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Seta demanded action for LGBTI people’s human rights at Finland’s human rights review at the UN

Today, Seta – LGBTI Rights in Finland held a historical speech as it addressed the Human Rights Council of the United Nations for the first time. The speech was a part of the Universal Periodic Review of Finland. Seta demanded that Finland adopts a comprehensive LGBTI human rights policy.

Seta stated that despite progress, significant challenges remain in the human rights situation of LGBTI people in Finland. Gender nonconforming children face transphobic bullying in schools. Discrimination in the employment market is common, and many trans persons remain outside the labour force. Intersex children sometimes suffer serious mental and physical complications due to surgical operations that lack medical grounds.

Seta noted that the recently adopted National Action Plan for Human Rights has very few references to sexual orientation or gender identity. Seta suggested drafting a comprehensive LGBTI policy action plan. Seta also raised the importance of some ongoing legal reforms.

Seta’s statement was delivered by Nori Spauwen representing ILGA-Europe. The statement can be read below.

More information: Aija Salo, Secretary General, tel. +358 (0)50 309 8108, paasihteeri@seta.fi

Finland’s response to the UPR recommendations on the website of the foreign ministry
The UPR resource base on the OHCHR website: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx

UPR: Finland

ILGA-Europe and Seta – LGBTI Rights in Finland

United Nations Human Rights Council, Geneva, 19th September 2012

Mr. President,

we commend Finland for accepting the recommendation to increase its efforts in combating discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. We are looking forward to an effective and comprehensive implementation of the commitment.

Whilst we welcome the progress delivered by this Government, significant challenges still remain. Trans and intersex persons face serious discrimination. Gender nonconforming children face transphobic bullying in schools. Discrimination in the employment market is common, and many trans persons remain unemployed. Intersex children sometimes suffer serious mental and physical complications due to surgical operations that lack medical grounds.

The government states that a working group will be appointed to examine the need to amend the Act on Legal Recognition of the Gender of Transsexuals. We urge the government to proceed with this commitment very soon. Persons applying for gender marker change currently face degrading conditions such as infertility requirement that shows the legislator´s lack of understanding the everyday lives of trans persons, of which many already have children and families.

The government states that a possible need to amend family legislation will be discussed. Currently there are several legislative procedures where the equal treatment of LGBTI people´s families should be taken into account. Children should not be treated unequally depending on their parents´ gender.

We note that the recently adopted National Action Plan for Human Rights has very few references to LGBTI people. This places a serious challenge on the government to show concrete commitment to policies to improve the human rights of LGBTI people. While many authorities are working on improving the equality of LGBTI persons, there is a need for a more coherent and coordinated policy. We suggest drafting a comprehensive LGBTI policy action plan and defining responsibilities for implementation and monitoring the plan.

Finally, we thank Finland for a constructive dialogue during the UPR process and stand ready for further interaction to ensure that all LGBTI people can enjoy their citizenship in full equality.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Finland should take action for LGBTI rights also domestically

Speech by ILGA-Europe and Seta – LGBTI Rights in Finland in the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, 19th September 2012.

UPR: Finland

ILGA-Europe and Seta – LGBTI Rights in Finland

United Nations Human Rights Council, Geneva, 19th September 2012

Mr. President,

we commend Finland for accepting the recommendation to increase its efforts in combating discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. We are looking forward to an effective and comprehensive implementation of the commitment.

Whilst we welcome the progress delivered by this Government, significant challenges still remain. Trans and intersex persons face serious discrimination. Gender nonconforming children face transphobic bullying in schools. Discrimination in the employment market is common, and many trans persons remain unemployed. Intersex children sometimes suffer serious mental and physical complications due to surgical operations that lack medical grounds.

The government states that a working group will be appointed to examine the need to amend the Act on Legal Recognition of the Gender of Transsexuals. We urge the government to proceed with this commitment very soon. Persons applying for gender marker change currently face degrading conditions such as infertility requirement that shows the legislator´s lack of understanding the everyday lives of trans persons, of which many already have children and families.

The government states that a possible need to amend family legislation will be discussed. Currently there are several legislative procedures where the equal treatment of LGBTI people´s families should be taken into account. Children should not be treated unequally depending on their parents´ gender.

