Trans activists advocate for their rights at the United Nations

Posted on by

The second  UN Trans Advocacy Week gathered together 23 trans and gender diverse human rights defenders from 19 countries for the 38th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. This historic event was a joint initiative by a  trans-led collaborative work, centering trans activism and issues at this  significant, global arena. It was organized by the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN), Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE), the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), the Swedish Federation for LGBTQ Rights (RFSL), and Transgender Europe (TGEU).

During the week of 18-22 June, the trans and gender diverse human rights defenders delivered two oral statements at the Human Rights Council, commenting on the latest reports of the Special Rapporteur on Health and the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI); attended private meetings with the Independent Expert and Special Rapporteurs and their staff; and met with representatives from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as with various other UN agencies, missions and donors.

The UN Trans Advocacy Week commenced just as the World Health Organization announced it had removed all trans-related categories from the International Classifications of Diseases’ chapter on mental and behavioral disorders. Depathologization of trans identities has been a prolonged and difficult fight, so this welcome news further strengthened the advocacy efforts of the group present in Geneva.

The human rights defenders  also contributed to the groundbreaking consultation on legal recognition of gender identity and depathologization convened by the UN Independent Expert on SOGI, and hosted two side events addressing trans issues within the gender framework and on the Yogyakarta Principles Plus 10 and their relevance to achieving trans human rights worldwide.  

The UN Trans Advocacy Week has been a fundamental opportunity to highlight trans related issues on a global stage, where historically they have been ignored, invisibilized and subsumed into the framework of advocacy centering on sexual orientation. The dialogues begun and continued during this week will serve to further strengthen the ongoing efforts of trans activists over the past several decades, enabling additional engagements with the UN arena for the remainder of the year and into the future.

Press Contact

Marli Gutierrez – APTN Communications Officer

  • Phone: +66 9 2502 8428
  • Email: marli.gutierrez@weareaptn.org

APTN announces Executive Director

Posted on by

Bangkok, Thailand

The Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN) is pleased to announce the selection of Joe Wong as its Executive Director effective immediately. The appointment was made after a highly subscribed search and recruitment process.

“We’re exceptionally pleased that Joe has taken on this leadership role,” said Phylesha Brown-Acton, Co-Chair of the Regional Steering Committee. “His broad knowledge of trans issues coupled with years of experience working communities in the region, and past contributions to the growth of the organisation under his leadership make him well positioned to lead us going forward. His passion and commitment to our cause coupled with his deep knowledge of our work will enable him to plan more effectively for the future, expand our programs, and introduce innovative approaches to achieve APTN’s mission — where all trans people are able to live a fulfilling life with dignity.”

Joe joined APTN as a Board Member in 2010 and has been a vital contributor to the work and growth of APTN as well as his leadership in mobilising responses for the trans masculine communities.

“As a long-time advocate with APTN, I have been humbled to witness the impact of our work and be part of a team advocating tirelessly for the community. Together, we are stronger, and it is in this same spirit that I begin my role as Executive Director at APTN. I am excited to work with the exceptional newly put together management team and staff to help the organization meet the challenges of the coming years,” says Joe Wong. “I’m looking forward to bringing the work of the organization to more people in and out of our community and standing up for trans rights.”

Joe had been actively leading in the gay and transgender HIV/ AIDS response well-before he assumed his role at APTN. He has been involved in human rights advocacy efforts and community-based programmings for various marginalised communities including sex workers and people living with HIV. He was the driving force behind the Asia-Pacific Trans Health Blueprint, a regional contextual map outlining key challenges, gaps, and interventions for transgender people in the region. He has written and implemented best practices and continues to prove that there can be no real response to the advancement of transgender health and human rights without the presence, voices, and contributions of transgender people.

“He is a proven change agent who has galvanised communities and partners responses to advance important work for the trans communities using a community-based and participatory approach ” said Mitch Yusof, Co-chair, Regional Steering Committee.

