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6 Sept 2018 - NPWJ News Digest on LGBTI rights
Articles
Malaysian PM says caning of lesbians counter to 'compassion of Islam'
Reuters, 06 Sep 2018
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday denounced the caning of two Muslim women for attempting lesbian sex, a sentence that sparked outrage and raised fears about the treatment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The women had pleaded guilty to charges under Islamic laws forbidding lesbian sex. They were caned on Monday in front of dozens of people at a sharia court in Terengganu, a conservative state in the east, prompting an outcry from human rights activists, who described the punishment as torture.
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Don't tell children being gay is a sin, says Chief Rabbi in first LGBT guidance for Orthodox Jewish schools
The Telegraph, 06 Sep 2018
The Chief Rabbi has told Orthodox Jewish schools to stop telling children that being gay is a sin, as he warns homophobia is leading to suicide attempts. In guidance thought to be a world first, Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has told staff to be inclusive towards LGBT children amid concerns about homophobic and transphobic bullying leading to isolation and self-harm. The document, entitled "The Wellbeing of LGBT+ Pupils: A Guide for Orthodox Jewish Schools", produced alongside Jewish LGBT charity KeshetUK, warns that a "frightening" number of children have self-harmed or attempted suicide as a result of prejudice.
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India court legalises gay sex in landmark ruling
BBC News, 06 Sep 2018
In a historic decision, India's Supreme Court has ruled that gay sex is no longer a criminal offence. The ruling overturns a 2013 judgement that upheld a colonial-era law, known as section 377, under which gay sex is categorised as an "unnatural offence". The court has now ruled discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a fundamental violation of rights.
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Review brings misogyny as a hate crime a step closer
The Guardian, 06 Sep 2018
Campaigners have welcomed an “amazing” victory in the fight against sexist street harassment after the government announced a comprehensive review of hate crime legislation, which will consider whether to recognise misogyny as a hate crime. The Labour MP Stella Creasy had put forward an amendment to the upskirting bill, which was debated in the Commons on Wednesday evening, that would add misogyny as an aggravating factor, enabling courts to consider it when sentencing an offender and requiring police forces to record it.
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Guatemala: Discriminatory law puts at risk the lives and rights of thousands of women, girls and LGBTI people Share
Amnesty International , 05 Sep 2018
Guatemala’s Congress must reject proposed law 5272, also known as the “Law for the Protection of Life and Family,” because it would violate the rights of thousands of women, girls and LGBTI, Amnesty International said today. [......] Among other concerning changes, the bill would modify the penal code to criminalize miscarriages, impose prison sentences on women who suffer them and impose prison sentences on anyone who “promotes or facilitates access to abortion.” These regulations put at risk the lives of women and girls and their access to medical services.
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LGBTI lawyers lodge complaint over ‘hate speech’ during same-sex marriage survey
The Guardian, 31 Aug 2018
The LGBTI legal service has lodged an anti-discrimination complaint in Queensland against 25 people for “engaging in public acts of hate speech” during the same-sex marriage postal survey last year. The service, which was funded by the Queensland government to monitor potential vilification and hate speech during the debate, said it found more than 220 examples that could meet the legal definition. It chose the 25 worst and lodged a complaint with the state’s anti-discrimination commission.
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