Taiwan announced it will recognize same-sex marriage between Taiwanese and Chinese nationals, a Kenyan LGBTQ group launched a legal aid clinic, and a model was murdered in Georgia after an anti-LGBTQ bill passed.
Taiwan To Recognize Marriage Equality Between Nationals
Taiwan has announced it will recognize same-sex marriages between Taiwanese and Chinese nationals, allowing couples to register their unions under the same regulations as heterosexuals.
Couples who marry outside Taiwan or China can register their marriages by providing relevant documentation and passing an interview, according to a press release from the Ministry of the Interior.
The Ministry stated that cross-strait couples marrying in a third location will follow the same document verification and interview processes as heterosexual marriages, according to Pink News. However, those not married in a third location, regardless of orientation, must adhere to existing regulations governing relationships between Taiwan and mainland China.
This decision is expected to benefit hundreds of couples in Taiwan.
Kenyan LGBTQ Group Launches Legal Aid Clinic
Photo via CMRSLTrust, Facebook.
A Kenyan LGBTQ rights organization, the Center for Minority Rights and Strategic Litigation (CMRSL), has launched a virtual legal aid platform to provide free legal services to queer individuals remotely.
According to the Washington Blade, this initiative aims to expand access to legal assistance.
“The LGBTQ+ Online Legal Aid Clinic is, we believe, the first of its kind in Kenya providing pro bono legal advice services directly to the LGBTQ community,” said CMRSL.
The LGBTQ+ Online Legal Aid Clinic connects clients with advocates through platforms like Zoom and Google, extending the reach of CMRSL’s physical clinic established in 2020.
The organization has assisted over 1,000 clients since its founding and handles cases such as evictions, assaults, and family disputes.
Model Murdered After Passage Of Anti-LGBTQ Law
Kesaria Abramidze. Photo by Radio Ar Daidardo, via Wikimedia Commons.
A well-known Georgian transgender model, Kesaria Abramidze, was murdered a day after the government enacted sweeping restrictions on LGBTQ rights.
According to The Guardian, the 37-year-old was believed to have been stabbed to death in her apartment. Media outlets later reported the arrest of a man in connection with the crime.
Abramidze was among the first openly transgender public figures in Georgia, and her death comes shortly after controversial legislation on “family values and the protection of minors.”
This law allows officials to ban Pride events and censor LGBTQ films and literature. The legislation also prohibits same-sex marriages and gender-affirming treatments. These developments are expected to exacerbate tensions between Georgia and the European Union as the country pursues EU membership.
Critics argue that the bill, introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party last summer, closely resembles laws in neighboring Russia, which has enacted a series of repressive anti-LGBTQ measures over the past decade.
“There is a direct correlation between the use of hate speech in politics and hate crimes,” the Social Justice Center, a human rights group, said in its statement reacting to the murder.
