Santiago: New Chilean government chooses two Gay ministers
The Washington Blade reported on January 21 that Chilean President-elect Gabriel Boric has named two openly LGBTQ people to his cabinet: Marco Antonio Ávila, a Gay man, as education minister; and Alexandra Benado, who is Lesbian, as sports minister. One spokesperson for Movilh, a Chilean LGBTQ rights group, has already expressed approval: "The visibility of sexual orientation and gender identity is no longer an impediment to access any position in Chile," Javiera Zúñiga said in a press release. "Sexual orientation and gender identity are irrelevant for the positions, whether they are public or private. Capability is the only thing that matters." Boric's government will take office in early March, just before the country's newly passed marriage equality laws will come into effect.

Finland: MP on trial for hate speech
The BBC reported on January 24 that Finnish MP Paiva Rasanen has gone on trial for hate speech, after being accused of making public derogatory comments toward homosexual people in the past. According to Finland's state prosecutor, Rasanen's comments in an online article, a radio interview, and a 2019 tweet went beyond religious freedom of speech by being, as the BBC put it, "likely to cause intolerance, contempt, and hatred towards homosexuals."

The tweet included a photo of a verse from the Bible that calls homosexual acts "shameful" and questioned the Finnish Lutheran Church's official support of Finland Pride week. Rasanen's online article, published in 2004, described homosexuality as a disorder.

The former Finland interior minister arrived in court with a Bible, stating she was "honored to be defending freedom of speech and religion," and that she didn't "wish to offend any group of people, but this is a question of saving people for eternal life." Should Rasanen be convicted, she could technically face prison time, but the prosecution has requested she instead be fined relative to her income