First transgender actress to win a Golden Globe
Transgender access Michaela Jaé Rodriquez has won a Golden Globe for her performance in the TV series Pose. She becomes the first trans actress to win a major acting Golden Globe award. In an Instagram post after winning, Rodriquez wrote: “This is the door that is going to open the door for many more young talented individuals. To my young LFBTQAI babies, WE ARE HERE the door is open now reach for the stars!!!!”
Israel lifts restrictions on same-sex surrogacy
Israel has lifted restrictions barring same-sex couples and single men from becoming parents through surrogacy. The government ruling follows a Supreme Court ruling to end the ban. At a news conference announcing the change, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said it was a historic day for the LGBTQ struggle in Israel.
European court declines to take pro-gay marriage cake case
The European Court of Human Rights has declined to rule in a discrimination case centred on an activist’s request to have a cake decorated with Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie, and with the words “Support Gay Marriage.” The court said the case was inadmissible because activist Gareth Lee (pictured), had failed to exhaust domestic remedies in his case against a Northern Ireland bakery. The long-running case began in 2014 when Ashers Baking Co. refused to make the cake Lee wanted. Britain’s Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that the baker’s refusal to make the cake did not amount to discrimination.