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A ruling Wednesday from the top court in the United Kingdom that says
the legal definition of a woman is someone whose birth sex is female is
the latest high-profile action globally involving the issue of what
legal recognitions transgender people are allowed. The spectrum of
protections around the world ranges widely, from none at all in a number
of countries to the existence of anti-discrimination protections and
legal gender identity changes in some others.
Here’s a look at actions in some countries recently:
United Kingdom
The decision from U.K. Supreme Court revolved around the U.K. Equality
Act, which bars discrimination along protected categories including age,
race and sex. The court’s ruling said that for the purposes of the act,
the definition of a woman is someone born biologically female, which
excludes transgender people. The unanimous decision means trans women
can be barred from places like women-only changing rooms and homeless
shelters and kept from groups like those offering medical or counseling services only to women. But the ruling also said the decision didn’t
mean transgender people were without any legal protection, because the
Equality Act also recognizes gender reassignment as a protected
category.
Supporters of For Women Scotland, the group that brought the suit,
celebrated the decision while advocates for transgender rights called it
a setback.
Hungary
Rights for transgender people were restricted as part of a wider
crackdown on LGBTQ communities in Hungary through an amendment to its constitution passed on April 14. The measure was proposed by the ruling coalition led by populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and easily sailed through Hungary’s parliament.
Under the new amendment, the nation’s constitution says there are two
sexes, male and female. A government spokesman called it “a
clarification that legal norms are based on biological reality.” It lays
a constitutional groundwork for denying transgender people the ability
to have their gender identities protected.
Critics of the amendment said it was about humiliating and excluding
people, and part of the ruling party’s moves toward authoritarianism.
The amendment also banned any public events from LGBTQ communities,
which Hungary’s government has strongly campaigned against in recent
years.
United States
President Donald Trump has made a ban on transgender participation in
sports a central focus of his administration. On Wednesday, he sued the
state of Maine for not following an executive order he signed that
banned transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
In a February meeting with state governors, Trump called out Gov. Janet
Mills for not complying with his order, and threatened to pull federal
funding, to which Mills replied, “We’ll see you in court.”
The administration’s lawsuit calls for Maine to be ordered to tell its schools that it’s prohibited for males to participate in athletic
competition designated for females.
Another of Trump’s executive orders insists on a rigid definition of the sexes, rather than gender, for federal government purposes. The orders
are facing court challenges. For its part, Maine sued the administration
after the Department of Agriculture said it was pausing some money for
the state’s educational programs. A federal judge on Friday ordered the administration to unfreeze funds intended for a Maine child nutrition
program.
It’s not just on the federal level; the question of legal protections
for transgender people is a political issue in many American states as
well. In twenty-six states, transgender girls from are banned from girls
school sports. Other issues around the country include access to
gender-related health care for minors and bathroom access in public
spaces like schools and government buildings.
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/look-recent-global-actions-limiting-legal-recognitions-transgender-peo-rcna201719
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