21 de marzo: Día Internacional por la Eliminación de la Discriminación Racial
21 de marzo: Día Internacional por la Eliminación de la Discriminación Racial
Message from Carlos Quesada, executive director of Race and Equality
Washington
DC, 2020, May 21st. Today we
commemorate once again the International Day for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination, a day that we at the International Institute on Race, Equality
and Human Rights (Race and Equality), take as an opportunity to remember our
universal rights to equality and non-discrimination. This message must be
echoed in a context of growing intolerance, hate, and superiority speech that
do not contribute to the development and well-being of our society.
We
have been commemorating this day since 1966, in memory of the 1960 Sharpeville
massacre in South Africa, when police opened fire and killed 69 people who were
protesting peacefully against the Apartheid Pass Laws. Since then, racial
discrimination has subsided considerably in Africa and also in Latin America.
This
year, Mexico ratified the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial
Discrimination and Related Forms of Intolerance, thus joining Uruguay, Costa
Rica, and Antigua and Barbuda; and also ratified the Inter-American Convention
against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance, which entered into force with
this ratification.
Also
in Mexico, the inclusion of the Afro-descendant self-identification question
was achieved for the first time in the 2020 Census. However, it was included
late in the process, so Afro-Mexican organizations had to start their awareness
campaigns just a few months before the census, which is being carried out this
month. Currently, the campaign continues with great force led by the Collective
to Eliminate Racism in Mexico (COPERA, for its initials in Spanish) along with Race
and Equality and in alliance with some government agencies and Afro-Mexican
organizations.
In
Panama, we are concerned that the census scheduled for May 2020 was postponed
until the first quarter of 2021, due to delays with the bidding process. This
implied that all progress made on the 2020 Census was suspended, and
adjustments to the next steps represent a great challenge. This is because
there are several actions that must be carried out such as updating the budget,
cartography, and identifying and hiring personnel, among many other duties.
However, this period has allowed for the promotion of self-identification among
Afro-descendants in both rural and urban communities.
In
Colombia, the number of social leaders assassinated in 2019 was alarming: at
least 253, of which 91 were Afro-descendant and indigenous leaders, according
to the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ, for its initials
in Spanish). Patterns of structural racial discrimination continue to prevent
Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities from having effective enjoyment of
their economic, social, and cultural rights compared to the rest of the Colombian
society. It is a matter of concern that given this situation, the Colombian
government has not guaranteed an adequate statistical estimate of the
Afro-Colombian population. This is reflected in the 2018 Census, where the
black, palenquera and raizal population was reduced by 31%
compared to the 2005 Census. The Government is also not offering the conditions
needed for the implementation of the Peace Agreement with an
ethnic-differential approach.
In
Brazil, between January and February 2020, 38 trans women were killed, of whom
75% were Afro-Brazilian. This figure is particularly worrisome because it is
90% higher compared to last year’s figures. In general, most LGBT crimes are
committed against Afro-descendants, according to data from the National
Association of Travestis and Transsexuals (ANTRA, for its initials in
Portuguese).
In
Cuba, there is still no implementation plan for the International Decade for
People of African Descent. We have managed to document that the majority of the
activists who are victims repression by the Cuban Government are
Afro-descendants, such as Juan Antonio Madrazo, Marthadela Tamayo or Nancy
Alfaya. From the State’s side, there is no opening to recognize the existence
of racial discrimination on the island.
From Race and Equality, we will continue to
make visible, fight, and denounce the marginalization and injustices that
Afro-descendant populations face in the Americas. We will continue to work,
especially in the company of our counterparts in the region, who, from their
communities, contribute to tehe construction of a more equal society.
Raza e Igualdad hace un llamado a los Estados de América Latina y el Caribe a tener en cuenta a las personas LGBTI en tiempos de crisis por COVID – 19
In the face of
the of the recent crisis, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the International
Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) reminds States
of the importance of safeguarding the health of the entire population
regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity; Public policies that
encompass the crisis must be thought of from intersectional approaches that
address gender and human rights perspectives.
Race and Equality
warns about the differential impact on rights that crises like these can have
on historically marginalized and socially vulnerable populations such as LGBTI
people. “The social reality of LGBTI people in Latin America and the Caribbean
is characterized by precarious access to health services, education, work and
comprehensive well-being, realities that must be considered by the States when
designing virus containment strategies,” says Zuleika Rivera, LGBTI Program
Officer at Race and Equality.
«The state
of alert starts precisely because, although these measures affect the entire
social group, those who have always lived in a state of vulnerability, tend to
be mostly affected. For example, trans women sex workers are very affected by
the strategies that are being used so far, especially because in order to eat
and pay rent in the place where they live, they must work, which not only puts
them at risk, but a whole social group in imminent risk, ” she continues.
The situation
in Latin America
LGBTI civil
society organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean expressed to us their
concern about the containment strategies used by States without taking into
account differential and rights-based approaches.
In Peru, for
example, they have expressed concern about the impacts of the measures taken so
far by the State to prevent the spread of the virus. These strategies impact LGBT people who mostly
live from informal work, as is the case of the trans population. In addition,
the self-financing of trans and LGBTI foster homes is in danger. “If the LGBTI population has to continue
working or needs treatment for HIV / AIDS, how are they going to mobilize? Or
if someone gets sick who guarantees that they will not be discriminated against
because of their sexual orientation or gender identity? ” added Santiago
Balvín, an independent trans rights activist.
On the other
hand, Peruvian LGBTI organizations have shown concern about the actions of
Congress and what that may mean for LGBTI rights in the country, since it is a
time when the rights of said population could be limited.
In the Dominican
Republic, the trans organization TRANSSA has expressed uncertainty because the
State has not declared a national emergency, which puts the lives of many
people in the country at risk, including LGBTI people. Likewise, they pointed
out that the LGBTI population with informal or independent work will be the
most affected if a curfew or a national quarantine is decreed, then highlighting
the state of collective panic over the disinformation in the networks about
COVID-19. They also have shown concern about access to health for the
population with HIV / AIDS.