Message from APTN co-founder and RSC member, Hua Boonyapisomparn

On behalf of Asia Pacific Transgender Network Regional Steering Committee and as a co-founder of APTN, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Wong as the new Executive Director of APTN.

Over the last few years, APTN has clearly defined its vision and developed a comprehensive strategy plan to improve the access to rights and health of trans people in Asia and the Pacific. Joe has been an integral part of developing and implementing APTN’s strategic plans and programming since 2014 and has led the organisation to success in improving the quality of lives for our trans sisters and brothers and their communities.

Joe was unanimously recommended and approved by the board to be our next Executive Director after an extensive search and recruitment process. We believe he will make an excellent leader for APTN as a visionary, brave leader, and we believe he has the skills that APTN needs in its next transformative journey.

I want to take this opportunity on behalf of the board of directors to pass on our heartfelt thanks to the community, advisors, partners, and donors who remained patient and supportive in the transitioning process. It would not have been possible without the entire secretariat support, to all staff, most appreciated.

The APTN Regional Steering Committee and Thai Foundation board is delighted to have reached such a successful outcome in its search for an Executive Director and I ask you to join me in extending a warm welcome to Joe as APTN’s Executive Director.

APTN’S Statement on the Historic ICD-11 Revision

Posted on by

In a historic moment, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released the official version of the ICD-11 in which all trans-related categories were removed from the chapter of Mental and Behavioral Disorders. In response to the achievement, Joe Wong the Executive Director of APTN stated that “the removal of trans-related categories from the ICD chapter of  Mental and Behavior Disorders is a great accomplishment and reveals the decades-long work that trans people have been working for globally. This is a necessary step on the path to ensure the dignity, rights and protections of trans people”.

The pathologisation of trans identities as incorporated in the previous versions of the ICD have contributed to the stigmatisation, discrimination, and misrepresentation of trans people. The medicalisation of trans identities have created additional barriers to accessing care and human right for trans communities globally. The damage and impacts of the decades of pathologisation of trans identities still needs to be healed. It is with much dedication and resilience that our trans communities from all over the world has worked to demedicalise and remove trans-related topics from the chapter on mental and behavioral disorders. The continued use of sensitisation, education and consulting with trans communities is essential to continue to reduce stigma and still ensure accessibility to necessary gender affirming care and upholding the dignity, protection, and autonomy of trans individuals. Many trans and diverse people around the world have severely suffered the impact of pathologization or have their identities invalidated.

While the implementation and acceptance of the ICD-11 by countries will require continued advocacy and education, this marks a historic shift in the treatment and social acceptance of diverse gender identities. There continues to be aspects in the ICD-11 regarding trans-identities that need continued revision to better address the needs and rights of trans people and we encourage greater collaboration between trans communities and health and policy practitioners.  Committed and organized advocacy will be more needed than ever to ensure effective implementation at the country level, to remove pathologizing regulations while ensuring trans identities are recognise before the law and full access to gender affirming healthcare.

APTN is among many trans activists, international organisations, academics and health officials that have advocated for the reclassification of trans identity-related diagnoses from the ICD. This reclassification is an important step to further the dignity, protection, and justice for trans communities globally. Across the world and within the Asia and the Pacific region, there needs to be increased dialogue and adoption of the most current revision of the ICD-11 accompanied by a bold reaffirmation of our ultimate goal where full depathologization is grounded in human rights and, particularly, on universal access to healthcare.

