We will be heard! Read the full UK Black Pride survey 2021: https://t.co/Ffd09IyZiK pic.twitter.com/IFzzVlorwr

— UK BLACK PRIDE (@ukblackpride) November 18, 2021

United Kingdom: LGBTQI+ people of colour face higher levels of discrimination and abuse, study shows

LGBTQI+ people of colour in the United Kingdom feel “unwelcome” and experience higher levels of discrimination and abuse, a recent study revealed.

Conducted by UK Black Pride, the We Will Be Heard report involved over 1,400 people. The survey inquired participants on community spaces, safety, media, mental health, and the work environment.

According to the research, only 25 percent of respondents felt that their local LGBTQI+ spaces were welcoming for Black people and people of colour. Almost half of them reported facing insults, intimidation, and harassment. As a result, 61 percent say they avoid certain streets because they feel unsafe, while almost half of respondents reported adjusting their clothing choices to escape discrimination.

“The voices and experiences of Black LGBTQI+ people and people of colour are essential to understanding what life is really like in the UK, but we are often overlooked,” said Lady Phyll, UK Black Pride co-founder and executive director. “Whenever anyone in our communities reports harassment, abuse or fears for their safety, it’s heartbreaking.”

Thailand: law defining marriage between “man and woman” is constitutional, Court rules

The law stipulating that a marriage can only be between a man and a woman is constitutional, the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled, as the path to marriage equality in the country hit a major roadblock. 

Section 1448 of the Civil and Commercial Code establishes that a marriage “can take place only when the man and woman have completed their seventeenth year of age.” According to the unanimous ruling, the law “does not contravene the Constitution”.

The verdict sparked criticisms from rights groups. “Although the Court made an observation that relevant authorities should enact a law to ensure the rights of people with diverse sexual identities, this ruling still marks a huge backsliding for our fights towards the recognition of same-sex marriage and the equal rights of the LGBTIQ+ community in Thailand,” Manushya Foundation commented.

Honoring the victims of fatal violence against trans people isn’t enough. This #TransAwarenessWeek and #TransDayOfRemembrance, we must all take action.

Our report provides ways we can all help create a safer world for trans people. https://t.co/9rBQENvRdT

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) November 18, 2021

(trigger warning: violence) United States: 2021 deadliest year on record for trans and gender-diverse people

Since the beginning of 2021, at least 46 trans and gender-diverse people have been killed in an “epidemic of violence” ramping up in the United States, Human Rights Campaign reported. 

The number is the highest recorded since the group started collecting data in 2013: a grim milestone the US trans community faces for the second year in a row, after 44 murders had been reported in 2020. Similarly to last year, Black and Latinx people have been disproportionately affected: out of 46 reported victims, 29 were Black and eight Latinx. 

“The rhetoric and stigma aimed by anti-equality political leaders and public figures at transgender and non-binary people have led to an unprecedented level of horrific violence against our transgender community,” said Joni Madison, Interim President of the Human Rights Campaign.

“We must fight for change. We must dismantle this stigma. We must bring this epidemic of violence to an end,” she added.

Latest statistics on the rainbow community in NZ should lead to changes in the way public agencies include, prioritise, and fund support for Kiwis hit by inequity https://t.co/BSyQd0wpXt

— Newsroom (@NewsroomNZ) November 12, 2021

Aotearoa New Zealand: Household Economic Survey casts a light on inequalities for our communities

According to the annual Household Economic Survey, 4,2 percent of the adult population in Aotearoa New Zealand identifies as LGBT.

Interviewing more than 31,000 people aged 18 and over, the survey collected data on sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time, casting a light on the inequalities faced by our communities in the country – including on their economic status, housing situation, and mental health outcomes.

Compared to their peers, people of diverse sexual orientations or gender identities were more likely to report experiencing anxiety (26,3 against 11 percent) and depression (9,8 against 3,4 percent). 

According to the findings of the survey, LGBT people are also less likely to own their home, are more at risk of poorer housing conditions, and they reported significantly higher annual housing costs. Moreover, sexual minorities have reported a lower average disposable income (NZ$ 36,331, around EUR 24,000) compared to their heterosexual peers (NZ$ 42,453, around over EUR 26,000).

“This is not a surprise to anyone working in this area,” wrote John Fenaughty, senior lecturer at the University of Auckland. “What is new are the questions that this data will raise. Do these findings, on top of the longstanding documented disparities for our communities, finally mean the time has arrived for our population to be a named priority in health policy?”

JUSTICE & EQUALITY prevails!
Thank you Mercedez for fighting for what’s right. Generations of transgender Namibians, stand on your shoulders. #WeBelongpic.twitter.com/QT7tQkcLQM

— Namibia Equal Rights Movement (@EqualNamibia) November 12, 2021

Namibia: trans woman wins police abuse case

A trans woman won a court case against the Namibian Ministry of Safety and Security after she was beaten and verbally abused at the hands of police.

In July 2017, Mercedez Von Cloete was unlawfully arrested, beaten, and assaulted by a plain-clothes police officer. She was never charged with any crime. A few months later, Von Cloete accused the officer of kicking and insulting her, as other officers allegedly witnessed without intervening. Now, the High Court has awarded the woman 50,0000 Namibian dollars (around EUR 3,000) in damages.

Von Cloete voiced her joy for the ruling, saying it made her “a little more optimistic and hopeful that justice does, in fact, exist in Namibia.”

For the Namibia Equal Rights Movement, this represents “a landmark verdict for the trans community; that in Namibia hate and violence will not prevail, that we’re all equal.”

El 70% de mujeres trans nunca tuvieron una entrevista de trabajo en el país https://t.co/G8AZv1MTv9 pic.twitter.com/feNLThQxWH

— La Gaceta de Tucumán (@LaGacetaTucuman) November 12, 2021

Argentina: trans persons excluded from formal labour market, report shows

A new report has cast a light on the hardships Argentina’s trans community faces in finding employment.  

Presented by consultancy firm Nodos at an IDEA (Instituto para el Desarrollo Empresarial de la Argentina) meeting, the research reports that 70 percent of trans women and 36 percent of trans men have never had a job interview. Further, only 12 percent of trans women and 48 percent of trans men take part in the formal labour market.

The over 80 company representatives present at the meeting pledged to find new shared strategies for trans employment inclusion. Among these, participants discussed building partnerships with trans advocacy groups.

“Companies have a decisive role in creating employment in our country, with the responsibility to include and integrate all groups, focusing on those who are systematically marginalised,” said Inés Cura, head of IDEA Diversity and IBM executive.