APA Removes Transgenderism as 'Mental Illness'

Finally.  2012 marks the year when the APA (the American Psychiatric Association) has officially replaced the term "Gender Identity Disorder" with "Gender Dysphoria."  This means transgender is no longer categorized as a mental illness.

The U.S. now joins Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, the Scandinavian countries, and several others that have already changed their official policies.

The change will have an impact in legal cases and legislation, and is being hailed as a huge step forward for trans rights not just in the states, but potentially in other countries as well.  For better or worse it cannot be denied that America is influential; this includes its medical associations, whose policies do have an influence on the policies of medical associations in other (less progressive) countries.

France Set to Become One Kick-Ass Country

New president, new day

»» Update added 30 June 2012

France already rocks, but it's about to turn up the volume on its coolness level.

Three-hundred forty three out of five-hundred seventy seven.  That's the official number of seats that the French Socialist Party and its fellow-progressive allies now have in the National Assembly, as a result of elections held this month.

That's a clear majority, and it means the conservatives, who earned only 223 seats, don't have enough votes to block the progressive legislative agenda of the new French government.

The French Senate, too, has a clear socialist majority, and it's all very, very good news for equality.

Baby Steps of Progress in Italy

Italy, the birthplace of the Roman Catholic Church, isn't known for its progressive stance on gay rights.  Italy is one of the only European countries that still does not offer some form of legal recognition to same-sex couples.  But the pendulum is starting to swing a bit...

On the 15th of March, 2012, the Italian Supreme Court (Corte Suprema di Cassazione) issued a two-pronged ruling in the most important gay rights case thus far in that country.  The case revolved around an Italian same-sex couple who were legally married outside of Italy, and who sued the state to have their marriage recognized by the Italian government.

The Supreme Court ruled that the government does not, at this point in time, have to recognize same-sex marriage contracted in other countries, which seems like a defeat.  But the second part of the ruling is where it gets good.

British Prime Minister: "It's Time for Marriage Equality"

David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Conservative Party, has announced his public support for same-sex marriage in the UK.

Yes indeed you read that right, he's a conservative.  But European conservatives are much, much different than Filipino conservatives, or even most American conservatives.  European conservatives may be fiscally conservative, but they typically aren't socially conservative right-wing moralists.  While conservative parties in the Philippines (and the Republican Party in the US) often infuse their dialogue with "religiousity" and church-talk, such is not the case among European conservatives.  As a European I say Thank God for that!

Optimism in 2011

The equality glass is certainly half full, and things are getting better all the time.  Here are some key places on the equal rights front to watch in 2011:

NEPAL.  Upon completion of its new constitution by 28 May, 2011, same-sex marriage will become legal for the first time ever in an Asian country, in Nepal.  Fingers are crossed that they will actually have the constitution ratified by that time; they missed their last proposed deadline for completion, which was supposed to be June 2010.  I always thought progressive Taiwan would be the first in Asia to have marriage equality, but sorry Taiwan, you're getting passed over by Nepal!

FINLAND.  Finland, which has already had a strong civil partnership law since 2002, has announced it will be submitting a marriage equality bill in the Eduskunta -- its national legislature -- after the April 2011 elections (for the autumn 2011 session).  If all goes smoothly (and it likely will because a majority of Finnish parties support the measure), marriage equality will be signed into law by winter of 2011 or early 2012.  Finland would then join its Scandinavian neighbors Sweden, Norway, and Iceland, which already have marriage equality.