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Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Also important is the context-specific nature of each country and situation. The situation is not necessarily the same for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (and intersex) persons across the board, even though human rights are inherent to all persons without distinction: the situation is not homogeneous but heterogeneous. For instance, in one country, same-sex relationships are criminalized, with the threat of the death penalty. This is primarily targeted at homosexuals. However, in that same country, those who self-identify as transgender are assisted and recognized by the State (to undergo reassignment surgery). The lack of awareness or understanding or knowledge, and the biases and stereotypes, vary between countries and within each country — depending on diverse factors such as geography (urban vs. rural), demography (e.g. different educational and economic levels), and cultural affinity.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- UNDP has a large number of programmes worldwide on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex issues, and the outreach is both to the pillars of the State (the executive, legislative and judicial branches) and to pillars of the community, such as national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and human rights defenders, including platforms for dialogue with local governments. Pursuant to the Sustainable Development Goals, UNDP is working on a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex inclusion index to help generate more data, which will also contribute to policy formulation and programming. Some of the activities are on strengthening HIV responses for men who have sex with men and transgender people, and access to health care, while others are more directly on the legal and social environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and civil society in a number of countries.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- As evidenced by the wide range of international human rights treaties that are in force, international human rights bodies and procedures — ranging from the human rights treaty bodies, with their general comments and recommendations, to the universal periodic review, to the special procedures’ coverage of sexual orientation and gender identity-related violations, to resolutions and studies — the international human rights system has been strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights without distinction. The protection of persons based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, and the mandate of the Independent Expert, are based on international law, complemented and supplemented by State practice.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Laws and policies that criminalize consensual same-sex relations are part of the background environment that leads to violence and discrimination. Some 70 countries criminalize same-sex relations, with a particular impact on men who have sex with men. Some 40 countries criminalize same-sex relations in regard to women who have sex with women. The death penalty awaits in some countries. There are other laws and policies of a more indirect nature, which might also be negatively applied against certain groups and persons in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity. They include laws based on public decency, public health and security, at times in the guise of local criminal laws and regulations. There are equally challenging implications from various religious laws when applied strictly. Some countries also criminalize cross-dressing, such as where men dress up as women and vice versa, even the criminalization violates the person’s self-identified gender.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Fifth, there is the context-specific nature of each country. The situation is not necessarily the same for LGBTI persons across the board; the scenario is not homogeneous but heterogeneous. In one country, for example, transgender (trans) persons are not permitted to change their identification documents (such as a birth certificate or identity card) to have their self-identified gender recognized, or they are required to meet abusive requirements such as compulsory surgery and sterilization, medical certification or divorce. The lack of status recognition results in a range of complications, such as bullying from a young age, sexual assault, and mockery and humiliation inflicted on them in daily life as well as when they seek to cross borders or access services and facilities. Nevertheless, in that same country there is no law against same-sex relationships and the situation is quite open for gays, lesbians and bisexuals. While the situations are diverse, it should be underlined that human rights predicate the protection of all persons without distinction.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- The national human rights institution of Cyprus observed that consensual same-sex relations were decriminalized in 1998. They remarked that society was still conservative on sexual orientation and gender identity, but stated that, following systemic reports of the institution but also interventions on individual complaints and participation in the respective discussions in the parliament, positive developments had taken place in significant key areas. They included the legal recognition of same-sex relationships (Civil Union Law of 2015); the penalization of homophobic and transphobic hate speech (Law 87(I) 2015 amending the Penal Law) and hate crime (with the homophobic and transphobic motive as aggravating factor, Law 31 (l) 2010 amending the Penal Law).
