HRC41 side event: “Research and data collection on sexual orientation and gender identity: needs, risks and best practices”

Panelists:

Victor Madrigal-Borloz, UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discriminationunequal or unfair treatment which can be based on a range of grounds - such as age, ethnic background, disability, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions or sex characteristics, amongst others. based on SOGIabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity
Alex Müller, University of Cape Town
Jeffrey Walimbwa, ISHTAR – MSM health and social wellbeing
Deon Mejri, Transrespect vs. Transphobiarefers to negative cultural and personal beliefs, opinions, attitudes and behaviours based on prejudice, disgust, fear and/or hatred of trans people or against variations of gender identity and gender expression. (TVT) / Transgender Europe (TGEU)
Julia Ehrt, ILGA World
Micah Grzywnowicz,The Swedish Federation for Lesbianadjective/noun to describe a woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves., Gayadjective to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional
attractions are to people of the same gender. Men, women and non-binary people may use this
term to describe themselves., Bisexualadjective used to describe a person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of other genders., Transgender and Queerpreviously used as a derogatory term to refer to LGBT individuals in the English language – and still perceived as offensive by some - queer has been reclaimed by people who identify beyond traditional gender categories and heteronormative social norms. Although not universally accepted, it is often used as a catch-all to include many people within the larger community of people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics. Rights (RFSL)

Moderator:

Helen Nolan, International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

The event is co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Canada, Chile, Colombia, The Netherlands

Background Information

Social prejudice and criminalisation lead to the marginalisation and exclusion of lesbianadjective/noun to describe a woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves., gayadjective to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional
attractions are to people of the same gender. Men, women and non-binary people may use this
term to describe themselves., bisexualadjective used to describe a person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of other genders. or transadjective/umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. and genderrefers to a social construct which places cultural and social expectations on individuals based on their assigned sex. non-conforming (LGBT) persons from essential services, including health, education, employment, housing and access to justice.^[1]

Currently, there is a severe gap in the data available to capture the lived realities of LGBT people. Social prejudice and criminalisation can result in non- or underreporting of violence and discriminationunequal or unfair treatment which can be based on a range of grounds - such as age, ethnic background, disability, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions or sex characteristics, amongst others. based on sexual orientationrefers to a person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to - and intimate and sexual relations with - individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender. and gender identityrefers to a person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth..

Research and data collection is crucial to create visibility and build an evidence base about human rights violations and potential responses, disprove stereotypes that feed stigma and discriminationunequal or unfair treatment which can be based on a range of grounds - such as age, ethnic background, disability, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions or sex characteristics, amongst others., and aid policy-makers and other stakeholders in the formulation of State measures regarding socio-economic inclusion, access to health and education, inclusion in the civic and political sphere, anti-discriminatory measures, prevention of abuses, and access to justice.

In recent years, there has been an increase in effort and interest to conduct research on SOGIabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity and include SOGIabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity and LGBT people in data collection. This includes a call for disaggregated data as part of the 2030 Agenda, the development of a new LGBTIacronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people. Although this is not the acronym available to describe people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics, it is the most commonly used in United Nations spaces and advocacy. Inclusion Index, the articulation of a human rights-based approach to data by the OHCHR. Some recent best practices of community-based data collection on SOGIabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity are the Transadjective/umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Legal Mapping reports, research on the realities of violence, mental health and access to healthcare related to sexual orientationrefers to a person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to - and intimate and sexual relations with - individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender. and gender identityrefers to a person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth. and expression in 9 East and Southern African countries, the State Sponsored Homophobiafear, unreasonable anger, intolerance or/and hatred directed towards people attracted to others of the same gender. report, and the Transrespect vs. Transphobia project.

These efforts carry benefits for – and risks to – LGBT people. Data is needed to understand the nature and extent of violence and discriminationunequal or unfair treatment which can be based on a range of grounds - such as age, ethnic background, disability, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions or sex characteristics, amongst others. against LGBT people, debunk stereotypes that feed stigma and discriminationunequal or unfair treatment which can be based on a range of grounds - such as age, ethnic background, disability, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions or sex characteristics, amongst others., and aid in the formulation of state measures that incorporate relevant communities. At the same time, any effort to collect data about sexual orientationrefers to a person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to - and intimate and sexual relations with - individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender. and gender identityrefers to a person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth. raises concerns about privacy, identity, ethics, self-determination, and security. LGBT people remain vulnerable to the risks associated with the collection, maintenance and use of data.

In countries where same-sex sexual conduct is criminalised, where laws and policies are used to discriminate against or prosecute persons because of their sexual orientationrefers to a person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to - and intimate and sexual relations with - individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender. and/or gender identityrefers to a person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth., or where stigma and prejudice are rampant, the probability that victims will dare to report abuses is very low, owing to fear of prosecution, stigma, reprisals or victimisation, unwillingness to be “outed”, or lack of trust. 

What side event?

During the 41^st session of the Human Rights Councilan inter-governmental body within the United Nations which has the responsibility to promote and protect human rights. It is comprised of 47 member States, each elected to 3-year terms by the 193 member States of the United Nations., the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discriminationunequal or unfair treatment which can be based on a range of grounds - such as age, ethnic background, disability, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions or sex characteristics, amongst others. based on sexual orientationrefers to a person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to - and intimate and sexual relations with - individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender. and gender identityrefers to a person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth. will present his report on data collection. This side event – co-organised by COC Nederland, ILGA World and ISHR – will be an opportunity to dig deeper on this report but also to focus on data collection as a means to create heightened awareness about violence and discriminationunequal or unfair treatment which can be based on a range of grounds - such as age, ethnic background, disability, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions or sex characteristics, amongst others. on the basis of SOGIabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity.

The side event will also be an opportunity to share experiences from Southern and East African countries, and on evolving best practices on data collection.

^[1] Report of the IE SOGIabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity to the Human Rights Councilan inter-governmental body within the United Nations which has the responsibility to promote and protect human rights. It is comprised of 47 member States, each elected to 3-year terms by the 193 member States of the United Nations. (A/HRC/38/43), 2018.