In Brazil, many
of the same worries were expressed by civil society organizations who explain
that the State has not taken any serious action to prevent the spread of the
virus and has not recommended or imposed any type of quarantine.
Given racial
inequality within the country, the Afro-descendant population can suffer more
serious impacts in relation to COVID-19, since they live in situations of great
precariousness and are the most dependent on the health system. Many of these
populations live in favelas, removed from their homes, without access to water
or health, or are sex workers. Some communities have been without clean water
or basic sanitation for weeks. “Mental health is another serious concern as
many struggle with anxiety or depression or have a higher tendency to develop
anxiety or depression, and given all the information on social media, it could
lead to an increase in episodes of mental health, not to mention the
detrimental effects of isolation and confinement ”pointed out, among other
things, Bruna Benavides, secretary of the political coordination of the
National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals, ANTRA.
Some local
organizations, such as ANTRA, have published recommendations for trans people who
work in the informal labor market at the following link:
https://antrabrasil.org/cartilhas/
In the case of
Colombia, the exponential growth of the confirmed cases of people carrying
COVID-19 is worrisome.[1]
Although the National Government has enacted measures related to the closure of
maritime and ground borders, and has promoted measures for education and work
from homes to promote isolation, the lack of social and economic measures that
take into account the conditions =of the most marginalized and vulnerable
population is still troublesome.
In Cuba,
uncertainty regarding the actions that the government may take continues. To date, no state of emergency or quarantine
has been declared. Citizens are concerned that the government is not taking
drastic measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and that there is no focus
on self-responsibility and self-care about preventive measures that citizens
can take.
Recommendations
to States
Race and Equality
and our counterparts call on the States of the region, and in accordance with
the curfew measures that have been declared in some areas of the region,
request the surveillance and protection of the human rights of those who could
be most affected by these events that could affect their lives and personal
integrity.
Likewise, we urge
states to include LGBTI populations in their national plans to combat COVID-19
taking into account the differential impact of the crisis and to continue
informing the population about the progression of the virus, as well as the
services available for this population’s particular needs.
We call on States
to protect the economic income of the poorest households[2]
and those unable to telework; measures that allow the flexibility of payments
of bank and financial obligations; policies that guarantee adequate treatment
and protection for people over 60 years of age, especially those belonging to
the LGBTI[3]
sectors, and measures that ensure access to sanitary conditions to prevent the
spread of the virus, such as access to public toilets, especially for migrants,
sex workers, the homeless, and imprisoned people[4].
Additionally, we
call on States not to use the health crisis to implement legislation that
limits or presents setbacks in the area of human and LGBTI rights.
We call on the
LGBTI population to follow the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and
the WHO, remain calm, and apply preventive measures.
[1] As of March 19, 2020, at 12:00 noon, 93
cases of people carrying COVID-19 have been registered, according to figures
from the Ministry of Health.
[2] LGBT people often face poverty, social
exclusion, and lack of access to housing. LGBT people are often expelled from
their families and schools, and in some cases they cannot even get jobs that
pay the minimum wage. This situation could push them towards the informal
economy or criminal activity.
[3] The
lack of family support and social rejection accentuate the conditions of
loneliness, isolation, poverty, and lack of access to housing and health
services for LGBTI elders.
En el Día Internacional de la Mujer, Raza e Igualdad honra el trabajo de las defensoras de derechos humanos
To mark March 8, International Women’s
Day, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and
Equality) wishes to highlight the fundamental role played by women human rights
defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean. In a region where rates of sexual
and gender-based violence against women are extremely high and multiple forms
of discrimination are entrenched, women human rights defenders are key in the
fight for the defense of women’s human rights. Likewise, they are at the
vanguard of promoting and protecting the rights of others.
Although the vast majority of countries
in Latin America and the Caribbean have ratified the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW),[1]
women in the region continue to suffer inequalities that negatively impact
their full enjoyment of human rights. According to the Economic Commission for
Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), more than 3,800 women in 33 countries
in the region were murdered because of their gender in 2019.[2]
This violence stems from structural inequalities which profoundly affect all
women, but especially women members of historically marginalized groups like
Afro-descendants and the LGBTI community. For example, according to the Network
of Afro-Latin American, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women, Afro-descendant
women are victims of multiple forms of violence, which is often racialized.
Likewise, the current discourse on gender ideology in the region, driven by in
large part by conservative religious groups, has led to more discrimination
against lesbian, bi-sexual, and trans women, as well as more hate crimes and
murders. Finally, poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean, as in other
regions in the world, has a feminine face, as women are less likely to have
access to higher education and work outside of the home than their male
counterparts. When women do work outside of the home, they are paid, on
average, 17% less than men.[3]
All of these factors make the work of women human rights defenders of utmost
importance. But, they are also facing some grave challenges.
In Colombia, where the post-Peace Accord
reality for human rights defenders is startlingly alarming due to the high rate
of murders of defenders and impunity for those murders, women human rights
defenders are among the most vulnerable. As the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights recently documented, the number of women
human rights defenders killed in Colombia in 2019 increased by 50% over the
2018 number.[4]
Afro-descendant and rural women defenders are at generally greater risk, just
as they suffer greater vulnerabilities in terms of overall enjoyment of their
human rights.
In Cuba, independent women activists are
facing an increase in repression and de facto house arrests, as well as
reprisals and threats against themselves and their family members. Travel
restrictions arbitrarily imposed by the Cuban government routinely prevent
independent activists from participating in advocacy activities outside of the
island and the application of these against women continues to grow.
Furthermore, Cuban women are clamoring for an Integral Law against Gender
Violence – a proposal which has been rejected by the National Assembly – and
they continue to face difficulties in accessing decent, well-paying jobs.
