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Sexual violence against men in conflict settings is neither a rare nor recent phenomenon, yet its absence in academic scholarship and humanitarian initiatives remains glaring. Despite the advances in our understanding of the determinants of wartime sexual violence against women, surprisingly little empirical research exists on sexual violence against men in conflict. Acts of sexual violence are commonly enacted against men in war, yet because they do not fit more narrow definitions of rape, accounts of these experiences are often misclassified as "torture." Moreover, in many countries experiencing pervasive conflict-related sexual violence, there exist restrictive laws regarding sodomy and homosexuality, reducing the chances that males will report their experiences. Using originally coded data on sexual and gender identity laws and reported incidents of sexual violence in civil conflict, I find that laws that outline the protection of sexual and gender identity expression including the decriminalization of same-sex activity are significantly associated with reports of acts of sexual violence against men. The results speak to the gap in the literature on male sexual violence with tangible consequences for the distribution of humanitarian aid, availability of medical and psychological services for victims, and aims of peacekeeping missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the U.S. Supreme Court declared that same-sex marriage would be legal throughout the country, that decision did not end the possibility of other types of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The U.S. Supreme Court has been very unclear about what standard to use when the courts face claims of discrimination based on these characteristics. In cases decided under the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, the Court has stated that lower courts should use one of three standards, based on the type of discrimination alleged. These three standards for review are known as rational basis, intermediate review, and strict scrutiny. This article, based on both empirical and normative analysis, will explore the proper legal standard that the Supreme Court should use in these cases. Since several states have begun to enact laws that encourage discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, this article will argue that the Supreme Court should use strict scrutiny in these cases because the LGBT community is clearly a discrete and insular minority subject to targeted discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the law governing gender identity discrimination and sexual orientation in the Philippines. Topics discussed include the historical background of the sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI) anti-discrimination law in the country, the model of this legislation, and the local ordinances of SOGI anti-discrimination law.

Trinity Western University has a Community Covenant that only permits sexual minorities to attend at considerable personal cost to their dignity and sense of self-worth. All student and staff applicants to TWU are required to sign this covenant, pledging not to engage in same-sex intimacy. The purpose of this article is to offer a reply to the arguments advanced by proponents of granting law society accreditation to TWU's proposed program. The paper rejects six of the central claims that proponents of approval have advanced. First it responds to the claim that TWU does not actually discriminate against the LGBTQ community. Second it speaks to the assertion that the Community Covenant represents a voluntary choice not to engage in same-sex sexual intimacy. Third it rejects the contention that TWU welcomes gay and lesbian students. Fourth it challenges the distinction TWU supporters draw between a code of conduct that prohibits samesex intimacy and a policy that excludes gays and lesbians. Fifth it rejects the proposition, broadly accepted by the Benchers of the Law Society of BC, that the Supreme Court of Canada 's decision in BCCT is dispositive of the issue faced by law societies today. Sixth, it rejects the claim that opposition to public accreditation of TWU can be equated with opposition to a Christian worldview or the desirability of a faith-based university. The final section of the paper argues that the decision in some provinces not to accredit TWU's law degree is reasonable and will be respected by reviewing courts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on sexual orientation law in the U.S. in 2014. Topics include the discriminatory treatment of individuals due to their sexual orientation, the precedent set by the U.S. court case Bowers v. Hardwick, and the unconstitutionality of states' criminalization of gay sex. Information is provided on same-sex marriage laws in U.S. states.

Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 aimed at protecting the cherished culture of the people against emergent threats to the traditional heterosexual family. The Bill's justification, however, lay in myopic imaginings of a homogenous African-ness and pedestrian oblivion to pluralities within African sexualities. This paper revisits the debate that homosexuality is ‘un-African’. Rhetoric analysis of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill exposes how dominant discourses of law, medicine, religion, geography and culture reinforce the view that homosexuality is foreign to Africa. Based on ethnography in contemporary Uganda, I explore how self-identified same-sex-loving individuals simultaneously claim their African-ness and their homosexuality. Their strategies include ethnic belonging, membership to kinship structures, making connections with pre-colonial histories of homosexuality, civic participation in democratic processes, national identity, organising of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning support groups, language and nomenclature, visibility and voice in local communal activities, solidarity and adherence to cultural rituals. In present-day Uganda, same-sex-loving men, women and transgender people variously assert their African-ness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes judicial decisions that allow Title IX's per se application to discrimination on the basis of gender identity in the U.S. Topics discussed include the history of Title IX and its application to sex-based harassment, and the current case law under Title VII and Title IX related to discrimination based on gender noncomformity.

The article discusses developments in European Union (EU) law concerning sexual orientation and gender identity. It notes that the EU is establishing a Common European Asylum System (CEAS) in two phases, the first involves the adoption of the EU Qualification Directive in 2004. The advantages and disadvantages of the 2011 Qualification Directive are explored in which a portion of the directive states that gender related aspects, including gender identity, must be considered to determine membership of a certain group. It raises concern over the retention of the term and between the phrases in the 2011 directive that refer to immutable characteristics and social perception.

In the article the editors reflect on gender and sexuality. Hate crime prevention, sexual orientation discrimination and gender identity are all topics that have been addressed by U.S. and international legislation. They also discuss the impact of government regulations of sex and sexuality on public health.