Latest news with #equalrights
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Separate discrimination, same-sex marriage amendments eyed for Ohio's 2026 ballot
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Backers of an Ohio equal rights amendment are advancing separate 2026 ballot initiatives to ban discrimination and repeal the state's dormant same-sex marriage ban, after election officials split the original proposal in half. Grassroots organization Ohio Equal Rights had planned to place a single amendment on the 2026 ballot to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy status, disease status, age, disability, recovery status, familial status, ancestry, national origin, or military and veteran status. If passed, the amendment would've also reversed another constitutional amendment passed in 2004 that reads 'only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state.' Watch a previous NBC4 report on the equal rights amendment in the video player above. LGBTQ+ book, coffee shop sets opening for location inside Stonewall Columbus However, Ohio's Ballot Board voted in July to split the amendment into two, one for the anti-discrimination protections and the other to overturn the state's same-sex marriage ban. Secretary of State Frank LaRose, chairman of the board, argued, 'It would be good to give [voters] those as two separate amendments,' and asked, 'Is it conceivable that there are voters out there that would support one part of this but not support the other part of this?' Ohio Equal Rights mulled the ruling over for several weeks, as backers will need to collect at least 442,958 signatures for each proposal. While 'this means double the work and money,' the organization is proceeding with the board's vote given 'this is less work and money than appealing the decision.' 'We still think splitting the amendment creates unnecessary hurdles, but we still think, moving forward, this is our best shot,' said Lis Regula, Ohio Equal Rights executive co-chair, in a statement. 'It could take months, if not years, to appeal the decision in court. Moving forward, even though it is double the signatures and paperwork, it is the best shot we have at securing equality for every Ohioan.' In a previous NBC4 interview, Regula said that the proposal was inspired by a similar initiative in Nevada that passed with 57% of the vote in 2022. Regula cited recent 'anti-LGBTQ+' legislation as a driving force, like a provision in the state budget defining gender as two sexes, a law banning certain healthcare for transgender youth, and a bill to celebrate 'Natural Family Month.' Rights group launches tour in Ohio to fight 'anti-LGBTQ+ attacks,' announces web show Regula said Ohio needs to repeal its dormant same-sex marriage ban, given the Supreme Court has signaled it might overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 case legalizing same-sex marriage. Ohio Equal Rights must collect the signatures from registered voters across at least 44 of Ohio's counties, which will amount to at least 10% of the vote cast in the last gubernatorial election. If sufficient signatures are verified by the secretary of state's office at least 65 days before the 2026 election, then the amendment will be placed on the ballot. Should Ohio Equal Rights succeed, it will follow in the footsteps of other recent constitutional amendments on the ballot. In 2023, Issues 1 and 2 passed with about 57% of the vote to establish the right to abortion and legalize recreational marijuana, respectively. Issue 1 in 2024 would've changed how Ohio's political districts are drawn, but failed with 53% voting against the proposal. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Amendments to protect 'equal rights,' reverse Ohio Constitution's ban on gay marriage given OK
Aug. 11—There will be two new citizen-initiated amendments circulating around Ohio following a state board's decision to split a proposed initiative guaranteeing equal rights under the law and formally remove the Ohio Constitution's gay marriage ban into separate amendments. The initial proposal was cleared by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost last month, pending further clearance from the Ohio Ballot Board, which has the responsibility to determine whether proposed constitutional amendment initiatives contain one or more proposals. On July 9, the board determined the organizer's petition contained "two distinct proposed amendments: (1) a proposed constitutional amendment that would create more than a dozen protected classes, and (2) a proposed constitutional amendment related specifically to marriage." Now that the proposal has been split in two, organizers officially have the state's permission to begin collecting signatures, Yost announced Friday. The first proposed amendment, titled the "Ohio Equal Rights Amendment," would amend the state's constitution to expressly forbid the state from abridging someone's rights under the law "on account of race, color, creed or religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression regardless of sex assigned at birth, pregnancy status, genetic information, disease status, age, disability, recovery status, familial status, ancestry, national origin, or military and veteran status." The second proposal would strike out the portion of Ohio's constitution which says: "Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions." It would replace that text with a mandate that the state "shall recognize and treat equally all marriages regardless of race, sex, or gender identity." The amendment would, however, give individual clergy the option to refuse to "solemnize" marriages of their choosing. Ohio has recognized same-sex marriages since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, an Ohio-based case that directly struck down the state's constitutional and legal bans on gay marriage and guaranteed it as a federal right. Yost's office explained that, in order to get these proposals on a statewide ballot, petitioners will now need to collect "signatures from registered voters equal to at least 10% of the vote cast in the most recent gubernatorial election." "Those signatures must come from voters in at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, and for each of those counties the number must equal at least 5% of the vote cast in the most recent gubernatorial election," a Friday press release from Yost's office reads. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below. Solve the daily Crossword
