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Gender and sexual politics The Supreme Court Has Dealt Another Devastating Blow to Women – The Nation What to know about the Supreme Court’s ruling

In 2010, Sonia Corrêa wrote on how the concept of “empowerment” is not reduced to a binary between men and women, where men have all

By Sonia Corrêa In September, Pope Francis visited Hungary and Slovakia, and in the latter country, in a conversation with a group of Jesuits, he

Since July, when we published our last Special Edition, as you will see in this issue, a lot has happened in the pandemic and in the field of sexual politics. Once again, the pages that follow are quite dense, but we remind you that the sections are relatively autonomous.

In the last Special Issue of last year we did a brief assessment of Vatican politics. Concomitantly, we published an article by the Italian political

First Words  In the last 2020 edition of Sexual Politics in Times of Pandemic Special of 2020, we hypothesized that throughout 2021, with the arrival

Then I have realized that even before putting those kinds of blinds [of the lock down], we are living under a situation of blinds,  we

The Tokyo Olympics’ Indelible Moments of Loss and Solidarity – New Yorker Olympic magic cut through the pandemic gloom, but the Tokyo Games’ legacy is

Pedro Castillo Terrones is 51 years old and is a primary school teacher, farmer, and militia member. He studied education and obtained a master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the Universidad César Vallejo. He gained public notoriety after leading the teachers’ strike in 2017 and 2018 which stopped classes for months with the demand for salary improvements and the elimination of teacher evaluation. He was active in Perú Posible, the party of former president Alejandro Toledo, and was a member of the Cajamarca committee from 2005 until 2017, when the grouping lost its registration.

Read the new issue of GLQ on “Cuir/Queer Américas: Translation, Decoloniality, and the Incommensurable”

Preliminary comment In 2020, in order to adjust our lenses to COVID-19 world conditions, we suspended our regular monthly announcements and started a series of

Derechos en riesgo: la cruzada antigénero en América Latina y el Caribe Línea del tiempo de las políticas antigénero – Wambra Telemedicina: la última tensión

The 2020 US presidential election in data: how Joe Biden won – New Statesman How Homegrown Disinformation Could Disrupt This U.S. Election – NY Times

2013 SPW Newsletter N.13 – July, 2013 – SPW 2014 Vatican Document: Gays Have ‘Gifts and Qualities to Offer’ Church – NBC News Catholic bishops

EFZ CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL OF THE COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION FROM THE ZAMBIAN EDUCATION CURRICULUM – Phoeniz FM News American Christian right group hosts anti-LGBT

Pedophilia – more of the same? – SPW Monsters Under The Bed – SPW How Covid-19 myths are merging with the QAnon conspiracy theory –

Since 2013, Pope Francis I has been making unexpected comments about homosexuality, which usually call for compassion and tolerance. While these speech acts erupt here

Editors’ Note We apologize to our readers and partners for the delay in making our last Special Issue on Sexual Politics in the Pandemic available.

By Sonia Corrêa A new encyclical signed by Pope Francis I was published in early October 2020. Entitled Fratelli Tutti, the new papal exhortation was

By Massimo Prearo* That words such as “revolution”, “change” or “turn” can be attributed to a religious institution like the Catholic Church, or to the

Vatican says Pope’s comments on same-sex civil unions were taken out of context – CNN Vatican clarifies pope’s comments on homosexual unions – DW Vatican

Investigate Dr. Sybrand de Vaal with regards to promoting harmful psychiatric practices with respect to Trans (including non-binary) children. This includes: * Examine his competency

Thirty years ago, the philosopher Judith Butler*, now 64, published a book that revolutionised popular attitudes on gender. Gender Trouble, the work she is perhaps best known for, introduced ideas of gender as performance. It asked how we define “the category of women” and, as a consequence, who it is that feminism purports to fight for. Today, it is a foundational text on any gender studies reading list, and its arguments have long crossed over from the academy to popular culture. 

By Sonia Corrêa & Rajnia de Vito Recently, references to pedophilia have increased vertiginously in Brazilian social networks and the press. At first glance, this

After six months into the pandemic, a striking feature of the condition under which we are working is that time has not expanded, as initially

A series of memes and messages were recently circulated throughout the continent with the aim of alerting people to an alleged movement that would be

SPW dearly congratulates our friend and Steering Committee member, Rosalind Petchesky, for receiving the New Political Science Charles A. McCoy Career Achievement Award, a more

  Global Public Health Special Issue: (Re)imagining Research, Activism, and Rights at the Intersections of Sexuality, Health, and Social Justice Guest Editors: Debolina Dutta, Laura Murray,

“Conversion therapy” practices Key findings  PDF: English | Spanish | Portuguese Full Report PDF: English

US Supreme Court LGBT worker ruling has a giant loophole – Al Jazeera Devil in the detail of SCOTUS ruling on workplace bias puts LGBTQ

A widespread orientation of what is presented today under the name of gender, calls into question the revealed fact: «Man and woman He created them».

Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, SPW has been reporting on the events, trends and dynamics triggred by Sars-Cov-2. In order to

Since January, when the Chinese government adopted extreme confinement measures in Wuhan,  the pandemic sparked the worldwide spread of questionable war semantics.  It also provided

The global scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed since April, but the crisis is still far from over. Only eight countries are listed as

The SPW Announcement for May and early June 2020 will have the same format adopted in March-April 2020, it will organize the newly compiled information

March and early April 2020 It has been very challenging to prepare the  SPW announcement for March/April 2020 due to the abnormality, risks, and losses

For some time now, many Polish municipalities, provinces and regions have been approving a series of resolutions which, more or less explicitly, aim to target

Anti- gender politics in Latin America – SPW is pleased to announce the collection Anti-gender Politics in Latin America, which encompasses  nine case studies from

Despite passed 400 days of JMB’s ruling, Brazil’s carnival has shown the strength of popular festivities in producing laugh and scorn. Viradouro samba school was

Special Issue Intersex & Sexuality Education Intersex variations comprise atypical sex characteristics: be these chromosomal, hormonal or anatomical. They represent a challenge to traditional binary

The year of 2019 has finished and, as traditionally, SPW offers our readers and followers a compilation of the main facts, trends, setbacks and victories

International Conference on Population & Development+25 – International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion Conservative protests against global development conference in Kenya fail to

Angola Decriminalizes Same-Sex Conduct – Human Rigths Watch As Angola decriminalizes homosexuality, where does the African continent stand? – DW Angola: Decriminalising same sex relations

HIGHLIGHTS Latin America: Politics in Trance In the period covered by this newsletter, Latin America has been the scene of three simultaneous elections – in

Au sein du Festival des Libertés, qui a eu lieu à Bruxelles, Belgique, la coordinateur du SPW, Sonia Corrêa, a participé du débat Désordre dans

Nairobi, November 14th, 2019. Gathered at the Nairobi Summit to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the International Conference in Population and Development (Cairo, 1994), the

The world has undergone several changes in recent decades, such as declining population growth, aging populations, increased external and internal migratory movements, epidemiological transition, rising

Due to a historically progressive human-rights based approach to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, Brazil has globally been deemed an important standard-bearer of the HIV/AIDS response

September 28 – “Abortion is a Health Issue” was the theme of this year’s International Safe Abortion Day, widely celebrated around the world (see compilation).

