IACHR Publishes Report on Violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Persons

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights published a regional report on the violence perpetrated against LGBTI persons or those perceived as LGBTI [...] Some countries in the region have made significant progress in recognizing the rights of LGBTI persons, but there are still high rates of violence in all countries of the region.

As the many testimonies included in the report show, this violence tends to be extremely brutal and cruel. Moreover, the everyday violence that affects LGBTI persons is often invisible, as it is not reported to the authorities or covered by the media.

The report focuses on violence against LGBTI persons as a complex and multifaceted social phenomenon and not just as an isolated incident or individual act. Different sexual orientations and identities challenge fundamental heteronormative notions about sex, sexuality, and gender. The report also analyzes how the situation of violence faced by LGBTI persons intersects with other factors such as ethnicity, race, sex, gender, migration situation, status as a human rights defender, and poverty.

When States do not carry out thorough and impartial investigations into violence against LGBTI persons—as in the majority of cases—this leads to impunity for these crimes; this sends a strong message to society that violence is condoned and tolerated, which generates even more violence and leads victims to distrust the justice system.  Read more via OAS

On Human Rights Anniversary, LGBT Groups Shift Strategies at UN

December 10 is human rights day, the 67th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year, the focus of the presentations will shift to include not just human rights but also economic development. This shift, from human rights to economic and human development, represents a larger expansion in the strategy of the global LGBT movement which we will see played out in the years to come.

Until recently, LGBT groups have not focused on seeking inclusion in human and economic development programs. This has not been an oversight but rather a strategic choice. Fifteen years ago, a small number of LGBT activists were earnestly seeking recognition at the United Nations. Though certainly the battles are not over, the LGBT movement has been successful in assuring that LGBT issues are part of the human rights discussion. 

This same advancement has not happened in the sphere of human and economic development. The new set of global development goals adopted this year by the UN do not recognize LGBT people at all. These goals will guide trillions of dollars of international aid. The systems that are used to measure progress toward these goals --- a multitude of surveys and measurements of everything from health, education to domestic violence and agriculture -- do not track any data about LGBT people. In most countries in the world we know nothing to very little about the the lifespan, economic status, or educational attainment of LGBT people.  

Read more via Huffington Post
 

UNDP: When people are counted, no one is left behind

LGBTI economic, political and social exclusion remains pervasive, resulting in a lack of access to things like adequate education and health services. If LGBTI people continue to face exclusion, the  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will remain out of our reach. We must quickly sort out what it will take to ensure LGBTI inclusion. 

UNDP’s work includes a focus on providing the data and analysis that informs sustainable development. It is development data and its analysis that can lead to policy and program changes necessary to underpin sustainable development and prioritize  investments. But in most places, data and analysis specific to LGBTI people is drastically lacking, allowing the challenges faced by them to remain invisible.  UNDP is trying to change that with an initiative to address the data gaps and a new UNDP LGBTI Inclusion Index.

Measuring inclusion is not new to UNDP. We have long measured human development with the Human Development Index (HDI), and the more recently added Gender Inequality Index (GII). These indices help gauge how far countries have progressed in ensuring a long and healthy life, education, and a decent standard of living for all (HDI) and access to reproductive health, empowerment, and comparable economic status for women (GII). Read more via UNDP

Starting the world's only trans bodybuilding competition

Four years ago, Neo Sandja decided to get drunk and throw himself in front of a speeding car.

"I went out to a bar with my friends," he says."When I left, I told them, 'Goodbye, you'll never see me again.' But they were just as drunk as I was and didn't take me seriously." He found himself stumbling along the side of the road in his Georgia college town in the middle of the night. Headlights were speeding by.

"I kept thinking, 'This is it. I'm going to do this. I just can't be here anymore. Why did I suffer so long?" He thrust himself into the road, and a car stopped just shy of his leg. Out stepped a cop.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" the cop asked.  "Yes," Neo replied. "Do you need help?" "Yes."

Neo explained that he had just realized he was transgender and that his father back in Africa would never accept him as a man. The officer responded: "My sister is a trans woman." Read more

UK: Internet goes wild over hardware store’s LGBTI advert

Several brands have used LGBT people to great acclaim in their advertising in recent months, including the likes of Nordstrom, Wells Fargo and airbnb. However, a social media campaign released by UK-based hardware chain Robert Dyas has left some people scratching their heads.
The video, posted online Friday, features gay, bisexual and straight members of staff extolling the LGBT-friendly credentials of the store.

‘I like showing our gay and straight customers the funky range of our Christmas gifts,’ says sales assistant Marcus.

‘Look at this Christmas tree; it’s perfect for a gay person or a straight person.’