France 24
29-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Hong Kong activists face tough compromise over LGBTQ rights blueprint
The city's top court confined marriage to heterosexual couples in 2023 but ordered the government to create an "alternative framework" to recognise same-sex couples' rights by October. Government officials unveiled a proposal on July 2 to allow limited rights for gay and lesbian couples. But it only covers those whose unions are registered abroad, as some same-sex couples have done, including through online ceremonies. The bill covers medical-related matters and after-death arrangements, for example, a person's right to visit their partner in hospital or to claim a dead partner's body. But even same-sex couples whose unions are recognised will still be unable to marry, adopt children or access some spousal entitlements such as prison visits. Nevertheless, it could be one of the biggest advances for equal rights in the city's history. The LGBTQ community is prepared to be pragmatic, said non-binary artist Holok Chen, who read out a statement decrying homophobia outside a marriage registry on Monday. "We are not idealists," Chen told AFP. "We are desperate because we are now in an impossible position. Either we have to accept a discriminatory proposal... or we have to risk nothing at all." Yan Ng, a co-founder of advocacy group Dear Family Hong Kong, said the government should offer "a more inclusive system" with stronger safeguards for more types of relationships. "We appreciate that the government shouldered their responsibility to put forward the bill," she told AFP. "This is a half-step, but can we go a bit further?" 'Bare minimum' The bill has completed preliminary vetting and will likely be sent to Hong Kong's 89-strong legislature for debate and voting after summer recess. Only 12 lawmakers have publicly expressed support, according to a tally by newspaper Ming Pao. No open forum or consultation has been held. Instead, the public was given just seven days, until Tuesday afternoon, to write in with their views. Film director Ray Yeung said it was "unreasonable" for the government to rush the process but would still support the proposal. "If you are a beggar and you're given a bowl, that's better than nothing," he said. In 2024, Yeung directed "All Shall Be Well", an award-winning drama inspired by the legal and administrative headaches faced by same-sex couples in Hong Kong's hospitals, morgues and cemeteries. "If your partner is sick or is about to die, to a certain extent (the bill) can help you, it provides a bare minimum of rights." Films like Yeung's have been credited with helping to shift public opinion over the years. A 2023 survey showed that 60 percent of polled Hong Kong people supported same-sex marriage. Kelley Loper, one of the legal academics behind that survey, told AFP the draft bill will "only grant a very limited number of rights" and failed to satisfy what top judges demanded. "I expect the courts will eventually determine that the partnership scheme is insufficient and the gaps are unconstitutional," said Loper, a professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Pro-Beijing lawmaker Priscilla Leung argued that there was no consensus on LGBTQ equality, saying that eight out of 10 of her constituents voiced "strong objection". No more 'megaphone' Years of planning and patience by the LGBTQ community have come down to this one month of "chaotic" discourse, according to activist Sean Hau. "The issue went from a snail's pace to the speed of a rocket," said Hau, another co-founder of Dear Family Hong Kong. "Mobilising used to be very visible, because we have a space to speak with a megaphone... We might not be able to do that now." Hong Kong's Pride Parade was first officially held in 2008 and activists once freely campaigned on the streets. But Beijing cracked down on political freedoms in the Chinese finance hub after months of huge and sometimes violent democracy protests in 2019. Chen, the artist, was closely watched by police on Monday during their performance art event. A few days before that, they were escorted away by officers after displaying a large rainbow flag outside the legislature. The community has turned to online petitions and letter campaigns, including one initiated by democracy activist Jimmy Sham who recently completed a prison term for subversion. Among the dozens who filed written submissions to the legislature was HKSpectrum, an advocacy group for LGBTQ youth founded in 2021. "Rights related to medical matters and after-death arrangements are not just problems for the elderly. Young people may face them too," said Ash, one of the group's activists. Matthew, another group member, told AFP that discussion was muted among teens on social media, highlighting the need to raise awareness. "We must work harder and try different things so that more people will pay attention." © 2025 AFP
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Mandela Day: Why was the South African president so important?
