Turkmenistan demands HIV tests before marriage
The government of Turkmenistan has announced that it will require HIV tests for all people seeking a marriage licence, with the implication that those found to be HIV-positive will be denied the right to marry. The government says the decision will protect against babies being born HIV-positive.
Read more from the Associated Press.
Colombian high court opens door to equal marriage
In a surprise ruling, the high court of Colombia shot down a ruling that would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman. If the court now rules in the opposite, the decision will effectively legalize same-sex marriage in the country. It is not yet clear when marriages could actually begin.
France gives up on gay Vatican ambassador
France’s president has apparently given up trying to appoint a gay ambassador to the Vatican. After a year of stalling from the Vatican on French ambassador Laurent Stefanini, reportedly due to his sexual orientation, President Francois Hollande has appointed him to a different agency.
Read more from Agence France-Presse.
Mississippi governor signs anti-LGBT bill
Mississippi’s Republican governor has signed a bill into law that protects people, businesses and religious organizations that want to discriminate against LGBT people. Mississippi is following on the heels of North Carolina, which has already faced national backlash for its own law.
Naples court defends adoption rights
Even though same-sex unions are not recognized in Italy, a Naples court has ordered that the city must recognize adoption rights for a lesbian couple married in France. The ruling protects the “portability” of marriage rights within the European Union. Italy is the only Western European country without any recognition of same-sex couples.
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