Human Dignity Trust

40 countries criminalise private, consensual sexual activity between women. We're excited to share our new report, Breaking the Silence: Criminalisation of Lesbians and Bisexual Women and its Impacts. The report, the second edition to an original published in 2016, considers the history, extent and nature of laws criminalising consensual sexual intimacy between women, and the anti-LGBT criminal laws of all varieties that foster and perpetuate homophobia against lesbian and bisexual women as a particular group. Read the report to learn more: https://lnkd.in/emR_d38N #LGBT

This year, the global movement for legal change in favour of LGBT people has celebrated significant victories. As 2024 draws to a close, we reflect on the impact we’ve made throughout the year:

Our Head of Legal, Ariane Adam, Senior Associate Glenroy Murray, and Legal Assistant Rachel Solomon are attending the Equal Rights Coalition 2024 Conference this week. The team has been discussing the role of courts in advancing LGBT rights, the importance of strategic litigation, and sharing insights and best practices on how to engage with and support LGBT organisations.

Disturbing news from #Comoros as two women are reported to have been convicted of engaging in sexual acts "contrary to good morals and against nature", for the first time, under the country's #antiLGBT laws https://lnkd.in/eAwrUGGA For a full picture of criminalisation in Comoros, please visit our country profile: https://lnkd.in/ejUwy44w

This #HumanRightsDay, let’s remember: decriminalisation is a fundamental human rights issue. Laws that criminalise LGBT communities violate the key principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Everyone deserves the right to live free from violence, persecution, discrimination, harassment and stigma. Visit our timeline tool to trace the journey of LGBT rights over the past 500 years: https://lnkd.in/espas6jf

A heartfelt congratulations to Thomas Jennings for winning the Stephen Denyer Pro Bono Award for Best Individual Contribution at the LawWorks Awards. As a Senior Associate in Herbert Smith Freehills commercial litigation team, Thomas has been instrumental in the landmark constitutional challenge in Mauritius. This case culminated last October with the Supreme Court declaring laws criminalising same-sex intimacy unconstitutional and void. Thomas played a key role by conducting and supervising the analysis of complex legal arguments, advising the Trust on their merits, and collaborating with local NGOs, civil society, and local counsel - all while keeping the individual claimant at the heart of the case. His work has made a profound impact, ensuring that the LGBT community in Mauritius no longer live under the threat of arrest and prosecution.

Last month, the Human Dignity Trust co-hosted the Global Equality Summit - a three-day event that united legislators from around the world to address global challenges in the struggle for LGBTI rights. The summit was a collaborative effort with the Global Equality Caucus, The Other Foundation and Parliamentarians for Global Action. During the summit, legislators representing every region of the world signed the Cape Town Declaration 2024, marking five years since the Global Equality Caucus was founded. This declaration promotes our commitment to advocate for laws that advance the rights of LGBT people everywhere. Our Senior Associate, Lesego Nchunga, led a workshop for African legislators on leveraging LGBT-inclusive hate crimes legislation to align with the African Commission's Resolution 275. Additionally, Senior Associate Dr. Seun Solomon Bakare addressed participants on recent successes and ongoing challenges in the global movement for LGBT rights.

This #WorldAIDSDay, we are calling for the decriminalisation of same-sex acts in the 63 countries where punitive and discriminatory laws still exist. These laws marginalise key populations, such as LGBT people, most at risk of HIV, driving them away from essential services when they need them the most.   Today, we honour our inspiring partner and dedicated LGBT activist, Friedel Dausab, who has spent over two decades championing the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. Diagnosed with HIV in 1999, Friedel has since tirelessly advocated for equal access to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment in Namibia.    In June 2024, Friedel achieved a historic legal victory in a case the Trust supported together with Positive Vibes (Trust). He successfully challenged Namibia’s common law offences of sodomy, which were ruled unconstitutional by the High Court. The court found these laws to be discriminatory and invalid, stating that “the enforcement of the private moral views of a section of the community… based to a large extent on nothing more than prejudice” is unjustifiable. The ruling declared that criminalising gay men “poses a greater threat to the fabric of society as a whole than tolerance.”    With this landmark decision, #Namibia is the latest country to join a growing list of decriminalising countries. https://lnkd.in/dwdYSBU   As highlighted in UNAIDS’ latest report to mark #WorldAIDSDay, Take the rights path to end AIDS, the criminalisation of #LGBT people “impedes, excludes, and sometimes bars them from accessing information, health goods, and services critical to HIV prevention and care.” The report also highlights Friedel’s journey to achieving decriminalisation in Namibia (page 51).

Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of #16DaysOfActivism2024 where we are shedding light on the scope and impact of laws that criminalise lesbians and bisexual women. Currently, 40 jurisdictions around the world criminalise LBQ women. Their criminalisation is often compounded by additional laws that have an exaggerated impact on women and girls, such as legislation criminalising adultery, abortion and sex-work, and laws that permit forced marriage and rape within marriage. Learn more about the criminalisation of women in our latest report, Breaking the Silence: Criminalisation of Lesbians and Bisexual Women and its Impacts https://lnkd.in/ensqaVd6

On #TransDayOfRemembrance, we honour the memory of trans and gender-diverse people worldwide who have resisted and continue to resist criminalisation and state-sanctioned abuse. On this day, we're also honouring our trans heroes and their incredible contributions. Today, we shine a spotlight on Raven Gill, a dedicated community organiser, activist, and founder of Butterfly Barbados, a group advocating for the rights of transgender and gender-diverse individuals. In 2022, Raven, alongside fellow claimant René Holder-McClean-Ramirez, achieved a historic victory when the High Court of Barbados decriminalised same-sex intimacy. This decision struck down Sections 9 and 12 of the Barbados Sexual Offences Act, commonly referred to as the "buggery" and "indecency" laws, which had long been used to target LGBT individuals. Butterfly Barbados, the nation’s only trans-led civil society organisation, champions transgender and gender-diverse Barbadians through education, awareness-raising and advocacy. They create space for legislative and policy reform, while also improving access to education, employment opportunities and essential social services for the community.