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Positive developments can be seen in several countries in regard to the adoption of laws and other measures integrating sexual orientation and gender identity as part and parcel of the right to be free from discrimination and the right to equality before the law. Anti-discrimination laws come in various shapes and sizes. For instance, sexual orientation and gender identity might be integrated directly into the constitution, as in the reform of the Constitution in 2008 in Ecuador. South Africa was the first country globally to include protection against discrimination in relation to sexual orientation in its Constitution in 1996, while Fiji was the first country to explicitly incorporate sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected characteristics in its Constitution in 2013. To date, the constitutions of the Plurinational State of Bolivia and Malta are the only two to explicitly include both sexual orientation and gender identity as non-discrimination grounds. There might be a general law on non-discrimination, such as Thailand’s gender equality law, which incorporates the notion of “sex expression” to cover gender identity and related expression. Alternatively, there could be even more specific laws with provisions providing sexual orientation and gender identity protection in key contexts, such as employment, education, health care, housing, provision of goods and services, inheritance, recognition of relationships and family law or immigration. To be effective, anti-discrimination frameworks should provide for effective measures to investigate alleged violations, redress for victims and accountability for alleged perpetrators.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- As highlighted in some contributions, laws and policies which criminalize same-sex relationships and gender identity, particularly in regard to its expression, directly lead to violence and discrimination, and are also part of the background environment in which they take place. They also stymie efforts to prevent and reduce HIV transmission. Conversely, inclusion policies and practices help to overcome discrimination and contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 53g
- Paragraph text
- Greece noted that anti-discrimination measures include criminal sanctions in the case of hate crimes and hate speech in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity. This is now complemented by a new law recognizing civil partnership for same-sex couples, and the abolishment of article 347 of the criminal code, which provided a higher age of consent for male homosexual acts;
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- In several countries, laws also specifically criminalize transgender persons based on their gender identity or expression. Some countries criminalize so-called “cross-dressing”, while many others criminalize different forms of gender identity and expression though often vaguely defined laws, leading to various human rights violations of transgender people, including arbitrary arrests and detention.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- OHCHR has been instrumental in preparing various reports and studies on violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In particular, the publications Born Free and Equal: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in International Human Rights Law and Living Free and Equal offer very useful information with global coverage. OHCHR supports the human rights treaty bodies, the universal periodic review and the special procedures in their work and helps to mainstream the issue into a cross-cutting United Nations setting. Together with other partners, it helps to organize the annual International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia event. Its field presences around the world assist in disseminating information, collecting information and addressing cases where there are violations, with a view to strengthening human rights protection on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Its Free and Equal campaign is a broad information campaign, with publications, films and videos raising the profile of sexual orientation and gender identity from the angle of action against violence and discrimination. Particularly popular are the videos Faces, which captures the myriad contributions by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons to families and communities, The Welcome, which provides a human rights message with a Bollywood touch, complete with music, and The Riddle, which examines the abuses facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons across the globe.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Interregional cooperation bore fruit when the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the United Nations held a joint dialogue in 2016, calling for more mainstreaming of regional and international norms to counter violence and discrimination, interlinking with the opportunities offered by the Sustainable Development Goals. The joint dialogue acknowledged positive steps from the African region, as follows: African States are almost all characterized by great diversity in their populations, with ethnic, religious and cultural diversity being the common denominator. In line with article 28 of the Charter, which calls on every individual “to respect and consider his fellow beings without discrimination, and to maintain relations aimed at promoting, safeguarding and reinforcing mutual respect and tolerance”, the Commission may advocate for the rights of all persons, including LGBT and intersex persons. In this respect, it can build on positive examples of State action in Africa and elsewhere to respect diversity and protect the human rights of all persons, irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity. Participants noted that at least 19 African States do not criminalize consensual same-sex relations between adults in their legal systems, that Mozambique in 2014 removed criminal sanctions for such conduct, that Rwanda and other States have resisted recent attempts to introduce such laws into their legal system, that seven States prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation, that courts in Botswana