An important verdict from Madras High Court today https://t.co/cl36PBX7iX

— SAATHII (@SAATHII) June 7, 2021

Indian Court calls for sweeping reforms: 'The LGBTQIA+ community cannot be left in a vulnerable atmosphere'

"Ignorance is no justification for normalising any form of discrimination", said Justice Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court in a judgment which called for sweeping reforms to help respect the rights of our communities. 

Venkatesh ruled in favour of a lesbian couple seeking protection from police harassment and their families, who were against their relationship. The judge, however, observed that legislative changes were needed to eradicate social discrimination, and listed a series of guidelines for various institutions - including the judiciary and police – to address the situation.

According to media sources, the judge recommended that medical professionals who practice ‘conversion therapy’ should have their licenses revoked. Police and government officials should receive awareness training. Schools and colleges should make gender neutral restrooms available, and gender-nonconforming and trans prisoners should be housed separately if needed to protect them from sexual assault.

Although the court could not by itself impose such widespread change with a single ruling, government were asked to report back on the steps they plan to take to comply.

"This is the first major order that addresses most challenges concerning the whole LGBTQIA+ community and issues specific directions," L Ramakrishnan, vice-president of public health advocacy group SAATHII told Scroll. "I am hopeful of change given the judge has indicated he would follow up on the directions on a regular basis."

Update: The 21 have finally been released! The High Court in Ho today granted bail for all the 21. This is good news-- but the struggle to demand for their justice continues. With that, we join our community in Ghana to demand #JusticeForTheHo21 https://t.co/Wnve2Z0D6M

— Pan Africa ILGA (@PanAfricaILGA) June 11, 2021

(updated: 11 June, 14:30 CEST) Ghana: court grants bail for 21 LGBTI human rights defenders

The 21 LGBTI human rights defenders who were arrested in May for allegedly holding an ‘unlawful assembly’ at an event in Ho city have been granted bail, Pan Africa ILGA reported.

The defenders were conducting paralegal training for the protection of the human rights of sexual minorities when they were arrested. The ruling on their bail application was first delayed for a few days, and then denied on 8 June, until the decision was updated three days later.

UN human rights experts had condemned the arrest of 21 LGBTI human rights defenders: "All evidence available to us points to the fact that they were detained while they were peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association," UN experts said, pointing out that “the root of the arrests allegedly lies in the criminalisation of consensual same-sex conduct” – which in Ghana is punishable with a maximum penalty of three years' imprisonment. "Detention on discriminatory grounds is arbitrary by its own nature and violates international human rights law. The Government of Ghana must release them immediately and unconditionally," the experts said.

Aotearoa New Zealand: intersex human rights defender included in Queen’s Birthday Honours

Intersex human rights defender Mani Bruce Mitchell has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit during this year’s Queen Birthday Honours, and awarded for their “services to intersex advocacy and education”.

According to Stuff, they are believed to be one of the first intersex, non-binary Kiwis to receive the honour. “Being acknowledged for the work that I have done in the field – particularly work for the intersex community – and acknowledgement of the people who have stood beside me, supported me and ushered this work is amazing,” they said.

Currently representing Oceania in the Intersex Committee of ILGA World, Mitchell established the Intersex Trust of Aotearoa New Zealand (ITANZ) in 1997. Since then, they have participated in – and helped run - community gatherings around the world, and was involved in the development of the landmark Darlington Statement that brought together Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand intersex organisations and independent advocates. Their organisation was also one of the co-hosts of the 2019 ILGA World Conference in Wellington. 

Mitchell was quoted as saying it had been amazing seeing intersex people “moving out of that shame and secrecy and into a playful, joyful place” over the years. “There is nothing to be ashamed about... there has been intersex beings since the beginning of time.”

European Court of Human Rights found that Italy failed to protect bisexual woman from secondary victimisation

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found that Italian national authorities did not adequately protect a woman from secondary victimisation, after she had reported surviving a gang rape. 

In 2015, the Florence Court of Appeal acquitted all the six men who had been previously charged and convicted. According to the Strasbourg court, however, the judgement had failed to protect the right to respect for private life and personal integrity of the woman, as national authorities questioned her credibility on the grounds of her bisexuality, relationships, and sexual relations prior to the events in question.

The Court found that “the language and arguments used by the court of appeal conveyed prejudices existing in Italian society regarding the role of women and were likely to be an obstacle to providing effective protection for the rights of victims of gender-based violence, in spite of a satisfactory legislative framework.”

“Available data show that lesbian and bisexual women are particularly subject to sexual violence”, commented the Eurocentralasian Lesbian* Community. “There is also a concrete risk of secondary victimisation by law enforcement and judicial authorities using biphobic, lesbophobic and sexist arguments to question women's credibility. We (…) reiterate once again that it is crucial that experience of violence by lesbian and bisexual women are adequately addressed in legislations and policies concerning gender-based violence both at a European and national level.”

Los números de la Clave Única de Identificación Laboral (CUIL) de las personas no se regirán, de ahora en más, por distinción binaria de género.https://t.co/VPXJuMkynf

— Agencia Presentes (@PresentesLGBT) June 10, 2021

Argentina: ministry announces labour identification codes without gender binary distinction

The Ministry of Labour announced that the Unique Labour Identification Code (CUIL) of individuals will no longer include numbers that could automatically identify a person as either male or female.

In Argentina, the CUIL is the number given to each worker at the beginning of their employment activity as an employee. The new norm establishes that the prefix used in the new numbers will be assigned randomly, "being generic and non-binary in terms of sex/gender".

"The change in the CUIL numbers is among the first actions of the National Plan for Equality in Diversity of the national government," Alba Rueda, undersecretary of Diversity policies of the Ministry, told Presentes. She added: "The objectives of this regulation are twofold. On the one hand, to guarantee that the State complies with the Gender Identity Law and, on the other hand, to guarantee work quotas for trans persons". 

On 10 June, the Trans Labour Quota and Inclusion Bill reached a new step at the national level, as it was discussed for the first time during an ordinary session of the Chamber of the Deputies of the Nation. (update, 11 June 14:30CEST: The Chamber of Deputies approved the bill with 207 to 11 votes, and 7 abstentions. The bill will now be discussed in the Senate).

"Beyond banning conversion therapy practices across Canada, CBRC is also recommending that the federal government invest in education strategies and services that affirm the value and identity of LGBTQ2S+ people."https://t.co/Cl8uynfSOw

— CBRC (@CBRCtweets) June 7, 2021

New data suggests ‘conversion therapy’ practices are still common across Canada

Data from a new research initiative has indicated that ‘conversion therapy’ practices are still common across Canada, with as many as one in 10 persons of diverse sexual orientation and gender identities reporting that they’ve experienced the practice.

According to the study, which surveyed more than 9,000 persons, 67 per cent of people who experienced ‘conversion therapy’ say they did so in a religious or faith-based setting, while 20 per cent say they went through the practice with a licensed health-care provider.

“The data from this study can be used to hold our elected leaders and policymakers accountable to equity for LGBT2Q people in Canada,” said Travis Salway, assistant professor at Simon Fraser University and lead researcher of the study.

The findings come as the House of Commons is expected to soon have its final vote on Bill C-6, a piece of legislation that would prohibit ‘conversion therapy’ practices in Canada. According to ILGA World’s Curbing Deception report, only four UN member States have currently enacted a ban on ‘conversion therapies’ at the national level.