In Nicaragua, the crisis that began in
April 2018 has had a profound impact on women. Women human rights defenders,
such as the Mothers of April, have played an important role in the opposition
movement, as many have lost their children to the violence of the crisis. There
has also been an overall increase in violence against women and femicides, as a
result of the crisis. Furthermore, women in Nicaragua also face
disproportionate economic consequences due to the crisis, as many have been
left as heads of households, with male family members killed, imprisoned, or
fired from their jobs because of their political ties.
In Brazil, the situation of violence
against women is extremely concerning, especially against Afro-descendant and
trans women. Our partners have documented that in the first two months of the
year 38 trans women have been killed in the country.[5]
This high level of violence makes the work of women human rights defenders –
especially those working on behalf of diverse communities of women – all the
more difficult and important.
Race and Equality calls on all Latin
American and Caribbean States to honor the human rights commitments they have
made under CEDAW and other applicable international human rights treaties, to
respect and protect the rights of women. We likewise reiterate our support for
women human rights defenders, especially those of our partner organizations and
in the countries where we work, who so courageously and tirelessly fight to
promote and defend the rights of women and others in the region on a daily
basis. We thank you and assure you that you are not alone in your work towards
a safer, more just, and equitable society for all.
El Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión censura escena de besos entre pareja del mismo sexo
El 29 de febrero el programa televisivo cubano, Pensando en 3D, proyectó el largometraje Love, Simon, o en español “Yo soy Simon”, de origen estadounidense, que relata la historia de un adolescente gay que se enamora de otro joven adolescente. La película relata como Simon se acepta a él mismo y le dice a su familia y amigos que es gay. La película contiene una escena en la que, Nick Robinson, que encarna a Simon, besa a Bram (Josh Duhamel), pero la televisión cubana censuró esa parte de la película causando la indignación en gran parte del colectivo LGBTI cubano.
Por tal motivo activistas de la isla convocaron para el
domingo 1 de marzo de 2020, a una Besada pública frente al edificio del
Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión (ICRT), ubicado en el Vedado. El
objetivo de la acción era reclamarle al ICRT la censura de la escena, que se
disculpara y que mostrara la película sin censura.
El activista cubano, Yadiel Cepero, radicado en la provincia
de Matanzas, lanzó una convocatoria para una besada al frente de la ICRT. Esto
conllevó a un debate en las redes sociales entre personas que defendian la
postura de la ICRT y otras que le hacían echo al llamado de Cepero.
Llegado el día 1 de marzo, varios activistas denunciaron intentos de silenciarlos o amenazas a que no llegaran a Vedado. A pesar de eso y aun sabiendo que la Seguridad del Estado estaría allí o en cualquier punto para impedir que activistas y defensores de derechos humanos fueran al lugar convocado, activistas LGBTI se autoconvocaron frente al ICRT.
Tal es el caso del activista Jancel Moreno, quien se
encontraba en Matanzas en casa de su novio y en la mañana se dispuso para salir
hacia La Habana para reportar en vivo la Besada. Moreno se encontraba en el
Viaducto de Matanzas donde esperaba para trasladarse a la capital y fue cuando
un auto lo interceptó. Moreno relata que “salieron los tenientes Alejandro y
David, según dijeron, y me dijeron que tenía que acompañarles. Llegamos
a una casa entre Matanzas y el puente de Bacunayagua y me retuvieron ahí por
varias horas con el fin de que no pudiera desplazarme hacia La Habana”.
El domingo también fue sitiado en su casa por la policía cubana el activista y artista independiente Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, quien estaba preparándose para ir a la besada pública: “Estoy sitiado por la policía política para impedirme ir a la besada fuera del ICRT. Nos vemos ahí”. La activista, Claudia Genlui Hidalgo, novia de Luis Manuel Otero, fue golpeada por la policía en medio del Barrio San Isidro, porque ella, quería impedir que se llevaran preso a Luis Manuel.
Ese mismo día, el ICRT, hizo pública una declaración en su
página web diciendo que pedía disculpas por la mutilación de la escena del beso:
“Ante este error informamos que se realiza el
correspondiente análisis (con las personas que quitaron la escena) pues la
omisión no responde a posturas homofóbicas del ICRT y sus directos de la
Televisión Cubana, como algunos han referido en las redes sociales”.
Ante esta declaración el ICRT decidió retrasmitir la
película el próximo sábado con la escena del beso entre los dos adolescentes.
Después de las disculpas, la convocatoria se cayó pero una descena de
activistas LGBTI vocalizaron que la besada era más que por una censura en la
televisión.
El director de la revista independiente Tremenda Nota
y activista por los derechos LGBT, Maykel González Vivero, también fue
amenazado en las redes sociales por el usuario Elpidio Valdés, quien le dijo a
este que: Veremos si puedes salir (a la besada) de tu alquiler barato en el
Vedado.
González Vivero, periodista independiente que cubrió la
besada frente al ICRT, informó en su perfil de Facebook que el evento se habría
cancelado tras la disculpa del ICRT. Muchas están de acuerdo con que la TV
cubana debería hacer pública esa disculpa por algún espacio televisivo.
Cuentan varios activistas que pudieron llegar al Vedado, que
la zona donde se ubica el ICRT estaba sitiada por miembros de la Seguridad del
Estado y por la policía. Al igual había edificios que tenían banderas cubanas y
carteles alegóricos a la Revolución cubana y a Fidel y Raúl Castro, pero
pudieron llegar al menos una veintena de personas que hicieron acto de
presencia frente a las oficinas del ICRT.