We start this announcement recalling that, before May 2019, two major antigender events have taken place that are worth revisiting because of their potential subsequent

#StopTheBans – Thousands of demonstrators marched in more than 500 cities across the US on May, 21th to protect abortion rights after Alabama state house passed,

‘People of faith against LGBTphobia’ in São Paulo Pride The group of Freaks in the São Paulo pride Millions celebrate LGBTQ pride in New York

By Fábio Grotz A continuous state of war driven by the government is what drives the speech and activities of actors engaged in the redemptive

Brazil’s national AIDS movement – comprised of networks, collectives, CSOs and activists signed below – repudiates Decree N. 9795 (read in Portuguese), released on May

Rainbow wave: record number of LGBTs running for office in India – The Times of India Riding the rainbow: first Lok Sabha elections since Section

– What do humans have to do not to have regret at that last second before we die? That is one of Elizabeth Streb’s moving

Access all e-books and working papers of this project at: https://sxpolitics.org/trendsandtensions/ Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) would like to re-launch the fourth publication of its most

First of all, could you please tell me briefly about the creation of GENDER INTERNATIONAL? Why have you come up with this idea? How many

GIFTS Statement on the World Congress of Families – Politesse Feminist resistance against the 2019 WCF: compilation World Congress of Families in Verona: An international

The President and the Golden Shower – New York Times Bolsonaro Tweets Explicit Video To Criticize Brazilian Carnaval – Folha de São Paulo Brazil’s Bolsonaro

The Trump administration is launching a global campaign to end the criminalization of homosexuality in dozens of nations where it’s still illegal to be gay.

Call for Papers for a session at the Annual International Conference of the Royal Geographical Society with Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG), London 28-30 August

Compiled and edited by Petrus Liu and Lisa Rofel. Originally published at The Center For Emerging Worlds (UC Santa Cruz). Available here. In recent years,

As 2018 reaches its end, SPW publishes a recollection of main events, trends, discoveries and challenges as we start 2019 and prepare for all the

SPW has the pleasure of promoting the Global Public Health Journal call for papers for the Special Issue — The Contested Global Politics of Pleasure

A report produced by Sonke Gender Justice and South Africa’s Human Sciences Research Council. Download here. “We need to unpack the term of ‘absent father’

Global Philanthropy Project and Funders for LGBTQ Issues are pleased to present the 2015-2016 Global Resources Report: Philanthropic & Government Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,

By Marco Aurélio Máximo Prado “I contend that these values all derive from important Jewish sources, which is not to say that they are only

By Sonia Corrêa Last year, in London, I saw a superb retrospective of Bhupen Khakar the Indian painter who died in 2003. I was fascinated.

By Roberta Clarke  On May 24th, Mia Mottley became Prime Minister of Barbados with her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) winning all thirty parliamentary seats. This

July 27 is Pride Day in Iran. It’s been the 9th following year that the 4th Friday of July (1st Fri of Mordad in Persian

By Sandra Mazo Cardona An inside look from gender and sexuality on the circumstances that led to Duque’s victory in the Colombian presidential elections On

The World Health Organization will stop classifying transgender people as mentally ill – CNN Being Transgender Is No Longer Considered A Mental Disorder By World

The World Health Organization has just announced the completion of the ICD-11 and released the official online version. The announcement does not mark the end

Several hundred people danced, marched and raised slogans on the Chennai 10th Rainbow Pride March with banners and flags celebrating the date on June 24.

On the eve of the 2018 International AIDS Conference that takes place in Amsterdam (Netherlands) in July, the Global Public Health Journal, one of the

IDAHO Event Country Map Charter – DayAgainstHomophobia.org Brazil Establishes National Pact Against LGBT Violence on IDAHOTB eve Same-sex couples tie the knot in Cambodia in a

I once asked a Guatemalan public defender how she knew when a woman’s murder was the result of gender-based violence and not a simple homicide.

Ex-Miss Febem is the avatar of Aleta Valente, a Brazilian artist who lives in the peripheric neighborhood Bangu in Rio de Janeiro, where many correctional

On the completion of Egon Schiele’s 100th birthday, Vienna’s Tourist Board started a campaign to promote art exhibitions in honour of Schiele’s work all over

In the occasion of a workshop promoted by The Center for Emerging Worlds in Beijing, China, we gladly the share the conference outcome in the form

By Matthew Waites. The Queer Asia conference has emerged as one of the most fresh and ground breaking conference events in global queer studies. The event is held at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, yet the organising team nevertheless managed to bring together presentations

Traditionally, marriage and sexuality have been bagged together and tinted with a bed-of-roses romance that has, over the last century or so, been unpacked and

As the theme of this month’s In Plainspeak issues, we locate self-care (and self and care) in relation to its connections with issues of sexuality. In the Issue in Focus, Mamatha Karollil lays out ideas of care and sexuality for examination under a psychoanalytic lens.

Who defines good quality research? How, why and with whom should we co-construct knowledge? What counts as impact? How do we build enduring partnerships? The articles

The arts hold great sway on how sexuality is viewed, represented, and understood. Does art imitate life, or life, art? Or can it be tossed away as an inscrutable mix of the two influencing each other?

A Lebanese judge challenged the legal basis of the arrest of men for same-sex conduct, declaring in a Metn court ruling last week that “homosexuality is a personal choice, not a criminal offence”.

Within South Africa, more than 20 years post democracy, the legal provisions on reproductive health and sexual orientation have been recognisable gains. It is a challenge though that these legal rights are not well realised and the struggles of many girls, young women and gender queer people remain unrealised in reproductive justice.

Originally published at Kaos GL The book Situation of LGBTI Rights in Turkey and Recommendations including the articles of six experts major in different disciplines

Last month a large number of events took place across the globe to mark September 28th as the Global Day of Action for Access to

September 2016 began under the government of Michel Temer, whose intermediary presidency governed Brazil from May to August while awaiting the results of the impeachment

Listening carefully to the at times homophobic and hateful commentary about homosexuality among Africans, a social critique of the international community and the local elite is heard. Dislike of homosexuality is used to protest at the levels of inequality and how corrupt African leaders continue to be supported by the West. The white savior complex ruins rather than helps the cause of LGBTI rights in Africa.

Originally posted by Srilatha Batliwala, Geetanjali Misra and Nafisa Ferdous at Open Demoracy on 03/10/2016. Available at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/to-build-feminist-futures-suspend-judgment/ As feminist thinkers and activists, we must

Originally posted by Clare Coultas at the LSE blog on 14/09/2016. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2016/09/14/subverting-love-stories/  LSE’s Clare Coultas questions the portrayal of love in global sexual

The UN Human Rights Council has nominated its first independent investigator aimed at protecting people in regard to sexual orientation and gender identity across the

The session examined how the geopolitical shifts implied in the articulation of these global South countries in new blocs, especially the BRICS, has generated expectations that this emergence of “powers from the South” would eventually open up space for new platforms for the political work on sexuality, gender and human rights, that would not be caught by overlapping North-South tensions (or post-colonial effects) that perennially cross these fields of debate.

Women’s Health and Equal Rights Initiative (WHER) has launched its first issue of Empower newsletter, aimed at promoting a deeper conceptual understanding of gender and

The new issue of GLQ Journal, by Duke University Press, brings the theme “The child now” and features Paul Amar’s article “The Street, the Sponge,

It also seemed to me that the general mood of pessimism came from the fact that most of the meeting’s participants were not digital natives, not exactly the ”globalized children”. This meant – again, with notable exceptions – that we still saw activism and policy advocacy

The defining event of the 32nd Session of the Human Rights Council was the passing of the resolution appointing an Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

From sex to race, classification is a tool of oppression. Particularly examining abuse directed at Caster Semenya, this article looks ahead this week’s AWID International Forum’s theme ‘Bodily Integrity and Freedoms’.