‘I’m bisexual and I always find something I love at Robert Dyas’, says one female shopper. Since the video was posted, it’s had over 400,000 views on YouTube and over 400,000 on Facebook. Some have complimented the advert. Read more

Our 13 Favorite LGBT-Positive Children's Books

Children's books occupy a tricky place in literature, especially when their aim is to change the minds of readers. With Heather Has Two Mommies, author Lesléa Newman was the first person to portray a pair of lesbian mothers in a positive way in a children's book, and it instigated criticism during the culture wars of the '90s.

Now with its 25th anniversary re-release, we look at other books that include LGBT characters. It's a fine line to tread: without verging into the realm of preachy, all good children's books have a lesson, but kids can’t know that they’re learning! Here’s a handful of (mostly) recent books that stand out.  Read more

I’m Gay, Bi, Trans, Fluid: The 63 most powerful comings out of 2015 from all over the world

Coming out. Yes, it’s still a big deal. Although LGBT rights have made huge advances in recent years, as long as people are denigrated, abused, discriminated against, and killed for being LGBT, it is still utterly important for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people to be visible, and to be proud and value their identities. Making a statement and letting the world know is just the first step in a lifelong process.

And depending on who you are, or where you’re living, or what religious denomination you practice, coming out can make a unique difference in the lives of those around you, not to mention those who are listening around the world.

It’s a powerful act.  Read more 

NBA Referee Comes Out After Gay Slur

Bill Kennedy, one of the NBA's top referees, has revealed he is gay.

"I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man," Kennedy told Yahoo Sports on Sunday night. "I am following in the footsteps of others who have self-identified in the hopes that will send a message to young men and women in sports that you must allow no one to make you feel ashamed of who you are." 

Kennedy declined further comment on his announcement. NBA commissioner Adam Silver delivered a statement of support for Kennedy.  Read more 

Birthstory

At first, this is the story of an Israeli couple, two guys, who go to another continent to get themselves a baby by hiring surrogates to carry the children for them. As we follow them on their journey, an earth shaking revelation shifts our focus from them, to the surrogate mothers.

Unfolding in real time, as countries around the world consider bans on surrogacy, this episode looks at a relationship that manages to feel deeply affecting, and deeply uncomfortable, all at the same time. Listen now 

A HIV-Positive Dating App Leaked 5,000 Users’ Data

A security researcher has discovered that user data was until recently leaking from two health apps: Hzone, a dating app for HIV-positive singles, and iFit, a fitness app.

These two leaks together affect far fewer people than some other breaches, however the health app leaks are significant because they contained, in some cases, unusually sensitive and personal information. They also underscore how many health apps do not have to comply with federal patient privacy laws — even if they collect personal information — if they do not share that information with doctors and others bound by those same privacy laws.

In the case of Hzone, such information included names, email addresses, birthdays, relationship statuses, number of children, sexual orientation, sexual experiences, and messages like this, according to DataBreaches.net: “Hi. I was diagnosed 3 years ago now. CD4 and Viral Load is relatively good. I’m therefore not on Meds yet. My 6-monthly blood tests are due in June. Planning to go in meds. I’m worried about the side effects. What kinds of side effect have you experienced? Xx.” As many as 5,000 users appeared in the breach.  Read more via Buzzfeed

Global initiative launched on gay app Hornet to modernise safe sex message

The Global Forum on MSM and HIV (MSMGF) has teamed up with gay dating app Hornet for a new digital campaign to help modernise the HIV prevention message.

Blue Ribbon Boys is a collaboration from the two organisations that prompts Hornet app users to answer a short series of “yes/no” questions about their sexual health.
The questions relate to HIV and STI testing, ARV (anti-retroviral) treatment, PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), viral load, disclosure, stigma, condom and lubricant use, and other safe sex methods.

Hornet users who undertake the survey and qualify will receive a blue ribbon icon on their profile photo signifying their personal commitment to sexual health, regardless of their HIV status.  Read more via Star Observer

Facebook finally reforms ‘real name’ policy after drag queen bans

After enduring more than a year of criticism, Facebook is making major changes to the way it enforces its real name policy. Facebook users will notice a new system for reporting fake names along with a new system for responding to those reports. The system now includes specific support channels for LGBTQ issues, non-Western names, and instances of stalking or abuse. The new system will deploy in the US immediately, expanding internationally depending on feedback from the US rollout.

Facebook is quick to note that the new system doesn’t reflect a change in the real name policy itself, and users will still be required to use the same name on Facebook that they use in real life. Still, Facebook is betting that the new process will address many of the concerns and open the door to more improvements in the future. 

The real name policy has also presented problems in cases of stalking and abuse, although those instances have received less press coverage. Targets of sustained abuse sometimes avoid using their legal names for privacy reasons, but until now there’s been little guidance for how to square that practice with Facebook’s policy. In the worst cases, the old system could lead to inadvertent doxxing if a user sent in a driver’s license only to have their account automatically switched to their legal name. Read more via Verge