Two recent court decisions from Canada highlight just how different that country is from U.S. jurisprudence when it comes to sex offenses. Whereas U.S. courts routinely sentence those convicted of sex offenses involving minors to decades in prison, Canadian courts have shown themselves far more willing to consider nuance and the circumstances of the defendant. […]
Penile Plethysmography Ruled Inadmissible
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of South Carolina has ruled that penile plethysmography lacks sufficient scientific support to be used as a reliable indicator of likely future recidivism in sex offenders. Among its many flaws, the court cited a lack of standardized metrics among different labs, poor test-retest consistency, inconsistent test materials, and […]
Sexual Newspeak: The Consequences of Semantics on Gender and Sexual Minorities
The Malaysian government has officially replaced the term “LGBT” with “deviant culture” (Malay: “budaya songsang”) in its public communications and educational materials, framing LGBTQ+ identities as out of sync with the country’s religious and cultural values. Human rights advocates argue that this new terminology further stigmatizes LGBTQ+ people and reinforces discrimination. And, as related to […]
Nepal’s Supreme Court Mandates Marriage Equality
In some good news for LGBTQ+ rights, the Supreme Court of Nepal has ruled in favor of marriage equality. They have issued a binding directive order ensuring equal marriage rights for gender and sexual minorities. The Supreme Court issued an interim ruling in 2023 recognizing same-sex marriage. However, the Nepali government has had a mixed […]
Weaponizing Accusations of Child Abuse: The Pete Buttigieg Case
Pete Buttigieg, former United States Secretary of Transportation and a very vocal member of the Democratic Party, is speaking out about what he considers to be “the ugliest thing that has happened to [him] since [his] career in service began.” He was recently temporarily separated from his four-year-old twins after an anonymous false report to […]
“Stand Your Ground” in Wyoming…Unless You’re Trans
Rihanna Kelver, a trans activist, was preparing for her bartending shift at the Crowbar & Grill in Laramie, Wyoming when she was assaulted outside the bar by several men in September 2025. One of them was shouting several homophobic and transphobic slurs as he began approaching her. Kelver responded by drawing a pistol from her […]
India Supreme Court Legalizes Voluntary Sex Work
Public opinion and police enforcement in India have long assumed that all sex work is illegal, and women found engaged in the trade are often confined against their will to “protective homes.” In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has clarified that the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act only criminalizes public solicitation and third persons profiting […]
Legal Challenges to Trump’s Trans Military Ban
In January of 2025, President Trump signed an executive order targeting active-duty and prospective service members with gender dysphoria. Since then, multiple lawsuits have been filed against the order. Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the Trump administration’s ban on transgender military service is unconstitutional. Judge Robert Wilkins in […]
Shoot a Sex Offender, Become the Sheriff
Second-degree murder charges were dismissed against an Arkansas man who shot an alleged sex offender attempting to kidnap his 13-year old daughter. Although the exact circumstances of the shooting remain unclear, the judge justified his dismissal due to the loss of possibly relevant video evidence. However, public backlash may have also influenced the decision. In […]
Detransitioner Wins Settlement from Therapists
A 36-year old Oregon woman who had a double mastectomy six years ago in response to adopting a non-binary identity and then detransitioned 18 months later sued the two therapists who recommended the procedure after telemedicine appointments of less than one hour each. She accused them of malpractice for failing to take into account her […]