Other APTN products about ICD and transgender health issues:

Expanding the Circle: A multi-country workshop series on comprehensive trans healthcare

Publication download: Blueprint on the Provision of Comprehensive Care for Trans People and Trans Communities in Asia and the Pacific

Publication download: Removal of gender incongruence of childhood diagnostic category: a human rights perspective, The Lancet Psychiatry, Volume 3, No. 5, p405–406, May 2016

Public statement: ILGA Asia Trans* Pre-conference – Statement on Gender Incongruence in Childhood

Video: Standing Up for Trans Rights

Video: Demanding Care: Stories of Transgender Healthcare Discrimination in Thailand

Video: Trans Rights Are Human Rights

Trans-led organisations work on depathologisation:

Publication download: GATE’s Gender is not an Illness

Video: #UNTransAdvocacy 2017 Panel on Depatholisation

Video: TGEU’s history of trans activism for depathologisation

Trans Day of Visibility

Posted on by

March 31st marked the annual Trans Day of Visibility, founded to celebrate the existence of trans people throughout the world. It is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the diversity of trans identities. Thank you to all the people and organisations throughout Asia and the Pacific that are working tirelessly to ensure the greater visibility and awareness of trans people on a daily basis.

#TDOV #transisbeautiful #transhealth

Call for Application Consultant to develop tool and implement a Civil Society transition and sustainability assessment with emphasis on Trans communities in Nepal and Vietnam

Posted on by

GATE and Asia Pacific Transgender Network have just released a joint call for 2 consultants, one based in the Asia-Pacific region, and on based in the Latin America and Caribbean region. The consultancy is for a global project on strengthening trans populations & HIV key population networks.

Deadline to apply is 22 March 2018

DOWNLOAD PDF

Solidarity and courage amidst increasing violence against LGBTIQ persons in Indonesia

Posted on by

On 27 January 2018, approximately 10 beauty salons in North Aceh, Indonesia became subject to raids and 12 transgender women were arrested. They were forced to cut and shave their hair, stripped of their clothes, verbally harassed, and subjected to physical and mental therapies in an attempt to make them more “masculine”. On the pretenses of protecting public morals, the women were subjected to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment and punishment. The raids and arrests were part of the Aceh government’s policy directive on “Eradication of Community Disease” and counter terrorism.

This act of violence is the most recent in a wave of persecution by government and extremist civilian forces against transgender and LGBIQ persons in Indonesia, including last year’s public flogging of two men on charges of committing consensual sexual relations.

We urge the government of Indonesia to uphold its human rights obligations to respect and protect the rights of all persons, including ceasing, stopping and preventing all the violence against LGBTIQ persons in Aceh. We call on the international community to remain vigilant on the matter and condemn the actions of Aceh’s police force. We call on NHRI’s in Indonesia to monitor the human rights situation and undertake on-site inspection of places where the risk of human rights violations is high. We express solidarity to fellow LGBTIQ advocates in Indonesia, continue your bravery in upholding human rights and dignity amidst the brewing violence by extremist groups.

Direct Quotes from Signatories“Reparative therapies aim to change a person’s gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation is not based on evidence and is no longer considered ethical. Yet, such prosecution is in part the lived reality of transgender people where state laws and sanctions are not put in place to realize human rights-based legal gender recognition. Respect for transgender people’s human rights encompasses the obligation to refrain from doing actions that violate those human rights.” – Joe Wong, Program Manager, Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN)

“The persecution of 12 transgender women in Aceh, if not challenged and condemned, will send a terror to all LGBTIQ persons in Indonesia. They are not protected by the law and can become a target anytime. We need to resist and prevent such discrimination from spreading to other regions and other countries in Asia.” – Manisha Dhakal, Asian Representative, International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)

“The looming criminalization of LGBTIQ persons in Indonesia coupled with the wave of targeted violence across the country is alarming. If not prevented, this can be a lethal mix that may trigger a crisis. We are afraid that Indonesia may be at risk of committing a crime against humanity.” – Ryan Silverio, Regional Coordinator, ASEAN SOGIE Caucus (ASC)

“We urge the Indonesian government to apply the Yogyakarta Principles that outline a set of international principles relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, in particular to address cases of violence against LGBTIQ, including by implementing measures to prevent all forms of violence, by investigating and penalizing such actions, and by undertaking necessary reforms in the justice system.”  – Midnight Poonkasetwattana, Executive Director, APCOM

For further information:

