Euroletter 184, December 2010
Festive seasonal holiday greeting from the ILGA-Europe team – click here or on the picture!
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ILGA-EUROPE
On the occasion of the World AIDS Day (1 December), ILGA-Europe signs statement 'HIV and Human Rights'
ILGA-Europe is among a number of civil society organisations who signed a statement against criminalisation of HIV transmission initiated by the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
Read the statement here
ILGA-Europe marks the International Human Rights Day by celebrating LGBTI human rights defenders
This year’s International Human Rights Day had a theme was human rights defenders working to end discrimination. In a video message ILGA-Europe paid tribute to and celebrated LGBTI human rights defenders.
Watch the video here
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UNITED NATIONS
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, delivers speech on ending violence and criminal sanctions based on sexual orientation and gender identity
On 10 December 2010, the International Human Rights Day, Ban Ki-moon delivered a speech calling for global en on criminalisation of homosexual relationships.
Read the speech here
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EUROPE
EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency on the rights of LGBT people: “uneven landscape in the protection of LGBT rights throughout Europe”
On 30 November 2010, the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) presents its updated report on Homophobia, transphobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity to the Members of the European Parliament. The FRA report reveals that in some EU Member States, legislation and practice is increasing the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, while in others the rights of LGBT persons are being restricted or neglected. This creates an uneven landscape in the protection of LGBT rights throughout Europe.
Read ILGA-Europe’s reaction and the Report here
European Parliament adopts resolution on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union in 2009
This resolution is a periodic, non-legislative report coming from parliamentary initiative. ILGA-Europe worked closely with the Members of the European parliament and some of the points relevant to LGBTI people are included in this resolution.
Read more and read the resolution here
Commissioner Hammarberg addresses Montenegrin authorities on LGBT issues
Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, has published on 8 December 2010 a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, calling for further improvements in fighting against discrimination towards LGBT people.
Read the letter here
Hungarian Constitutional Court reaffirms equal age of consent
In a decision delivered yesterday the Hungarian Constitutional Court rejected a petition that claimed it is a constitutional omission that the Hungarian Criminal Code does not criminalize sexual relations between a person between the age of 14-18 and a person over the age of 18. In its decision the Court pointed out that the principle of non-discrimination should be observed in criminal law.
Read more about the decision here
Northern Cyprus likely to decriminalise homosexual acts
An important promise to abolish legislation criminalising sexual acts between consenting men has been made by a President of the Northern Cyprus Assembly during Solidarity and Networking Conference co-organsied by ILGA-Europe in Cyprus on 3-6 December.
Read more about the latest developments here
Irish President hails inspirational success stories at Traveller Pride Awards
One of the 10 Traveller Pride awards was won by the Gay Traveller Support Group, which took part in the Gay Pride marches in Dublin and Galway this year.
Read more about the awards here
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HATE & VIOLENCE
Towards training modules on police / LGBT joint strategies to combat hate crime
On 13 December 2010, ILGA-Europe invited a group of 35 representatives of LGBT organisations, police forces and police academies to have an intense working seminar in the frame of our project “Working with the police and challenging hate crime in Europe”.
Read more about the seminar here
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TRANSGENDER
European Court of Human Rights recognises transsexuality as a protected ground of discrimination
On 30 November 2010, the European Court of Human Rights made it clear that transsexuality in a stand-along ground against which discrimination is prohibited under the European Convention of Human Rights.
Read more about the judgment here
Malta: Constitutional Court confirms right to marry for trans woman and gender identity bill is launched
Joanne Cassar, a trans woman, was denied a right to marry because she was considered ‘still to be a man’ . The Constitutional Court in Malta disagreed. Days after this decision, a gender identity bill has been launched.
Read about the Constitutional Court case here and more about the gender identity bill here
The Netherlands: Refusal to change university diploma – discriminatory
The Netherlands’ Equal Treatment Commission announced that a refusal by the University of Amsterdam to change diploma to a trans man is discriminatory.
Read more about the decision here
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
MSM Initiative – Eastern Europe and Central Asia
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, has announced new funding for innovative projects that address HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender individuals (TG) in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
See more details here
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NOTICE BOARD
Conference: Naming and Framing: The Making of Sexual (In)Equality
Conference by International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society (IASSCS). The 2011 Conference theme focuses on the multiple ways that equality and inequality are articulated through sexuality. Abstract deadline in 10 January 2011.
Further details about the conference here
Conference - Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships in Europe, 11-12 April 2011
This conference is organsied by ERA - Academy of European Law and it will be the foundation stone for the following publication: Boele Woelki/Fuchs, Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships in Europe.
Further details about the conference here
Conference: Equality and Justice. LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex) Rights in the XXI Century, 12-13 May 2011
The conference will address fundamental rights and anti-discrimination law in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity.
The focus will be on the European legal system (at the regional, national, EU and Council of Europe levels) and on relevant international and comparative law. Prominent speakers will address the audience during plenary sessions, while presentations and discussions on specific topics will take place in parallel symposiums.
Further details about the conference here
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Euro-Letter is published by ILGA-Europe - the European Region of the International
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Intersex Association (ILGA)
ISSN 1998-8117
Editorial team:
Juris Lavrikovs & Nanna Moe
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Previous issues:
all previous Euro-Letters in English as well as the Greek translations from No 127, January 2006 are available in pdf format on our website.
ILGA-Europe is grateful to Pantelis Ravdas, Joanna Papazoglou and Evdokia Sakka for the Greek translations.
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