Joint NGO statement on behalf of ILGA delivered by Linda Baumann, at the XIXth Human Rights Council on 7 March 2012

From: http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nqZoGpS1ct  (INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANS AND INTERSEX ASSOCIATION Website)

Thank you Madame President,Madame High Commissioner,
Mr. Moderator, Distinguished panelists, I am honoured to address this panel on behalf of ILGA, which represents 917 lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex member organisations. This statement has also been endorsed by 284 NGOs from 90 countries, from diverse cultures and religions, and by mainstream allies and supporters from around the world.

We are here, not to ask for our rights, since these are already our birthright as human beings, but to urge States to fulfil their responsibilities to end human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

We welcome this panel discussion, and commend South Africa for its leadership in bringing this important human rights issue to the Council’s attention.

We warmly congratulate the High Commissioner for her report, which marks both a point of arrival and a point of departure, as it poignantly addresses human rights violations that have been highlighted by UN Special Rapporteurs and treaty bodies for close to two decades.
 
Around the world, 76 countries still criminalise us because of how we live or who we love. In extreme cases, we face the death penalty. Very often these laws are the relics of colonial-era legislation, rather than the expression of a pre-existing homophobic or transphobic culture.  Lesbians are subject to so-called “curative” rape, intersex people are subject to medical abuses, transgender persons demeaned and beaten, their rights and identities unrecognised. We are denied health care or needed treatment; we routinely face discrimination in work, housing and education. In many countries, our work as human rights defenders is opposed, obstructed or banned. Our rights to peacefully gather are often denied, while attempts are made to silence our voices.

For too long, this Council has allowed these violations to go unaddressed. There is no dignity, nor honour in torture, persecution and discrimination.

It is time for the Council to fulfil its responsibility to promote and protect the human rights of all persons without discrimination, and to develop a mechanism to ensure sustained ongoing attention to the systemic human rights violations on these grounds.

We look forward to working with States and stakeholders from all regions towards the day when all persons, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, can live their lives in the equal freedom and dignity to which all human beings are entitled.

Thank you.

Organisations Signed:  

