News
Swiss voters narrowly reject anti-marriage proposal
Tax equity initiative failed by a 51-49 percent margin

LGBT rights advocates rally in support of marriage rights for same-sex couples in 2014 in Bern, Switzerland. Swiss voters on Feb. 28, 2016, narrowly rejected a proposal that would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman in the country’s constitution. (Photo courtesy of Maria von Känel/Swiss Rainbow Families Association)
Election officials indicate the initiative failed by a 51-49 percent margin.
The Christian Democratic People’s Party of Switzerland proposed the initiative — titled “For the Couple and the Family — No to the Marriage Penalty” — in 2012 as a way to address tax “inequality” among married couples. The initiative also sought to amend the Swiss Federal Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.
“Marriage is the sustainable and regulated union between a man and a woman,” reads the proposed amendment, according to ILGA-Europe. “From a fiscal point of view, marriage constitutes an economic community. It cannot be discriminated against other ways of living, in particular in terms of tax and social insurance.”
“This initiative was anti-LGBTI sentiment masquerading as tax reform,” said Joyce Hamilton, co-chair of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board, in a statement on Sunday. “The Swiss public saw through the proposal and said they didn’t want to be part of it.”
Swiss LGBT rights advocates also welcomed the vote’s outcome.
Pink Cross posted a picture to its Twitter page with the caption “Yes! A no!”
The Bern-based advocacy group was among the coalition of more than LGBT organizations that urged Swiss voters to oppose the initiative.
“We are very happy that we won this vote,” Pink Cross Secretary General Bastian Baumann told the Washington Blade.
Maria von Känel of the Swiss Rainbow Families Association described Sunday’s vote as “a successful fight against a significant setback.”
“We succeeded in mobilizing a large section of the general public in preventing the enshrinement in the Swiss constitution of the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman,” she told the Blade.
Yeah! Gewonnen! #heiratsstrafe #abst16 pic.twitter.com/OaXkezy7yt
— PINK CROSS (@pinkcross_ch) February 28, 2016
Switzerland has legally recognized same-sex relationships under its Partnership Act since 2007.
The country’s highest court later ruled that gays and lesbians in long-term relationships were entitled to receive the same death benefits from their partner’s pensions that heterosexuals do.
Members of the Legal Affairs Committee of the National Council, which is the lower house of the Swiss Federal Assembly, in February 2015 overwhelmingly recommended that the country extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. The Legal Affairs Committee of the Council of States, which is the upper house of the Swiss Federal Assembly, last September approved the proposal by a 7-5 vote margin.
The Swiss Federal Assembly later this year is expected to debate the issue.
Von Känel told the Blade on Sunday that 70 percent of Swiss people support marriage rights for same-sex couples.
“The result of the vote strengthens our resolve to continue our struggle for marriage equality, a parliamentary initiative on which topic is currently being discussed,” she said, referring to Sunday’s vote.
Baumann made a similar point.
“So now we approaching more conservative MP’s and try to convince them for marriage equality,” he told the Blade. “In other hand we try to show the diversity of love and couples in Switzerland with our campaign.”
The Council of States on March 8 is scheduled to vote on a bill that would extend second-parent adoption rights to LGBT couples.
“We are hopeful and cautiously optimistic that the bill will pass,” von Känel told the Blade.
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.”
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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.
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