Turkey: Erdoğan Hints ‘Changes’ in Bar Associations After LGBTI+ Row with Religion Authority

http://bianet.org/english/lgbti/223862-erdogan-hints-changes-in-bar-associations-after-lgbti-row-with-religion-authority

Switzerland: Only the second male athlete comes out as gay ….and it’s the first member of a sports team

https://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=36058

The Puerto Rican Dennis Del Valle is the first top athlete in a team of the Swiss top leagues to talk about his homosexuality.

To date, five Polish governmental districts, 37 counties, and 55 municipalities have declared themselves “LGBT-free zones”.

Worldwide, there are 95 partner cities that have long-running relationships with these Polish regions. If their mayors and officials speak up, they have the power to make a difference in the lives of LGBT+ people ostracized by their Polish communities.

Ask these cities to take action and adopt a list of recommendations in support of the Polish LGBT+ community.

Imagine opening your local newspaper one morning and learning that your city had declared itself an “LGBT-free zone.” How would you feel leaving your house, knowing that overnight your hometown had decided you don’t belong there anymore?

For thousands of Polish LGBT+ people, this nightmare has turned into reality.

Since the beginning of last year, around 100 Polish municipalities have outright banned anything they call “LGBT ideology” and enabled discrimination under the pretense of “protecting the traditional family.” Powerful, ultra-conservative groups have inspired and backed this deluge of hate.

But we believe we can convince Polish towns to turn away from hate by sending them a message of love that comes from their partner cities in Europe and other parts of the world.

Ask the partner cities to get together and support LGBT+ people in Polish “LGBT-free zones.”

Partner cities around the world have long-running relationships with their Polish twins. They constantly engage in cultural exchange, visits, and mutual support. If they ask their partners to respect the rights of their LGBT+ citizens, their message will not go unnoticed.

Pulse of Europe and All Out have teamed up with Polish LGBT+ activists and developed a set of recommendations on how the partner cities can help.

But we’ll need your help, Andreas, to convince them to join us.

Today is the World Day of Partner Cities. Can you sign our petition and ask partner cities of Polish “LGBT-free zones” to help LGBT+ people in Poland?

Thank you for going All Out
Anja, Roman and the Pulse of Europe Team

SOURCES:

●︎ Pulse of Europe Homepage (in English, German, French)
●︎ Atlas of Hate mapping LGBT-free Zones in Poland (in Polish)
●︎ A Third of Poland Declared ‘LGBT-Free Zone’ – Balkan Insight, 25 February 2020

Trial in Celle: Whisker removal for trans women: Court sees “system failure”

A trans woman from Braunschweig failed before the regional social court with her claim for assumption of costs for a needle epilation in a cosmetic studio. According to the judgement, the legislator is called upon to take action.

Prozess in Celle

Barthaarentfernung bei trans Frauen: Gericht sieht “Systemversagen”

Eine trans Frau aus Braunschweig scheiterte vor dem Landessozialgericht mit ihrer Klage auf Kostenübernahme für eine Nadelepilation im Kosmetikstudio. Der Gesetzgeber sei gefordert, so das Urteil.
Krankenkassen dürfen generell keine Leistungen von Kosmetikstudios bezahlen, urteilte das Landessozialgericht Niedersachsen-Bremen (Bild: Hans Splinter / flickr)

• Heute, 11:55h, noch kein Kommentar

Krankenkassen dürfen keine Kosten für eine Barthaarentfernung in einem Kosmetikstudio übernehmen – auch nicht für trans Frauen. Das geht aus einem Urteil des Landessozialgerichts (LSG) Niedersachsen-Bremen in Celle hervor (L 16 KR 462/19, PDF).

Geklagt hatte eine 57 Jahre alte Frau aus Braunschweig, der bei ihrer Geburt das männliche Geschlecht zugewiesen worden war. Nach einer operativen Geschlechtsangleichung hatte ein Hautarzt ihre Barthaare mit einer Laser-Behandlung entfernt, allerdings wirkte der Laser nicht bei weißen, borstigen Haaren. Die Klägerin erklärte in ihrem Antrag auf Kostenübernahme an ihre Krankenkasse, dass kein Hautarzt die Behandlung mit der Elektronadel anbiete, für eine Kosmetikerin sei diese aber eine Standardtherapie.

Epilationsbehandlung unterliegt Arztvorbehalt

Das Landessozialgericht bestätigte in seinem Urteil die Rechtsauffassung der Kasse, die den Antrag auf Kostenübernahme abgelehnt hatte. Eine Epilationsbehandlung unterliege dem Arztvorbehalt, begründeten die Richter*innen. Hier dürften keine Ausnahmen gemacht werden. Zwar sei es als “Systemversagen” zu bewerten, dass Mediziner*innen nicht die benötigte Nadelepilation anbieten würden. Allerdings könne die Anerkennung weiterer Berufsgruppen wie Kosmetiker*innen allein vom Gesetzgeber geregelt werden.

Wegen grundsätzlicher Bedeutung der Frage sei die Revision zugelassen worden, teilte das Gericht am Montag mit. (cw/dpa)

People from the LGBTI community are encouraged to apply for FRA’s traineeships

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has opened its 2020 call for trainees. It is offering paid traineeships for 10 months at the Agency’s office in Vienna, Austria, starting on 1 October, 2020. FRA encourages people from the LGBTI community –particularly trans and intersex people- to apply. The calls close on 8 May 2020, at 13:00 (Vienna Local time).

More details about FRA, the units, eligibility and how to apply are all available on the FRA website.

LGBTI Assistance Program “Dignity for All” is seeking a new officer

Freedom House’s Dignity for All: LGBTI Assistance Program is seeking a Senior Program Officer for Learning Initiatives to work with Dignity consortium partners and other community stakeholders to lead safety and security resource creation, sharing, and learning for the benefit of LGBTI human rights defenders, community members, and other stakeholders across all regions in which Dignity works. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis until they hire.

Find out more the job description and the application procedure.

Independent medico-legal specialists from 23 countries: ‘Conversion therapy is torture’

On 23 April, the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) and the Independent Forensics Expert Group (IFEG) released a new statement that labels so-called “conversion therapy” as torture and “unscientific”, and calls for an immediate global ban on the practice. The statement, signed by 39 independent medico-legal specialists from 23 countries, notes that children and minors are especially vulnerable, and that survivors of so-called “conversion therapy” often suffer post-traumatic stress disorder as a result.
(Images: IRCT/Paola Paredes Photography)

Read more from the press release which includes the results of a global research.

Read here the full statement from 39 independent medico-legal specialists.

First same-sex couples adopt in Finland

The first same-sex couples have successfully adopted children in Finland as reports coming since 20 April. Sateenkaariperheet, the Finnish rainbow families association, confirmed that one male and one female couple, both from Helsinki, had each successfully adopted infants. A change to Finland’s marriage law entered into force in March 2017 making it possible for same-sex couples to marry and adopt. LGBTI activists are now calling on a new parental law, currently under preparation by the Ministry of Justice, to ensure that more than two parents can be legally recognised and that parenthood be entered into the population registry in a gender-neutral way.

Read more.

Tunisian government emphatically denies they recognise same-sex marriage

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/04/30/tunisia-same-sex-marriage-equality-association-shams-lotfi-zitoun-mounir-baatour/

Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-507/18 Associazione Avvocatura per i diritti LGBTI

Homophobic statements constitute discrimination in employment and occupation when they are made by a person who has or may be perceived as having a decisive influence on an employer’s recruitment policy