qianyuan-LGBT,GuiZhou, China  ACCEPT Association, Romania ACCION ZULIANA POR LA VIDA, Venezuela  AI XIAOMING DUCUMENTARY STUDIO, China Aibai Culture & Education Center, China AIDES, France Aireana, grupo por los derechos de las lesbianas, Paraguay Akahata-Equipo de Trabajo en Sexualidades y Generos, Argentina Alianza Lambda de Venezuela, Venezuela Alliance française de Delhi, India Ambassadors of Change ngo, Kenya Amitie' Trust, India Amnesty International LGBt Latino America, United States Amnesty International Philippines - LGBT Group, Philippines Amnesty International Turkey, Turkey Anjaree Group, Thailand APUVIMEH, Honduras ARC International, Switzerland/Canada ArusPelangi, Indonesia Asia Pacific Transgenders Network (APTN), Malaysia/Asia Pacific Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Regional Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Asia-Pacific ASOCIACION ALFIL, Ecuador Asociacion Civil Equidad LGBT, Bolivia  Asociacion Hombres y Mujeres Nuevos de Panama, Panama Association for Women's Rights in Development, Global Association of fine arts and design - PLANET design, Bosnia and Herzegovina Astitva - An organisation for the Support & Development of Sexual minorities, India Australian Coalition for Equality, Australia, Oceania Baguio Pride Network, PLHCW, STRAP, I am LGBT, AIPH-LGBT Philippines Bandhu Social Welfare Society, Bangladesh/ South Asia Beijing Aizhixing Institute, China beijing health education institution, China Beijing LGBT Center, China Black Pink Triangle Izmir LGBTT Association, Turkey Boys of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Cambodian Center for Human Rights ("CCHR"), Cambodia Campaña por una Convencion Interamericana de los Derechos Sexuales y los Derechos Reproductivos, Latinoamerica Canadian AIDS Society, Canada CariFLAGS: the Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities Caribbean Casa Renacer Honduras, Honduras ,C.A. Casa Rosa vzw, Belgique CASAL LAMBDA, Spain Case Management Society of Australia Limited, Australia Cebu Rainbow LGBT Community, Philippines CENTER FOR THE RIGHT TO HEALTH, Nigeria Center of Excellence for Transgender Health, USA Centre for Development Studies University of Auckland, Pacific  Centre for Popular Education and Human Rights, Ghana, Ghana Centre for Secular Space, world Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS), Argentina Chi Heng Foundation Beijing Branch (Chi Tong Beijing), China China Changsha Rainbow Gay Alliance, China China Queer Independent Films, China Citizens Constitutional Forum, Fiji Club Matapi, Suriname Coalicion Arcoiris, Costa Rica COALICION BOLIVIANA DE ORGANIZACIONES LGBT, Bolivia Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation (CAISO), Trinidad & Tobago Coalition for the Liberation of the Reasigned Sex, Philippines COC Netherlands, The Netherlands Colectiva Mujer y Salud, Republica Dominicana Colectivo LotoBlanco, Ecuador Colectivo Ovejas Negras, Uruguay Colectivo Sentimos Diverso, Colombia Common Heart Organization, China Common Language, China Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, India communication for social change, Ghana COMMUNITY AND FAMILY AID FOUNDATION-GHANA, Ghana Corporacion Humanas - Regional Center on Human Rights and Gender Justice, Chile Corporacion KIMIRINA, Ecuador  corps dissident, France CREA, India Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), Philippines DIONISIOS ARTE-CULTURA-IDENTIDAD, Ecuador  Diverlex Diversidad e Igualdad a Través de la Ley, Venezuela Diversity Futures, Australia Drachma, Malta Dreilinden, Germany Drodrolagi Movement, Fiji East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, Uganda ECPI-Euroregional Center for Public Initiatives, Romania Education International, Belgium/Global education union organization  Elige, Red de Jovenes por los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos, Mexico Equality Network, Scotland, UK Equidad Ecuador, Ecuador Espacio de Articulacion DIDH - Diversidad, Interculturalidad y Derechos Humanos, Argentina Federacion Argentina LGBT, Argentina FIATPAX,GAYGAS, Nicaragua Filipino Freethinkers, Philippines Former Founder Aus Transgender Support Association of Queensland Inc., Australia Freedom and Roam Uganda, Uganda Freshmen Autonomous Committee of SWUST, China FtM Phoenix Group, Russia Fundacion Amigos por la Vida - FAMIVIDA, Ecuador  Fundacion Arcoiris por el respeto a la diversidad sexual, Mexico FUNDACION DIVERSENCIA, Bolivia Fundacion DIVERSO ECUADOR, Ecuador  Fundacion Ecuatoriana Equidad, Ecuador FUNDACION HABITAT VERDE, Bolivia FUNDACION MANODIVERSA, Bolivia Fundacion Privada para la Identidad de Genero, Spain Fundacion REDVIHDA, Bolivia Fundacion Reflejos de Venezuela, Venezuela Fundacion Triangulo, Spain GATE - Global Action for Trans* Equality, international/worldwide Gay And Lesbian Vaishnava Association, USA Gay Church, Taiwan Gay Grassroots of Northwest Florida, USA Gay Japan News, Japan GAYa NUSANTARA, Indonesia Gays Without Borders, Thailand GDUFS, China Gender Dysphoria Unit of South Australia, Australia Gender Spectrum, USA GenderBridge, New Zealand GrenCHAP Inc., Grenada/Caribbean Grupo CD4 y Revista Queernavaca, Mexico Grupo Nepyru, Paraguay Grupo Transexual Portugal, Portugal Guang Tong (GZTZ.ORG), China Hong Guang Alliance, China Human Rights First, USA HURISA, South Africa ID Trans  IDAHO Committee, International Igualdad de Derechos Ya, Ecuador  ILGA, International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Intersex Association, Belgium ILGA-Europe - European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, Europe Inclusive Foundation, Georgia India HIV/AIDS Alliance, India INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre, Sri Lanka Iniciativa Venezolana Contra la Discriminacion, Venezuela International Alliance of Women/alliance Internationale des Femmes, Netherlands/International International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), USA

