High Schools in Rome Increase Support for Transgender Students

April 23, 2021

In the Roman Catholic stronghold of Italy, Rome’s high school students have sped up the city’s journey toward acceptance of transgender individuals.

Transgender flag. User:torbakhopper. CC BY-SA 3.0.

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the high school community of Rome has been making strides toward the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights. Recently, a handful of high schools in the city have decided to allow transgender students the right to go by their chosen name. This is a stark change from the previous method of using a transgender person’s name given at birth, known as their “dead” name. The high schools that have made this change lag behind the city’s universities, with some colleges already having given transgender students the right.

Although the act itself seems small, it is a substantial gesture within the context of the transgender community. Upon hearing the news, students have expressed great relief; many see this step as a beacon of hope toward full transgender visibility in Italy. The country’s LGBTQ+ community currently deals with hate crimes, some of which have been so violent that victims have required reconstructive surgery. For Italy, the flaw is in the law; there is a law prohibiting crimes based on religion and race, but none exists for acts based on gender or sexual orientation. The largest change benefiting the transgender community occurred in 1982, when the Sex Reassignment Act legalized that procedure.

School officials in Rome believe that this change will help to protect students by creating a sense of security and peace in their learning environment. The first students to experience the change in rules hope that they will pave the way for an easier education for future transgender individuals, many of whom face large-scale bullying.

In a study on LGBTQ+ tolerance conducted by the Williams Institute, Italy fell quite far behind some of its European counterparts. Italy sat at 30th place in the ranking while Iceland and the Netherlands snagged the first two slots. The prevalence of the Roman Catholic Church, which does not condone LGBTQ+ behavior, has much to do with the country’s lower score.

This step has been a significant one for Italy, but much work remains to be done. With a smoother education now in store, these students hope that they are just the group to bring about further change.

Ella is an undergraduate student at Vassar College pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies. She wants to assist in the field of immigration law and hopes to utilize Spanish in her future projects. In her free time she enjoys cooking, writing poetry, and learning about cosmetics.

*The New Zealand Parliament building. Ref54. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.*

New Zealand Legalizes Euthanasia as World Begins to Accept the Practice

November 15, 2020

In a late October referendum, New Zealanders voted in favor of legalizing euthanasia, the practice of allowing patients with an incurable and painful illness to terminate their life early. This binding act, which will go into effect on Nov. 6, 2021, will make New Zealand one of seven countries to permit the controversial practice. Assisted suicide, a similar practice which involves a physician aiding in ending a terminal patient’s life, is legal in a handful of jurisdictions, including Switzerland, Germany and several U.S. states.

The practice of euthanasia, while gaining support around the globe, is still considered controversial, especially among religious communities. The Roman Catholic Church, for instance, has condemned the practice, stating in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that: “Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.” This opposition has resulted in a patchwork system of legal euthansia, assisted suicide or other means of voluntarily terminating one’s life.

New Zealand’s “End of Life Choice Act”

*A view of Auckland, New Zealand’s most populous city. Pedro Szekely. CC BY-SA 2.0.*

New Zealand’s referendum centered around whether or not the country should adopt the 2019 End of Life Choice Act. The law, which was originally introduced in October 2015 by member of Parliament David Seymour, permits voluntary euthanasia for patients confirmed by two doctors to have a terminal illness and be in the final six months of their lives.

“The motivation for this bill is compassion,” Seymour said in a press release from political party ACT New Zealand. “It allows people who so choose and are eligible under this bill to end their life in peace and dignity, surrounded by loved ones.”

While public opinion in New Zealand over the last two decades has averaged around 68% annually in support of legalized euthanasia, opponents to the practice have succeeded in shooting down similar legislation. Two iterations of the Death with Dignity Bill and a previous iteration of the End of Life Choice Bill, which outlined similar euthansia legalization statuses to the one voted on last month, failed to make it through Parliament in 1995, 2003 and 2012, respectively.

