recognize

Nov. 25 (UPI) — The European Court of Justice ruled Thursday that European Union member nations must recognize the same-sex marriages of couples relocating from another EU state, even if same-sex unions are not permitted under their domestic law.

Judges in the court in Luxembourg, ruling in the case of two men lawfully married in Germany who were denied recognition of their union by authorities in Poland on their return to their home country, said it violated their fundamental right to a “normal family life,” the ECJ said in a news release.

The case was referred to the ECJ by Poland’s Supreme Court where the men were appealing against authorities’ refusal to transcribe their German marriage certificate into the civil register so that their marriage would be recognized, on grounds same-sex marriage is not legal in Poland.

Poland is a largely Catholic, socially conservative nation where LGBT rights are highly controversial import from permissive societies and LGBT-free zones are common.

The landmark decision said that while rules governing marriage fell under individual member states’ domestic law, they must comply with EU law in exercising that power.

Given EU citizens’ right to move and reside in any of the 27 member nations, couples who have built a family life in a host country “must have the certainty to be able to pursue that family life upon returning to their member state of origin,” the ruling said.

The judge said that where couples had opted to move, bans may cause serious inconvenience at administrative, professional and private levels, forcing spouses to “live as unmarried persons” in their own country.

“Such a refusal is contrary to EU law. It infringes not only the freedom to move and reside, but also the fundamental right to respect for private and family life,” the ruling states.

However, while the decision sets a precedent for recognition of same-sex marriage across the bloc it only mandates equal treatment of marriages conducted abroad, regardless of the sex of the couples.

It does not override national laws prohibiting same-sex marriage or require member states to provide for marriage between persons of the same sex.

The matter now returns to the Polish court, which must instruct authorities to officially recognize the couple’s marriage, but it can decide how that is done.

The case is an extension of a historic 2018 ECJ ruling that said married same-sex couples who were EU citizens had the legal right to live in any EU country, including nations that did not recognize same-sex unions.

Of the bloc’s 27 member states. at least two — Slovakia and Hungary — have legal or constitutional bans on same-sex marriage.

However, both allow same-sex couples a mechanism for their relationship to be legally recognized.

MEGHAN Trainor showed off her dramatic weight loss while stepping out at an event over the weekend.

Fans of the 31-year-old All About That Bass singer were left stunned by her new look, with some even saying how they didn’t recognize her at first.

Stepping out at the Baby2Baby Gala on Sunday night, the Made You Look hitmaker looked very different.

Transforming into a Disney princess for the event, Meghan wore her blonde locks in an up-do which was reminiscent of Cinderella, along with a stunning white gown.

With a sparkly corset style upper and tulle skirt at the bottom, Meghan looked every bit the princess as she walked the red carpet.

Though she looked amazing, fans thought she looked different from how she is known and remembered.

Reacting to Meghan’s slimmed down look, fans have rushed to Instagram, Reddit and X to share their thoughts.

One person said on social media, “Didn’t even recognize her, she’s all treble now.”

“Literally! My brain refused to accept it, like i can’t believe that’s her,” said another.

“Didn’t even realize that was Meghan until your comment ??????” penned a third.

“This is Meghan Trainor? Omg,” said a fourth.

A fifth added, “Omg that doesn’t look like her at all what.”

MEGHAN’S WEIGHT LOSS

Meghan addressed her weight loss back in March of this year when she told Entertainment Tonight she was “trying all the things” and how “science is the secret” to her slimmed down figure.

“I learned a lot of tricks that I had no idea [about],” the singer told Entertainment Tonight in the spring.

She said, “I was working out so incorrectly for so long. I was running and doing cardio and my body was inflamed, always.”

Mentioning a “biohack” she went on to say, “So anything that’ll help me age backward, I’m into it.

“I just learned about the NADs [food supplement capsules].] I was like, ‘make me Hailey Bieber, I’ll do it, I’ll take it’.

“I’m trying all the things. I love a doctor explaining stuff to me.”

Then, one month later she confessed to having used fat jabs in her quest to slim down.

She wrote on Instagram at the time, “I’ve worked with a dietitian, made huge lifestyle changes, started exercising with a trainer, and yes, I used science and support (shout out to Mounjaro!) to help me after my 2nd pregnancy.

“And I’m so glad I did because I feel great.”

BOTCHED BOTOX ADMISSION

At the end of 2024, Meghan shared that she had got “too much Botox“, with the botched filler leaving her unable to smile. 

Speaking out in her podcast Workin’ On It with Meghan Trainor & Ryan Trainor, Meghan shared how she had “too much Botox”.

She confessed “I need help”, after addressing women in their 30s and urging them to keep listening.”

She added: “I messed up. I’ve had Botox a handful of times … just my forehead.

“Someone convinced me with my little lips that if you did a lip flip, you put filler right above your upper lip, that you could have a beautiful flip on your upper lip.

“And I could have one for the first time in my whole 30 years of living — it was not true.”

WIFE’S AGONY

Husband’s heart attack was start our of nightmare – vital mistake lost me £20k

MADDIE SCAM

I looked into the eyes of Maddie fraudster…Chilling move proved she was a sham

She then confessed that she is now unable to smile properly.

“I cannot smile anymore,” she admitted while looking into the camera and showing viewers how wide she could grin.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art management on Wednesday declined to voluntarily recognize the union its employees announced they were forming last week. This means LACMA United cannot move forward with collective bargaining efforts until it is formalized by a National Labor Relations Board election. Complicating matters further, NLRB activities — including elections — are on hold amid the federal government shutdown.

The disconnect between staff — a clear majority of whom signed union authorization cards — and management comes at a significant moment in the museum’s history as LACMA works tirelessly to open its $720-million David Geffen Galleries. The new home for its encyclopedic permanent collection, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, contains 110,000 square feet of gallery space and is scheduled to open to the public in April after more than a decade of planning, fundraising and building.

In a news release, the union noted that organizing efforts — in the works for more than two years — have taken on added urgency as workloads have increased in the face of opening the new building.

“Staff across departments — many performing demanding physical labor — are stretched thin as deadlines accelerate,” LACMA United wrote. “Without adequate protections, this pace is unsustainable and has already contributed to burnout and turnover among dedicated employees who deserve better from an institution they’ve helped build.”

The union’s organizing committee added in a statement, “We are disappointed that LACMA leadership has chosen to delay rather than embrace the democratic will of its workers. While the museum reimagines itself as a more collaborative, less hierarchical institution in its new David Geffen Galleries, it has declined to extend that same vision to its relationship with the very people who bring LACMA’s mission to life every day.”

“LACMA’s leadership has great respect for our team and for everyone’s right to make their own choice on this important issue,” Michael Govan, the museum’s director and chief executive, said in an email. “No matter the outcome, my commitment to our employees — to listen, to support them, and to continue building a strong and respectful workplace — remains unchanged.”

Management’s decision stands counter to those made by other cultural institutions across the city, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Academy Museum and the Natural History Museum, all of which voluntarily recognized their unions over the last six years.

LACMA United represents more than 300 workers from across all departments, including curators, educators, art installers, conservators, registrars, visitor services staff, facilities workers, researchers and designers. The union is asking for improved wages, benefits and working conditions in what has proved to be a challenging climate for museum workers across the county.

The union did not demonstrate at last week’s celebrity-packed LACMA Art + Film Gala, which was co-hosted by Leonardo DiCaprio and fashion designer Eva Chow, and raised more than $6.5 million in support of the museum and its programs.