International HIV/AIDS Alliance, United Kingdom INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN AND GAY LAW ASSOCCIATION-LATINAMERICA, Latinamerica INTERNATIONAL PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION, Global International Service for Human Rights, Switzerland  International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific, Malaysia Intersex Internattional Organization, Philippines Intersex South Africa (with OII), South Africa Ipas, Global Istanbul LGBTT Solidarity Association, Turkey Itigokurabu, China Jiangxi Rainbow, China JWT, India Kaos GL,Turkey Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum, India Kolectiva Rebeldias Lesbicas, Peru Kongzhong Corp, China Kygryz Indigo, Kyrgyzstan Ladlad Bacolod, Philippines LADLAD REGION II, Philippines lambada de venezuela, Venezuela Landsforeningen for lesbiske, homofile, bifile og transpersoner, Norway Latin American and Caribbean Women's Health Network, Latin America and the Caribbean LeAP, Philippines Lesben- und Schwulenverband LSVD, Germany Lesbian Activism Project, Inc. , Philippines Lesbians and Bisexuals in Action, India LGBT Centre Mongolia, Mongolia LGBT Georgia, Georgia LGBT Platform Suriname, Suriname Liberty Victoria (Victorian Council for Civil Liberties Inc), Australia MADRE, United States MANODIVERSA, Bolivia Metropolitan Community Church of Quezon City, Philippines Mingle (Mission for Indian Gay & Lesbian Empowerment), India Moscow Helsinki Group, Russia MUSAS Peru, Peru National LGBTI Health Alliance, Australia Naz Foundation International, South Asia Nazra for Feminist Studies, Egypt NON-GENDERED - Fighting for Legal Recognition, United Kingdom Nvai, China OEML, Ecuador OLO, One Love Oceania, U.S.A. OMNIA ASBL VZW, Belgium On the Margins Group, China Open Arms MCC, USA Organisation Intersex International, New Zealand Organizacion de Transexuales por la Dignidad de la Diversidad, Chile Organizacion Ecuatoriana de Mujeres Lesbianas - OEML, Ecuador Organization Q, Bosnia and Herzegovina Outrage Magazine, Philippines Pacific Sexual Diversity Network, Tonga Partnership Law Japan, Japan Peaceworks, Australia Pearls for development, India Pembe Hayat LGBTT Solidarity Association, Turkey PFLAG, China Philippine Forum on Sports, Culture, Sexuality and Human Rights, Philippines PINK EMBASSY, ALBANIA, Albania PLAKA Dumaguete, Philippines Positive Vibes, Namibia PPA+, Philippines ProGay Philippines, Philippines PROMSEX, Peru Proyecto Transgenero, Ecuador Public Association Labrys, Kyrgyzstan Public Association Pathfinder, Kyrgyzstan Public Information and Need of Knowledge NGO, Armenia Public organization "Informational-Educational Center "For Equal Rights", Ukraine Queer Comrades, China queer delhi, India Queer Pagan Network - Philippines, Philippines QUITOGAY, Ecuador Raffles Design Institute Bangkok, Thailand Rainbow China, Hong Kong Rainbow Liberty Foundation, Denmark Rainbow Rights Project (R-Rights) Inc., Philippines Rainbow Youth, New Zealand Red Lesbica Cattrachas, Honduras Red Ribbon Volunteer Group of Longgang District, Shenzhen, China REDLAC, Puerto Rico REDTRANS, Nicaragua RFSL, The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights, Sweden Rights Society, Russia Saathi, IIT Bombay, India Sadhane, India Sangama, India Sangini (india) trust, India Scottish Transgender Alliance, Scotland, UK SEARCH Foundation, Australia Secrec. Lesbica Sub region Andina ILGALAC - Colectivo Uniones Peru Peru Sex and Gender Education Forum, Sun Yat-sen University, China Sexual Diversity Network (Thailand), China shanghai Nvai LBT Organisation, China Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), Guyana Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines (STRAP), Philippines Space Allies, Japan SREI, India SRIA Rwanda Ltd, Rwanda, East and Southern Africa Studiorum Sexualis Barcelona, Spain Survival Advocacy Network (SANFiji), Fiji Tanzania Sisi Kwa Sisi Foundation (TSSF), Tanzania Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group, Australia / Tasmania The Center for Health Policy Study,Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, Mahidol University,Thailand, Thailand The family of chinese lgbts' relatives and friends, China The Humsafar Trust, India the israeli center for human sexuality & gender identity, Israel The Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch -The Republic of the Philippines THE POZ HOME CENTER, Thailand Trans Education and Advocacy, Ireland Trans*Action Netherlands, Netherlands Transgender Law Center, USA Transgender Network Switzerland, Switzerland TransGender Victoria, Australia traveschile (Agrupacion Transgenera), Chile UHAI- the East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative, Kenya United and Strong Inc., Saint Lucia United Belize Advocacy Movement, Belize UP Babaylan, Philippines Venezuela Diversa A.C, Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela ver.di, Germany Villanova University , USA Vox Asoaciacion Civil, Argentina Vreerwerk, Netherlands WEZESHA, Tanzania WhyCantWeGetMarried.Com, Sierra Leone Witches' Hive of the IFTAS, Philippines women coalition of HKSAR, Hong Kong Women Working with Women (3W), Kenya Women's Therapy Center, USA Women'S Way Foundation, Suriname Womens Global Network for Reproductive Rights, The Philippines Workinggroup on International solidarity with LGBT, Belgium World Organisation Against Torture, Switzerland wuhanrainbow, China WUR, China Young Peoples Concerned Network, Fiji