The Prostitution Policy Watch is preparing a report on the effects of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on sex work in the city. The survey

by Leonardo Peçanha The Rio Olympic Games were a landmark in regard to gay and lesbian athletes openly disclosing their sexual orientation. This visibility and

Since August 5th, as in an extended Carnival, ordinary life in Brazil, particularly in Rio, was suspended.  At their end the Olympic Games 2016 have

  The  most commented sport modalities of the Rio Olympics were the gender relations obstacle course competition, racism target shooting and out-of-closet leaping by Fernando Seffner[1]

During  August, 2016, as the Olympic Games evolved, Brazilian and world screens were flooded with young, beautiful,  enhanced, fit, ‘efficient’ bodies that happily competed and

Counting money on a bed is taboo in my family. Growing up, I never fully understood why but I suspected it was another one of our countless every day South American customs that ensured we were in right relationship with the spirit world.

Originally by Human Rights Watch, posted on 10/08/2016. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/11/indonesia-lgbt-crisis-exposed-official-bias (Jakarta) – The Indonesian government stoked an unprecedented attack on the security and rights

The IACHR just launched the English version of the report “Violence Against LGBTI Persons”.  In this Report, the Commission focuses on violence against LGBT persons

The most recent issue of differences, “Transatlantic Gender Crossings,” edited by Anne Emmanuelle Berger and Éric Fassin, addresses French and US feminism, gender, and queer

Trans organisations signing this letter, and the activist networks they represent, celebrate the Resolution [on Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and

Originally posted by the Government of the Netherlands on 14/07/16. Available at: https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2016/07/14/international-coalition-launched-for-lgbti-equal-rights  In Uruguay on Wednesday an international coalition was launched for equal rights

The problem is ‘criminal law’ by Sonia Corrêa Using media and legal services for the defense of LGBT rights in Mexico   by Alejandro Brito Crosstalk:

Gabriel Hoosain Khan, an LGBT activist from South Africa muses about the distance of UN bodies in Geneva from the realities of the world that we (or at least some of us) live in or know about. He says – “In Geneva it might be possible

Originally posted by ЛГБТ Аман түүх at lgbtamantuukh on 04/07/2016. Available at: https://lgbtamantuukh.wordpress.com/2016/07/04/welcome-to-the-lgbt-oral-histories-of-mongolia-project/  Sponsored by the LGBT Centre (Mongolia)’s Youth Leadership Program, Batchimeg S. and

Source: Dangerous Minds Sex, Satan and the single girl: Bewitching vintage occult-themed ‘men’s interest’ magazines Black Magic magazine, Volume three, Number two. The rise of

Going beyond the dichotomy of victims and savages entails a nuanced understanding of violence. Such an understanding perceives mainstream violence as indivisible from other paradigms of large-scale oppression – hegemony, socioeconomic injustice, institutionalization, neoliberalism, occupation… It also accounts for the normalized violence we live on a daily basis, in silent acts of coercion, harassment, bullying, and self-damage, and the ways in which they are informed by macro instances of violence, and vice versa.

Between May 2015 and September 2016, Sexuality Policy Watch has produced monthly brief reports on the Brazilian politics of abortion and sexuality in its connections

On March 2016, we relaunched our Spanish website that (among other things) provides access to the Spanish translation of Queering the Public Sphere in Mexico

Victorian sexuality is often considered synonymous with prudishness, conjuring images of covered up piano legs and dark ankle-length skirts. Historian Matthew Green uncovers a quite different scene in the sordid story of Holywell St, 19th-century London’s epicentre of erotica and smut.

Source: http://www.genderjustice.org.za/news-item/applications-mati-2016-now-open/

Originally posted at GATE’s website on 04/07/20216. Available at: http://gate.ngo/gate-statement-on-the-un-sogi-mandate/  On June 30, 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Council approved a historic resolution creating

Originally posted at https://lgbt-ep.eu/press-releases/un-body-votes-for-independent-expert-on-lgbt-discrimination/ In a 23 against 18 vote (6 abstentions)*, the United Nations Human Rights council voted in favour of a resolution condemning

A Development Agenda for Sexual and Gender Minorities, by Andrew Park, International Program Director, The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law is grounded in current research literature regarding important development outcomes for sexual and gender minorities, such as health, employment, family formation, education and civil participation.

On July 13-15th, Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) is organizing, in Durban, South Africa, the seminar/workshop ‘SexPolitics: Mapping Key Trends and Tensions in the Early 21st

The Supreme Court Wednesday declined to examine all over again a plea filed against validity of IPC Section 377, which makes homosexuality a criminal offence punishable with a sentence up to life term. The joint petition has been filed by some prominent gay personalities — celebrity chef and restaurateur Ritu Dalmia, hotelier Aman Nath and dancer N S Johar, among others.

This issue of East Asia Forum Quarterly brings together prominent scholars of gender studies from various countries and disciplines to explore the diversity and complexity of issues of gender and sexuality in contemporary Asia. The essays touch on major developments that have caused shifts in gender relations. They illustrate the tensions between structural violence against women and women’s own agency in coping with male-dominant social arrangements.

“Do you live with your husband, too?” the second-year medical student asked, innocently enough. It was our first visit with this patient, a healthy middle-aged African American woman. We were just chatting, trying to get to know her, and I had picked up on little clues in our conversation that had already led me to conclude that there was no husband in the picture. The medical student, though, didn’t seem to have picked up on this and, I thought, was trying to get at her sexual history by asking, instead, about her husband.

Solidarity with the LGBTQI community – Frida Mourning Orlando’s Loss from Kabul – Open Society India vigils in memory of Orlando shooting victims – Orinam

Early reports suggest that Mateen pledged allegiance to “Islamic State” while launching his shooting spree. We will know more in the days to come. I am grateful to those who are righteously rushing in to defend Muslims from the inevitable backlash and deplorable discrimination in the shell-shocked wake of this massacre. However, I would also ask them not to do so by downplaying the harsh realities of Islamist political ideology and the way it purveys hatred against many groups, including gays.

The drumbeats have started. Almost immediately after a mass shooting that left over fifty people dead on Latin night in a Florida gay nightclub, Pulse, the news shifted to the identity of the shooter himself. As soon as his name and the fact that his father immigrated (long ago) from Afghanistan was announced, the narrative began unfolding as Naeem Mohaiemen put it, on cue: This must be a terrorist attack.

The mass shooting at the Pulse, the nightclub in Orlando, took over the media screens and pages on the third week of June 2016.  The

At the UN Human Rights Council the LAC Group 5 – formed by Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay – announced the decision to submit

Nauru’s government has updated its archaic criminal code, striking same-sex relations and suicide off the list of crimes.

In June 2011, the South African government, with support from Brazil and Norway, led in the adoption of a historic resolution on sexual orientation and

This essay looks at the complex relationship between the personal and the political in queer/LGBTIA+ organizing in Africa. It considers how current modes of organizing impact the connection between professional activism and grassroots participation and explores some of the consequences of these two intersecting factors for activist praxis.

Seychelles’ National Assembly has passed an amendment to the penal code that decriminalizes the act of sodomy. Out of 28 members present for the vote, 14 voted in favour while the other half abstained. Four members were not present for the vote.