Marli Gutierrez, Asia Pacific Transgender Network

Email: marli.gutierrez@weareaptn.org

Ryan Silverio, ASEAN SOGIE Caucus

Email: rsilverio@aseansogiecaucus.org

Lieu Anh Vu, ILGA Asia

Email: vu@ilga.org

Midnight Poonkasetwattana, APCOM

Email:  midnightp@apcom.org

Joint Statement on Trans Advocacy Week at the UN Human Rights Council 35th Session

Posted on by

Sixteen trans and gender diverse activists from fifteen countries across all regions of the world – including Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, North America, the Pacific, and the Caribbean – participated in the first Trans Advocacy Week at the 35th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. This historical event was a joint initiative organized by the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN), Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE), the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), the Swedish Federation for LGBTQ Rights (RFSL), and Transgender Europe (TGEU).

During the week of June 5 – 9, trans activists met for a full day strategic planning meeting; produced and delivered two oral statements commenting on the latest reports of the Special Rapporteur on Health, the Independent Expert of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI), and the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions; attended private meetings with Special Procedures and their staff; met with representatives from UNAIDS, the Global Fund, UNHCR, and with the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. They also attended a meeting between the Equal Rights Coalition and civil society organisations. Many of the activists also met with their Permanent Missions to the UN in Geneva as well as with other activists working regionally and internationally on human rights issues at the Council.

Follow the links to watch the video of the statement of Manisha’s intervention on the right to mental health or to watch the video or read the statement of Ricky’s intervention on violence, discrimination, and legal gender recognition.

A key highlight of the week was the groundbreaking panel on Transgender People, Mental Health and Human Rights. Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn, the Independent Expert on SOGI issues, and Dr. Dainius Pūras, the Special Rapporteur on Health, presented at the panel, accompanied by the presentations of Viviane Vergueiro and Mauro Cabral Grinspan, and the moderation of Julia Ehrt. After the panel presentations, other participants spoke from the floor. Video from the side event is available in two parts – Part 1 and Part 2.

The Trans Advocacy Week was planned after trans activists’ participation in the Public Consultation called by the UN Independent Expert on SOGI on January 2017. Some participants in the Trans Advocacy Week, such as Erika Castellanos (Belize) and Ricky Nathanson (Zimbabwe) had already been part of that process. For other participants, such as Viviane Vergueiro (Brasil), Lady Gaga (Papua New Guinea), Yaya Aye Myat (Myanmar) and Fritz von Klein (Ukraine), this was their first time ever at the UN. These participants left excited and committed to UN trans advocacy; Yaya explained her thoughts saying, “I am however pleased to be part of this Trans Advocacy Week and I would like something to happen in the future. Amongst the UN state members, if there is at least 2% of the ambassadors are transgender people then, I would die happily. Am I dreaming too much?”

The organizers are already planning a second Trans Advocacy Week for June 2018 as well as additional engagements within UN spaces during the year. For Mauro Cabral Grinspan, GATE Executive Director, “this initiative shows what can be achieved by trans networks, organizations and networks working together, in spite of how scarce our resource are.” Micah Grzywnowicz, International Advocacy Advisor at RFSL noted, “Trans activists and trans issues have never been so visible at the Human Rights Council and UN spaces at large. This has been truly historic week and a start of a larger and sustained engagement with the UN.”

Contact information:
Mauro Cabral Grinspan
Executive Director
GATE
mcabral@transactivists.org

Cianán B. Russell
Human Rights & Advocacy Officer
Asia Pacific Transgender Network
cianan.russell@weareaptn.org

Micah Grzywnowicz
International Advocacy Advisor
The Swedish Federation for LGBTQ Rights (RFSL)
micah.grzywnowicz@rfsl.se

Julia Ehrt
Executive Director
Transgender Europe
julia@tgeu.org

Zhan Chiam
Gender Identity and Gender Expression Senior Programme Officer
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)

DOWNLOAD THE JOINT STATEMENT

Malaysian court decision on cross-dressing

Posted on by

A Malaysian court decision that made a ban on cross-dressing illegal last year is now being challenged in court. Last November the Malaysian Court of Appeal ruled that a Shariah law criminalizing Muslim transgender people in Negeri Sembilan state was unconstitutional. The state government is now trying to overturn that decision.

