Philippines: Why call centers might be the most radical workplaces

You may not realize it, but the person on the other side of your customer service phone call might be transgender. On calls, Filipino workers can safely adopt women’s voices, names, and clothing, all while earning a decent wage. But their success at work doesn’t protect them from the discrimination they face outside of it.

In the Philippines, call centers have become havens for gender-nonconforming people, a place where they can experiment with their gender presentation and identity. Since most of the labor takes place over the phone, employees assigned male at birth may adopt traditionally feminine names, take on a “female voice,” or wear women’s clothing while talking to customers, a freedom that would be impossible in most other industries in the country.

For decades, beauty parlors were a rare refuge where gender-variant Filipinas could openly work, at the expense of low wages. But today “call centers are the new beauty parlor,” said Naomi Fontanos, the head of a major Philippine transgender organization and herself a former call center worker.  Read more via Buzzfeed

Kenya: Case to decriminalize gay sex filed in Kenya's High Court

A gay rights campaigner filed a case in Kenya's High Court calling for the decriminalization of gay sex, which is punishable by 14 years in jail in the conservative east African nation.

Eric Gitari, who heads the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, asked the court to strike out sections of the Penal Code criminalizing gay sex because, he says, they violate constitutional rights to equality, dignity and privacy.

The law makes "carnal knowledge... against the order of nature" a crime attracting a 14 year sentence while "gross indecency with another male" is punishable by five years in jail.  

 Read more via Reuters

Parliament calls on Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina & Albania to respect LGBTI

In the last of its annual progress reports on accession countries, the European Parliament evaluated the situation in Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, including the situation of LGBTI people.

In its report on Turkey, parliament highlights its concerns with the backsliding on democratic norms, like the freedom of expression and the media. Furthermore, the Parliament regrets the failure to include protection for LGBT people in the Hate Crimes Bill. Hate Crimes against LGBTI people are a big problem in Turkey, which too often remains unpunished, or sentences are reduced on account of the victim’s alleged ‘unjust provocation’.

In its report on Albania, the European Parliament highlights the successful Tirana Pride, which was held without major incidents in June 2015. It calls the effective legislative and policy measures to reinforce the protection of human rights, minority rights and anti-discrimination policies a key priority.

Regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Parliament calls for a country-wide anti-discrimination strategy and for the inclusion of a clear definition of gender identity, sexual orientation in the country’s anti-discrimination law. The parliament expresses its concerns over hate violence, hate speech targeting LGBTI persons, and accordingly calls on the government to undertake awareness-raising actions on the rights of LGBTI people among the judiciary, law enforcement agencies and the general public. Read more via Intergroup on LGBTI Rights

31st Session of the Human Rights Council: LGBTI Rights and Intersectionality

The 31st Session of the Human Rights Council provided us an opportunity to think of the issue of discrimination and violence faced by LGBTI people from an intersectional lens. SOGI issues in this session became a part of many important conversations during the Council.

What the Report on torture throws up sharply was the self evident truth that SOGI rights are linked to other human rights issues as some LGBTI people are human rights defenders, others are women, others have their right to expression violated and yet others become victims of targeted violence.

Other dimensions of LGBTI existence be it homelessness, attacks on human rights defenders, violation of the right to freedom of association, the right to freedom of religion and the violation of cultural rights were explored in key reports by Special Rapporteurs in the 31st session. Read more via ARC International

High-risk anal HPV infections persist in a significant proportion of HIV-negative MSM

Anal infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) types associated with a high risk of pre-cancerous and cancerous cell changes persisted for two years in 37% of men who have sex with men (MSM) enrolled in an international study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The prospective, observational study involved 406 HIV-negative MSM recruited in Brazil, Mexico and the United States. Among men with prevalent high-risk HPV infection, 37% retained the infection for at least 24 months and HPV-16 infection persisted for at least 24 months in 30% of those with this infection at baseline.

“Slightly over one-third of MSM exhibited persistence of prevalence high-risk types for > 24 months indicating that prevalent high-risk anal HPV infection may be a clinically important event,” comment the investigators. “These results may help inform future anal cancer screening that uses HPV-DNA testing.”  Read more via AIDSmap 

UNDP: New tool launched to improve HIV Prevention Programmes for Transgender People

A new UN publication was launched today to enable governments, public-health officials, programme managers, NGOs and health workers to create and improve HIV prevention programmes for transgender people.

