French lesbians to get IVF rights
France has passed a law that will allow lesbian couples and single women to access fertility treatment. Up till now, only heterosexual couples could access such services and so many French women had gone to Belgium or Spain for treatment. A recent opinion poll found 67% of the French population supported the law change, though there was some resistance to it in the French Senate. Right-wing opposition politicians are expected to appeal the law to France’s Constitutional Council. Thirteen other countries in Europe (including the UK) have legal provisions for single women and lesbians to access IVF treatment.
Lil Nas X and that kiss
Rapper Lil Nas X has hit back at critics following his kiss with a back up dancer on stage at the 2021 BET Awards. While many people including Sean “Diddy” Combs praised the star for his actions, others were not so happy. Responding to one tweet that said he shouldn’t have used African culture for the display and should “respect our ancestors,” Nas said “y’all really like to pretend homosexuality didn’t exist in African culture.” Lil Nas X closed out pride month 2019 by coming out.
California bans state travel to 5 other US states over bigotry
This week, the US state of California added another five states to its ban of state-funded travel. Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta (pictured) added Florida, Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia to a list that now has 17 states where state employee travel is forbidden except under limited circumstances. The reason given – those states discriminate against LGBTQ people. In implementing the bans, Bonta said: “Make no mistake, we’re in the midst of an unprecedented wave of bigotry and discrimination in this country, and the State of California is not going to support it.”