On January 27, 2015, the Negeri Sembilan state government will try to “obtain leave” to appeal the earlier decision by convincing a five-judge panel that its case is worth hearing. If they succeed, there will be a full hearing, with the possibility that the previous court ruling may be overturned, and the original Negeri Sembilan Shariah Criminal Enactment that banned cross dressing may again become law.

Before it was overturned in November 2014, section 66 of the Shariah law in Negeri Sembilan stated that any male person dressing as a woman in public could be fined 1,000 ringit, sentenced to six months in prison, or both. The law was enforced by the State Religious Department who conducted raids and made arrests of transgender women.

“This not only brings shame to humanity but also attacks the human rights of transgender people”, says Abhina Aher, Chairperson of the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN).

Malaysia is governed by both civil and Shariah laws, with the highest law being the federal constitution. While civil law is administered at the federal level, Shariah law operates at state level, with 14 sets of laws and implementation varying from state to state. Although this Shariah law would only apply to Muslims in Negeri Sembilan, this case will have an important impact on all transgender people in Malaysia, regardless of their religion.

“This could have repercussions for the safety of all transgender people in Malaysia,” says Joe Wong, Programme Manager at APTN. “Subjecting transgender people to arrest and imprisonment, fines, or both, makes them targets of discrimination and results in lack of opportunities for employment and education. The absence of legal protection leaves transgender people vulnerable to extortion and violence, especially those living on the margins of the law as sex workers. It is a systemic problem.”

Despite clear guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender health (WPATH) transgender people in Malaysia are still viewed as a problem to be fixed. In some cases this includes being pushed by family members to recommend or impose reparative therapies, sometimes involving involuntary committal to a psychiatric ward. “Gender conversion therapy is never effective, and such treatment are no longer considered ethical, Kevin Halim, Programme Officer at APTN.

“Transgenderism is not per se a mental disorder. There is no Gender Identity Disorder, except the inability or unwillingness to accept transgender people” says Dr Sam Winter of WPATH. “We deserve to be treated equally and be protected by the system in the country we are born in. It is time for our country to recognize the existence of the transgender community,” says transgender activist Nisha Ayub.

APTN calls upon the Malaysian Government to repeal all laws that punish cross-dressing and remove the legal, regulatory or administrative barriers to the formation of community organisations by or for transgender people. Psychologists in their professional roles should provide appropriate, non-discriminatory treatment and work against discrimination towards transgender individuals.

APTN urges the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, UN agencies and community leaders to work together towards eliminating the barriers of the trans community related to health, social wellbeing and human rights. APTN extends support to the transgender people living in countries like Malaysia as they engage with policy makers and faith-based leaders to work towards the social inclusion of all transgender people.

For enquires, please contact:
Joe Wongjoe.wong@weareaptn.org
+66 92 502 8428

Photo credit: Trevor Mills

For immediate release: Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR)

Posted on by

The International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), which occurs annually on 20 November, is a day to memorialize the transgender men and women who have lost their lives to hate crimes and violence during the previous year. TDoR is also serves to highlight and bring public attention to anti-transgender violence and murder, to publicly mourn the violence inflicted on our community and the lives of the people we have lost, and to remind cisgender people that we are their siblings, children, parents, friends, and lovers.

Violence against transgender people continues to increase year by year. The Global Trans Murder Monitoring Project (http://www.tgeu.org/tmm) has identified 155 such killings across 16 countries in Asia between January 2008 and December 2014. There were a further two transgender people killed in both the Pacific and Australia, and one in New Zealand. These reported cases represent a fraction of such alleged hate crimes, due to family cover-up of a victim’s transgender identity, police misgendering of a body, and difficulty with correcting gender on legal documentation. The highest numbers of identified deaths were in India (48), the Philippines (35), Pakistan (22), and Thailand (14). The per capita rate of reported killings is particularly high in the Philippines, where civil society groups actively monitor such murders, including the high-profile killing of transgender woman Jennifer Laude on 11 October 2014.

