GATE – Global Action for Trans* Equality

GATE joins today the global commemoration of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. As every year, May 17th represent for us a renewed opportunity for calling to struggle against homophobic and transphobic violence –and, in particular, against all those forms of violence associated with gender identity, gender expression and bodily diversity.

We celebrate those advances that, in different countries, are contributing to substantially improve the legal and social situation of trans* people, as well as the increased attention to their specific issues at the regional and international human rights systems. However, GATE notes with concern the persistence of those conditions that, very often, sustain, produce and/or aggravate transphobia: poverty; racism and xenophobia; institutional violence (including schools, hospitals and law enforcement); ableism; familiar and community violence; religious segregation and persecution; media degradation; pathologization; lack of access to gender recognition and/or transitional healthcare or access limited by unacceptable requirements, such as sterilization or psychiatric diagnosis; lack of adequate legal protections and responses to violence against trans* people, among others. These conditions, that affect our communities worldwide, strike with special virulence against trans* and gender-variant children and teenagers, sex workers, migrants and people living with HIV/AIDS.

More than twenty years after homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases on May 17th, 1990, trans* identities are still codified as mental disorders –and gender variance in childhood, with independence of further sexual orientation or gender identity, is still considered a mentally disordered way of growing up. GATE calls today for an international joint commitment in favor of depathologizing all forms of gender diversity in the upcoming 11th version of the Classification, and request the World Health Organization to expand the possibilities for trans* participation in the process.

Trans* efforts to change these realities –from exclusion to pathologization, from lack of access to lack to redress, from violence to forgetfulness- take place in contexts too often characterized by severe limitations at the level of inclusion, funding and full acknowledgement of trans* expertise. Therefore, GATE wants to specially congratulate today trans* activists worldwide, those who work everyday to transform collectively the world we live in –to eradicate transphobia and homophobia, and all the injustices that accompany them.

GATE joins the international celebration of Human Rights Day. Calling for the collective building of a world with no room for human rights violations based on gender identity, gender expression and bodily diversity.

December 10, 2012, represents an important date for trans* celebration. For it is the first time in history, there is a national gender identity law –in Argentina- that fully respects trans* people’s human rights by guaranteeing their right to access to legal recognition and to transitional healthcare without any requirement incompatible with human rights standard, such as sterilization. Hopefully, this example will be followed by other similar initiatives in different countries and regions. This year was also the first time for the explicit inclusion of trans* issues in two key UN documents: the Report produced by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, on “Discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity” and the recently approved Resolution on Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions.

These victories that we celebrate are not only landmarks for trans* activism worldwide.  They underscore the work that still needs to be done in every region in order to dismantle all forms of stigma, discrimination, oppression and violence grounded on gender identity, gender expression and bodily diversity. As well as call for a renewal of international commitment with our struggle for human rights realization, everyday. 

El 17 de mayo, el Día Internacional contra la Homofobia y la Transfobia hizo visible en todo el mundo la lucha contra toda violencia basada en la orientación sexual, la identidad y la expresión de género de las personas.  Al reconocimiento imprescindible de esa violencia, que golpea con fuerza sostenida contra personas y comunidades trans en distintos países, GATE cree necesario sumarle otro reconocimiento: el de la fuerza de los movimientos sociales y polítios trans, de su capacidad para definir sus derechos y prioridades, para crear sus lenguajes e identificar sus objetivos, para construir sus alianzas y las oportunidades que hacen cambio social, legal y politico –incluso en aquellos lugares donde la transfobia ataca más ferozmente.

Es por eso que hoy queremos compartir con tod*s ustedes el informe que hemos titulado Es Tiempo de Reforma. Cuestiones de Salud Trans* en la Clasificaciòn Internacional de Enfermedades. Este informe da cuenta de las discusiones que tuvieron lugar en La Haya a mediados de noviembre del año 2011, en el contexto de la reunion de expert*s convocada por GATE para abordar colectivamente el proceso dereforma de la Clasificación Internacional de Enfermedades (CIE-10) en el marco de la Organización Mundial de la Salud.

La revisión de la CIE-10 y la producción de la CIE-11 constituyen, precisamente, una oportunidad histórica para los movimientos trans*: la oportunidad de luchar, al mismo tiempo, en pos de la despatologización de la identidad de género y del pleno acceso a la atención de salud –una conjunción que, estamos convencid*s, no solamente es necesario, sino también posible.  

El proceso de reforma de la Clasificación Internacional de Enfermedades está en marcha y, en este momeno es fundamental el esfuerzo internacional  de activistas, organizaciones y movimientos trans*. A lo largo de este año GATE contribuirá a ese esfuerzo a través de distintas acciones -tales como la traducción del informe a distintos idiomas, la organización de espacios de formación sobre la CIE y la multiplicación de espacios de encuentro, intercambio y construcción de estrategias en torno a su revisión y reforma.  Si estás interesad* en recibir más información, y/o en sumarte a esta iniciativa, comunicate con nosotr*s enviandonos un correo electrónico a icd@transactivists.org .

Descarga Es tiempo de reforma desde aquí. 

The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia gave visibility all over the world to the struggle against all forms of violence based on sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression. To the indispensable recognition of that violence, that strikes with sustained force against trans* individuals and communities in different countries,  there is another recognition that GATE considers necessary to be added: that of the strength of trans social and political movements, of their capacity to determine their rights and priorities, create their own languages and identify their goals, to build their alliances and the opportunities to create social, legal and political changes, even where transphobia strikes more fiercely.

This is why today we want to share with you all our report called It’s Time for Reform. Trans* Health Issues in the International Classification of Diseases. This report summarizes the discussions held in The Hague in November 2011, during the experts meeting organized by GATE to collectively address the review of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) produced by the World Health Organization.

The review of ICD-10 and the production of ICD-11 constitute a historical opportunity for trans* movements: the opportunity to fight simultaneously for depathologizing gender identity and for full access to healthcare – a combination that we are convinced to be not only necessary, but also possible.

The review process for the International Classification of Diseases is under way and now the international efforts of trans* activists, organizations and movements are key. Throughout the year, GATE will contribute to these efforts through different actions – like translating the report into different languages, organizing trainings on ICD and multiplying the spaces for meeting, exchanges and strategy building around the review and reform. If you are interested in getting more information and/or in joining this initiative, please get in touch with us by sending an email to icd@transactivists.org  

Download Its time for reform for here. 

GATE – Global Action for Trans* Equality is an international organization working for the human rights of trans* people.

GATE

• makes critical knowledge and resources available to trans* activists
• supports trans* movements worldwide
• works for trans* rights internationally