The new publication, Implementing comprehensive HIV prevention programmes with transgender people captures issues such as the need to empower communities of transgender people; address the stigma, discrimination and violence that they face; provide comprehensive health-care services that are accessible and acceptable to transgender people; and manage programmes. Known informally as the TRANSIT (transgender implementation tool), the publication was developed with contributions from over 90 experts from around the world, including many transgender people.

A key feature of the tool is examples of promising practices drawn from programmes around the world, showing how they have tackled challenges and found creative solutions to programming in environments with limited resources, or where legal or social obstacles make it especially difficult to provide services to transgender people.

“The case examples show that it can be done,” said Clifton Cortez, Team Leader, Gender, Key Populations and LGBTI of the HIV, Health and Development Group at UNDP.  Read more via UNDP

Unfinished Business: Taking bolder action to address HIV among gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men

MSMGF held the Civil Society Hearings Side Event, Unfinished Business – Taking bolder action to address HIV among gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men, at the United Nations in New York City in close consultation with the Global Platform to Fast Track the HIV and Human Rights Responses Among Gay, Bisexual Men and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (The Platform), and supported by UNAIDS, UNDP, OGAC/PEPFAR, and the Global Fund. The event exceeded expectations with over 100 participants 

MSMGF notes: Following the Side Event and the Civil Society Hearings in New York, it is even more evident that activists, advocates and civil society organizations must work together tirelessly to influence the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS (HLM) in June. We must ensure that gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men are adequately included and prioritized in the political declaration to emerge from the HLM, which will directly influence the global AIDS response for years to come. It is clear we will not come close to approaching the progress we need without partnerships and avid community activism. Read more via MSMGF

Experts unite to end human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity

LGBTI people across the world often face grave human rights violations, including torture, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, even killing – all because of who they are.

In an unprecedented dialogue, regional and UN human rights experts joined forces to look at their human rights situation, and to call for an end to violence and other human rights violations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

A report, launched during the 58th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in the Gambia, summarizes the historic dialogue that took place in November 2015 between the African Commission, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and UN human rights experts. The report highlights the impact that human rights violations have on the health of LGBTI people and their access to HIV prevention and care.The report also emphasizes positive developments made around the world in protecting the rights of LGBTI people.

“Violence and other human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity constitute universal challenges that require concerted responses by national, regional and UN human rights institutions,” said Pansy Tlakula, Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Read more via OHCHR

US: New ‘Don’t Be Mean To People’ Beer Is Fighting Bigotry In North Carolina

Craft beer breweries in North Carolina are rallying together against anti-queer House Bill 2 (HB2) by creating a special beer, the proceeds of which will benefit pro-LGBT organizations in the state.

The beer, called “Don’t Be Mean To People: A Golden Rule Saison,” is the subject of an online fundraiser that has already passed $20,000. More than 30 craft breweries have committed to supporting the special brew with many “directly involved in creating the beer“ and others donating “ingredients, supplies, and time or are helping spread the word.” All profits from the beer and any funds raised beyond those needed to help create the beverage will be donated to Equality North Carolina and QORDS summer camp for LGBT youth. Read more via HuffingtonPost

China: Court refuses to allow gay marriage in landmark case

A Chinese judge has rejected a gay couple’s attempt to secure the right to marry in the country’s first same-sex marriage case. Sun Wenlin had sued the civil affairs bureau in the city of Changsha for the right to marry his 37-year-old partner Hu Mingliang, a security guard. In January a court in Changsha agreed to hear their case, which activists said was the first of its kind in China. 

The judge in Changsha announced he was dismissing the case shortly after the three-hour trial hearing had ended.  Shi Fulong, the lawyer representing the couple, claimed the court had provided insufficient grounds for dismissing the case but said gay marriage was destined to become a reality in China in the not-so-distant future: “If the law is unable to provide people with equality and justice, it means the law needs to be changed,” he said. 

Earlier hundreds of LGBT campaigners had gathered outside the court to show their support for the couple’s case. Read more via the Guardian