We note that the recently adopted National Action Plan for Human Rights, has very few references to LGBTI people. This places a serious challenge on the government to show concrete commitment to policies to improve the human rights of LGBTI people. While many authorities are working on improving the equality of LGBTI persons, there is a need for a more coherent and coordinated policy. We suggest drafting a comprehensive LGBTI policy action plan and defining responsibilities for implementation and monitoring the plan.

Finally, we thank Finland for a constructive dialogue during the UPR process and stand ready for further interaction to ensure that all LGBTI people can enjoy their citizenship in full equality.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Poltavchenko is “Rat of Honour”

Finnish LGBTI organization Seta gives its annual anti-award to Governor of St. Petersburg.

Seta ry 30.6.2012
Helsinki, Finland

Seta awarded today the governor of St. Petersburg, Gergiy Poltavchenko, with Seta´s annual anti-award called the “Rat of Honour”. Poltavchenko received the anti-award because he signed the notorious anti-LGBT law of St. Petersburg in March 2012. Seta´s awards were a part of Helsinki Pride, the biggest LGBT event in Finland.

Seta wants to raise awareness about the human rights situation of LGBTI people in areas close to Finland. The distance between Helsinki and St. Petersburg is four hundred kilometres only.

“Poltavchenko could have refused to sign the law. The law goes against the constitution of Russia as well as international human rights agreements and recommendations, such as the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers recommendation to member states to combat all discrimination against LGBT people. The situation in St. Petersburg is worrying especially as a similar development is spreading elsewhere in Russia” stated Outi Hannula, the chairperson of Seta, in her speech.

Seta has arranged protests and events and written letters to Russian and Finnish authorities against the censorship laws of St. Petersburg and other areas of Russia also before. In April, when governor Poltavchenko visited Helsinki, Seta organized a public demonstration together with Amnesty Finland.

Seta gives the “Rat of Honour” anti-award annually to a person or organisation that has expressed discriminatory opinions about LGBT people or has discriminated against them. In addition, Seta gives a positive award, the “Apple of Good Information”, to a person or organization that has promoted the human rights of LGBTI people. This year, the recipient of the Apple is the Gender equality ombudsman Pirkko Mäkinen who actively and strongly defends the human rights of trans and intersex persons.

Helsinki Pride

Helsinki Pride is the biggest annual LGBTI event in Finland. It is held every year on the last week of June and is is with its over 10 000 visitors also one the biggest week-long events in Helsinki. It is organised by Helsingin seudun Seta ry, a non-profit LGBTI organisation in Helsinki, a member of the national umbrella organisation, Seta.

Helsinki Pride consists of parties, meetings and discussions, the highlight being the Pride Parade across the city centre on Saturday. The free expression of one´s sexual orientation and gender identity as well as the visibility of LGBTI subcultures are at the core of the festival agenda.

The challenge of Helsinki Pride is in bringing different kinds of people together to discuss and debate even on subjects sometimes considered touchy. There is not just one right way of being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer. Diversity, its promotion and strengthening is one of Helsinki Pride´s main goals.

Read more!

Jouduitko viharikoksen uhriksi vuonna 2011? Kerro tapauksesta ETY-järjestölle – dl 16.3.

Jouduitko viime vuonna rikoksen kohteeksi seksuaalisen suuntautumisesi, sukupuoli-identiteettisi tai sukupuolen ilmaisusi vuoksi? Tai tiedätkö jonkun muun, joka joutui? Kerro tapauksesta Setalle 16.3.2012 mennessä, niin Seta kertoo sen edelleen ETY-järjestölle.

Were you a victim of a crime last year because of your sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression? Or do you know someone else who was? Please tell Seta about the case at latest on March 16th so we can report it to the OSCE. (in English below)

ETYj (Euroopan turvallisuus- ja yhteistyöjärjestö) julkaisee vuosittain tietoja jäsenmaissa tapahtuneista viharikoksista. Uhrin seksuaaliseen suuntautumiseen, sukupuolen ilmaisuun tai sukupuoli-identiteettiin liittyneet tapaukset ovat yksi tapausryhmä, josta ETYj raportoi. Setan kansainvälinen kattojärjestö ILGA-Eurooppa koostaa ETYjiä varten raportin seksuaali- ja sukupuolivähemmistöjen eri maissa kokemista viharikoksista. Seta toimittaa ILGA-Euroopalle tietoja Suomen osalta.