and Kenya, among others, recently declared the refusal to register LGBT associations to be unconstitutional, and that a number of national human rights institutions (including in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa) have expressed themselves against human rights violations based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- A sample of recent constructive practices can be cited. A number of countries on every continent have seen reforms of antiquated and obstructive laws and policies, even though the progress is not always universal. Many South Asian countries and countries in other regions uphold the rights of transgender people, even where they have difficulty in accepting the rights of gays, lesbians and bisexuals. Same-sex couples are now allowed to marry officially in a number of countries, such as Canada, the United States of America, and a range of countries in Europe and Latin America. In 2016, a top court in Belize declared an old law, which had prohibited same-sex relations, to be unconstitutional. Seychelles reformed its law similarly on this front. In 2017, New Zealand agreed to expunge the criminal record of persons criminalized by the colonial law which had forbidden same-sex relations (the law itself having been abrogated a while ago). Germany also moved to annul Nazi-era homosexuality convictions (about 42,000 such convictions had been made under the Third Reich, under an old provision of the Penal Code (art. 175)) and to offer compensation.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- The work of WHO, particularly in the area of sexual health, has already been referred to above, as has the work of UNHCR on refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons, particularly in relation to the intersectionality issue. UNHCR has been facing new challenges in regard to recent outflows from the war-related situations in Middle East to Europe and other regions, and it has done key work to raise the profile of sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Meanwhile, UN-Women has been highlighting the rights of lesbians and bisexual, transgender and intersex women and girls; thus has included the mapping of country situations and support for follow-up to the recommendations of human rights treaty bodies and the universal periodic review. For instance, there is an awareness-raising programme on action to end violence against women in Malawi, which includes references to lesbian, bisexual and transgender women. Complementing this, the International Labour Organization is infusing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issue strongly into its decent work programme, while the World Bank has helped to examine the cost of homophobia as well as to generate data on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender exclusion. The World Bank has now a focal point on sexual orientation and gender identity and this provides an important opportunity to address violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, especially with low-income countries. A range of other United Nations agencies and programmes, enhanced by United Nations country teams, are progressively integrating the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity into country programming.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Lack of education and/or awareness and lack of understanding may transmute into biases, prejudices and phobias from a young age, which underlie the violence and discrimination. This is interlinked with the quality of the educational spectrum and how to nurture a sense of empathy for sexual orientation and gender identity as an inherent part of all of us. State policies vary in their openings towards the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity. While some States have tried to integrate the issue into the curriculum at different stages, others have shunned the possibility altogether. Issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity can be dealt with indirectly or directly (e.g. through health education, indirectly, and/or through specific courses focusing on sexual orientation and gender identity, directly). One entry point that is now being explored in several countries is to address the bullying, which marginalizes persons at school from childhood onwards. With the help of United Nations agencies, some countries are now breaking the ice by integrating sexual orientation and gender identity into the educational curriculum through that issue. This is a key area where international cooperation and technical support and assistance can help open doors towards a more empathetic world, both at the national level and internationally. This requires dialogue and interaction between school principals, teachers, parents and students. It invites reappraisal of both educational content and textbooks, and the building of pedagogical tools and methodology, to promote an open mindset and respect for human biodiversity.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Sixth, there is the welcome development that sexual orientation and gender identity is now an integral part of the United Nations agenda; the issue is legitimized and synchronized for global action. While there is always room for a plurality of views, the commitment to combat violence and discrimination is universal and ineluctable. It is enhanced by the all-embracing pledge that no one will be left behind, set out in the preamble to resolution 70/1, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- In the past 20 years, approximately 25 countries from all regions have taken steps to decriminalize same-sex relationships between consenting adults. Some of the most recent countries to undertake decriminalization are Belize, Mozambique, Nauru, Palau, Sao Tome and Principe and Seychelles. In some countries the judiciary has opened the way for decriminalization through landmark decisions on specific cases, whereas in other countries decriminalization of same-sex relations has materialized by the actions of the parliament and/or the executive branch through the review of their penal code.