Good News: Japan Rules Trans Sterilization Is Unconstitutional, Canada’s Woman-Majority Supreme Court And More
Take a break with some of the good news stories from around the world.
Here are three good news stories from around the world to brighten your day.
1. Japan’s top court has ruled that forcing people to be sterilized to change gender is unconstitutional
In a step forward for LGBTQ rights, Japan’s top court has ruled that forcing people to be sterilized to change gender is unconstitutional.
Currently, Japan requires people to have their reproductive organs removed before they can legally change their gender.
They must also meet several other conditions.
People must be diagnosed with gender dysphoria by two doctors, undergo transition surgery, be older than 18, not married and not have any children under 18.
The requirements have been widely criticized by human rights and medical groups.
On Wednesday Oct. 25, Japan’s supreme court unanimously ruled that the sterilization requirement violates the country’s constitution.
The verdict comes after a trans woman brought forward a case when she was unable to change her gender from the biologically assigned male to female in her family registry.
The court ruled that the requirement “restricted her freedom not to harm herself against her will.”
The government must now follow up and amend the law, according to Human Rights Watch.
However, the court did not rule on the requirement for transition surgery, instead sending it back to a lower court for further consideration.
2. Hundreds of thousands of people in Taiwan took part in Asia’s biggest pride parade to celebrate LGBTQ rights
About 176,000 people marched through the streets of Taipei on Saturday Oct. 28 as part of Taiwan’s 21st annual LGBTQ Pride Parade, a celebration of diversity and inclusion.
The attendance number, estimated by the organizers, has surged from a mere 800 since its inception in 2003, making it Asia’s largest Pride parade.
Themed “Stand With Diversity”, this year’s celebrations include two separate parade routes that spread across the country’s capital, a 120-booth Rainbow Market and performances from drag queens and go-go dancers.
The country’s thriving LGBTQ community also attracted 5,000 to 10,000 attendees from other parts of Asia and beyond.
In 2019, Taiwan made history as the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
Same-sex couples also gained full adoption rights in May this year.
This year, vice president William Lai, who is the current frontrunner for president in next year’s election, also joined the parade, pledging to continue his party’s support of LGBTQ rights.
3. Canada’s supreme court is now a woman-majority for the first time ever
Canada’s supreme court is now a woman-majority for the first time ever after the prime minister nominated this woman judge.
Mary Moreau, a judge from Alberta, was nominated by prime minister Justin Trudeau to replace a male judge who resigned.
The supreme court will now be made up of five women judges and four men judges.
Moreau has worked in Alberta’s superior court for 29 years and was most recently the chief justice there.
Her appointment comes after Trudeau named Mahmud Jamal as the first supreme court judge of color in June 2021.
And in 2022, Michelle O’Bonsawin became the first Indigenous person to become a supreme court judge.
