In October the 10th anniversary of SUR Journal – International Journal on Human Right was marked by the publication of its 20th issue that comprises 55 articles examining the challenges and successes of the humans rights movement around the world. The issue includes an article of SPW co-chair, Sonia Corrêa, anlyzing sexual politics in the context of the so called-emerging powers, specifically the countries now clustered under the BRICS – Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa. The article is the first product of the research project “Emerging Powers, Sexuality and Human Rights” being developed by SPW in partnership with researchers and activists from various countries.
The 6th edition of Stop Trans Pathologization Campaign mobilized actions in 45 cities around the world to question the pathologizing of gender identities. New research findings were also launched by Transgender Europe: “Legal and social situation of trans people map”, which presents an overview of the conditions of life for trans people in 116 countries (in Spanish).
In Brazil, during October a series of police blitz were launched against clandestine abortion clinics in Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul. These measures followed the tragic deaths of two women in result for unsafe abortion that gained high media visibility in September (In Portuguese) . The blitz reveal that the Brazilian state response to unsafe abortion, instead of adopting a public health and human rights approach, is to privilege a repressive and criminal approach. SPW compiled news that came out in the media about the police actions (In Portuguese).
Other highlights:
SPW Working Paper n. 9, authored by Justin Perez (University of California, Irvine), brings critical analyses of lesbian and gay tourism and of the increasingly significant and problematic role played by quantitative measurements, indexes and ranking in the context of LGBT rights claims.
The excellent interview of Dawn Cavenagh, coordinator of the Coalition of African Lesbian (CAL) in which she analyzes the politics and potential effects of the Human Rights Council September Resolution on Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
The launching of the “Meeting report for the Orientations and Identities: Sexuality and Human Rights on the Global Stage Conference”, that took place in May, Los Angeles. Click here to read it.
SPW Participations
– Sonia Corrêa, SPW co-chair, participated in October 6th at the meeting convened by the outgoing Special Rapporteur on the Right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health Anand Grover to hand over the mandate do Dr. Dainius Puras nominated for the post in June 2014.
– Sonia Correa has also spoken in the panel “Sanctioned Sexualities” in the 27th International Conference of ILGA (International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex), between 29 and 31 October.
– The SPW co-chair, Richard Parker, attended on 15 October, in Vietnam, the “Workshop on prevention approaches for MSM and HIV: global perspectives and Vietnam”, which discussed prevention and treatment to the LGBT community. Read more in this month ABIA newsletter (In Portuguese).