Puerto Rico Gov to Ban Conversion Therapy

" As a father, as a scientist, and as the Governor for everyone in Puerto Rico, I firmly believe that the idea that there are people in our society who need treatment because of their gender identity or whom they love is not only absurd, it is harmful to so many children and young adults who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

I strive for Puerto Rico to be a society in which everyone, regardless of whom they love, can be accepted and live without fear of persecution. This includes society’s most vulnerable, our children, who should be supported and loved. Conversion therapy in no way benefits anybody, it only causes unimaginable pain and suffering.

Almost 50 years ago, the American Psychiatric Association declared that homosexuality is not a mental illness and therefore does not need to be “cured” or “treated” in any way.  "  

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló announced he will sign an executive order banning so-called conversion therapy for minors on the island after the U.S. territory’s House of Representatives decided not to take Senate Bill 1000 to a vote, which would have made these therapies illegal. March 20, 2019. The Executive Order will be signed in the coming days.

     Click here to see the original press release


 

NY Gov Slams SCOTUS Upholding Prez Trans Mil Ban

" The Supreme Court has greenlit an abhorrent policy that not only endorses discrimination in our armed forces, but also undermines national security by blocking talented and dedicated people from serving their country. President Trump's disgraceful ban on most transgender troops serving in the military repays service and sacrifice with hate and it takes our military backward by undercutting this nation's commitment to ensuring equal rights for all.

In New York, we stand united with the transgender community. We took action in 2015 to affirm that all transgender people are protected under the State's Human Rights Law, and this year we are enshrining those protections in State law once and for all with the Gender Expression Nondiscrimination Act. While this federal government governs by bigotry and division, New York will always fight back to ensure the dignity and respect of every individual. "

Governor Andrew Cuomo, January 22, 2019.

     Click here to see original statement


 

NY Gov Signs Conversion Therapy Ban Into Law

" So-called LGBTQ conversion therapy is a fraudulent practice that has done untold harm to too many young people. New York has been at the forefront of protecting LGBTQ rights for decades and when Senate Republicans refused to ban conversion therapy, we took executive action to stop insurance companies from covering it. With today's passage of this important bill, New York is sending a clear message that no one should be tortured for being who they are and we will stand for nothing short of absolute acceptance and full equality. I applaud the legislature for taking this decisive action to ban conversion therapy and protect LGBTQ youth. "

Governor Andrew Cuomo, January 15, 2019.

     Click here for original statement


 

NY Gov Signs Trans Anti-Discrimination Bill Into Law

" At a time when the federal government is doing everything it can to roll back the hard won rights of transgender Americans, New York State is once again stepping up for full equality and equal protections under the law. We were the first state in the nation to issue regulations prohibiting harassment and discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression, and continue to fight this federal administration's despicable attacks on trans people. This is an issue of basic fairness, and today marks an historic day for those in the LGBTQ community who fought tirelessly for the passage of this bill. I applaud the Legislature for acting quickly to pass this critical component of our Justice Agenda. "

Governor Andrew Cuomo, January 15, 2019.

     Click here for original statement 


 

Ohio Gov. John Kasich Issues Non-Discrimination Executive Order

Ohio Governor John Kasich, December 19, 2018.

     Click here for official Press Release

    

     Click here to see the original Executive Order

Caribbean Court of Justice Strikes Down Guyana Cross-Dressing Law

" The cross-dressing proscription, along with many other provisions in the Act, such as declaring a man be a vagabond and subject to a fine because he does not work and support himself or his wife when capable of so doing, is a law that belonged to a different time. It criminalized the expression of sexual orientation and gender identification at a time when State intrusion of that nature was the norm and human rights were, at best, a developing intellectual concept. This was not the age of liberal democracy; sovereignty did not belong to the people, as Article 1 of the 1980 Guyana Constitution was later to proclaim. Laws of the nature of section 153(1)(xlvii) were directed to keeping the masses in their place. It seemed contrarian, therefore, that the State, whose Constitution proclaims it to be in transition from capitalism to socialism and champions fundamental rights proclaimed long ago in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, should have argued for the presumption of constitutionality to benefit a law such as section 153(1)(xlvii) ... 

For the reasons detailed in the judgment of the Court, delivered by the President, the highly undemocratic section 153(1)(xlvii) is inconsistent with the several Articles of the Constitution stated and must be declared void for that inconsistency ... "

Caribbean Court of Justice, November 13, 2018. 

     Click here to read the entire decision

Supreme Court of India Overturns Old Anti LGBT Law - GLBT Indians Are Equal Citizens

" We must realize that different hues and colours together make the painting of humanity beautiful and this beauty is the essence of humanity. We need to respect the strength of our diversity so as to sustain our unity as a cohesive unit of free citizens by fostering tolerance and respect for each others‘ rights thereby progressing towards harmonious and peaceful co-existence in the supreme bond of humanity. Attitudes and mentality have to change to accept the distinct identity of individuals and respect them for who they are rather than compelling them to 'become' who they are not. All human beings possess the equal right to be themselves instead of transitioning or conditioning themselves as per the perceived dogmatic notions of a group of people...

The primary objective of having a constitutional democracy is to transform the society progressively and inclusively. Our Constitution has been perceived to be transformative in the sense that the interpretation of its provisions should not be limited to the mere literal meaning of its words; instead they ought to be given a meaningful construction which is reflective of their intent and purpose in consonance with the changing times. Transformative constitutionalism not only includes within its wide periphery the recognition of the rights and dignity of individuals but also propagates the fostering and development of an atmosphere wherein every individual is bestowed with adequate opportunities to develop socially, economically and politically. Discrimination of any kind strikes at the very core of any democratic society...

Constitutional morality cannot be martyred at the altar of social morality and it is only constitutional morality that can be allowed to permeate into the Rule of Law. The veil of social morality cannot be used to violate fundamental rights of even a single individual, for the foundation of constitutional morality rests upon the recognition of diversity that pervades the society...

Sexual orientation is one of the many biological phenomena which is natural and inherent in an individual and is controlled by neurological and biological factors. The science of sexuality has theorized that an individual exerts little or no control over who he/she gets attracted to. Any discrimination on the basis of one‘s sexual orientation would entail a violation of the fundamental right of freedom of expression... "
 
Honourable Mr. Justice Dipak Misra, The Chief Justice Of India, Supreme Court of India, September 6, 2018.
 
     Click here to read the entire original decision