The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights has called for more protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people, according to Tony Grew at Pinknews. At a conference for LGBT rights, Thomas Hammarberg, elected as Commissioner in 2005, stated, “Since I took up the office, I have been quite horrified by the extent of homophobia in a number of countries in Europe.” He specifically referred to the banning and obstruction of queer parades by municipal and national authorities in such places as Lithuania.. Or Poland. Mr Hammarberg empathically supported the, Yogyakarta Principles, a thorough set of principles on applying international human rights law to queer issues. Read the full article here. 

365 reports that Vermont lawmakers are to release their highly anticipated report on same sex marriage. Vermont already has civil unions, but the commission, consisting of 11 lawmakers, has been examining, for over a year, whether the law actually provides full equality for gay and lesbian couples. This comes on the heals of a recent vote that  showed that the majority of Vermonters believe gay and lesbian couples should have the right to marry.

Queers are now able to join to Salt Lake City’s Mutual Commitment Registry that offers queer couples official relationship status in the eyes of the state. While criticized by some as ‘purely symbolic’. I don’t see how it’s only symbolic though, since these couple will share work benefits and hospital insurance coverage. Of course, it’s not full marriage, which would be expected from a people who profess equality under the law, but, it’s Utah! A step forward is a step forward. 

News from Canada. According to Xtra, the Manitoba legislature is considering a bill that allows paramedics and firefighters to apply for a testing order if they have come into contact with body fluid (most presumably blood) while on the job. The bill, introduced April 16, is touted as offering “peace of mind” to these workers. Yet, there is evidence of only one occupational-related HIV transmission case in Canada since the 80’s, according to the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network.