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- With regard to Africa, in recognizing that some 33 countries criminalize same-sex relations, out of 54, with many of the negative laws on this front a result of the remnants of colonization, constructive developments should also be identified. In the interim South African Constitution, sections 9(1) and 9(3) make express reference to sexual orientation as a protected ground for non-discrimination. In the famous case of S v. Kampher, Justice Ian Farlam nullified the conviction of a man who had confessed to having consensual sex with another man. Immediately after that, the Constitutional Court in National Coalition for Gays and Lesbian Equality and another v. Minister for Justice and others held that the South African “sodomy” laws were unconstitutional. In decriminalizing sodomy laws, the Court stated that prohibiting sexual conduct between gay men violated the right to equality. Other positive developments in Africa worth noting include the reform of the Cape Verde penal code of 2004, which eliminated offences related to same-sex activity and the decriminalization of homosexuality in Sao Tome and Principe in 2014. On a particularly positive note, a number of African countries have introduced legislation to explicitly outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or they have removed discriminatory provisions of existing employment legislation, including Seychelles in 2006, Mozambique in 2007, Mauritius in 2008 and Botswana in 2010. Several sub-Saharan African countries had never criminalized same-sex sexual activities between adults, including Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Madagascar, Mali, the Niger and Rwanda.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 53p
- Paragraph text
- A non-governmental organization source from the United Kingdom recalled the advent of the same-sex marriage law in the country and the Equality Act. However, the mission of the latter is incomplete; the source stated that the use of the term “gender reassignment” in the Act was proving problematic, and that many people thought trans identity implied a binary surgical transition, which the Act’s definition also implies. Transgender persons’ vulnerability to discrimination and right to equality does not and should not, depend on medical transition;
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- It should be noted that in some countries where these negative laws exist, they are not applied or not much applied in practice. While this is a stepping stone to mitigation of the situation, the mere existence of the laws still gives rise to bias and prejudices, feeding into extortion, persecution, multiple and intersectional phobia, and other forms of violence and discrimination, and violates international human rights norms and standards. The call to reform such negative laws must therefore be vigorous.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 53d
- Paragraph text
- The Ombudsman of the Plurinational State of Bolivia noted both constitutional provisions on sexual orientation and gender identity as well as range of local by-laws on this front. By contrast, the Equal Opportunities Commission of Hong Kong, China, observes that there is currently no comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status to ensure legal protection against discrimination for LGBTI persons;
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 53o
- Paragraph text
- A non-governmental organization from Peru observed that the Constitutional Tribunal in 2016 helped to resolve the situation of transgender persons by underlining that it is not a pathological condition and that human rights must be respected on the basis of equality for all and without discrimination;
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 53l
- Paragraph text
- While noting the criminal law impacting sexual orientation, a non-governmental source in Pakistan illustrated the varying context in the country, with measures from the authorities relating to gender identity, including the formation of a national task force by the federal ombudsman and a protection policy for transgender and intersex persons being drafted by the National Commission for Human Rights in cooperation with the transgender community;
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The table illustrates recent constructive developments showing how some countries have managed to change their laws concerning prohibition of same-sex relations which were contrary to international standards.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Many countries are still hampered by a lack of anti-discrimination measures or insufficient anti-discrimination measures; this, too, is linked to environments that lead to violence and discrimination. This is a longitudinal challenge, which starts in the home and extends to the education system, the workplace, and life beyond. Some countries have moved towards integrating sexual orientation and gender identity into their constitutions or laws, directly or indirectly, while others have policies and programmes to reflect sexual and gender diversity. Yet, within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender setting, some groups are particularly marginalized and may need special measures to help overcome difficulties. For instance, transgender persons are often discriminated against at school and this pushes them out of the educational set-up; they might then fall into a situation of marginalization and then exploitation.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- The discrimination is also intersectional. There might be tints of patriarchy impacting on women, which also impact negatively on lesbians and women who have sex with women. There might be traces of racism, which also impact negatively on refugees and migrants who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. There might be hints of extremism that impact negatively on those who wish to have their sexual orientation and gender identity respected culturally. Even where there are laws to protect people from discrimination, there might be weak implementation. This is further tested by issues such as access to justice and mechanisms and/or personnel that could provide some assistance and remedies, and the call for transparency and accountability. There is thus a need for effective anti-discrimination measures of a comprehensive kind — not only formal but also substantive, not only de jure but also de facto — in addition to the building of a community that is open to understanding and that respects sexual and gender diversity.