Urgently end violence and discrimination against LGBTI people. UN call to States
United Nations has urged States to take steps to urgently stop discrimination and violence against LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) people.
To protect LGBTI people from violence, torture and ill-treatment UN introduced 4 recommendations for Stateս:
- Investigating, prosecuting and providing remedy for acts of violence, torture and ill-treatment against LGBTI adults, adolescents and children, and those who defend their human rights;
- Strengthening efforts to prevent, monitor and report such violence;
- Incorporating homophobia and transphobia as aggravating factors in laws against hate crime and hate speech;
- Recognizing that persecution of people because they are (or are perceived to be) LGBTI may constitute a valid ground for asylum, and not returning such refugees to a place where their life or freedom might be threatened.
UN also called to combat discrimination towards LGBTI people in all context: including in education, employment, healthcare, housing, social protection, criminal justice and in asylum and detention settings.
The organization also stressed the importance of ensuring legal recognition of the gender identity of transgender people without abusive requirements, combating prejudice against LGBTI people through dialogue, public education and training; ensuring that LGBTI people are consulted and participate in the design, implementation and monitoring of laws, policies and programmes that affect them, including development and humanitarian initiatives.
For those countries were discrimination laws are existing: laws that criminalize same-sex conduct between consenting adults, laws that criminalize transgender people on the basis of their gender expression, other laws used to arrest, punish or discriminate against people on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, UN recommended to review, repeal and establish a moratorium on those application.
“All people have an equal right to live free from violence, persecution, discrimination and stigma. International human rights law establishes legal obligations on States to ensure that every person, without distinction, can enjoy these rights. While welcoming increasing efforts in many countries to protect the rights of LGBTI people, we remain seriously concerned that around the world, millions of LGBTI individuals, those perceived as LGBTI and their families face widespread human rights violations. This is cause for alarm – and action,” says the announcement of UN.
