United States, 12 July 2011 - A lawsuit by a gay couple against the refusal by Darlene Smith, a registrar in the State of Louisiana and director of the Department of Health and Hospitals's Office of Vital Records, to list both men, Oren Adar and Mickey Ray Smith as parents on their adopted child's birth certificate may be heard by the United States Supreme Court.

27 May 2011, Germany - The government of Brandenburg has recently decided to present a bill to equalize same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples. The Parliament of Postdam will vote shortly this bill.

In this region, homosexuals have the same rights in Employment laws since 2008 but they remain discriminated outside of the work place.

“With this bill”, says Wolfgang Schroeder, “a very important aim of the Coalition in matters of family policies will be accomplished.”

Switzerland, 5 May 2011 - The Supreme Court rejected an application  by a lesbian woman for second parent adoption of her partner's child. One hurdle for the women was the fact that stepchild adoption is only available to married couples after five years' of marriage. The applicant's had only been in a registered partnership for three years.

It must be noted in this connexion that registered partnerships have only been available to same sex couples since 2007.