Italians march against fascist victories
Following conservative victories in parliamentary elections, Italians in Rome, Milan, and beyond marched for the right to abortion access on Wednesday last week to let the far-right candidate Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party know that the public wouldn't put up with any changes to the laws guaranteeing that aspect of bodily autonomy.

Many of the protestors pointed to the erosion of abortion rights in the United States as an indicator of a global trend. They also expressed fears of Meloni's party launching "a triad of 'God, homeland, and family'" policies, a phrase used in her political manifestos.

Protestor Donatella Marcelli said that Meloni "continues to say that she doesn't want to touch Law 194," which guarantees abortion access, "but that she wants to guarantee a woman's right not to abort. I don't believe what she says about choice."

The parliamentary elections have dethroned many politicians who helped usher in civil rights reforms related to divorces and abortions, as well as some who were pushing for legalizing same-sex marriage.

Pakistani Trans people cold on new hotline
An adviser to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Salman Sufi, tweeted on Friday last week that Pakistan has launched a hotline for Trans people in order to protect them from discrimination and harassment. But while the hotline is a nice gesture, it is closely connected to top police officers, and the Pakistani police are a big part of the problem already.

"We are glad that this so-called hotline has been set up for us," said Almas Bobby, a spokesperson for Trans people in Pakistan. "How can we call on this hotline when our phones are snatched? When we are arrested like a robber from wedding parties where we have to perform and earn? Who harasses us the most? Yes, indeed, the police. And we will have to call the police to seek justice."

Meanwhile, the government has been trying to pass an amendment in its Trans rights bill, which would let Trans people choose their gender identity in previously issued government documents, educational certificates, and identity cards. The amendment's biggest critics are fundamentalist clerics.