Turkey: Court sentences trans woman who spoke out against discrimination

Trans woman H.Ç. has been sentenced to one year and two months in prison after gynaecologist F.H. refused to treat her because of her transsexuality and then filed a lawsuit claiming insult against her. 

On 15 September, H.Ç. filed a complaint against a gynecologist for “discrimination, insult, preventing access to the right to medical treatment and negligence in medicine.” The governorate did not allow the investigation after the complaint. The doctor counter sued H.Ç. for 'insulting' him and the court found in his favor.

Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD LGBTI) lawyer Rozerin Seda Kip objected to the governorate’s decision but her objection was denied by a majority of votes at the Istanbul Regional Administration Court.  Read more via LGBT Turkey

Jamaica: Why the sodomy law must go

A new constitutional challenge to the Jamaican anti-sodomy law that criminalises all forms of intimacy between men was launched. There is overwhelming evidence that the law provides licence for abuse, discrimination and, too often, the assault, torture and murder of LGBTI Jamaicans, including through cases of violent ‘corrective rape’ perpetrated against lesbian and bisexual women. In fact, one senior police officer has said that anti-gay attitudes will not change until the law changes.

There are also well recognised public-health reasons to abolish this colonial relic, including the fact that its existence continues to drive men who have sex with men underground and away from effective HIV prevention, treatment, care and support interventions. Consequently, Jamaica has the highest HIV prevalence rate among MSM in the Western Hemisphere, if not the world - around 33 per cent.

The challenge being launched will be the second attempt to use local courts to abolish the law. The first case was withdrawn in 2014 when the claimant and his family received death threats. In that case, more than a dozen religious organisations were allowed to intervene in defending the law. 

 Read more via Jamaica Gleaner
 

Armenia: Amendments to constitution adopted

Amendments to the Armenian constitution have been adopted, the country’s Central Election Commission said. The Commission turned down the application of the Armenian National Congress to declare the elections invalid. 

A PINK Armenia representative noted that one amendment changes the wording on marriage rights and redefines marriage as between man and woman.

"The previous constitution Article 35 stated: Men and women of marriageable age have the right to marry and found a family according to their free will. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and divorce. Now, with the ''amended''  Constitution, Article 34, states: Men and women of marriageable age have the right to marry with each other and found a family according to their free will. Thus, the new Constitution is limiting the freedom of marriage to opposite sex, Armenia has joined the countries who have a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage."  Read more on the Armenian referendum here 

Slovenia: Voters reject equal marriage in referendum

Voters in Slovenia headed to the polls Dec 21st in a bid to reinforce a ban on same-sex marriage. The Central European country’s Parliament passed a bill to legalise same-sex marriage earlier this year, to outcry from parts of the Slovenian public.

A referendum was forced after opposition gathered 80,00 signatures. With nearly all of the 620,261 votes now counted, the country has recorded 225,428 Yes votes (36.5%) in favour of equal marriage, and 391,818  No votes (63.5%) opposed.

A number of nearby countries have passed bans on marriage equality in recent years, including neighboring Croatia, which held a referendum in 2013. Those against the implementation of the equality law have used the outdated argument that children need a mother and a father, and that children do worse if they have same-sex parents. Read more via Buzzfeed 

Venezuela: Meet Tamara Adrián, Venezuela’s crusading trans politician

Among those elected in Venezuela's recent election was Tamara Adrián, a lawyer and human-rights campaigner. She is the first transgender member of the Parliament in Venezuela and only the second trans member of a legislature in the whole of Latin America, the first being Michelle Suárez Bértora in Uruguay last year.

That Adrián won the seat at all is an achievement—but that it happened in Venezuela is extraordinary. Venezuela now has chronic food shortages, an official unemployment rate of 18%, and inflation of 159%, the highest in the world. The Bolivar, the nation’s currency, is so worthless people have begun using it as napkins. Adrián said her demands for equality and a better economy for Venezuela are closely bound, citing studies by organizations like the World Bank which show that equality not only makes society more just, it raises productivity as well.

In the short term, Adrián will also force the Venezuelan Parliament to be more civilized. She said: “In the past, in this Assembly, people have been calling each other ‘mariconson,’ which is ‘faggot,’ basically. It’s unacceptable to say that in a Parliament. My presence will require tolerance and I will very strongly request that respect.

“On the other hand, as I have in my agenda the fight for equality, as soon as possible I will be pushing forward for getting a discussion on a gender identity law, anti-discrimination law, and equal marriage law. These three laws are indispensable.”  Read more via the Daily Beast 

Sweden: Teenagers 'murdered gay man before wrapping snake around his neck and dressing him in women's clothes'

Two teenagers have been accused of murder after allegedly launching a brutal assault on a gay man which was filmed on a mobile phone. The pair of Moroccan refugees, aged 16 and 19, had travelled from their home country to Sweden. They followed a gay man back to his home in Bergsjön after he offered them clothes and food upon hearing they were in need. However after arriving at the apartment the two refugees allegedly beat him to death, police claim. Read more via Mirror