In a climate of criminalisation, where law enforcement agencies themselves perpetrate violence with impunity, it is not surprising that violence against transgender people is underreported and inadequately investigated. In this region and globally, transgender organisations have attempted to monitor the most extreme forms of violence: when transgender people have been killed because of their gender identity. This violence remains invisible and unreported when States do not legislate against family violence and leave families to enforce social norms, standards of respectability, and morality.

The collection and dissemination of anti-transgender violence and murder statistics is conducted by Transgender Europe (TGEU) at www.tgeu.org/tmm and at www.tdor.info

This year, the Asia Pacific Transgender Network has released a Transgender Day of Remembrance Media Toolkit and terminology resource to guide the media to a fair and inclusive coverage and reporting on transgender people. The TDoR Media Toolkit can be downloaded here or at https://weareaptn.org/publication

Enquires

Joe Wong
Programme Manager
joe.wong@weareaptn.org
+66 92 502 8428

Natt Kraipet
Network Coordinator
natt.kraipet@weareaptn.org
+66 82 653 3999

“Nothing for Us Without Us”: Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN) Insists on Trans-Led Initiatives to Serve Trans Populations in the Asia Pacific Region

Posted on by

Research by Winter (2012) has speculated that 0.3 percent of the adult population in Asia and the Pacific may be trans. Using 2010 UN population data, he calculated that there may be between 9.0 and 9.5 million trans people in this region. Available data consistently show that trans women are disproportionately affected by HIV. They are more likely to be HIV positive than the general adult population. A 2013 meta-analysis of studies published globally between 2000 and 2011 shows that the pooled HIV prevalence rate for trans women is 19.1 percent, and they are 49 times more likely to acquire HIV than the general adult population (Baral et al., 2013).

Despite such vulnerability, trans data, resources and responses are subsumed and diluted under a broader MSM response.

There is a need to separate gay and MSM activities from transgender activities in this region. The continuation of this conflation ultimately reveals the gay and MSM communities’ insistence that transgender women are “really men”; we ask this to stop. We have recently reiterated these concepts with APCOM. As a result of outcomes from these communications, the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN) is restructuring our relationship with APCOM and asking that our partners inform us if you are approached by APCOM on transgender issues.

APTN was launched in 2009 when 15 transgender activists from 10 Asia and Pacific countries came together to champion the health, legal and social rights of transgender peoples. In 2010 at the ICAAP Conference in Busan, South Korea, following a transgender caucus supported by APCOM, it was acknowledged and agreed that the focal point for all transgender related work and advocacy would be transitioned to APTN to lead. APTN acknowledges this history and the support APCOM has provided APTN to establish and to pursue its mandate in serving transgender peoples and communities in the Asia Pacific region.

APTN is the only leading transgender organisation in the Asia Pacific region. We have the expertise, specialism, data, publications and research to lead transgender-related work in the region. We have global support that APTN is the leading transgender entity in the Asia Pacific region. It is our goal to work, over the coming years, to disengage trans-focused work from gay and MSM organisations, centralising transgender advocacy in trans-led initiatives.

As transgender activists we intend to change the policy discourse and current perceptions of putting transgender people under the MSM umbrella; this conflation is confusing, tokenises trans people, and disrespects the identities of transgender people. We look forward to your continued support in our common goals to enable transgender women and men in the Asia and Pacific region to organise and advocate for the improvement of their health, protection of their legal, social and human rights, and enhancement of their social wellbeing and quality of life.

If you have comments or concerns on this issue, please contact the APTN Regional Steering Committee at RSC@weareAPTN.org

Download The Official Statement