La Comunidad LGBTI cubana siente indignación por el hecho y
recuerda varios acontecimientos ocurridos en dicho instituto, en programas
televisivos donde se han propiciado ofensas hacia la comunidad gay y se han
permitido, al igual, cometarios racistas. Hacemos un llamado al Estado cubano a
que respete sus obligaciones internacionales, cese la discriminación contra la
población LGBTI por parte de funcionarios públicos y trabaje para sensibilizar
a la población y funcionarios sobre los derechos LGBTI.
Experto Independiente de la ONU realiza visita promocional a Brasil con el apoyo de Raza e Igualdad
En el marco de una visita académica llevada a cabo en Brasil durante la última semana de enero, el Experto independiente de la ONU sobre protección contra la violencia y la discriminación basada en orientación sexual y la identidad de género, Victor Madrigal, tuvo la oportunidad de hablar con líderes, activistas y miembros de grupos LGBT de la sociedad civil sobre su mandato actual.
Durante la visita, el Experto independiente participó en conversaciones con alrededor de 40 organizaciones LGBT locales, incluidos más de 100 activistas, entre tres ciudades diferentes y dos eventos públicos. La visita tuvo lugar del 20 al 25 de enero, comenzando en la ciudad capital de Brasilia.
Dentro de las reuniones con las organizaciones de la sociedad civil en Brasilia, los activistas expresaron sus diferentes preocupaciones que enfrentan las poblaciones LGBT, en particular, destacando las dificultades enfrentadas debido a la invisibilización de las personas LGBT bajo el gobierno actual, y la falta de debate sobre este tema en los espacios federales. Las activistas lesbianas también llamaron la atención sobre temas específicos como la violencia organizada por la familia y los casos de «coito forzado» que se practican comúnmente en todo Brasil, así como el aumento de la violencia contra las mujeres afrobrasileñas.
El
22 de enero, estas conversaciones continuaron cuando Madrigal viajó a Salvador
de Bahía, donde participó en un evento público organizado por Raza e Igualdad.
El evento titulado «Resistencia afro-LGBT: perspectivas intersectoriales
para la lucha por los derechos humanos», abrió un espacio para que
diferentes activistas LGBT afrobrasileños de Salvador pudieran hablar sobre las
realidades que enfrentan, no solo en la ciudad, sino en el estado brasileño de
Bahía debido a la interseccionalidad de raza, orientación sexual e identidad de
género. Es importante tener en cuenta que Bahía cuenta con la
mayor cantidad de personas que se auto-identifican como afrobrasileñas en
comparación con otros estados brasileños.
A lo largo del evento, Victor Madrigal presentó las características y el alcance de su mandato, frente al cual refirió: «Mi mandato está diseñado para trabajar con la interseccionalidad. Ninguna persona sufre discriminación solo desde el lugar de hombre o mujer gay, hay una serie de identidades que reunimos en nuestro cuerpo y hay múltiples formas de expresarlos «. Asimismo, afirmó que las estructuras sociales que otorgan roles a las personas de acuerdo con sus configuraciones genitales niegan la libertad individual y la identidad de un ser humano.
«El mandato no está interesado en la palabra género, estamos interesados en el reconocimiento de que dentro de las sociedades existen estructuras que otorgan roles a las personas de acuerdo con la configuración genital, y esos roles están creando la negación de la libertad individual», agregó Victor Madrigal
Asimismo, Madrigal también sostuvo conversaciones con activistas y miembros de organizaciones de la sociedad civil afro-LGBT en Salvador, obteniendo una comprensión más profunda de la realidad de las personas afro-LGBT en esta región. En todo el país, la población afro-LGBT está sobrerrepresentada por estadísticas sobre violencia, asesinatos, personas sin hogar e infecciones por VIH. En Bahía, las comunidades religiosas de las religiones africanas, que históricamente han acogido a la comunidad LGBT, también han sufrido una mayor intolerancia religiosa.
Por otra
parte, se celebraron reuniones con dos líderes religiosos LGBT en Salvador,
quienes informaron dificultades para mantener sus lugares de práctica
religiosa, llamados «terreiros», y señalaron la discriminación de los
funcionarios públicos quienes se niegan a
brindar apoyo a las comunidades dirigidas por personas LGBT como lo
hicieron para otros » terreiros «.
La visita concluyó en Río de Janeiro, donde, a la luz del mes de Visibilidad Trans de Brasil, se trabajó con poblaciones locales de travestis y trans. Los eventos comenzaron el 24 de enero con una reunión en Casa Nem, una casa de seguridad para personas trans y travestis que viven en la ciudad. El Experto Independiente escuchó las historias de cómo varios hombres y mujeres trans llegaron a la casa y cómo les ha ayudado desde entonces.
Del
mismo modo, en Salvador, se celebró una reunión con la organización Casa
Aurora, una casa de seguridad trans que comenzó su trabajo en el último año. En
ambos espacios, las casas buscan proporcionar refugio para la población trans
sin hogar, ofreciendo diferentes programas tales como: actividades
socioeducativas, servicios psicológicos y psiquiátricos, participación
comunitaria, entre otros. Ambas organizaciones participan activamente en las
redes sociales y tratan de dar visibilidad a la importancia de su trabajo tanto
como sea posible.
Por su
parte, los fundadores de los refugios LGBT reiteraron la importancia de los
refugios especializados para la población LGBT que es propensa a más violencia
y discriminación al intentar acceder o vivir en refugios públicos. Por esta
razón, los refugios intentan, no solo proporcionar vivienda, sino también un
espacio para la interacción social, cuyo objetivo es hacer que los residentes
se sientan más aceptados, lo que ayuda a aumentar su autoestima y recuperar su
autonomía.
Más tarde esa noche, el segundo evento público ocurrió con gran acogida por activistas locales y miembros de la comunidad LGBT. Como lo deja claro su título, «Visibilidad en tiempos de odio: desafíos para la inclusión de las personas trans en la agenda multilateral de derechos humanos», el evento tuvo como objetivo discutir medidas para eliminar las barreras que actualmente excluyen a las personas trans en diferentes espacios.