Näin voit auttaa: jos tiedossasi on Suomessa kalenterivuoden 2011 aikana tapahtunut seksuaaliseen suuntautumiseen, sukupuoli-identiteettiin tai sukupuolen ilmaisuun kohdistunut viharikos, ilmoita siitä Setan pääsihteerille sähköpostitse os. paasihteeri[at]seta.fi viimeistään perjantaina 16.3. Laita mukaan vastaukset allaoleviin kysymyksiin niiltä osin kuin pystyt. Laita mukaan myös omat yhteystietosi. Itse tapausselostukseen ei kuitenkaan tarvitse laittaa henkilöiden nimiä. Setan työtä helpottaa, jos voit lähettää viestisi englanninkielisenä (koska tekstit on joka tapauksessa käännettävä ILGA-Eurooppaa ja ETYjiä varten), mutta voit kirjoittaa myös suomeksi tai ruotsiksi.

Setalle ilmoitetut tapaukset raportoidaan Setan harkinnan mukaan edelleen ILGA-Euroopalle ja ETY-järjestölle, ja ne saattavat päätyä ETYjin viralliseen viharikosraporttiin, joka julkaistaan syksyllä.

Kun kerrot meille tapauksesta, vastaa näihin kysymyksiin:

– Mitä tapahtui (lyhyt kuvaus)

– Päivämäärä, kellonaika ja paikka

– Tiedon lähde (esim. uhri, poliisi, järjestö, media tms)

– Uhri(t) (lukumäärä, ikä, sukupuoli, seksuaalinen suuntautuminen/sukupuoli- identiteetti/sukupuolen ilmaisu, jos relevanttia tapauksessa, muut relevantit tiedot)

– Rikostyyppi (esim. kiihottaminen kansanryhmää vastaan, tuhotyö, pahoinpitely, laiton uhkaus)

– Tekijä(t) (lukumäärä, ikä, sukupuoli, muut relevantit tiedot)

– Mistä vihamotiivi ilmenee

– Tapauksen oikeusstatus (onko ilmoitettu poliisille, onko käynnistetty tutkinta, onko nostettu syytettä, onko käsitelty oikeudessa, onko annettu tuomio, onko valitettu)

– Paikallisten viranomaisten reaktio

– Vaikutukset uhriin/uhreihin ja seksuaali- ja sukupuolivähemmistöihin kuuluviin ihmisiin

– Onko tapauksesta julkisia dokumentteja (kuten oikeuskäsittelyn dokumentteja tai media-artikkeleita)

Suuri kiitos avustasi!

IN ENGLISH:

OSCE gathers documentation about hate crimes in 2011 – DL March 16th

Were you a victim of a crime last year because of your sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression? Or do you know someone else who was? Tell Seta about the case at latest on Friday March 16th!

OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) publishes annually a report on hate crimes and hate-based incidents within OSCE participating states. Cases linked with the sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression of the victim are one category of incidents that OSCE reports on. Seta’s European umbrella organisation ILGA-Europe gathers a report for OSCE on hate crimes experienced by LGBT people in different countries. Seta reports information to ILGA-Europe concerning Finland.

You can help us like this: if you know a hate crime that took place in 2011 (the calendar year) and was related to sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, please email the secretary general of Seta about it to paasihteeri[at]seta.fi at latest by March 16th by answering the questions below. Please include your contact information. The incident report does not need to include names of persons, though. It makes our work easier if you can write in English (as the texts will have to be translated for ILGA-Europe and OSCE in any case), but you can write also in Finnish or in Swedish.

Cases reported to Seta will be reported to ILGA-Europe and OSCE based on Seta’s evaluation of the information, and they may end up to OSCE’s official report on hate crimes which will be published in the Autumn.

When reporting a case to us, please answer the following questions:

– What happened (brief description)

– Date, time and location of the incident

– Source of information (for example the victim, police, organisation, media, please specify)

– Victim(s) involved (number, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, other relevant information)

– Type of the crime(s) (for example assault, damage, illegal threat)

– Perpetrator(s) (number, age, sex, other relevant information)

– Brief description of incident with bias indicators (= what makes it a hate crime)

– Status of the case (is it reported to the police, has an investigation been conducted, has someone been charged, etc.)

– Response of local authorities

– Impact on the victim(s) and the LGBT community

– Are there any public documentation (like legal documents or media reports) about the case

Big thanks for your help!