During the 56th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender (IE SOGI), five of the Trans Advocacy Week delegates delivered statements on behalf of 15 trans and gender diverse activists from the Global South and East. These statements were delivered on 21 June 2024.
The first statement delivered on behalf of ILGA addresses the reports of the previous IE SOGI Mandate holder’s country visits to the United Kingdom, Cambodia, and the United States of America, highlighting areas of grave concern, including the rise of the anti-gender movement and anti-trans discourse on legal gender recognition, anti-LGBTI bills, and laws and policies restricting the work of civil society organizations. Furthermore, the statement draws attention to issues relating to gender-inclusive language, censorship of artistic and cultural expression, and the failure of policies to address online hate and disinformation.
The second statement, delivered by Nari Alibekova on behalf of TGEU courtesy of COC Nederland, addresses the IE SOGI thematic report on the Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in relation to the human rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, commending the attention brought to the worldwide deterioration of LGBTI and civil society human rights. The statement highlights the neo-colonial influence of Russia on Central Asia, the Caucasus and Eastern Europe in the passing of anti-trans laws, and draws attention to the spreading of disinformation that undermines democracy. It concludes by emphasizing the critical importance of the Mandate and encouraging the Independent Expert to strengthen cooperation with other UN mechanisms to protect human rights.
The third statement, delivered by Daniel Benitez-Posada on behalf of GATE, also addresses the IE SOGI thematic report, commending the focus on barriers to these fundamental freedoms, including legal restrictions, hostile environments and the instrumentalization of LGBT rights to distract from entrenched economic and political issues. The statement emphasizes the barriers that trans people face when they do not have access to identity documents that reflect their gender, including the denial of fundamental rights, and urges Member States to adopt legal gender recognition laws based on self-determination.
The fourth statement, delivered by Polo Kebadze on behalf of APTN, likewise addresses the IE SOGI thematic report, commending the recognition of the instrumentalization of LGBTI people in the promotion of anti-gender narratives and policies, highlighting how restrictions on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association specifically target trans and gender diverse individuals. The statement draws attention to the criminalization of our communities’ existence across all regions of the world focusing on the restriction of the right to freedom of expression as it connects to gender identity.
The fifth statement, delivered by Thomars Shamuyarira on behalf of RFSL, once again addresses the IE SOGI thematic report, highlighting the disproportionate impact of restrictive policies on trans individuals and focusing on the unique challenges faced by trans migrants and refugees that result in exclusion from social and political life. The statement commends the focus on the digital sphere as a target for oppressing our communities and the emphasis on the need for more focus on digital misinformation and accompanying policies to address restrictions on freedom of expression.