Los
participantes del panel informaron sobre las dificultades que presentan para
acceder a servicios públicos generales y específicos para personas transgénero,
incluso cuando lo garantiza la ley, esto debido al prejuicio de los agentes
públicos responsables. También señalaron que existe una burocratización y una
carga financiera considerable para el reconocimiento legal de la identidad de
género, lo que dificulta que muchas personas puedan acceder a este derecho.
Además, llamaron la atención sobre la contradicción de su excesiva visibilidad
en los espacios públicos, ya que la mayoría del asesinato de personas trans en
el país tiene lugar en las calles, y la forma en que se hacen invisibles por la
ausencia de leyes y políticas públicas que aborden sus demandas.
Durante su
discurso, Madrigal mencionó las paradojas que prevalecen actualmente en todo el
mundo en relación con el cuestionamiento de las vidas LGBT. «Soy testigo
de una paradoja en todas partes del mundo en la que los avances en la
protección de los derechos de las personas LGBT van acompañados de un diluvio
de posiciones que cuestionan la vida de las personas LGBT», comenta.
También se
refirió a la gran cantidad de políticas que criminalizan y hacen invisible la
existencia de personas LGBT en una gran cantidad de países del mundo. Madrigal
indicó que las conclusiones de su trabajo llegan repetidamente al mismo lugar,
y es que los procesos estructurales en la sociedad perpetúan la noción de que
ciertas configuraciones genitales determinan el papel que una persona tiene en
la sociedad, por lo que este principio de orden primario ha sido
instrumentalizado a través de una serie de mecanismos que el experto describió
como demonización, criminalización y patologización o, en otras palabras,
«pecado, crimen y enfermedad».
Entre otras de las muchas actividades, el Experto Independiente se reunión con grupo de la sociedad civil para que estos pudieran expresar sus preocupaciones sobre una variedad de temas relacionados con la salud pública, la educación y el trabajo, la discriminación racial y la violencia, entre otros.
“El
gobierno actual ha degradado el departamento de prevención de ITS y VIH,
suspendió fondos para campañas de prevención del VIH que se dirigen
específicamente a la población LGBT y ha comenzado una nueva estrategia de
concientización basada en fomentar la abstinencia sexual. El gobierno también
ha dejado de recopilar datos desglosados sobre el VIH para ciertas
poblaciones, como las mujeres lesbianas y bisexuales y los hombres trans” Mencionaron algunos de los presentes en dicho
espacio de encuentro.
Para
concluir el evento público en Río, Madrigal dejó a los miembros de la audiencia
con estas importantes palabras unificadoras: «El estado reconocer y
proteger los derechos de su pueblo sin excepción. Este mandato fue creado por el trabajo de
miles de organizaciones de base en más de 170 países que todos los días lucha
por las personas que en todo el mundo son asesinadas, golpeadas, torturadas, maltratadas,
excluidas del sistema de salud, el trabajo, la vivienda, por ser quienes son y
como resultado de las personas que aman o desean. Ese es el trabajo que
llevamos a cabo conjuntamente, el trabajo que también es importante para mí
para poder conectarme con los mecanismos internacionales que operan a nivel de
las Naciones Unidas «.
Race and Equality apoya plenamente el trabajo del mandato actual y está terminando un informe sobre la situación de los derechos humanos de las personas afro-LGBTI en Brasil que se enviará al mandato en los próximos meses. Seguimos comprometidos a trabajar con nuestros socios brasileños en estos temas y ayudarlos a brindar mayor visibilidad, no solo a estas poblaciones a nivel nacional, sino también internacional. Un agradecimiento especial a todas las organizaciones en Brasil que ayudaron a que esta visita fuera un éxito.
Para más información sobre la visita por favor revise los enlaces a continuación:
Raza e Igualdad celebra el nombramiento de personas trans en cargos públicos en Colombia y condena actos de discriminación basados en género u orientación sexual
On December 26, 2019, the mayor-elect
of Manizales, a city in the Colombian department of Caldas, announced
that the well-known trans activist Matilda Gonzalez would lead
the city’s Office of Women’s and Gender Affairs. Gonzalez holds a law
degree from the University of the Andes and a Master of Laws in international law
from American University. She has worked for the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)’s Rapporteurship on the Rights of LGBTI People, the
LGBTI rights organization Colombia Diversa and the Office of Childhood
and Adolescence in the Colombian Family Welfare Institute. In addition,
she has consulted for the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and
Intersex Association (ILGA) and for the International Network of Civil
Liberties Organizations (INCLO).
In another groundbreaking
appointment, the mayor-elect of Bogotá recently named Deysi Johana Olarte
Navarro as the city’s Deputy Director of LGBTI Affairs. As a political
scientist at the National University of Colombia, Deisy studied gender-based
violence, national and international policies on transgender issues.
She is also recognized for her extensive career as a grassroots activist, working
with trans people in Kennedy, Ciudad Bolívar and
Santa Fe, which are all among Bogotá’s most marginalized areas.
In Colombia, transgender people
not only suffer daily acts of direct violence and discrimination but also face prejudices
that limit their access to work, education, and health.
In turn, they suffer criminalization, segregation, marginalization,
and poverty. The appointments of these trans women represent breakthroughs
for equity, diversity, and inclusion. As directors of important public
bodies, Ms. Gonzalez and Ms. Olarte will have the power to formulate and
implement public policies that seek to guarantee the rights of women
and LGBTI people. Race and Equality celebrates and encourages
the appointment of people with diverse gender identities to
executive positions. Such appointments are an opportunity to transform society’s
image of what is possible, put the human right to political
participation into practice, and advance the rights of the entire LGBTI
population in Colombia.