On 18 July 1918, Rolihlahla Mandela was born in the small village of Mvezo in South was the son of Chief Henry Mandela of the Madiba Nelson – as he later came to be known – gave up his Chieftanship, instead choosing to become a eventually became one of the world's most-famous leaders and campaigners for equal rights for black South African people. His protests in the 1950s and 60s against a system called apartheid angered South Africa's ruling government, and led to him becoming a political spent 27 years of his life in prison, but remained an important and popular figure for anti-apartheid a few years after his release from prison, Nelson Mandela become the first black president of South Africa. When is Nelson Mandela Day? Who was Nelson Mandela? Nelson Mandela worked to bring about significant changes to the lives of many South became a lawyer and created South Africa's first black-owned law practice before moving into politics. What was apartheid? When Nelson Mandela was still a young man, a system called apartheid was created in South Africa. It was designed so that white people and black people would lead separate lives. White people, who were a small proportion of the population, were in charge of people had fewer rights and couldn't people controlled which jobs black people could have, and even where they also had access to better schools and more about apartheid here. Why was Nelson Mandela in prison for 27 years? Nelson Mandela wanted South African apartheid to end and protested against 1964 Mandela was convicted of treason and trying to damage the government. He was sentenced to life in prison, during which he spent time on Robben island, off the coast of Cape Town in South Africa, was the site of a prison for 300 inmates, including Nelson Mandela, were black men imprisoned for political this, many people around the world supported Nelson Mandela's cause and campaigned for his release. How did Nelson Mandela become President of South Africa? In 1990, after being in prison for 27 years, the South African President FW de Klerk - a white man - allowed Mandela to go free, signalling a new era in the had become a symbol of resistance against apartheid and his release saw celebrations not only in South Africa but across the in South Africa ended a year later in years after that, South Africa held its first fully-democratic elections in which black people, as well as white, were allowed to Mandela was elected president and set about trying to bring people of different races together. What is Nelson Mandela's legacy? In 1993, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - the highest honour of its kind - for his 1995, South Africa held its first major sports competition - the Rugby World gave his support to the South African rugby team, made up mostly of white men, so that it would unite the country. The team, known as the Springboks, went on to lift the for many years he was regarded as a dangerous opponent by the apartheid authorities, today he is held with deep respect by South Africans of all backgrounds. When he died in 2013, South Africans of different heritages - both white and black - came together to mourn him. Mandela has gone down in history as one of the most famous world leaders ever and is remembered by many for promoting a message of forgiveness and equality.
Reuters
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Tens of thousands march in Romania demanding LGBTQ equality
BUCHAREST, June 7 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Romanians joined an LGBTQ Pride march in Bucharest on Saturday, demanding civil union partnership legislation and equal rights after a highly-contested presidential election last month buoyed the far right. The European Union state has so far ignored a 2023 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which found Romania had failed to enforce the rights of same-sex couples by refusing to recognise their relationships. Socially conservative Romania decriminalised homosexuality in 2001, decades later than other parts of the EU, but still bars marriage and civil partnerships for same-sex couples. "We want legal protection for same-sex couples, an easy legal procedure for transitioning, protection against hate speech and prejudice-based crimes," said Teodora Roseti, president of Romanian LGBTQ rights organisation ACCEPT and Pride's organiser. In Bucharest, marchers danced and carried the rainbow flag 20 years after the first Pride parade was held, carrying banners such as "Love is the worst feeling you could hate", "Equality in love, equality in inheritance. Civil partnership for all". Roughly 30,000 people attended the parade, ACCEPT estimated. The march comes at a fraught moment in Central and Eastern Europe, where far right parties have gained ground. Poles held a similar parade on Saturday. Hours before the Romanian march, a smaller anti-Pride protest took place, with participants demanding an Orthodox Christian nation and waving flags carrying the Celtic cross, a known far-right symbol. In Romania, centrist Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan ultimately won the presidential election against hard-right opposition leader George Simion, a strong opponent of LGBTQ rights. ACCEPT and LGBTQ rights group Mozaiq warned of a rise in hate speech against the community during the election campaign, and their headquarters were defaced. In neighbouring Hungary, parliament passed legislation earlier this year that de facto bans holding Pride marches.
