municipalities of Pachuca and Tepeji del Río have registered the birth of two babies, recognising them as children of lesbian mothers.

As Milenio points out, both couples had to wait for months before their children could be registered, although a similar case had already been brought before a court in 2019.

The registration was not possible under the provisions included in the reform of the State’s Family Law that happened in 2020. Thanks to this, a representative of the State’s Office of the General Directorate of the Family Registry, “we can now count on these tools for the protection of legal affiliation, contemplating the legal recognition of the existence of same-sex couples and, at the same time, the best interest of children”.

Over 130.000 Australians call for gender affirming surgery to be covered by Medicare

Over 130.000 people in Australia have signed a petition calling for gender affirming surgery to be covered by Medicare. The Federal petition received more than 34,000 signatures within 24 hours.

According to media reports, undergoing a gender affirming surgery in Australia can cost an average of AUD 30,000 (USD 22,070). Trans Health Australia founder Melody Moore lamented surgeons may overcharge trans and gender diverse people due to the shortage of specialised surgeons.

“To have such a huge engagement in just 24 hours shows just how much this change is needed,” Speak CEO Sage Akouri told Star Observer. “Allowing gender affirming surgery to be covered by Medicare can help thousands of people experience the absolute joy of having our appearance match who we truly are.”

Fantastic news from Ankara: the 19 METU Pride human rights defenders have been acquitted after a trial that lasted 2 years. This is an important judgement which upholds LGBTI people’s right to freedom of assembly & expression! https://t.co/lOjyNsxlLK

— ILGA-Europe (@ILGAEurope) October 8, 2021

Pride is not a crime: 19 marchers acquitted in Turkey

The 19 people accused of “unlawful assembly” for taking part in a Pride march in May 2019 have been acquitted, a Turkish court decided earlier this month.

The 18 students and one academic were detained, charged, and prosecuted for attending the Pride march at Turkey’s Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara on 10 May 2019. The day before the scheduled event, which had peacefully taken place every year since 2011, the University administration announced it could not go ahead. Activists and students got together regardless, as the University had no legal basis to ban the march. However, the administration called the police, who used excessive force to disperse the crowd.

“We would like to point out that from the very beginning, there should have been no trial at all, and now, with this precedent, we will continue to raise the LGBTI+ struggle,” said ÜniKuir’s Özgür Gür, one of the activists acquitted. “We thank everyone for their support.”