As underlined by Michel Foucault in his writings, in modern times, children and adolescent sexualities have been under close and systematic surveillance. While in the

Originally from: https://lgbt-ep.eu/press-releases/european-parliament-speaks-out-against-online-homo-and-transphobic-hate-speech/ In a report adopted yesterday, the European Parliament expresses its concern over online homo- and transphobic hate speech, and calls for strong

Sexual Diversity in Africa: Politics, Theory, and Citizenship. Edited by S.N. Nyeck and Marc Epprecht. Montreal: McGill-Queens University Press, 2013. Click here to learn more

Across the globe, religion plays a critical role in shaping attitudes about gender norms and sexuality, which in turn have a profound effect on people’s everyday lives. A new Faith, Gender & Sexuality Toolkit launched today seeks to build knowledge and provide crucial support for faith communities and leaders working to promote social justice in relation to gender and sexuality.

We have the great pleasure to inform that our Spanish page has been re-launched. In this opportunity Alejandra Sardá from Akahatá has written an update

In an article written for SPW, Alejandra Sardá-Chandiramani, from Akahatá, analyzes the sexual politics scenario after the 2015 elections. In her own words: The open

Moving Walls is an annual documentary photography exhibition produced by the Open Society Foundations Documentary Photography Project. This year exhibitions presents Shahria Sharmin’s portrait series on

Today the Equal Rights Trust has published volume sixteen of its biannual Equal Rights Review, an interdisciplinary journal offering analysis, insight and ideas to those promoting equality. This issue has a special focus on intersectionality.

“Area Impossible: The Geopolitics of Queer Studies” is the latest issue of GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. Edited by Anjali Arondekar and Geeta Patel, “Area Impossible” stages a much-needed conversation between two often-segregated fields: queer studies and area studies.

The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) recognises the universality of same-sex expression, across cultures. It holds the position that a same-sex sexual orientation per se does not imply objective psychological dysfunction or impairment in judgement, stability, or vocational capabilities.

Originally published on IDS. Available at: https://www.ids.ac.uk/news/connecting-perspectives-on-women-s-empowerment Worldwide, women continue to contribute to social, economic, cultural and political achievement. And we have much to celebrate

The present report, by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 29/22.

This Collection offers multiple routes to sexuality and gender justice and numerous suggestions of what sexuality and gender justice could be in a plurality of contexts. It also suggests that there are many potential pitfalls and barriers to justice or progress. What this Collection highlights, however, is that by listening carefully to each other and by paying careful attention to the needs of those working on the ground, we give ourselves the best chances of success, individually and collectively.

The human rights of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) people have reached centre stage. Curative petitions have been referred to a Constitution Bench with observations by Chief Justice of India (CJI) T.S. Thakur that “the issues sought to be raised are of considerable importance and public interest …”.

Chilean health officials on Thursday for the first time expressed their opposition to so-called conversion therapy. Agence France-Presse reported the Chilean Ministry of Health made the statement to the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation, an LGBT advocacy group in the South American country.

Originally posted on The Nation. Available at: https://www.thenation.com/article/visible-and-invisible-women-pairing-picasso-mfa/ Sleeping Nude (Marie-Thérèse Walter), 1932, Pablo Picasso, private collection. The woman’s body is the unspoken subject of

With a growing number of older people in the world, it is time for Reproductive Health Matters to look more closely at the sexual and reproductive health of people in this different stage of life.

 Employment discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people is a prevalent but silent issue in Thailand, said experts at a national level meeting to discuss issues related to discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression (SOGIE) or intersex status.

The North American black artist Nona Faustini has recently developed a remarkable photography project. She staged a series of nude photographs in urban locations across

In searching for English written information on the Brazilian photographer Ana Lira, we have accidentally found the remarkable work of another artist-designer whose art also

The issue 46 of Reproductive Health Matters focuses on the theme “Sexuality, sexual rights and sexual politics” and brings articles offering “a wide range of

The second issue of Kohl: a Journal for Body and Gender Research is out. Kohl serves as an alternative platform of knowledge production. It tackles feminisms,

Partners for Law in Development have compiled the rich, vibrant discussions from the Roundtable on Exploring the Continuum between Sexuality and Sexual Violence on April

When a local politician from Tokyo’s Ebisu district last week condemned media coverage of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights issues and called gay people “abnormal” on Twitter, it came as a reminder of times past. It was just five years ago when Tokyo’s governor publicly called gay people “deficient.”

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) removed the diagnosis of “homosexuality” from the second edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). This resulted

In this article I ask why leading institutions of global capitalism have begun to take activist stances against homophobia, and why they have done so now. I want to understand the terms on which the figure of the queer has come to be adopted as an object of concern for the development industry.

Originally published on The Guardian on 02/11/2015. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/nov/02/myanmar-womens-fight-against-verbal-taboo-symbolises-wider-rights-battle Lack of sex education for women perpetuates gender inequality in Myanmar but activists addressing such

Between 2009 and 2011 SPW has been engaged in a critical reflection on Sexuality and (Geo) Politics that involved regional dialogues in Asia, Africa and

Originally published in 2015 at: http://gsrc-mena.org/kohl/call-for-papers/ We are pleased to invite submissions for the third issue of Kohl: a Journal for Body and Gender Research,

Originally published by IDS on 22/10/2015. Available at: https://www.ids.ac.uk/news/crucial-new-insights-on-sexuality-and-the-sustainable-development-goals 22 October 2015 If the global commitment to eradicate inequality for all people is truly unequivocal,

Originally published on: http://www.rhmjournal.org.uk/journal/call-papers/ Reproductive Rights Matters – volume 24   number 47   may/june 2016  In this issue of the journal, we are hoping to

Originally published on Equal Rights Trust on 2015. Available at: http://www.equalrightstrust.org/news/call-papers-16th-equal-rights-review-special-focus-intersectionality-promoting-equality The Equal Rights Trust is accepting papers for the sixteenth edition of its Equal

Originally published on Daily IO on 30/09/2015. Available at: http://www.dailyo.in/politics/modi-us-visit-mark-zuckerberg-silicon-valley-facebook-digital-india-democracy-vhp-rss-branding/story/1/6529.html Shiv Visvanathan @ShivVisvanathan   If Facebook has face value, Modi’s interview with Mark Zuckerberg at

Join the Youth Health and Rights Coalition and Evidence to Action on Monday, September 28th from 9 am – 10:30 am EDT for a webinar, “Putting

Originally published on IDS. Available at: https://www.ids.ac.uk/opinion/intersectionality-of-sexuality-inequality-and-poverty I recently had the pleasure (and challenge) of being part of a team of Research Assistants working for

In June 2015, SPW posted a fragment of the large painting by Paul Cézanne that is housed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This choice

One political event to be noted as relevant from a gender and sexuality perspective was the electoral defeat of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on

Since very early in time SPW has included Sexuality and Art as one topic of its Newsletter. In doing so we aimed at making  visibility

Reproductive Health Matters has extended the deadline of the  Call  it has launched for Papers on Sexuality/Sexual Rights/ Sexual Politics.

