LGBULLETIN #150 – THE WEEK IN LGBTI NEWS (6-12 MAR 2020)

Canada: Bill to ban ‘conversion therapy’ introduced

The Canadian government has introduced legislation that would amend the Criminal Code to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’, proposing five new criminal offences related to the discredited practice.

According to a recent ILGA World report, three Canadian provinces—Ontario, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island— have already enacted bans on ‘conversion therapy’. Additionally, the province of Manitoba has issued an official position statement against these practices, and the cities of Vancouver and Edmonton had also passed local bylaws, while other jurisdictions are discussing bills.

“In 2020, people still think [‘conversion therapy’] is a relic of the past.” However, it still exists across the country, Minister of Justice, David Lametti, said, and “it sends a demeaning and degrading message that undermines the dignity of individuals.”

While praising the move, human rights organisations have highlighted how more must be done: the bill, noted an Egale representative in a statement, “does not address several crucial loopholes such as power dynamics within religious, educational or medical institutions or make explicit the difference between professional and unprofessional services; there are no protections for vulnerable people who may not fit under coercion; and the bill does not explicitly address gender expression”.

Poland: activists face trial for mapping hate

Three LGBTI human rights defenders from Poland are facing trial for having created The Atlas of Hate – a map of the country highlighting the local municipalities that adopted the Local Government Charter of the Rights of the Family.

According to reports, nearly 100 municipal or local governments – making up for almost one third of the country – have now proclaimed themselves to be “free from LGBTI ideology”. The map charting these discriminatory measures has quickly made headlines worldwide: it prompted European institutions to speak up, and cities around the continent began to take a stand, terminating twinning arrangements with towns that adopted those resolutions.

Now, the three activists who created a map are being threatened with legal actions from several Polish municipalities, which will be assisted by a conservative group.

The creators of the map, however, will not back down: “We will continue our work in order to spread the truth about the discriminatory resolutions adopted by the local governments all over Poland”, they said. Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH), an ILGA member organisation in the country who is assisting them, has called on everyone to show their solidarity with the activists: here’s what you can do.

Update on the case of Camila Diaz Cordova: A judge ruled that the case against three police officers will move forward. But the classification of the murder as a hate crime has been dropped. #JusticiaParaCamila https://t.co/e5gwK0FNGs

— Anna-Cat Brigida (@AnnaCat_Brigida) March 12, 2020

El Salvador: historic trial for the murder of a trans woman will proceed

Three police officers have been charged with aggravated homicide of Camila Díaz Córdova, a trans woman murdered in January 2019 in El Salvador.

The case will now go to trial, although the judge decided to drop charges of unlawful deprivation of liberty, as well as the classification of the murder as a hate crime based on gender identity – in what would have been a historic first for the country.

According to reports, the investigating judge considered that there was abundant evidence incriminating the three agents of her death, but failed so far to recognise the transphobic grounds of the particularly brutal murder. If found guilty, they will face sentences of between 20 and 30 years in prison.

Camila, who was a sex worker, had repeatedly tried to flee the country. When she finally reached the US in August 2017, immigration authorities detained her and deported her only four months after her arrival. Just over a year later, she was killed.

Thailand: new study explores stigma and discrimination against trans women

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Thailand and Sisters Foundation have released a new study showing how trans women in the country still face persistent poverty, social exclusion and poor access to health services as a direct consequence of stigma and discrimination.

Participants reported being affected at various stages of their lives – during childhood, within the family, at school and when accessing healthcare settings. HIV-related stigma particularly appears to still take a toll, especially in rural areas: the research documented cases of women being rejected by their own communities.

“Before (this study), the transgender community only had word-of-mouth stories to explain what they have been through and there was no research to back up the claims,” said Thitiyanun Nakphor, Director of Sisters Foundation. “With no evidence, it is difficult to take the issue to the policymakers.”

The findings will now inform efforts to improve policy guidelines and the training of healthcare providers, ultimately leading to improved healthcare service delivery for the community.

Kiribati: organisations release toolkit on gender and sexual diversity education

A brand-new advocacy toolkit is casting light on the lived realities of people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities in Kiribati.

Aimed at offering practical tips on inclusive education to people who work in social services, health, education, and sport, SPARK CHANGE! On the Journey is the result of a one-year project featuring consultations among civil society organisations, government agencies, educational institutions and the private sector.

The toolkit places concepts of diverse genders and sexualities in the local cultural context, and speaks to issues of stigma and discrimination; religion and faith; and human rights frameworks, by using examples and campaigns developed in the Asia-Pacific region.

“The stories that participants told were powerful testimonies to their courage and commitment to change,” said Mark Henrickson, who developed the publication for Youth Voices Count and BIMBA. “Hopefully, this experience will serve as a model for other Pacific Island countries—and particularly the smaller ones— to do similar things in their own nations”.

South Africa: report highlights “brutal forms of violence” against sex workers

At least 101 women who were sex workers have died in South Africa in the past two years – and nearly half of these incidents may be classified as murders, a report has indicated.

The publication, titled Female and Transwomxn Sex Workers Deaths in South Africa – 2018/2019, analyses “the high levels and particularly brutal forms of violence” perpetrated by clients and intimate partners, but highlights also how law enforcement poses particular threats with arbitrary arrests and extortions – all incidents that are unlikely to be then reported.

As the report points out, “sex work and related activities are criminalised in national legislation” in South Africa, “and sex workers are also harassed through various ‘public nuisance’ municipal by-laws”.

Now in its second edition, the study is part of the #SayHerName campaign organised by the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT), which “exists to commemorate and honour women affected by violence.” According to the organisation, “(the campaign) further aims to protect and uphold sex workers’ human rights including the constitutional rights to access healthcare, freedom from violence, access to justice and labour law protection.”