AFP

Sunday, Jan 15, 2012

KUWAIT CITY – Human Rights Watch on Sunday accused Kuwaiti police of torturing and sexually abusing transgender women and called on the Gulf state to hold officers accountable.

In a report, the New York-based group said that police have been using a “discriminatory” amendment to the penal code passed by parliament in 2007 which arbitrarily criminalises “imitating the opposite sex.”

Transgender women are individuals who are born male but identify themselves as female.

The arbitrary and ill-defined provisions of the law have allowed numerous abuses to take place against them, said the 63-page report based on interviews with 40 transgender women, as well as with interior ministry officials, lawyers, doctors, and members of civil society.

Kuwaiti police have a free rein to determine whether a person’s appearance constitutes “imitating the opposite sex,” without any specific criteria being laid down for the offence, it said.

Transgender women reported being arrested even when they were wearing male clothes and then later being forced by police to dress in women’s clothing.

In some cases documented by Human Rights Watch, transgender women said police arrested them because they had a “soft voice” or “smooth skin.”

“No one – regardless of his or her gender identity – deserves to be arrested on the basis of a vague, arbitrary law and then abused and tortured by police,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW’s Middle East director.

“The Kuwaiti government has a duty to protect all of its residents, including groups who face popular disapproval, from brutal police behaviour and the application of an unfair law,” she said in a statement.

Abuses include degrading and humiliating treatment, such as being forced to strip and paraded around police stations, being forced to dance for officers, sexual humiliation, verbal taunts and intimidation, HRW said.

“In several cases, Human Rights Watch found that police officers took advantage of the law to blackmail transgender women into sex,” the report said.

Redress for these violations was difficult for fear of retribution and re-arrest, said the rights watchdog.

“HRW calls on the Kuwaiti government to repeal the amendment to article 198, criminalising imitating the opposite sex,” the report said.

Pending repeal of the law, the interior ministry should issue a moratorium on arrests of individuals and the government also should work to protect transgender individuals, it said.

via AsiaOne.

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posted by Airethilien
Tags: transgender human rights equality glbt glbti
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Interview with Valentijn de Hingh by Matthijs van Nieuwkerk in “De Wereld Draait Door” TV Show. (Sadly no english subtitles, if I find one I will post it)

source: dewerelddraaitdoor.vara.nl: Valentijn de Hingh – 13-1-2012

Valentijn de Hingh (1990) is a genderchild of Dutch origin. She came into national publicity due to a documentary that recorded her transition in childhood from 8 to 17 years old. The country watched  the extraordinary documentary but Valentijn decided to quit because she did not want to be known as  ”that transsexual” as is sometimes the case.

http://nl.genderkinderen.wikia.com/wiki/Valentijn_de_Hingh (Dutch)

Documentary “Valentijn”: (sadly no subtitles here either)

Part 1 of 4

Part 2 of 4

Part 3 of 4

Part 4 of 4

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posted by Airethilien
Tags: transgender human rights equality glbt glbti
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By Kristan Wolfe

You thought I didn’t really notice. But I did. I wanted to high-five you.

Yesterday I had a pair of brothers in my store. One was maybe between 15-17. He was a wrestler at the local high school. Kind of tall, stocky and handsome. He had a younger brother, who was maybe about 10-12 years old. The only way to describe him was scrawny, neat, and very clean for a boy his age. They were talking about finding a game for the younger one, and he was absolutely insisting it be one with a female character. I don’t know how many of y’all play games, but that isn’t exactly easy. Eventually, I helped the brothers pick a game called Mirror’s Edge. The youngest was pretty excited about the game, and then he specifically asked me.. “Do you have any girl color controllers?” I directed him to the only colored controllers we have which includes pink and purple ones. He grabbed the purple one, and informed me purple was his FAVORITE.

The boys had been taking awhile, so their father eventually comes in. He see’s the game, and the controller, and starts in on the youngest about how he needs to pick something different. Something more manly. Something with guns and fighting, and certainly not a purple controller. He tries to convince him to get the new Zombie game “Dead Island.” and the little boy just stands there repeating “Dad, this is what I want, ok?” Eventually it turns into a full blown argument complete with Dad threatening to whoop his son if he doesn’t choose different items.

That’s when big brother stepped in. He said to his Dad “It’s my money, it’s my gift to him, if it’s what he wants I’m getting it for him, and if your going to hit anyone for it, it’s going to be me.” Dad just gives his oldest son a strong stern stare down, and then leaves the store. Little brother is crying quietly, I walk over and ruffle his hair (yes this happened all in front of me.) I say “I’m a girl, and I like the color blue, and I like shooting games. There’s nothing wrong with what you like. Even if it’s different than what people think you should.” I smile, he smiles back (my heart melts!) Big brother then leans down, kisses little brother on the head, and says “Don’t worry dude.” They check out and leave, and all I can think is how awesome big brother is, how sweet little brother is, and how Dad ought to be ashamed for trying to make his son any other way.

Source: Kristan Wolfe.

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posted by Airethilien
Tags: reblog glbt transgender, transgender human rights equality glbt glbti
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