Finland Ranks #1 As 'Happiest' Nation

While the debate rages on over socialism, some countries with the highest tax rates come out on top

The Nordic nation of Finland ranks number one in global happiness for the second year in a row.

Via Bloomberg:

It beat Nordic peers Denmark, Norway and Iceland in a ranking of 156 countries by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

The ranking saw the U.S. drop one place, to 19th, while people in South Sudan were the least happy.

The results are based on an average of three years of surveys taken by Gallup between 2016 and 2018 and include factors such as gross domestic product, social support from friends and family, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, perceived corruption and recent emotions -- both happy and sad.

According to the report published on Wednesday, Finland has witnessed modest but steady gains since 2014, and the country is now “significantly ahead” of other countries in the top 10, the researchers said.

Podcast: Jeb Havens, Barronelle Stutzman, Texas' "Bathroom Bill," Finland Ready For Marriage Equality

Click play below as I recap this week's top headlines from politics, pop culture and entertainment of interest to the LGBT community:

• Anti-LGBT florist Barronelle Stutzman loses again - this time in the Washington state supreme court over refusing to sell flowers for a same-sex wedding

• Texas gets pushback from the NBA and major stars on it’s proposed anti-transgender “bathroom bill”

• North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper shares his plan to repeal his state's anti-LGBT law, HB2

• Finland’s Parliament kills a last ditch attempt to block same-sex marriage

• Out singer/songwriter Jeb Havens dropped his uber-romantical, world-traveler music video just in time for Valentine's Day - "Pushy Little Compass Heart" from his album, Home Base

Hit play below - and share the link to share The Randy Report podcast!

News Round-Up: February 17, 2017

Some news items you may have missed:

• This 22 year St. Louis police veteran (above) was told to "tone down" his "gayness" if he ever wanted to get promoted, despite placing 3rd out of 26 in promotion tests.

• Lady Gaga joined over 140 celebrities in denouncing Texas' anti-transgender "bathroom bill."

• Donald Trump's second pick for National Security Adviser (now that Michael Flynn has resigned) has said "no, thank you" to the offer. According to reports, retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward turned down the chance citing "chaos" in the White House, labeling the offer as a “shit sandwich.”

• Finland's Parliament rejects a citizen's initiative to repeal marriage equality by a vote of 120 to 48. Hurray for the good guys!

• Donald Trump heads to Mar-a-Lago again this weekend. His three trips to his southern home have thus far cost the American people almost $10 million. Guarding Trump Tower in NYC could cost $183 million a year.

• Spend a few minutes inside the trials and tribulations of transgender folks in this short film, "Headspace," by Jake Graf. Watch below:

How Did Finland Become #1 In Education Around The World?

Finnish children spend very little time at school, don't get homework and yet get one of the best educations in the world. How? Watch this.

Finland's President Signs Legislation Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage

The Washington Blade reports that last Friday saw Finland's President Sauli Niinistö sign recent legislation into law that legalizes same-sex marriage for the Scandinavian country.

Niinistö signed the measure roughly four months after lawmakers in the Scandinavian country narrowly approved the measure. They considered the bill after supporters of marriage rights for same-sex couples collected more than 166,000 signatures to bring it before the Finnish Parliament.

Finland’s same-sex marriage law is scheduled to take effect on March 1, 2017.

In other international news, Ireland will be voting on marriage equality on May 22nd. Polls show over 60% of voters support the measure.

Same-Sex Marriage Passes In Finland

By a vote of 101-90, Finland's Parliament passed legislation that will legalize same-sex marriage.

Due to extensive changes in other legislation, the law will not take effect until 2016.

Opponents of the bill hope to undo the law before it can take effect.

Read more here.

Finland's Lawmakers Approve Same-Sex Marriage

By a vote of 105-93, Finland's Parliament approved same-sex marriage - the last country in the Nordic region to do so.

Since 2002 gay and lesbian couples have been able to enter into civil partnerships,  but those legal unions had limits.  With marriage, same-sex couples will also be able to adopt children and share the same surname.

Finland becomes the 12th European country to adopt marriage equality.

Due to changes in other legislation, the new law will not take effect until 2016.

Congratulations Finland!

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Finland: Marriage equality supporters gather largest number of petition signatures in the country's history

Although Finland legalized domestic partnerships in 2002, the country has not gotten around to sealing the deal with full marriage equality.

That may change now that a petition has been submitted with three times the necessary number of signatures to bring the issue to Finland's Parliament:

Supporters gathered 162,000 signatures in favor of it in the Scandinavian nation of 5.4 million people. The figure represents the largest number of signatures collected in favor of a citizen’s initiative in Finland and only 50,000 signatures, or less than a third of 162,000, were needed for the Parliament to have to consider the initiative. The Finnish Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee voted narrowly not to consider a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in February but thanks to the up-swell of public support lawmakers will have to look at the issue again.

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Finland: Marriage equality supporters successfully gather signatures needed to send issue back to Parliament

Early this month Finland's marriage equality bill died in committee. However - the public was not happy with that result and have taken action:

A drive to gather the 50,000 signatories required to take a gender-neutral marriage bill to Parliament reached its target in just one day. The accumulation of the required support means that lawmakers must now consider a bill which was previously blocked at the committee stage.

Members of the public rushed to support the “I Do 2013” campaign, which was launched Tuesday to gather the 50,000 signatures required to compel parliament to consider legalising same-sex marriages. Public enthusiasm for the petition was so great that the civic proposal website crashed as a result of the overwhelming demand.

Finland is the only Nordic country that does not recognize same-sex marriage.

Finland: Parliament committee rejects marriage equality

Finland, the only Scandinavian country which has not legalized same-sex marriage, has seen a parliamentary committee in Finland has reject a proposed marriage equality bill there:

The bill, proposed by the National Coalition Party (NCP) minister Alexander Stubb proposed the bill, which would have made marriage gender-neutral, therefore allowing same-sex couples to marry.

It was rejected 9 votes to 8, and so it will not go before the full legislature for consideration.

The bill would have made regulations relating to marriage equal for all, irrespective of the gender of the partners. In Finland, gay and lesbian couples can currently register their partnerships, but do not automatically take each others’ surnames, or adopt children, reports YLE.

A signature drive has now begun to place the issue at the ballot box.

(source)

Finland to may adopt marriage equality

 

Marriage equality has been proposed in Finland by a group of local MPs. The suggested legislation would change the civil definition of marriage in the country while protecting religious groups that wish to remain homophobic.

Reports the Star Observer:

The Finnish Parliament have now sent the initiative to the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, where its passage is uncertain.

The draft amendment was signed by 76 of the 200 members of Parliament, with more lawmakers including Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen expected to vote for it, Reuters reports.

European Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Alexander Stubb, the first signatory of the initiative, spoke passionately for the amendment during debate.

“This initiative is aimed at dismantling a system that causes inequality, in which couple relationships are divided into A and B categories” he said.

Finland was one of the first countries to recognize the legal status of same-sex relationships by instituting a domestic partnership registry in 2002.