For International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, Sunday 17 May 2015 GENEVA – Speaking ahead of the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, a group of United Nations and international human rights experts, including Maina Kiai, call for an end to discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex young people and children. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, a group of UN human rights experts, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe urge Governments worldwide to protect these young people and children from violence and discrimination, and to integrate their views on policies and laws that affect their rights. “Around the world, children and young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) or intersex, or seen as such, still face stigma, discrimination and violence because of their perceived or actual sexual orientation and gender identity, or because their bodies differ from typical definitions of female or male. Violence and discrimination against LGBT and intersex children and young persons take place at home, in... Continue reading →
GENEVA – A group of United Nations human rights experts* have urged the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan to reject a bill that would introduce criminal and administrative sanctions for acts aimed at forming “a positive attitude towards non-traditional sexual orientation.” “Instead of adopting legislation which de facto condemns lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities to silence, the authorities should be fighting against all forms of violence and discrimination in Kyrgyzstan,” the independent experts said. “The UN has already documented violence and discrimination against LGBT people in Kyrgyzstan and shown how similar laws in other countries have led to targeted abuse and violence against LGBT persons,” they noted. The draft law passed its first reading at Parliament last month, and must be voted on twice more before going to the President for signature. “If passed, the law would run afoul of the Kyrgyzstan’s human rights obligations and commitments,” they noted. The explanatory note accompanying the bill defines non-traditional sexual relations as ‘sodomy, lesbianism, and other forms of non-traditional sexual behavior’. It proscribes the dissemination of information in the media and internet, as well as the organization and participation in peaceful assemblies... Continue reading →
GENEVA / BANJUL – United Nations and African independent human rights experts, including UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai, today hailed a key judgment by the High Court of Botswana asserting that the organisation ‘Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana’ (LEGABIBO) should be legally registered as a society by the authorities. The Court rejected last Friday the arguments put forward by the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs of Botswana to refuse legal registration to LEGABIBO, by decreeing that ‘it is not a crime for one to be attracted to people of one’s own sex’ and that ‘advocacy for legislative reforms to decriminalize homosexuality is lawful.’ “This seminal judgment by the High Court of Botswana reaffirms that everyone is entitled to the fundamental right to peacefully assemble and associate,” the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, said. “Other countries should follow and allow the registration of organisations advocating for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people,” the human rights expert stressed. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, reiterated that “both the United Nations and the African Commission on Human and... Continue reading →
For International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO-T), Saturday 17 May 2014, a Joint Statement by UN human rights experts, the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media GENEVA – Marking International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO-T), a group of international and regional human rights experts, including Maina Kiai, call on States to end discrimination and address violations against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals and those who advocate for their rights. In many parts of the world, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people face discrimination, stigmatization and acts of violence. Protecting and promoting the rights of LGBTI people to free expression, association, and peaceful assembly is crucial to end their discrimination and address the appalling human rights violations inflicted upon them. These are not only basic rights, but they are also essential in allowing individuals to claim other rights, in particular the rights to freedom from discrimination and equality before the law, and they can contribute to fostering public debate in society. We condemn acts of retaliation, intimidation, or harassment in any... Continue reading →
