Peruvian court orders same-sex unions be registered in public records
A Peruvian court ruled on July 21 in favor of recognizing same-sex unions in public records. The case was brought by a citizen who sued the country's registration office after it didn't record her 2019 overseas marriage.

The Superior Court of Justice of Lima ordered the office to "proceed with the registration" of the marriage. It also declared an article of the Peruvian Civil Code of 1984, which refers to marriage as union between a man and woman, inapplicable.

An appeal against the ruling is likely.

A 2021 Ipsos survey found that 68% of people in Peru supported same-sex marriage, but 61% disapproved of Gay people holding public office.

The ruling is a marked change from a 2020 case brought by a Gay couple who weren't able to get their Mexican marriage certificate recognized in Peru. When the case was heard by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, it was ruled that Peru recognizes marriages only between man and woman.

Countries in South America that have legalized same-sex marriage are Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Colombia.

Legal challenge to anti-LGBTQ+ bill rejected by Ghana supreme court
The Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill, which would criminalize same-sex relationships, being Trans, and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in Ghana, has been debated since August 2021. On July 19, a legal challenge to the bill was dismissed by Ghana's supreme court.

The challenge was brought by academic researcher Amanda Odoi, who filed a lawsuit arguing the bill could impact financial support and donor aid. The court ruled that her arguments were not convincing enough for an injunction.

The bill would diminish already limited freedoms: for example, Gay sex is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison. The new bill includes sentences of up to 10 years for advocacy efforts, and publishing content considered pro-LGBTQ+ or challenging the gender binary would also be subject to prosecution.

In 2021, the United Nations warned that the bill could create "a system of state-sponsored discrimination and violence" against sexual minorities. Under its provisions, sentencing could be reduced via a request for conversion therapy, which UN experts have warned could lead to torture.

Currently, the bill is missing one stage of parliamentary approval before becoming law.