However, there is still much to
do. Conservative groups in Manizales responded to Ms. Gonzalez appointment
with a campaign that filed more than 2,500 petitions to the Mayor’s Office
asking for her dismissal.[1]
The groups claim that Matilda is not suitable for the role because
she was not ‘born biologically as a woman,’ a discriminatory argument ignoring
the reality that there are many different possibilities for gender
identity. Women’s life experiences, including their experiences of gender,
are all different, making it impossible to judge their gender based only on the
sex assigned to them at birth. Several bodies, including the Colombian Constitutional
Court,[2]
have recognized that a person’s internal and individual experience of
gender differs from biological sex and that an environment which prevents
someone from expressing their gender identity violates their dignity and their
right to freedom of expression.
Race and Equality rejects any
form of discrimination that seeks to limit the rights of transgender people and
urges national, regional, and local leaders to appoint people of
diverse sexual orientations and gender identities to public office, especially to
the offices responsible for promoting and guaranteeing the rights of the LGBTI
population.
[2]See Colombian Constitutional Court decisions T-143
(2018), T-804 (2014), T-363 (2016), T-476 (2014) and T-562 (2013), among
others.
Raza e Igualdad coordina visita académica del Experto Independiente de la ONU sobre orientación sexual e identidad de género, Victor Madrigal
El Experto Independiente sobre la protección contra la violencia y la discriminación por motivos de orientación sexual e identidad de género de Naciones Unidas (ONU), señor Víctor Madrigal, realizará una vista académica a Brasil que será coordinada por el Instituto Internacional sobre Raza, Igualdad y Derechos Humanos (Raza e Igualdad), del 20 al 25 de enero, para dar a conocer el alcance de su mandato a organizaciones de la sociedad civil Afro LGBTI.
En el marco de esta visita, el Experto Independiente acompañará dos conversatorios que Raza e Igualdad de la mano de organizaciones de la sociedad civil afrobrasilera LGBTI, llevarán a cabo sobre la situación de derechos de dicha población a la luz de los estándares internacionales de derechos humanos.
Dichos eventos públicos tendrán lugar en Salvador de Bahía el próximo 22 de enero; y el 24 de enero en Rio de Janeiro. Los dos espacios de diálogo contarán con la participación de representantes de líderes y lideresas Afro LGBTI y del Experto Independiente, quien hablará sobre los métodos de trabajo que actualmente tiene el mandato y la manera como estos dialogan con el ejercicio y garantía de los derechos fundamentales de la sociedad civil.
24 de enero Conversatorio: Visibilidad en tiempos de odio: desafíos para la inclusión de las personas transgénero en la agenda multilateral de derechos humanos
En la mañana del 19 de noviembre, la activista
trans brasileña Gilmara Cunha, presidenta de Grupo Conexión G, una organización
que trabaja para la comunidad LGBTI en el Complejo da Maré (el complejo de
favelas más grande de Río de Janeiro), informó en su cuenta de Facebook que su
casa había sido impactada con disparos ese día al amanecer.
La causa de los disparos fue una de las operaciones
policiales que tienen en el sector bajo el pretexto de combatir el narcotráfico,
lo que se ha convertido en uno de los problemas que más han afectado la vida de
la población de favelas en Río de Janeiro.
Según datos del Instituto de Seguridad Pública, solo de
enero a agosto de 2019, hubo 1144 muertes causadas por agentes de policía[1],
lo que equivale a un 18.3%, porcentaje más alto que los datos del mismo período
del año pasado, en el que se registraron 967 asesinatos. Un análisis
realizado por el sitio de noticias UOL que consideró los datos para la primera
mitad de 2019, mostró que de las 881 muertes registradas en las operaciones
policiales hasta la fecha, ocurrieron en áreas controladas por el narcotráfico[2].
El actual gobernador del estado de Río de Janeiro, Wilson
Witzel, fue elegido en 2018 con un discurso respaldado por la lucha contra el
narcotráfico. En una entrevista el año pasado, antes de asumir el cargo,
Witzel ya había declarado que los oficiales de policía que mataron a los
narcotraficantes con rifles, no deberían ser considerados responsables
«bajo ninguna circunstancia» en una verdadera política de asesinatos[3].
De acuerdo con el sitio Maré Vive, un canal de comunicación que la comunidad hizo en colaboración con el complejo de los residentes de Maré de diferentes partes, y que son observadores de las operaciones de la policía que se producen en la zona, la policía Comando de Operaciones Especiales puso en marcha un operativo a las 4:50 de la mañana del pasado 19 de noviembre, en los barrios Parque Unión, Rubens Vaz, Tide Park and New Holland, todas las favelas que integran el Complejo da Maré y de los más pobres del sector.
A las 5:36 de la mañana, la página de
Maré Vive anunció que se escucharon disparos para advertir a las
personas que no salgan de sus hogares por su seguridad.
Pocas horas después llegó la
publicación de Gilmara Cunha, que mostraba imágenes de las marcas de
disparos en su casa. En la publicación, Gilmara dice que
se enorgullece de ser un travesti, habitante de barrios negros y barrios
marginales, pero advierte que se deben tomar medidas sobre la
situación de violencia experimentada por las personas en las favelas y que es
necesario discutir el racismo como una forma de construir políticas de
seguridad.
Esta no es la primera vez que Gilmara
Cunha se ve afectada por las operaciones policiales. En septiembre de este
año, denunciamos que el 1er Festival de Cultura y Ciudadanía LGBTI de Favelas,
un evento con presentaciones artísticas, políticas y profesionales,
organizado por Conexión G, interrumpió sus actividades por una operación
policial en la Favela da Maré, con dos habitantes asesinados durante la
operación, que duró aproximadamente 20 horas. Las personas que asistieron
al evento tuvieron que permanecer encerradas hasta que cesaron los
disparos. Dos días después, durante el Desfile LGBTI de la Favela da Maré,
Gilmara Cunha gritó desde la parte superior del automóvil:
“¡Este Estado nos mata todos los días! ¡Dejen de
matarnos! ¡Estamos aquí reclamando vidas! Vivimos estos días
prácticamente en medio de la violencia, donde la policía entró a nuestras
casas, asesinó a residentes, ¡y no podemos permitir que eso suceda! ¡Esta
ciudad no es una ciudad fraccionada! ¡Maré es parte de esta
ciudad! ¡No podemos aceptarlo como si fuera normal! ¡Suficiente! ¡Basta! ¡Dejen
de matar a nuestra población de barrios marginales! ¡Estamos aquí para
reclamar derechos! ¡Estar aquí hoy es un acto de resistencia!