The main opposition force to euthanasia in New Zealand has been The Care Alliance, an organization which was created shortly after the introduction of the 2012 End of Life Choice Bill. It advocates for “better end-of-life care and assisted living services for people at the end of life or who require assistance to live” with the belief that “a compassionate and ethical response to suffering does not include euthanasia or assisted suicide.”

The current End of Life Choice Act is set to go into effect on Nov. 6, 2021, which allows for a one-year implementation period to take place immediately after the results of the referendum were finalized on Nov. 6, 2020.

Bans on Euthanasia Around the Globe

A crowd listens as Pope Francis delivers Sunday Angelus. Greg Sass. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

As of November 2020, euthanasia in any form is explicitly banned in countries on every continent. While each country has its own reasons for banning the practice, one standard which has inhibited further global legalization has been the United Nations’ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that “Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life." This has been interpreted by many in opposition to euthanasia as a standard to abide by.

Many within the religious community have opposed euthanasia for years. Many denominations of Christianity, including Episcopalianism, Lutheranism, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the aforementioned Catholicism, have all condemned the practice as a form of murder.

While Islam does not explicitly prohibit euthanasia, the practice is considered to be in direct opposition to Islamic law. Several passages from the Quran have been interpreted in such a manner, including “And do not take any human being’s life—which Allah has made sacred save with right” and “Do not kill yourselves: for verily Allah is to you most merciful.” This has resulted in euthanasia being a crime in nearly all majority-Muslim countries.

Other world religions, such as Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism, are still debating the ethics of euthanasia. Generally, these debates center around a conflict between a divine right to life and the increasing trend toward global secularism.

Euthanasia’s Patchwork Legality

*The flag of the World Health Organization. United States Mission Geneva. CC BY-ND 2.0.*

Euthanasia in any form and assisted suicide are legal in at least one country on every continent except Africa. Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the Australian state of Western Australia are the most permissive places for euthanasia, allowing for the active form of the practice, which involves an incurably ill patient receiving terminal care.

Passive euthanasia, the practice of refusing medical treatment and receiving appropriate pain management, is more broadly legal, primarily in the Western world but also in India, South Korea, Argentina and Chile.

The Australian state of Victoria and the countries of Germany and Switzerland permit assisted suicide. This practice differs from both active and passive euthanasia in that a physician is not the one terminating a patient’s life, but rather aids a patient as they terminate their own life. In the United States, assisted suicide is legal in the District of Columbia, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state. Additionally, the legal status of assisted suicide in Montana is disputed due to an unclear court ruling in 2009.

With the ongoing pandemic and renewed discussions on the ethics of ending one’s life, euthanasia remains a hotly debated issue which likely will not go away any time soon.

Jacob Sutherland

is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego where he majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish Language Studies. He previously served as the News Editor for The UCSD Guardian, and hopes to shed light on social justice issues in his work.

Stirring Up the Stronghold: Philippines Divided as Pope Francis Supports Same-Sex Civil Unions

October 26, 2020

With Pope Francis’ recent comments in support of same-sex civil unions, many have protested the remarks. However, the Catholic stronghold of the Philippines has particularly mixed reactions.

President Rodrigo Duterte. Prachatai. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Locals and officials in the Philippines have become divided with the reveal of Pope Francis’ remarks siding with same-sex civil unions. It has been a long-established teaching of the Roman Catholic Church that same-sex civil unions are immoral, so many are skeptical that the pontiff had indeed made such comments. In fact, many bishops around the world have now responded with public remarks blaming the comments on miscontexualization. As with many other stories coming from the Vatican, the pope’s comments are wrapped in scandal, with many other officials saying that the remarks had been reframed for propaganda purposes.

The pontiff’s remarks are sourced from a 2019 interview with the Mexican broadcaster Televisa in which he states, “Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or made miserable because of it.” Homosexual acts in the Philippines are currently permitted, but same-sex marriage remains illegal.

The Philippines, the world’s third most Catholic country with around 81% of its residents identifying with the religion, now stirs with controversy at the pope’s statement. The bishop of Sorsogon, Arturo Bastes, reacted with serious hesitancy toward the ethicality of the pope’s comments. Other bishops have withheld rash responses and instead have chosen to wait for a more formal declaration from the pontiff. For now, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines remains tight-lipped as well.