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Yet, there are evidently several gaps, interlinked with the root causes and environment behind the violence and discrimination, which will be elaborated upon in the sections below. Even in countries that are party to the human rights treaties and even where there are responsive laws, policies and programmes, there are sometimes major incidents of violence and discrimination, such as killings of transgender persons, attacks on sexual orientation and gender identity-related human rights defenders, and sexual orientation and gender identity-related hate speech on social networks, which invites sustained vigilance both at the national and the international levels.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- In his first report, the Independent Expert underlined the relationship between sexual orientation and gender identity and other issues, including racism, poverty, migration, disability and other factors. A particular concern to be highlighted here is the plight of children and youth from the perspective of gender diversity. Thus, on the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, 17 May 2017, the Independent Expert and a range of United Nations human rights treaty bodies and special procedures, as well as regional mechanisms, issued a joint statement calling for protection of transgender and gender diverse children and adolescents. The following excerpt epitomizes the universal message: We call on States to adopt and implement effective measures prohibiting violence, anti-discrimination laws covering gender identity and expression — real or perceived — as well as sexual orientation as prohibited grounds for discrimination, to develop inclusive curriculums and learning materials, training for and support to teachers and other school staff, education and support programmes for parents, safe and non-discriminatory access to bathrooms, and awareness-raising programmes nurturing respect and understanding for gender diversity. On another front, the mere existence of laws or by-laws criminalizing gender expression including through offences of “cross dressing” or “imitating the opposite sex” and other such discriminatory regulations impact on the liberty and security of these young people, tend to foster a climate where hate speech, violence and discrimination are condoned and perpetrated with impunity. Criminalization and pervasive discrimination in such context lead to the denial of health care, including safe gender affirming procedures, and to the lack of access to information and related services. Pathologizing trans and gender diverse people — branding them as ill based on their gender identity and expression — has historically been, and continues to be, one of the root causes behind the human rights violations against them. We reiterate our call for States to decriminalize and depathologize trans and gender diverse identities and expressions, including for young transgender people, prohibit “conversion therapies” and refrain from adopting new criminalizing laws and pathologizing medical classifications, including in the context of the upcoming review of the International Classification of Diseases. We also call on States to provide equal access to health care and access to gender affirming treatment to those who seek it.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- LGBTQI+
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- In regard to criminal laws on cross-dressing and other laws with a negative impact on the human rights of transgender persons, a non-governmental submission provided much insight, pointing out that criminalization heavily impacted transgender and gender diverse people. They welcomed the reference in the first report to criminalization of so-called “cross-dressing”. However, there are many other types of gender identity and expression-based criminalization, including “impersonation” provisions as well as inconsistent or unjust implementation of laws on beggary, HIV, sex work, nuisance and loitering in ways that are punitive to transgender persons, most especially toward transgender women. In countries with mandatory military conscription, transgender women who have not been able to change their gender markers and transgender men may face legal or economic consequences in that context. Transgender people may in fact be affected by laws criminalizing same-sex relations, whether or not they are in such a relationship. In many countries, transgender women are perceived as men and transgender men are perceived as women, therefore, a transgender woman with a male partner or a transgender man with a female partner is also included within the criminalization of same-sex conduct. Additionally, there are gay, lesbian, and bisexual transgender persons, who are also targets of those laws and policies. Furthermore, transgender persons are often targeted because of their gender expression, as it is commonly used to assume a person’s sexual orientation.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2017
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Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 53i
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- In stating that same-sex relations are not criminalized in the country, Slovakia observed that the Constitution regulates the principle of equal treatment for all and there is also a national strategy for human rights promotion. Slovenia cited the new Protection against Discrimination Act 2016 which covers, inter alia, sexual orientation, sexual identity or sexual expression. Sexual orientation is also reflected in the Employment Relationship Act. Poland called attention to both the civil law and criminal law. There is an anti-discrimination act of 2010 which covers sexual orientation, while the penal code covers incitement to hatred and violence, encompassing sexual orientation and gender identity. This is paralleled by labour legislation, a national programme for equal treatment and data collection;
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
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