Acerca del grupo Conexión G
Gilmara Cunha es una referente nacional
en el movimiento LGBTI de Brasil. No es de extrañar, el 8 de diciembre de
2015, le fue otorgada la Medalla Tiradentes, el más alto honor otorgado por la
Asamblea Legislativa del Estado de Río de Janeiro (ALERJ) por los servicios
prestados a la comunidad.
Conexión Grupo G, presidido por Gilmara, es una
organización de la sociedad civil que ha trabajado desde 2006 con la misión de
luchar por las políticas públicas en materia de derechos humanos, la salud, la
educación pública y la seguridad para las personas LGBTI que viven en la Favela
da Maré. Una de ellas es «¡Igual que tú, también exijo mis
derechos!». El objetivo es, a través de clases de ciudadanía y
derechos, promover los derechos humanos de las mujeres
negras transgénero y travestis de las favelas de Maré y
Palmares, para ayudar a minimizar las violaciones de sus derechos y promover el
respeto a sus vidas.
En agosto de 2019, debido a la visita académica de
la Comisionada Margarette May Macaulay a Brasil, promovida por Raza e Igualdad,
la Comisionada conoció en la favela a las mujeres transexuales y travestis que
participan en este proyecto.
En una reunión conmovedora, se escucharon informes de
travestis que fueron amenazadas y fusiladas por agentes de policía y que fueron
atropellados a propósito, expuestos sobre su estado de VIH en los sistemas de
salud, y muchas otras historias de violaciones de derechos humanos.
Es notable que Conexión G realiza un trabajo único que
llega a las personas que tienen sus vidas y demandas invisibles: la población
LGBTI de los barrios más pobres.
Race and Equality hace un llamado al Estado brasileño
para proteger el trabajo de los defensores de los derechos humanos
y cambiar la lógica con la que actúa hacia las personas afrodescendientes
en las favelas. Continuaremos monitoreando las violaciones de los derechos
humanos de la comunidad afro-LGBTI en Brasil y seguiremos exigiendo que el
Estado brasileño respete sus vidas.
[1] Datos
del Instituto de Seguridad Pública. Disponible en:
http://www.ispvisualizacao.rj.gov.br/index.html
[2] UOL. La
policía mató a 881 personas en 6 meses en RJ. Ninguno en el área de la
milicia. 20 de agosto de 2019. Disponible en:
https://noticias.uol.com.br/cotidiano/ultimas-noticias/2019/08/20/policias-mataram-881-pessoas-em-6-meses-no-rj
-no-in-militia.htm? cmpid = copiaecola
[3] UOL. «La policía apuntará a la
cabecita y … disparará», dice Wilson Witzel. 1 de noviembre de
2018. Disponible en:
https://noticias.uol.com.br/ultimas-noticias/agencia-estado/2018/11/01/a-policia-vai-mirar-na-cabecinha-e-fogo
-firms-wilson-witzel.htm? cmpid = copiaecola
¡No más impunidad! Día Internacional de la Memoria Trans
On Trans
Remembrance Day, The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights
(Race and Equality) stands in solidarity with the struggles of trans women
against the various forms of violence they have been victims of, particularly
the violence that has obstructed their lives. The fight against the murder of
trans people must be the fundamental basis of any discussion on the
implementation of policies or recognition of gender identity. This is the most
basic task of all States.
Brazil remains the country with the highest number of trans people murdered in the world. The dossier on murders and violence against transvestites and transsexuals in Brazil of 2018, prepared by the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals (ANTRA), noted that, in 2018 alone, 163 murders of transgender people occurred, 82% of them black. The largest number of trans people were killed in the state of Rio de Janeiro, with a total of 16 murders. According to current ANTRA data, as of November 11, at least 106 transgender people have been killed in Brazil this year(2019).
Murders of trans
people also occur in all other Latin American and Caribbean countries. The effort of some civil society
organizations to better document this violence has resulted in various regional
observatories that monitor violence throughout the region such as: Sin Violencia LGBT, la Red
Lactrans, and the ILGALAC,
among others. However, these valuable efforts do not replace the duty of States
to adequately register and investigate these acts. The UN Independent Expert on
protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender
identity and gender expression stated in his 2019 report on data collection and
management:
“The breakdown of data that allows comparisons to be made between population groups is part of States’ obligations in the field of human rights, and has become an element of the human rights-based approach to data use.”
Accordingly, we highlight the relevance of not only adequately characterizing violence against the trans population, but also having a better characterization that accounts for their socio-economic situation, educational contexts, and racial characteristics, as it appears that in countries like Brazil, the magnitude of gender identity violence, especially violence against trans people, has had a particular impact on people of African descent.
This task, apart
from being carried out through adequate investigation and prosecution work from
a criminal perspective, must be accompanied by preventive actions in the
different areas of rights protection.
Some actions to adopt include the construction of policies that respond
to the origin of multicausal violence, the prevention of domestic violence due
to gender identity, transphobic bullying in educational settings, adequate
health care with a differential approach, as well as actions of transformation
and openness in work spaces.
From Race and Equality, and in alliance with the civil society organizations with whom we work in the Latin American region, we will continue to demand that integral political States denaturalize violence against trans people, and the oversight of names and lives that also deserve to be lived with full respect for their dignity and full guarantee of their rights.
