On June 18th, the Vatican launched the encyclical “Laudato Si – On Care for Our Common Home”. The encyclical is the first one to have been solely written by Pope Francis the First and focuses on the environmental crisis. But as predicted it is not silent on matters pertaining to sexuality and reproduction. Juan Marco Vaggione SPW longstanding partner has generously accepted our invitation to comment the document.
As we know June is always important for LGBT rights. But this year the month has been especially productive in respect to the same-sex marriage agenda. This trail, in fact, began a month earlier in Ireland, where a referendum has granted these right to those demanding them for a long time. Ireland it should be noted was the first country in the world to decide this matter through popular vote. The referendum’s victory, while appraised worldwide is not exempt from caveats as analyzed by an instigating article by Anne Mulhall. Then in Mexico, the Supreme Court has issued a ruling defining as discriminatory state laws restricting marriage only to heterosexual couples, an important step forward commented by Gloria Careaga, member of SPW Steering Committee. Last but not least, as we were releasing this announcement the US Supreme Court has finally made its decision on same-sex marriage as a legitimate right. Though the news too fresh for substantive comments we have collected few articles that inform about and critically comment the voting.
Also in June two groundbreaking reports have been made public by the UN system that provide new conceptual grounds to guarantee the realization of sexual rights in its various dimensions, including in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity.
– United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report “Discrimination and violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity”.
– WHO report Sexual Health, Human Rights and Law.
Other inspiring SPW posts
Rachel Dolezal case: The conceptual and political challenges undergirding the contrast between transexuality and transraciality
Richard Parker and Peter Aggleton’s article Moving Beyond Biomedicalization in the HIV Response: Implications for Community Involvement and Community Leadership Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender People, published at the American Journal of Public Health.
Sexuality and Art
Africa’s Out, a platform created by Kenyan visual artist and activist Wangechi Mutu, was launched. The project aims to initiate and create radical ideas that change the way we engage with Africa and, more specifically, the way in which Africans reach out to empower one another. The initiative, which presented its first official fundraiser with a special focus on LGBTQI rights within Africa, will serve as an umbrella organization for events throughout the year.