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"Securing a Safe Place for All Liberians"
April 4, 2012| Contributed by Cary Alan Johnson, Former Executive Director, IGLHRC and Stephanie Horton, Liberian writer and editor
When Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, recently expressed in an interview opposition to LGBT rights -- specifically decriminalization -- and was vague about support for increased criminal penalties for LGBT people, a shockwave was felt around the world. LGBT Liberians everywhere and all who have great respect for Sirleaf -- a former political prisoner herself -- were appalled and saddened. Such a narrow and discriminatory view from a revered and world-honored leader is unfathomable.
Currently, under Liberian penal law, "voluntary sodomy" is a first-degree misdemeanor. While African nations such as the Republic of South Africa, Mauritius, and Mozambique have either repealed or read down similar, outdated, colonial sodomy laws, some in Liberia would move backward and increase criminalization and penalties.
Thai Police Dismiss Murders of 15 Lesbians and 'Toms' As 'Love Gone Sour'
April 4, 2012| Contributed by Grace Poore, Regional Program Coordinator for Asia, IGLHRC
This post originally appeared in the Huffington Post »
On Feb. 24, 2012 in Loei province, Thailand, a 14-year-old girl reported to police that her 38-year-old father, who had sole custody of her since 2008, had been raping her continuously for four years because she "liked to hang out with toms" and wouldn't listen to his instructions to stay away from them. She told police that the most recent rape had been on Feb. 11, 2012.
On Jan. 15, 2009 in Chiang Mai province, 17-year-old Orn-uma Wongprachit and her tomboy partner, 17-year-old Marisa Srisawa, were found dead. They had been stabbed over 60 times. Orn and Marisa worked at a karaoke bar to support their families. Police said they were killed by a man who was "attracted to one of the women and felt disdainful of the lesbian relationship."
Gay Rights Are Human Rights: Advancing LGBT Protections At The UN
April 4, 2012| Contributed by Peter Dunne, Former Harvard Law School Irving R. Kaufman Public Interest Fellow, IGLHRC
This article originally appeared in the New Civil Rights Movement »
At the United Nations Human Rights Council March 2012 meeting in Geneva, an expert panel was convened to discuss the first-ever UN report focused on violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity: "Discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity," ( A.HRC.19.41.)
The document, published by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the close of 2011, identified widespread and systematic rights violations that LGBT individuals are subject to around the world. Given that less than ten years ago much of the UN was silent on even the most extreme atrocities committed against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people, this event represents a truly historic moment.
UN to Iran: There Are No Excuses for Denying LGBT People Their Human Rights
February 29, 2012| Contributed by Cary Alan Johnson, Former Executive Director, IGLHRC and Hossein Alizadeh, Regional Coordinator for Middle East and North Africa, IGLHRC
Iranian authorities have long tried to justify the mistreatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals under the ruse of cultural relativism. Under the Islamic Penal Code of Iran, sexual activity between people of the same gender is a crime punishable by death. The method of enforcing these laws is equally grotesque. According to documentation gathered by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, individuals are forced to confess to same-sex relations under conditions that amount to torture. Those targeted may be members of the political opposition falsely accused by the government, or they may be individuals who are assumed to be guilty simply by virtue of their sexual identity or self-expression.
Iranians suspected of being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender are targets of systematic discrimination by the government. Iranian authorities -- including the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the Office of Book Licensing, and the Monitoring Board of the Press -- have banned publication of material related to homosexuality. The ban extends to facts about sexual orientation and gender identity, safe sex and the history of homosexuality in Iran. Websites containing such information are summarily shut down; individuals who produce the website or simply visit are threatened with arrest. Public demonstration for LGBT rights is an impossible fantasy, and even private social events like birthday parties can be raided by the morality police, who arrest and charge attendees with criminal acts. Some Iranians are left with no choice but to leave their native country and embark on the arduous and often futile task of seeking asylum abroad.
UPDATE: VICTORY! Seoul Student Rights Ordinance Passed with Sexual Orientation Gender Identity Clauses Included
December 26, 2011| Contributed by Jihyye Kim, LGBT Coalition for the Seoul Student Ordinance
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission received good news in the following letter from Jihyye Kim telling us of victory for LGBT Students in Korea.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
“We won the Seoul Student Rights Ordinance with all Sexual Orientation Gender Identity (SOGI) related clauses in the original draft included!
