LGBulleTIn #18

The week in LGBTI news from around the world

October 3-9, 2015

Saturday, October 3



Honduras: hundreds attend conference on human rights of LGBTI people

FinalizÃ³ el II Encuentro de #LiderazgosLGBTI Dos dÃ­as de intenso trabajo e intercambio, por + igualdad y derechos. pic.twitter.com/OqcfN4bI6G — maximiliano ferraro (@Maxiferraro) October 4, 2015

More than 300 persons gathered in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, to attend a two-day conference designed to bolster further LGBTI political engagement in the region.

Marcela Romero, regional coordinator of the Red Latinoamericana y el Caribe de Mujeres Trans, told EFE: "We vote, and thus we hold a right to participate in politics. I think democracy in Latin America has a debt toward the LGBTI community."

According to The Washington Blade, the conference was the occasion to discuss on how to curb anti-LGBTI violence and discrimination in the region, but also to analyze the influence the Roman Catholic Church and evangelical Christians have on Honduran society. During a separate conference on Thursday, local activists complained that existing laws in Honduras are not enough to address discrimination and violence against LGBTI people in the country.

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Sunday, October 4



Ghana in need of policies to end discrimination against LGBTIs, organization says

The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has asked policy makers to formulate policies to end human rights abuses against LGBTI persons, sex workers and other vulnerable groups in society. Francis Tsegah, senior fellow at CDD-Ghana, reportedly said that countries still seem to consider human rights of vulnerable groups as unimportant even if discrimination and stigmatization, particularly against persons living with HIV, hinder the efforts of such groups to access health care.

Read more on Ghana News Agency

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Tuesday, October 6

United States: report casts a light on difficult interactions between NYPD and LGBT homeless youth

Urban Institute released a report that details the experiences of almost 300 LGBT homeless youth who currently engage in survival sex (sex in exchange for food and shelter) in New York City. Its results are quite worrying when it comes to these young people’s interaction with the police: 63 percent of them said they were negative, and interviewees described being called "faggot" or "dyke," being profiled by police, and being subjected to invasive searches in public areas.

“Young people who sell sex to survive are rarely strangers to abuse, rejection and discrimination.” Urban Institute comments. “But when the source of that trauma is someone who should be a source of protection—like a police officer or family court judge—it starts a cycle of mistreatment and distrust that can leave youth feeling like they have nowhere to turn.”

Read the whole Locked in: interactions with the criminal justice and child welfare systems for LGBTQ youth, YMSM, and YWSW who engage in survival sex report

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Thursday, October 8

Malaysia: landmark decision declaring anti-crossdressing law unconstitutional overturned

A landmark decision declaring an anti-crossdressing Shariah law unconstitutional was overturned by the Federal Court in Malaysia. In 2014 the Islamic enactment (under Section 66) had been found inconsistent with several articles in the Constitution, but now that decision has been set aside. The case was thrown out on procedural grounds: according to the judgement, the application by three trans persons against the law should have been taken up directly at the Federal Court.

S Thilaga, co-founder of transgender group Justice for Sisters, told Free Malaysia Today that the community is worried for its members’ safety, well-being and security.

Asia-Pacific: report highlights the health and human rights of trans people in the region

The health and human rights of trans people in the Asia-Pacific region are highlighted in a new report by the Asia-Pacific Transgender Network. The “Blueprint for the Provision of Comprehensive Care for Trans People and Trans Communities in Asia and the Pacific” points to the significant barriers trans people face, highlights important progress in some countries and calls for sustained efforts to improve the legal and social status of the community across the region.

“This Blueprint builds the case for changing laws, policies and practices so that trans people are able to participate fully in every country and community across this region,” said Joe Wong, Programme Manager at APTN. “Trans peoples’ human rights, including the right to health, have been cemented by multiple international bodies. It’s time for governments to make these rights a reality.”

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Friday, October 9

Poland: presidential veto on the Gender Accordance Act confirmed

No gender recognition law for Poland. Parliamentary Committees held the law, didn't produce report, voting can't take place. Veto stays. — Wiktor Dynarski (@wdynarski) October 9, 2015

President Andrzej Duda’s veto on the Gender Accordance Act was confirmed as proceedings were discontinued before a vote on the veto could take place in parliament. The law had already been approved by the Polish parliament (Sejm), but one week ago Duda decided to place his veto on it. The Sejm should have been called to vote on its veto, but things took a different route. Arian Kajtezović, TGEU executive board member, commented: “The Polish president has completely disrespected the democratic process. It should be a sign of worry to all in Poland that he has ignored the express wish of those democratically elected. It is lamentable that due to political backroom deals the Polish Parliament was not even given the opportunity to vote on overturning the veto this morning, losing the chance to improve Poland and change the lives of many.”

Is that all? More news bites

More LGBTI news bites

In South Africa, the NG Kerk has moved towards recognising same-sex relationships and non-celibate gay theology students: individual church councils will formulate their own practices on these issues.

In the Vatican, Father Krzysztof Charamsa was sacked after he came out as gay and urged the Catholic church to change its “backwards” attitude to homosexuality.

In Northern Ireland, a trans woman saw her house pipebombed in what police described as a “sectarian hate crime.”

In UK, a gay man has lost his appeal court bid to win his husband the same pension rights a wife would enjoy if he was in a heterosexual relationship.

The Consejo Nacional para Prevenir la Discriminación revealed that at least 70 private companies and individuals have been accused of discrimination against homosexuals in Mexico since 2014.

A considerably wide disparity exists between media coverage of LBT women and gay men in Jamaica, a study by Women’s Empowerment for Change found.

Another trans woman of color was killed in the USA: Kiesha Jenkins, 22, was reportedly assaulted by five or six men and then shot in the back while lying on the ground.

In Canada, a candidate was expelled from the Conservative Party after an article he wrote appeared to support psychological attempts to correct people's sexual orientation.

Two girls were arrested in Indonesia after being found hugging: they reportedly will be sent for "rehabilitation" after Sharia police officers found them guilty of being too "intimate".

An undercover Channel 4 documentary found out that in China some doctors are still offering electroshock therapy and drug prescriptions they claim will “cure” homosexuality.

In the State of Victoria, Australia, a new bill to allow same-sex parents to adopt children was introduced in the Parliament.

[bulletin written by Daniele Paletta]

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