OPDATERING:
Efter fire års blokkering i forfatningssystemerne har Højesteretten endeligt løsnet Marianas sag, som endelig kan komme tilbage til Ankeretten. Nu har Ankeretten endelig ikke flere grunde til at udsætte retsførelsen af denne sag.
Amnesty Paraguay mener at presset fra Skriv for Liv, sammen med præsentationen af Yren og Marianas sag for FNs Menneskerettigheds Komitee, har hjulpet til denne udvikling.
Paraguay er et overvejende patriarkalsk samfund. Mændene er overhovederne i familierne og i samfundet. I Paraguay anerkender man ikke homoseksuelle og transkønnede personer. Både kvinder, homoseksuelle og transkønnede bliver udsat for vold og diskrimination derhjemme og ude i samfundet.
I Paraguay er der ingen love, der forbyder diskrimination. Det forværrer den vold LGBTI+ personer oplever. Nogle kommuner i landet har forringet LGBTI+ personers ret til at samles og lave fredelige demonstrationer. Og den paraguayske stat er ikke trådt til for at ændre det.
En af de mest symbolske og bekymrende begivenheder oplevede en gruppe LGBTI+ personer fra organisationen Diversxs i august 2019. De blev verbalt og fysisk overfaldet af en voldelig menneskemængde under en fredelige march i forbindelse med ’Pride Måned’. Kommunen havde forbudt organisationen at forsamles og holde den fredelige march. Amnesty fandt endda også ud af, at kommunen havde godkendt angrebene på deltagerne, herunder transkønnede kvinder.
I Paraguay anerkender man ikke transpersoner juridisk. Det vil fx sige, at transpersoner ikke kan få et ID, som svarer til deres kønsidentitet. Nogle grupper kan ikke registrere sig som lovlige organisationer, fordi de ikke har et rigtigt ID. Desuden oplever transorganisationer ofte, at myndighederne nægter dem tilladelse til at bruge det offentlige rum til demonstrationer, marcher og offentlige aktiviteter, som informerer om LGBTI+ rettigheder. De bliver altså nægtet retten til at protestere og retten til at forsamles, som forfatningen ellers siger, at alle har ret til.
Kræv at de paraguayske myndigheder juridisk anerkender Yren og Marianas identiteter som transkvinder.
UPDATE:
The Supreme Court of Justice resolved to unblock Mariana’s case, which has been stuck under constitutional consultation for four years, and finally sent it back to the Court of Appeals so that it could resolve the case. Now the Court of Appeals no longer has any grounds to delay the resolution of the case.
AI Paraguay believes that the pressure from Write for Rights, along with the presentation of Yren and Mariana’s cases before the UN Human Rights Committee , helped to unblock Mariana’s case.
Paraguay is a very conservative environment. The society and the families are ruled by men. Women, homosexuals and transgender people face violence and discrimination at home and in society at large.
Paraguay does not have a law prohibiting discrimination, which makes the violence experienced by LGBTI+ people in the country worse. In addition, some municipalities have issued resolutions aimed at limiting LGBTI+ people’s rights of assembly, association and peaceful protest. And the Paraguayan state has not done anything to overturn the resolutions.
One of the most emblematic and worrying events is that faced by a group of LGBTI+ members of the organization Diversxs in August 2019. They were verbally and physically attacked by violent mobs during a peaceful demonstration as a part of Pride Month. The municipal authorities prohibited members of the organizing committee from holding this peaceful march. They even consented to the attacks against the protesters, including transgender women.
In Paraguay there is a lack of legal recognition of the identities of trans people. That is e.g, that trans people can’t obtain an ID corresponding to their true gender identity. Some trans groups cannot register as legal entities because they cannot present an ID. In addition, transgender organizations often encounter barriers to their work promoting and defending human rights. Some authorities deny them permits to use public spaces for marches, demonstrations and public activities that promote information about LGBTI+ rights. These actions constitute a violation of the right to protest, as well as of freedom of assembly, which are written in the Constitution.
Tell Paraguay to legally recognize the identity of trans people so they can exercise their rights