#Americas: 9 LGBTI people are murdered every week
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) presented yesterday in San Francisco the English version of the most comprehensive report on violence against LGBTI people in the 25 member states of the OAS. The Spanish and Portuguese versions have been available since last year.
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The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) presented yesterday in San Francisco the English version of the most comprehensive report on violence against LGBTI people in the 25 member states of the OAS. The Spanish and Portuguese versions have been available since last year.
The election of Donald Trump as president represents a threat to the hard-won rights of LGBTI people living in the United States, as well as those residing in other countries. One of the first measures taken by the new president was to remove the section dedicated to the LGBTI community from the White House website: a gesture that, according to human rights experts, will not remain merely symbolic.
[Read also: #Peru: The ideology of hate against the LGBTIQ community ]
In his first days in office, Trump signed an executive order to reinstate a law prohibiting civil society organizations from using government funds to finance groups that promote reproductive health services in various parts of the world.
Hence the significance of the presentation last night in San Francisco, an iconic city for the LGBTQ+ movement, of the English-language version of the report on violence against LGBTQ+ people.
The report, originally in Spanish , was first presented in Washington in April 2016. It drew on information gathered over ten years by civil society organizations, government agencies, and experts from the 25 member states of the Organization of American States (OAS). A specific survey was also conducted over a 15-month period, between 2013 and 2014.
These are not isolated or individual cases
In addition to statistics, the document includes testimonies from victims, provides crucial definitions for discussing the LGBTI community, and analyzes the various forms and contexts of violence faced by these individuals, often characterized by high levels of cruelty and brutality. At the end of the document, the IACHR offers 100 recommendations to states to address this problem.
During last night's presentation in San Francisco, IACHR Commissioner Francisco Eguiguren emphasized the responsibility of governments and judicial systems as the primary perpetrators and legitimizers of this violence.
[READ ALSO: #Paraguay: They entered the Judiciary to defend trans women ]
“These acts of violence are not isolated incidents. They reflect a social situation. If the State does not investigate or punish, that is called impunity. It is even more serious when this violence is perpetrated by authorities, from the justice system and the police, or even through political discourse. Rights are violated, and people's integrity and happiness are impeded,” Eguiguren said.
A new report for 2017
During the presentation, the commissioner announced that this year, the IACHR's Office of the Special Rapporteur for LGBTI Persons will prepare a report compiling best practices and progress made by countries in the region. This will serve as a way to monitor policies and work with states that are more reluctant to comply with recommendations.
[Read also: #Argentina: drastic increase in transphobic murders in 2016 ]
He also urged states to establish a statistical registry of crimes against LGBTI people. “We must make the problem visible, punish the perpetrators, and provide reparations to the victims,” the rapporteur added.
Times of setbacks
“While there have been some isolated advances, we are living in difficult times. Even setbacks. A few months ago, I went to Brazil to present the Portuguese version of the report, and the concern was the rhetoric of the various churches. They have been particularly aggressive on these issues. They oppose gender-based approaches in education and public policy. This has been reflected in politics, where the discourse is increasingly aggressive and discriminatory,” he added.
Another point the commissioner emphasized is the responsibility of schools and the media in perpetuating or confronting aggressive behavior. Their influence on social discourse is enormous, and preventive work must be carried out from there.
“This report is a first step. Help us continue to disseminate it. It is about continuing to raise awareness among our authorities. Because the dignity of our human beings demands the right to live free from violence and threats,” he concluded.
Infographics taken
from the IACHR report.
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