Check the English version of the very first issue of Kohl: a Journal for Body and Gender Research. Kohl serves as an alternative platform of knowledge production. It tackles feminisms,

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has launched the report Discrimination and violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

This article shares ideas discussed in the project first round of conversation, which was held in Rio in July 2013, and includes an analysis – originally presented at a panel at Conectas’ 13th International Human Rights Colloquium, held in São Paulo in the same year – on the way rising powers, since their emergence, have behaved in multilateral debates around human rights, gender and sexuality. It has been originally published in the 10th Anniversary commemorative edition of SUR Journal (Edition V.11-N.20- Jun/2014)

SPW presents its Working paper n. 9, in which Justin Perez (Univesity of California, Irvine) procedes to a critical understanding of lesbian and gay tourism,

A new campaign created by Ogilvy Brazil for the NGO Life Support Group (GIV) spread posters throughout São Paulo carrying an actual HIV positive drop

  Sexuality Policy Watch presents the final outcomes of the  regional Dialogues in Asia, Latin America and Africa and of one inter-regional meeting that took

The era of market reform has created a burgeoning Chinese middle class that craves not only increased consumption of goods and the freedom of self-expression,

SPW is very pleased to announce that SexPolitics: Reports from the Frontlines launched last year is now available in Spanish – Políticas sobre Sexualidad: Reportes desde las líneas del frente. This e-book is the result from a global research project initiated in 2004 to examine the dynamics of sexual politics in eight countries – Brazil, Egypt, India, Peru, Polonia, South Africa, Turkey and Vietnam – and two global institutions: the United Nations and the World Bank.

Originally from GenderIT.org by Bishakha Datta I’m convinced we’re having the wrong conversation around digital porn. Late last year, the British government banned a bunch

Partaking in the effort to make sexual politics visible in the discipline of international relations (IR), Sexualities in World Politics offers ten essays edited by Manuela Lavinas Picq and Markus Thiel addressing how LGBTQ perspectives impact IR as a discipline, practice, and disciplinary practice.

The Coalition of African Lesbians, the Gay and Lesbian Archives and the Centre for Indian Studies of the University of Witwatersrand, in partnership with Sexuality

                 Applications are due on or before 30 April 2015. Applications will be evaluated and participants will be

SPW Working Paper N. 8 presents the remarkable analysis developed by Rosalind Petchesky, member of SPW Steering Committee, on the biopolitics of the militarized humanitarian

No major event has been registered by our radars at the sexual and reproductive rights global landscape in February. But we would like to recommend

Originally published at: http://www.rhmjournal.org.uk/authors/call-for-papers.php Sexuality, sexual rights and sexual politics volume 23   number 46   november 2015 Sexuality is an integral component of human existence.

In the Working Paper The global context: Sexuality and geopolitics, find the following selected texts from SPW Newsletters N. 10 and N. 11: Reflecting on

Unicef has launched a position paper against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Click here to read it..

1. Part 1 – Intro and overview of the region https://youtu.be/_Bi8HvQjzwk 2. Part 2 – ‘Propaganda’ legislation and regulation of sexuality in the region https://youtu.be/vZ1YneaFIPc

The SPW partner in the “Emerging Powers, Sexuality and Human Rights Project’, the India researcher and activist akshay khanna participated in two events organized by

Originally from Buzzfeed BuzzFeed LGBT editor Saeed Jones joins journalists Steven Thrasher and Dave Tuller to discuss sex, gay men, and what we are (and

Among the main events in November, we highlight the Men Engage Symposium, held in Delhi, in which SPW was present with the participation of our

Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society invites submissions for a special issue titled “Pleasure and Danger: Sexual Freedom and Feminism in the Twenty-First

The position paper The Language of ‘Sexual Minorities’ and the Politics of Identity, written by Rosalind Petchesky, in collaboration with Sonia Corrêa, Ignacio Saiz and

Originally published on Rewire on 22/10/2014. Available at: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2014/10/22/discussing-disabled-sexuality-radical-act/ by s.e. smith October 22, 2014 – 5:27 pm   On September 29, the American Academy of

First published on AWID. Available at http://www.awid.org/eng/News-Analysis/Friday-Files/The-Right-To-Autonomy-Over-Our-Bodies-And-Loves-The-Resolution-On-Human-Rights-Sexual-Orientation-And-Gender-Identity-Furthers-Dialogue#.VEGnWpTCCW0.facebook FRIDAY FILE – AWID spoke to Dawn Cavanagh* of the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) in South Africa and Sexual

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

The new issue of SUR – International Journal on Human Rights celebrates its 10th anniversary with 55 articles on the challenges and sucesses of the

SPW recommends Aziza Ahmed’s article – published on Columbia Journal of Gender and law – “Rugged vaginas” and “vulnerable rectums”: the sexual identity, epidemiology, and

SPW recommends the article Proposed declassification of disease categories related to sexual orientation in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11),

In August, the Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) published the outcomes from the three Regional Dialogues organized in Asia (2009), Latin America (2009) and Africa (2010)

The World Health Organization has published its proposals on trans health in the ICD-11 Beta Draft, in which for the first time in history it

Richard Parker Participation at the 29th ABA Meeting in Natal On August 6th, 2014, SPW Co-cordinator Richard Parker participated in the Round Table on Challenges

In 2013, Sexuality Policy Watch began a new line of work aimed at critically examining how sexuality, gender and human rights  can be located in

SPW Working Paper 3, “Interrogating ‘Sexualities’ at Beijing+10?, written by Angela Collet, is an anlysis on the CSW and Beijing+10 process. Read it here.

In 2013, Sexuality Policy Watch began a new line of work aimed at critically examining how sexuality, gender and human rights are located in the

At the VI Summit of President of BRICS We, the networks and the feminist movements of the global South, that gathered in Fortaleza, 14-16 July

Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) released its latest publication, Dossier 32-33: Sexualities, Culture and Society in Muslim Contexts, available in paperback hard copy and

Sonia Corrêa and SPW partners in the “Emerging Powers, Sexuality and Human Rights Project” — akshay khana, Cai Yiping, Laura Waisbich — – attended the

Read interteview Janani Balasubramanian and Alok Vaid-Menon about South Asian-American queer activism. Here.

The 2013 Indian Supreme Court decision on section 377: beyond the law Jordan Osserman * While many LGBTQ activists across the globe expressed mourning, rage

Moving forward, perhaps: The 2013  India Supreme Court Decision on Section 377 Gautam Bhan* In the immediate moment, it simply felt difficult to breathe. It

The Paradoxical Geopolitics of Recriminalizing Homosexuality in Uganda: One of Three Ugly Sisters Stella Nyanzi* Uganda’s re-criminalization of homosexuality is not an isolated case, but

SPW is on Twitter and Facebook! Follow @sxpolitics and like our Facebook fan page to read more on our activities and sex politics around the

The Queer body between the Judicial and the Political – reflections on the anti-homosexuality laws in India and Uganda akshay khanna* Nostalgia for a recent

The SPW report, “Bracting Sexuality: Human Rights and Sexual Orientation”, written by Ignacio Saiz, analyzes the recognition of rights relating to sexual orientation within the

Corinne Lennox and Matthew Waites, from Institute of Commonwealth Studies (University of London), are the editors of the free online book Human Rights, Sexual Orientation

The SPW report, “Global Implications of U.S. Domestic and International Policies on Sexuality”, written by Françoise Girard, was launched at the San Juan high level

On May 28th, Sonia Corrêa, SPW co-chair, spoke at the panel on Human Rights at the Global Stage, organized by the City of West Hollywood.

Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and the National LGBTI Security Committee have been documenting the different cases of violences following the Anti-Homossexuality Bill Approval in 2013.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, meeting at its 55 Ordinary Session held in Luanda, Angola, from 28 April to 12 May 2014,

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have reported a surge in human rights violations at Uganda since the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2013.

Read Helen Clark (UNDP) statement highlighting LGBT rights as matter of concern to all working on human development. Click here.

Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Centre has published ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Report, which is the culmination of a landmark UN review of progress, gaps, challenges and emerging

Read the final publication of the EROTICS: sex, rights and the Internet project here.

Privacy tips for sex subversives: Ways to protect your information and yourself Read Scott Long’s article about privacy of human rights activists. Click here.