…It happened after the 6 days of protest of LGBT young people and activists, day and night. This is a significant progress in our LGBT history, because we fought face-to-face against the homophobic individuals and groups, including many members of the Council… The Council had serious debates on sexual orientation/ gender Identity (SOGI) issues in their plenary session for the first time in our history. One of the Council members read out UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's recent speech… That was the moment that the voices of LGBT people began to be heard, and LGBT people's human rights recognized…
Korea: LGBT Students In Danger Of Being Left Out Of Non-Discrimination Protections
December 21, 2011| Contributed by Grace Poore, Regional Program Coordinator for Asia, IGLHRC
The Education Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council in Seoul, Korea has singled out sexual orientation and gender identity for exclusion from the draft bill of Seoul Students Rights Ordinance that can become law on December 19 in Korea’s capital city unless human rights activists manage to delay the bill or change the minds of the Education Committee. If passed, the Students Rights Ordinance will be the first initiative to explicitly protect students’ rights in Korea.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission has sent an urgent letter (below) to the Korean Education Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council calling for reinstatement of the removed protections for LGBT students.
The letter states:
“By singling out sexual orientation and gender identity for exclusion, the Education Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council and the Seoul Metropolitan Council would contravene international human rights standards and state obligations that South Korea has agreed to uphold. These include rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
A Young Activist Perspective on Global LGBT Rights
December 16, 2011| Contributed by Brian Tofte-Schumacher, Digital Communications Manager, IGLHRC
This post originally appeared on The Bilerico Project. Brian Tofte-Schumacher is Communications Associate at the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. He tweets on @IGLHRC and personally as @briantschu. A year and a half ago, when I said my teary-eyed goodbye to my mom after dropping two suitcases packed with all my essential belongings at the check-in counter for my one-way flight to New York City from Spokane International Airport, I had no idea I would soon be writing about my first experience at the United Nations -- especially not this soon. Nonetheless, here I am, ready for it or not. Saturday, December 10 marked the 63rd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, following a truly historic week. First came President Obama's memorandum on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights and US Foreign Policy issued by the White House. Then, we heard an amazingly LGBT-affirming speech from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday.
Trans Day of Remembrance: Advancing the Human Rights of Trans People across the Globe
November 18, 2011| Contributed by Cary Alan Johnson, Former Executive Director, IGLHRC
“The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) today honors the memory of the many trans men and women whom we have lost across the globe. From Latin America, to the Middle East, from Africa to Asia discrimination, ignorance, transphobia and violence have unduly taken the lives of innocent trans men and women who sought to live with dignity and respect. In remembering their lives and their sacrifice, we also honor the courageous work activists and allies around the world do each day to advance the human rights of all trans people.”
Trans Day of Remembrance: Focus on Africa
November 18, 2011| Contributed by IGLHRC
Africa Regional Trans Health and Advocacy Conference November 26th to 28th, Capetown, South Africa
In South Africa, IGLHRC has partnered with Gender DynamiX, the first African organization solely for the transgender community. In 2008, IGLHRC and Gender DynamiX together held a Strategy Workshop for transgender activists, the first of its kind on the continent. Held in Cape Town, South Africa, the historic workshop brought together 15 activists from 9 East and Southern African countries—Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—to address the very specific needs of transgender people on the African continent. It marked a key step in the process of defining and building the African transgender movement by African transgender people.
Trans Day of Remembrance: Focus on Turkey
November 18, 2011| Contributed by IGLHRC
“While we remember and mourn the loss of Turkish trans women whose lives were brutally taken from us this year, we must recognize too, the courage of the activists who tirelessly work to advance the human rights of trans people in the Middle East."
Hossein Alizdeh, IGLHRC Coordinator Middle East and North Africa Program
During the past twelve months, the Turkish trans community has continued to be the target of fatal hate crimes. On April 19, a 36-year-old trans woman identified as R.B. was shot in Izmir, Turkey. She was rushed to the hospital, but she passed away before reaching the hospital. Two other trans women were injured during the shootout. On July 31, Didem, a trans woman, was brutally murdered in Istanbul, Turkey's most populated city. The assailants cut the throat of this 21-year-old trans woman. On October 6, a woman was shot to death in Gaziantep, one of the southern cities of Turkey.
Trans Day of Remembrance: Focus on Indonesia
November 18, 2011| Contributed by
“The killings of transgender people, involving Indonesian law enforcement are poorly or never investigated. More often they are put into the freezer by the state, and left unresolved.”
Grace Poore, IGLHRC, Regional Coordinator, Asia and Pacific Islands
Indonesian waria (transgender) activist Elly Susana was killed in 2007. To date, there has been no justice for her. Elly Susana’s story is told in Courage Unfolds, a video produced by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission to reveal the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBT people in Asia and their efforts to fight for equality, safety and decriminalization. Elly Susana’s death, which occurred during an alleged raid by public order officers (Saptol PP), was widely covered by media.
