News
Chilean Senate advances civil unions bill
Supporters say measure ‘strengthens’ families

The Chilean Senate on Tuesday advanced a bill that would allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions. (Photo by the Photographic Collection of the Library of the National Congress of Chile; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
The vote took place several hours after lawmakers began to debate it.
Senators rejected four proposed amendments that, among other things, sought to exclude unmarried heterosexual couples from the proposal. It also contains an amendment on child custody.
Opponents of the measure — known by the Spanish acronym AVP that roughly translates into life partner agreement in English — successfully blocked two previous votes that were expected to take place last week.
“The AVP does not weaken families, but it strengthens them because it extends protections to them,” said Álvaro Elizalde, spokesperson for President Michelle Bachelet’s government.
Sen. Manuel José Ossandón Irarrázabal, who represents portions of Santiago, the Chilean capital, is among those who spoke against the proposal.
“Marriage is between a man and a woman,” said Ossandón as opponents of the bill who had gathered inside the Senate chamber applauded. “I recognize that homosexuals have rights…I recognize that is not the AVP.”
The Movement for Homosexual Liberation and Integration, a Chilean LGBT advocacy group, applauded lawmakers for advancing the measure.
“Family diversity and the rights of children triumphed today,” said the group in a press release.
Former President Sebastián Piñera first introduced the civil unions bill in 2011.
A Chilean Senate committee in August voted unanimously to advance the measure to the full chamber.
The bill will now go before the Chilean House of Deputies where a vote could potentially take place in the coming weeks. Bachelet is expected to sign the measure into law if it receives final approval.
“We are advancing towards a more respectful and inclusive Chile,” said Andrés Ignacio Duarte Rivera, a Chilean LGBT rights advocate, on Tuesday.
Chilean LGBT rights movement marks advances, setbacks
Bachelet, who took office in March, publicly supports marriage rights for same-sex couples and a proposal that would allow transgender Chileans to legally change their name and sex without sex reassignment surgery.
Chile last month co-sponsored a resolution against anti-LGBT violence and discrimination that the U.N. Human Rights Council adopted.
Jaime Parada Hoyl, a former spokesperson for the Movement of Homosexual Integration and Liberation who is a member of the Providencia Municipal Council in Santiago, and trans activist Zuliana Araya, a member of the Valparaíso Municipal Council, are among the growing number of openly LGBT elected officials in the conservative country.
In spite of these advances, anti-LGBT discrimination and violence remain serious concerns among Chilean advocates.
Zaconi Orellana Acevedo, a 22-year-old trans woman, was killed in a town outside of Santiago in August.
Advocates have also urged Chilean lawmakers to strengthen an LGBT-inclusive hate crimes and anti-discrimination law that Piñera signed in 2012. The statute is named in honor of Daniel Zamudio, a 24-year-old man whom a group of self-described neo-Nazis beat to death inside a park in Santiago earlier that year because he was gay.
Bachelet supports efforts to strengthen the Zamudio law, but some advocates have expressed frustration that she has not done enough to advance marriage rights for same-sex couples and other LGBT-specific issues in the country.
The Movement for Homosexual Liberation and Integration in 2012 filed a lawsuit with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on behalf of three Chilean same-sex couples seeking marriage rights.
Piñera’s government argued against the “new definition of marriage” in a brief it filed in the lawsuit last year. Advocates continue to pressure Bachelet to formally reject her predecessor’s position in the case.
Hunter T. Carter, a New York-based lawyer who represents the Movement for Homosexual Liberation and Integration in the case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, told the Blade on Tuesday the advancement of the civil unions bill is “a small step forward toward fuller equality” in Chile.
“We will not rest however until there is full marriage equality, because AVP does not convey all the same status, rights and benefits as marriage — which is only available to opposite sex couples,” he said.
Hungary
New Hungarian prime minister takes office
Péter Magyar’s party defeated anti-LGBTQ Viktor Orbán last month
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar took office on Saturday.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza party on April 12 defeated then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition. Vice President JD Vance less than a week before the election traveled to Budapest, the Hungarian capital, and urged Hungarians to support Orbán.
Orbán had been in office since 2010. He and his government faced widespread criticism over its anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
The European Commission in 2022 sued Hungary, which is a member of the EU, over the country’s anti-LGBTQ propaganda law. The European Union’s top court, the EU Court of Justice, on April 21 struck down the statute.
The EU while Orbán was office withheld upwards of €35 billion ($41.26) in funds to Hungary in response to concerns over corruption, rule of law, and other issues.
Hungarian lawmakers in March 2025 passed a bill that banned Pride events and allowed authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those who participate in them. MPs later amended the Hungarian constitution to ban public LGBTQ events.
Upwards of 100,000 people last June defied the ban and marched in Budapest’s annual Pride parade.
“Congratulations to [Péter Magyar] on becoming prime minister of Hungary,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X.
“This Europe Day, our hearts are in Budapest,” she added. “The hope and promise of renewal is a powerful signal in these challenging times.”
“We have important work ahead of us,” noted von der Leyen. “For Hungary and for Europe, we are moving forward together.”
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”
McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”
Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”
On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”

Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman.
Virginia
Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan
Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.
Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.
The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.
-
Arts & Entertainment5 days agoA reign defined by commitment and human impact
-
Ukraine5 days agoUkrainian MPs advance new Civil Code without protections for same-sex couples
-
Federal Government5 days agoDOE investigates Smith College’s trans-inclusive policy
-
Florida4 days agoKey West Pride’s state funding pulled