Dear friends, Around the World During January and February 2014, SPW has watched the development of anti-homosexuality bills in Nigeria and Uganda, as well as

SPW recommends Sexualities january edition. It brings articles about gender and sexuality boundaries on evangelical websites; medicalization of women sexuality as well as other interesting

Read “Decoding India’s Proposed Online Porn Ban – I”, that reportes the day-long “Connect Your Rights!” meeting held in Mumbai in November 2013. The meeting

IDS Sexuality and Development November Newsletter is on the web and brings discussions about heteronormativity and patriarchy as well as other issues. Learn more.

In article on The Guardian, Annmarie Chiarini tells how her ex-boyfriend put nude photos of her on the web and how she reacted. The case

SPW recommends reading the blog “The adventures of cosmic yoruba and her flying machines”, which brings reflections on sexuality in pre-colonial Nigeria. Click here.

Read article from “The Guardian” about the situation in Japan, where the number of young people who doesn’t show interest for sex is growing. Click

“If a person does not fit in a neatly packaged place within the straight-gay binary, some people won’t believe them, a fact that led me

The Constitutional Court of South Africa decided that two sections of the Criminal Law Amendment Act are unconstitutional. The measeures were intended to criminalise consensual

“The Gikuyu of Kenya, who had very rigid codes of sexual convention, thought the public displays of affection among Europeans were unspeakably vulgar. Ironically, however,

The Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) promote capacity building within organisations in 50 countries by providing training and education through fellowships for professionals. The NFP is

Although mature and vibrant, Latin American scholarship on sexuality still remains largely invisible to a global readership. In this collection of articles translated from Portuguese

Immediately before the 9th IASSCS Conference, a second round of the Sexuality Research and Political Change Training Program was held in Buenos Aires, from August 23rd to 27th, 2013. Check more information and the album of workshop pictures.

United Nations has just released a video stating that LGBT rights are human rights, starring Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and the High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.Watch it now.

The International Journal of Middle East Studies just launched a special issue about Queer Affects in its Volume 45 of May, 2013. Copies may be requested here.

Brazil: From April 2nd to 5th, 2013 activists from more than 20 Latin American countries met in Brasilia, Brazil, to discuss the terms and contents of a new resolution on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, to be presented at the UN Human Rights Council next June. Read more.

From March 18th to 22th, 2013 Sexuality Policy Watch organized the Sexuality and change – a new training program, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, gathering participants from Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Egypt, India, Mexico, Philippines, Senegal, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, United States and Venezuela. This was the first training program offered by SPW and this initiative prompted participants to examine how theory, research and policy can shape meaningful social change. Read more.

Read “The Inter-American Human Rights System is under threat: Implications for the Sexuality and Human Rights Agenda”, written by Marcelo Ferreyra, Latin America and Caribbean Coordinator at Global Initiative for Sexuality and Human Rights – Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, for the SPW Newsletter N. 12.

Scott Long published at the blog A paper bird the article Resources for the unbelievers, on aid conditionality and LGBT rights. A series of contents regarding aid conditionality and LGBT rights is presented in this article, including some contents produced by some partners for the SPW Newsletter n.11. Read more.

Starting with the issue No. 11, SPW Newsletters no longer provide detailed links to posted material, as they will have already been circulated through the announcements of new website postings. The newsletter will mainly focus on one or two pieces of substantive analysis addressing one key debate and, eventually, one key event that we consider to be have been critical in the global sexual politics landscape in the period immediately preceding the publication. Partners and collaborators are invited to share their views on these topics and the Newsletter No 11 is devoted to two key topics: the ongoing debate around the validity of aid conditionality as an instrument to protect LGBT rights and the current state of affairs of abortion reform in Uruguay. Good reading!

Global: On March 7, 2012 the Human Rights Council in Geneva held the first-ever formal UN inter-governmental debate on violence and discrimination against LGBT people. 

The panel was moderated by the Ambassador of South Africa and featured panelists from Brazil, Pakistan, Sweden and the USA. Read more.

ARC International is co-hosting with the ICJ an NGO roundtable to raise awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity issues on next Monday, 5 March, at the 19th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. Titled “LGBT Issues for the Curious: (Almost) Everything you Wanted to Know about Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity but were too Diplomatic to Ask”, the roundtable affords an opportunity for LGBT human rights defenders from all regions to share their perspectives with diplomats. Read more.

Brazil: Cleides Amorim, a professor at the Federal University of Tocantins, was one of over a dozen LGBT Brazilians murdered in just the first two weeks of 2012. AllOut started a national campaign aimed at Federal Government, inspired in a protest letter from a group of professors of Brazilian universities. Read more.

The Brazilian Association of Studies on Homoculture (ABEH) released the first version of the schedule, the menu of group themes, and the composition of the scientific commission of the VI International Conference of Studies on Sexual and Gender Diversity that is going to take place at UFBA (Federal University of Bahia) in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, on August 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 2012.

In the The Equal Rights Review (Volume Seven), it is debated human rights violations. Some people are at higher risk of having their rights violated. When the higher risk is associated with more or less stable personal characteristics such as gender, religion, race, disability, sexual orientation, etc., and materialises in a less favourable treatment or a particular disadvantage, the result may amount to discrimination: a violation of the fundamental right to equality.

Nigeria: The Senate passed the Same-Gender Marriage Prohibition Bill. Nigerian Human Rights Defenders have condemned the Bill and the Coalition for the Defense of Sexual Rights in Nigeria circulated a call for action. Read more.

SPW: How do you see the connections between China and the rest of the world in terms of sexuality research and activism? Pei: As I

SPW: What about challenges? Pei, what are the main challenges for research in sexuality in China? What are the main obstacles?  What are the opportunities?

From September 26 to 29 2011, the Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) organized the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Politics, in Rio de Janeiro, gathering researchers and activist members of the global forum, as well as people involved with the Regional Dialogues on Sexuality and Geopolitics, which took place in Asia (April 2009, Hanoi, Vietnam), Latin America (August 2009, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Africa (October 2010, Lagos, Nigeria).

Thailand: In September 2011, the “16th Asia Pacific Forum’s Annual meeting” took place in Bangkok and Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn presented the report written by the Advisory Council of Jurists on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. Read the Douglas Sander’s article.

In the Volume Six of The Equal Rights Review, The Equal Rights Trust searches for answers to questions like: If equality is understood as a fundamental human right and a basic principle of social justice (this is how it is described in the ERT mission statement), what does it mean in respect to health? How is health equality thinkable? While there is a wealth of literature in political theory, health care policy, economics, social medicine and medical law addressing the central issues of relevance to health equality, an equality and human rights law approach is underdeveloped.

The Sexuality Policy Watch is hosting the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Politics prior to its Advisory Group regular meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 26-29, 2011.

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Justice: A Comparative Law Casebook, by the International Commission of Jurists is the first book of its kind. It collects and analyzes judicial decisions from more than 100 courts around the world. The Casebook showcases the role of international and comparative law in litigation seeking to vindicate the human rights of LGBT individuals. It is organized into fourteen chapters, each consisting of an introduction to the main legal issues and arguments followed by detailed case summaries.

Read the “Reflecting on 2011: incomplete notes on how sexual politics intersect with a shifting landscape”, by Sonia Corrêa, published in the Newsletter n.10.

APC launches the final reports of the EroTICs: Sexuality and the Internet – an exploratory research, with the full research findings from Brazil, India, Lebanon, South Africa and United States, that delve into the complexities of policy and legislative trends on internet content regulation, map key actors and processes, and document how sexuality figures as a central theme in this debate. Read more.

The Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) is participating at the VIII International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society (IASSCS) Conference, in Madrid, Spain, from 6th to 9th July 2011, organizing the session Regional dynamics in Sexuality and politics: common threads and differences (July 8th) and participating in the panel Electronic Sociability, Gender, Sexuality and Internet Regulation (July 9th), organized by APC-WNSP. Read more.

Global: Read the article published by ARC International on the 17th session of the Human Rights Council (May 30 to June 17 2011).

The EroTICs: Sexuality and the Internet – an exploratory research, lauched by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), looks at how the internet plays host to critical information about sex education, health, fighting sex discrimination and defining one’s own sexuality. It debunks the commonly-held view that sexuality online is just about pornography. The EroTICs project took place between June 2008 and June 2011 and was funded by The Ford Foundation. Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) and the Latin American Center on Sexuality and Human Rights (CLAM) developed the Brazilian EroTICs research.

From May 30 to June 17, 2011, the “17th session of the UN Human Rights Council” took place in Geneva, Switzerland. Invited by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Marina Maria, SPW’s communication and project assistant, participated in the panel Internet rights are human rights, organized by APC on June 3, to present some outcomes from the research “EroTICs: Sex, rights and the internet – An exploratory research study”.

Ghana: While progressive and exciting things are happening in Geneva, homosexuals could soon be lynched in Ghana – MP warns. Read more.

GENERAL REMARKS BY BRAZIL, L.9/Rev.1 Human Rights Council 17th Regular Session Agenda Item 8 Decisions L.9/Rev.1 Geneva, 17 June 2011 GENERAL REMARKS BY BRAZIL Thank you

The following is a rough English translation of the statement read in Arabic by the Saudi Arabia representative at the HRC session in Geneva: Your

> UN endorses gay, transgender rights, Boston.com > Bahamas backs UN resolution on gay rights, Caribbean News Today > Nigeria oppose UN gay rights resolution, Next.com > U.N. rights

United Nations: Human Rights Council passes first-ever Resolution on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in a historic decision. Read more.

Read What are the connections? Overview and Literature Review, launched by Sida. This publication illustrates the necessity for economic policies and poverty reduction efforts to take account of sexuality. If they don’t, they risk exacerbating exclusions and inequalities, and becoming less effective. It is hoped that this paper will support the work of donors, policy makers and activists in the areas of economic policy and poverty reduction, as well as in struggles for sexual and economic justice more broadly.

The Queer Bangkok – 21st Century Markets, Media, and Rights, edited by Peter A. Jackson, traces Bangkok’s emergence as a central focus of an expanding regional network linking gay, lesbian, and transgender communities. Read more.

Lesbian Group Kontra and Iskorak – Group for Promotion and Protection of Different Sexual Orientations have just released the 2010 Annual Report on the Status of Human Rights and Gender Minorities in Croatia. Read the publication.

In October 2010, Institut Pelangi Perempuan, the Indonesian Youth Lesbian Center, launched the Yogyakarta Principles comic strip. Read the comic version and an interview published at ILGA’s website with Kamilia, a young feminist and lesbian activist currently the Executive Director of the organization.

Read the short report “The Body and the State: How the State Controls and Protects the Body”, written by Rafael de la Dehesa about the 23rd Social Research Conference, held on February 10-12, 2011 at the New School University, New York City. The text brings a brief description of some of the speeches and presentations at the Conference.

As part of the EroTICs: Sexuality and the Internet – an exploratory research project, SPW and CLAM have prepared an Executive Summary for the Brazilian chapter of the research, that is available at the last issue of the electronic magazine genderIT.org.

Read “Same-Sex Africa and the Fantasy of Global Participation”: Brief notes, written by Rafael de la Dehesa, on the Tavia Nyong’o reflections about the recent efforts by activists in the Global North to promote LGBT rights in several East African nations.

Global: On 21 December, 2010 the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of restoring reference to “sexual orientation” in a high-profile resolution condemning extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Read more.

The issue Struggle for Equality – Sexual orientation, gender identity and human rights in Africa of the publication Perspectives – Political analysis and commentary from Africa, supported by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, gathers articles that despite the myriad of challenges and hostile environmen, show that there is an ongoing engagement and growing movement towards equality for LGBTI people throughout the continent. Read the publication.

Cuba: Read the statement of SOCUMES and CENESEX on the Cuban vote at the Third Committee of UN General Assembly in support of the amendment which removed the explicitly mention of “sexual orientation” at the periodic resolution condemning the extrajudicial, arbitrary or summary executions.

Africa: The African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights denied observer status to the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL). CAL and other lesbian feminist activists rapidly reacted. Read more.

Egypt: Civil society has warned of adverse social and health consequences after the Egyptian government ordered the removal of content related to male and female anatomy, reproductive health and sexually transmitted diseases from the school curriculum.

Click here to read a great editorial piece in which the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay denounces homophobia and calls for concerted action to better protect individuals from violence and discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Global: For 79 votes for and 70 votes against the amendment proposed, and 17 countries abstaining, governments remove sexual orientation from UN Resolution condemning extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

Click on the icons to see the pictures in a bigger version. Photos by Malu S. Marin

On October 5th and 6th, a group of 18 researchers and activists from various countries in Africa, representing diverse communities engaged with sexual rights debates

ARC International (www.arc-international.net) is releasing an “Activist’s Guide to The Yogyakarta Principles”, a tool for those who are working to create change and build on the momentum that has already begun around the Yogyakarta Principles.

Since the African Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics will take place next week in Lagos, Nigeria, we have selected a series of articles related to sexuality and gender issues in Africa, published in the last months for the SPW’s newsletter n.9. See below.

Read “Internet and sexuality from IGF 2010”, written by Marina Maria, project assistant of the Sexuality Policy Watch. In this article, Marina describres her experience participating in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2010, that took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, from September 14-17, analysing some aspects on gender and sexuality issues debated during this meeting.

The report “Sexuality and Development: Brazilian National Response to HIV/AIDS amongst Sex Workers” presents the main findings of a case study conducted during 2008-2009 by The Brazilian Interdisciplinary AIDS Association (ABIA), which is one component of a global research initiative sponsored by the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) “Sexuality and Development” Program.

Carlos Figari* and Mario Pecheny** In July 15th, 2010, at 4 am, the Argentine Senate voted for the reform of civil marriage. The project had

By Rosalind Petchesky and Sonia Corrêa* Judith Butler’s refusal to receive the Berlin Christopher Street Day (Gay Pride) Civil Courage Prize echoed ideas we have

Malawi: Gay couple Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga walked free after Malawi president Bingu wa Mutharika pardoned and ordered the release of the men who

Zimbabwe: Two employees of Gays and Lesbians Association of Zimbabwe (GALZ) were arrested on Friday May 28, 2010 after a police raid on their offices. Police alleged to have found pornographic material. The activists complained they had been tortured. Read more.

IDAHO: The International Day Against Homophobia, held on May 17 every year, is a rallying event offering an opportunity for people to get together and reach out to one another. Fondation Émergence promotes the International Day Against Homophobia and encourages organisations and individuals to highlight this event in their environment. Get involved.

Europe: The Secretary General of the Council of Europe welcomes the decision of the Committee of Ministers on Wednesday 31 March, 2010 to adopt a recommendation to member states on measures to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Indonesia: Indonesian police ordered the cancellation of the ILGA Asia conference due to be held from Friday 26 till Monday 29 March, 2010, in Surabaya, East Java’s capital. See the communication from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) and read more and see some photos at Fridae’s, the Gay City News’ and the Associated Press’ websites and other news on the episode by clicking here.