«La situación de violencia contra personas Afro-LGBTI es invisibilizada y sistemática en América Latina» alertan activistas ante la CIDH
Quito,
Ecuador. November 12, 2019. In the thematic hearing held during the 174 period of Hearings of the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Quito, Ecuador, LGBTI activists
and Afro-descendants from Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Peru
presented on the situation of violence, lack of protection, and lack of
knowledge of their prevailing rights in each of these States.
Throughout the
space, the activists highlighted how Afro-descendants with sexual orientations
and non-normative gender identities are at greater risk of suffering from violations
of their rights, especially by the States’ general lack of knowledge on the
differentiated effects suffered by people living this reality.
Likewise, the activists presented a summary of different cases of murder and violence against transgender people and Afro-descendants, especially those committed with a high degree of cruelty and hatred; in addition to remaining completely unpunished.
Bruna Benavides, ANTRA activist
«In
January of this year, in Brazil, a trans woman had her heart torn out and then replaced
by the image of a saint. Her murderer was acquitted of the charge, even though
he narrated in great detail how he had killed her and kept her heart at home
with a smile on his face,» said Afro-Brazilian activist Bruna Benavides, a
member of the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals, or ANTRA in
Brazil.
According to
information given by Benavides, this year alone, 110 trans people were killed
in Brazil, 85% of them black. Likewise, the activist reported that 90% of the
population of transvestites and trans women in this country are engaged in
prostitution due to the lack of job opportunities.
Furthermore, she
pointed out that this group of people are recurring victims of different State
institutions due to the inaccessibility of appropriate healthcare services and
of fair employment opportunities and recognition, as well as having a lack of respect
for their identities. In this regard, Benavides added ,«… today we
are afraid to walk the streets again, and as a defender of human rights, I do
not feel safe despite the progress we have made because our leaders have common
policies of racist hatred , male chauvinism…»
In this order, the leader Justo Arevalo representative of the Colombian organizations Arco Iris de Tumaco, the National Conference of Afro-Colombian Organizations (CNOA), and Somos Identidad, highlighted that contexts of rejection, violence, and discrimination within these communities towards people who assume a non-normative sexual orientation or gender identity create other types of cyclical and systemic violence that threaten the integrity of AfroLGBTI people. An example of this is in Colombia, where there is forced displacement towards cities that sharpen the circles of violence in which these people live.
Justo Arevalo, Colombian activist
«In March
of 2019, a report on the realities experienced by Afro-LGBTI people was filed
in Bogotá before the Jurisdiction for Peace, whose main findings show that
documented violence and impact are blocked by very racial and class-particular
relations, typical of the sociocultural, economic, and political environment in
which they occur, prejudice as a factor of violence, and the responsibility of
illegal armed actors in the face of serious violations of rights against Afro LGBT
people, «Arevalo
added in his speech.
Belén Zapata, an
Afro-descendant trans activist from Peru, alerted the audience of the impact
that police abuse has on the lives of Afro-descendant and transvestite people,
highlighting that it sets a pattern of deep violence against their right to
personal integrity in countries like Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican
Republic, and Peru.
Likewise, the
activist referred to the access of healthcare services by trans-descendant
Afro-descendant women in the region, which is characterized in its generality
for not being efficient or worthy of use by this population.
In this regard,
the activist added: «There are still cases in which medical personnel
offer inadequate and/or improper care to Afro-descendant transgender women.
This pattern is particularly serious in cases of care for Afro-descendant
transgender women who perform sex work and are taken in for injuries as a
result of physical aggressions. But also, in cases where the request for other
services is related to reproductive health or HIV / AIDS. «
Violation of
the rights of Afro-LGBTI people is systematic
«As long
as we avoid highlighting the intersection between race and sexual diversity, we
will continue to perpetuate a system that makes the Afro-descendant LGBTI
community invisible; we will continue to have legal structures, public policies,
and government institutions that do not protect or guarantee the human rights
of the Afro LGBTI population,» added Katherine Ventura, representative of the American University Legal
Clinic. She also pointed out that there are patterns of violence that are
particular to the Afro-LGBTI population, naming three: 1) Absence of rights’
guarantees focused on the Afro-LGBTI community; 2) Lack of implementation of
existing laws and 3) Inadequate data collection, particularly in criminal
investigation processes against Afro-LGBTI people.
On this matter,
the Commissioners of the IACHR indicated the responsibility of the States to
collect data, generate policies, and promote processes that guarantee the reparation,
respect, and recognition of the rights of Afro-LGBTI people. In this regard, Commissioner
Margarette May Macaulay urged States to ratify the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination as an alternative that seeks to
address the issues of Afro-descendants with sexual orientations and
non-normative gender identities.
To finalize the hearing, the organizations requested that the IACHR to urge the States of Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Peru to:
1. Urgently investigate cases of homicide and police abuse that
involve Afro-LGBTI persons and, consequently, register and characterize them
properly.
2. Implement the recommendations of the Afro-LGBTI
population that this Commission has made since 2015, particularly those focused
on the development of public policies that explicitly include the Afro-LGBTI
population.
3. As part of the fulfillment of the objectives proposed in
the Decade of Afro-descendants 2015-2024, the Afro-LGBTI population should be
included as a beneficiary of justice and development-oriented measures in the
region, and it should be requested that all states comply with the
recommendations of the Inter-American Commission regarding the importance of
providing differentiated data on sexual orientation and gender identity.
4. Suggest the ratification of the Inter-American Convention
against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Intolerances and the
Inter-American Convention against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance
to all States.
5. That the Inter-American Commission publish the report of the on-site visit to Brazil in 2018 and the rapporteur on the rights of Afro-descendants and racial discrimination visit Brazil to better know the situation of the Afro-LGBTI population, with effective participation of civil society organizations.