Trans Day of Remembrance: Focus on Latin America
November 18, 2011| Contributed by IGLHRC
In recent years there has been a growing campaign to recognize the citizenship of trans people in Latin America. Red Latinamericana y del Caribe de Personas Trans (REDLACTRANS), a regional network of trans activists from Latin America and the Caribbean, is one of the leaders of this effort. IGLHRC, with an office and regional director located in Argentina, works closely with REDLACTRANS. Over the past year, activists from the region organized with a diverse set of issues and actions including job training initiatives, establishment of work cooperatives and, above all, campaigning for legal recognition of gender identity. Through REDLACTRANS member organizations, this work spread in the region to Argentina, Bolivia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Uruguay. In Argentina, a bill for the recognition of gender identity is currently being debated in Congress.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) together with REDLACTRANS and Heartland Alliance was able to support all these regional advocacy initiatives at the Organization of the American States (OAS). Last June these organizations held a meeting in San Salvador with trans representatives from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama with the purpose of evaluating advocacy for the legal recognition of gender identity in the region.
Learn more about our advocacy at the Organization of American States and for an update about or work on trans issues in Africa, Indonesia and Turkey.
Larry Misedah, Kenyan Gay Rights Activist, Tells His Story
November 17, 2011| Contributed by IGLHRC
Larry Misedah and Cary Alan Johnson traveled to San Francisco to attend a reception hosted by our friend John Newmeyer. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect IGLHRC friends old and new. While they were in the area, Larry and Cary were interviewed by the Bay Area Reporter, Salon.com, and the radio show Out in the Bay. Larry Misedah is a Kenyan gay rights activist who began his work as a human rights defender in 2004 when he joined Ishtar MSM, one of the Kenya’s first organizations to provide health services to men who have sex with men (MSM). In 2007, Larry came out publicly at the World Social Forum in Nairobi and became the spokesperson for Sexual Minorities Uganda’s (SMUG) first media campaign. After becoming a visible leader in the East African gay community, Larry was banished from his family. Then a student at Kenyatta University, his academic future was threatened when his family refused to continue paying his tuition. Threats of violence on the campus became unbearable. Larry was forced to flee Kenya for eight months.
LGBT Rights at APF Biennial Conference
October 11, 2011| Contributed by Grace Poore, Regional Program Coordinator for Asia, IGLHRC
The Asia Pacific Forum (APF) is the first regional body in the world to lobby National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to integrate the Yogyakarta Principles into their human rights work. It currently has 18 full member institutions from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Australia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand and Timor Leste. Maldives and Sri Lanka currently have associate member status for failing to comply with the Paris Principles.1
In May 5-7 2009, the APF invited IGLHRC and several other international human rights experts2 to Yogyakarta, Indonesia for a historic workshop to consider what actions might be taken by NHRIs in Asia to prevent violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). My presentation provided an overview on the impact of criminalization and discrimination on LGBT people's lives in the API region. As part of this presentation, I offered the following recommendations from IGLRHC to the APF:3
Observaciones y significados del primer caso específicamente LGBT que llega a la corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos: Karen Atala e Hijas contra el estado de Chile
August 23, 2011| Contributed by Jessica Stern, Executive Director
Escribo esto desde un avión que me lleva a Bogotá, Colombia, en la misma semana en que muchas de mis amigas están de vacaciones y en que me tocaba recorrer 161 km en mi bicicleta, desde el caluroso Brooklyn, Nueva York, donde vivo hasta las ventiladas playas al este de Long Island, como parte de una pandilla lésbica. Sin embargo, cancelé unas vacaciones que hubieran sido perfectas por una mujer a la que no conozco personalmente: Karen Atala.
Voy camino a una audiencia de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos sobre el caso Karen Atala e hijas contra el estado de Chile. Si el nombre de la señora Atala les resulta conocido es porque probablemente ya lo escucharon antes. La señora Atala es una madre lesbiana y una jueza chilena que perdió la tenencia de sus tres hijas — que en ese entonces tenían 5, 6 y 10 años de edad — en 2003 y su caso fue muy difundido. Después del divorcio, el ex marido de la señora Atala llevó ante la justicia la cuestión de la tenencia, y la señora Atala perdió. Haciendo referencia a la sexualidad de la señora Atala, la Corte Suprema de Chile emitió un veredicto homofóbico, sin muchas vueltas: consideró que las hijas de la señora Atala estaban en “situación de riesgo”, lo que las colocaba en una “posición de vulnerabilidad en su entorno social, dado que claramente su ambiente familiar único difiere en forma significativa del de sus compañeros de escuela y conocidos en el vecindario en el que viven, exponiéndolas al aislamiento y la discriminación, lo que también afectará su desarrollo personal”.