In this issue of SPW’s newsletter, we unfortunately highlight an event that recently occurred in South Africa, not in favor of, but against initiatives that

2.6 Human Rights violations Turkey: Multiple Murders of transgender people highlight inadequate state protection Jamaica: British Honorary Consul John Terry murdered in his bedroom. The

2.5 Sexuality and religion Vatican: Read the article The Great Catholic Cover-up, by Christopher Hitchens, a columnist for Vanity Fair and the Roger S. Mertz

2.2 The same sex marriage debate > Mexico: Mexico City backs gay marriage in Latin American first (contents available in English and Spanish) > Argentina:

There were several government representatives present at the opening ceremony, including: Human Rights Minister, Paulo Vanucchi and from within the same department, the national co-ordinator

Brazil: 5th ILGA-LAC Conference brings together more than 400 LGBT activists in Curitiba, Brazil.

In the article “Draconian laws against homosexuality in Africa”, Cesnabmihilo Aken’ova discusses on the state homophobia that has swept over the African continent. She analyses the draconian laws against homosexuality proposed by some leaders and positions that have placed the human rights of same sex loving people and people who are perceived to be gay under attack.

Malawi: Human rights groups in Malawi have leapt to the defense of two gay men who were arrested after marrying in the country’s first public same-sex ceremony. The men were charged in court. Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, pleaded not guilty before a court in Blantyre to charges of indecency.

Mexico: In 2009, December 21, the Mexican capital became the first in Latin America to allow same-sex marriage with a groundbreaking law which could set a precedent for gay rights across the region.

Between August 24th and 26th, 2009, the Latin American Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Organized by Sexuality Policy

Fourth Session – Sexuality, Religion and Politics Afternoon – August 25, 2009 The last session of the Dialogue, coordinated by Gloria Careaga, started with the

Third Panel – Sexuality and Economics: visibilities and invisibilities Morning – August 25, 2009 The panel that followed was chaired by Lucila Esquivel, coordinator of

Second panel — Science and Sexual Politics Afternoon – August 24, 2009 In the panel that followed, these points were further examined from rather distinct

First Session – Sexuality, States and Political Processes Morning—August 24 , 2009 The first session of the Latin American Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics was

SPW was selected to conduct, in partnership with CLAM – Latin American Center on Sexuality and Human Rights, the investigation of the Brazilian case for the EroTICs: Sexuality and the internet – an exploratory research project, organized by APC.

In this issue learn what SPW has been doing since January, including the Asian Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics, held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in April 10-12, 2009, and the web-based survey to evaluate the use and application of the Yogyakarta Principles whithin Brazilian LGBT activists, groups and researchers. Read also about global and local events involving sexuality, politics, as well as recent sexuality/sexual rights advocacy. See what projects and events connect art and sexuality and browse listings of upcoming events, scholarships, job opportunities and publications.

Turkey: Transgender human rights activist is murdered – the second killing of a member of Lambda Istanbul in the past year

After two days of intense discussions, during which the politics of sexuality in Asia were examined from a variety of angles, the chairs of the

In its second day, the Asian Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics addressed two critical realms that intersect with each other and have critical impacts

In the first session of the Asian Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics, held in the Sofitel Plaza Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam on April 10th,

Asia, with its high-income countries and rapidly industrializing centers rising in the midst of widespread poverty and regional inequalities, is a primary source and locus

Recent statistics show that almost 40 per cent of internet users in the world are living in Asia. For many Asians, the rapid expansion of

This session would aim to peel away the layers of meaning that exist between the personal and political. It would cover religion, culture, class, sexualities,

Summary of the panel discussion on the Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Law in Relation to Issues of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Internet Regulation and Sexual Politics in Brazil The issue 55(2) of Development – Citzenship for Change assesses the potential and unpacks the myths around new

This issue brings information about the main activities developed by SPW during the last semester as well as the various launchings of Yogyakarta Principles and other debates on sexuality related issues that took places around the world. You will also find the section “Sexuality in Art” and links to job opportunities, scholarships and events we should “keep an eye”.

In this issue read the first article of a series produced by SPW about the Pope Benedict XVI visit to Brazil on May 2007 and its implications for national political debates on sexuality and human rights. See also the proposal for the SPW participation at the 6th International Conference organized by International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society (IASSCS) and check the suggestions about publications, events and opportunities.

It was agreed that the broad focus of the Dialogue would be on the politics of sexuality: the political processes, actors and outcomes that have

by Susana Fried On July 24-25, 2008, in Kathmandu, Nepal, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the Open Society Institute (OSI)

By Angela Collet* Since its creation in 2006, the Human Rights Council has been engaged in intense efforts to advance the notion of sexual rights

Sent by Airea na and translated by Mulabi FEMALE CABINET MEMBERS IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT WILL WORK AGAINST DISCRIMINATION On Thursday, July 24, Airea na

By Gloria Careaga* The First Latin American and Caribbean Meeting “La Sexualidad frente a la Sociedad” (Sexuality at the Forefront of Society) took place in

By Gloria Careaga* In New York City on December 18th, 2008, 66 UN member states joined together for the first time ever to support a

By Marina Maria* In the International Conference Dis/organized – Changing bodies, rights and cultures, carried out in June, in Peru, and promoted by the International

By Dotty Aken’ova* It has been almost two years since the bill prohibiting same sex marriage in Nigeria was introduced to the national house of

Hanoi, Vietnam – April 10 – 12, 2009 Asia is one of the fastest-changing regions in the world. Considering this, the Asian Dialogue on Sexuality

On 7 October 2008, a special reception was held at the City University of New York (CUNY) in the USA to honor the new book Sexuality, Health and Human Rights by Sonia Corrêa, Richard Parker and Rosalind Petchesky, published by Routledge in August 2008.

At a special reception on August 4th, 2008, during the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, SPW celebrated the publication of the Spanish translation of SexPolitics – Políticas sobre sexualidad: Reportes desde las líneas del frente – available in paperback and as a CD-ROM.

The Yokyakarta Principles have been translated into Portuguese and were launched in a series of events in Brazil, held in 2007, in Porto Alegre (August 24th), Rio de Janeiro (August 27th), Nova Iguaçu (August, 31st), and São Paulo (August, 31st).

The book Sexuality, Health and Human Rights was published by Routledge in August 2008, and written by SPW’s Steering Committee members Sonia Corrêa, Richard Parker and Rosalind Petchesky. This ground breaking work provides a critical analysis of shifting theoretical perspectives and activist strategies regarding sexual politics and their larger geopolitical context in the twenty-first century.

As SPW presents the final publications of the Regional Dialogues on Sexuality and (Geo) Politics, we also recommend as an additional reading (in Spanish and

The book Development with a Body, edited by Andrea Cornwall, Sonia Corrêa and Susan Jolly and recently published by Zed Books, offers compelling insights into contemporary challenges and transformative possibilities of the struggle for sexual rights. This is one of the results of the Seminar on Sexuality, Development and Human Rights (April, 2006).

SPW launched the Portuguese translation of the IDS Bulletin – Sexuality Matters. The publication is entitled Questões de Sexualidade – Ensaios Transculturais and is also being translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, Hindi and Spanish. The Arabic and Spanish translations are already available online.

The X IASSCS Conference, hosted at Dublin City University, Ireland, proposes to investigate the politics, nature, roles and effects of sexual (and gender) literacy in

SPW Newsletter No. 14 discusses recent developments in law relating to same-sex desire in India and Uganda > Read more in this issue  

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