While some officials have reacted with great disturbance, LGBTQ+ residents and organizations have celebrated the pontiff’s comments as an incredible breakthrough. Bahaghari, one of the Philippines’ LGBTQ+ groups, expressed jubilation that the comments may very well be the first step toward viable change. It hopes that the pontiff’s remarks will ease the minds of legislators whose traditional beliefs have squashed attempts at passing pro-LGBTQ+ legislation. Many legislators have held tightly to conservative views in fear of the iron grip that church leaders have on the heavily Catholic country, but all of this now has the potential to shift. The pope’s disapproval of same-sex marriage has long been a pillar of conservative legislators’ reasons for rejecting the legislation, but some Filipinos hold hope that the loss of this argument will be enough to tip the scales. President Rodrigo Duterte himself has been a proponent of same-sex civil unions, and in recent years has publicly expressed support for laws legalizing same-sex marriage.

Not much can be said at the moment about which steps the nation will take going forward, but what can be expected is skyrocketing tension in the long-standing debate. Regardless, some young residents have seen the pope’s remarks as a call to action, and may very well turn the nation’s views on their head.

Ella Nguyen

is an undergraduate student at Vassar College pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies. She wants to assist in the field of immigration law and hopes to utilize Spanish in her future projects. In her free time she enjoys cooking, writing poetry, and learning about cosmetics.

Gender Discrimination Is Nothing New in Poland

August 7, 2020

Many view the reelection of Polish President Andrzej Duda in July as a further setback for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights in the country.

Andrzej Duda, the president of Poland, meets with a leader of the Roman Catholic Church. EpiskopatNews. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

For much of the 20th century, Poland was under the influence of foreign countries, particularly the Soviet Union. This caused communism and its ideologies of censorship and control to direct the Poles’ daily lives. During that time, the Roman Catholic Church provided a safe space for many people to feel freedom. Thus, post-communist Poland has continued to embrace Catholicism, with 93% of Poles practicing it despite the country having no official religion.

A result of the Catholic Church’s widespread influence has been restrictive measures toward women and those in Poland’s LGBTQ+ community. One of the first major impacts seen was the passage of an “anti-abortion law” in 1988. While this law banned most instances of the procedure, many doctors and hospitals did not fully enforce it at the time.

Abortion is still a topic of debate in Polish political campaigns. In the Catholic Church’s eyes, abortion is seen as murder and a direct violation of God’s will. Thus, any practice which may go against God’s “original intent” is normally frowned upon.

Due to the Catholic Church’s continued influence in Poland, most legislation passed today still follows the Church’s guidance. This includes on LGBTQ+ rights, where as of June nearly 100 locations had declared themselves to be “LGBT-free zones.”. Yet the fight for LGBTQ+ rights has continued, especially since the election of the staunchly-conservative Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

LGBTQ+ activists in Poland. Sakuto. CC BY-NC 2.0.

Additionally, the reelection campaign of President Andrzej Duda painted a narrative that LGBTQ+ individuals are a threat to society. As a part of the right-wing Law and Justice Party, his ideologies align with protecting Poland’s “traditional values.” Duda even went so far as to call the LGBTQ+ rights movement “an ideology worse than communism.” He also tapped into anti-Semitism that has been prevalent since World War II by saying that Jewish interests would become more important than Polish ones if his opponent Rafal Trzaskowski had won.

Two weeks after Duda’s victory in the July presidential election, it was announced that Poland was in the process of withdrawing from a European domestic violence treaty known as the Istanbul Convention. This treaty protected women from any forms of violence and placed responsibility on European states to take appropriate measures to protect women and punish attackers.

As justification for the government's decision, Poland denounced the treaty as an infringement on parents’ rights since it required children to be taught about nontraditional gender roles. Duda claimed that the treaty “contains elements of an ideological nature, which we consider harmful.” Many women have argued that withdrawing from the treaty only legalizes domestic violence in Poland.