17 May is an international day of commemorative recognition of the right of all people to be themselves and to express their sexual orientation and/or gender identity freely and without fear of persecution, ridicule or marginalisation.
It is also a reminder that the effective recognition of this right has not yet been achieved, despite the progress that has gradually been made in creating or strengthening the institutional framework for the protection of the rights of LGBTI people.
In practice, relevant research and literature show that members of the LGBTI community remain extremely vulnerable to homophobic perceptions, attitudes and behaviour, experience intense racism and multiple discrimination on a daily basis, and are deprived of significant opportunities and choices in many areas of their lives.
Moreover, it is not uncommon for homophobic attitudes to reach the point of manifesting themselves in verbal and/or physical violence, which endangers human lives, even in societies characterised as progressive.
In this regard, the need for all stakeholders to remain fully committed to respecting, protecting and promoting the full and equal enjoyment of human rights by lesbian, gay and bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people is reaffirmed.
In our country, the significant legislative development in relation to this issue should, in any case, be highlighted.
This includes the criminalisation of homophobic and transphobic rhetoric as a statement of hatred, the criminal recognition of the motive of prejudice against a group of persons related, inter alia, to sexual orientation or gender identity as an aggravating factor in the sentence and the legal recognition of same-sex partnerships through the adoption of the institution of civil partnerships.
It is also worth mentioning the declaration of intention on the part of the state to fill the legislative gap that exists with regard to the legal recognition of identity by preparing a relevant bill, which seeks to regulate the right of transgender persons to have their gender and name corrected on the basis of their own self-identification in all their official documents.
My Office has, over the years, been active in identifying and making recommendations in relation to the need to strengthen the legislative framework for the protection of LGBTI persons living in Cyprus and our interventions in this regard have been instrumental and supportive of the above mentioned institutional changes.
Our contribution is also important in raising awareness in society on the issue of the rights of people belonging to the LGBTI community, defending their rights, enhancing their visibility, deconstructing homophobic/transphobic stereotypes and effectively consolidating equality and combating discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
I refer, by way of example, to our recent Report which arose following an examination of an individual complaint regarding the treatment of a citizen by the Police who had complained that he had been subjected to a homophobic attack.
On the occasion of this incident, the need for the Police to recognise and assess such offences as homophobic/transphobic by the Police, without underestimating their seriousness and brutality, as well as the need to foster a climate of trust, cooperation and safety between victims and law enforcement authorities, in order to combat, among other things, the phenomenon of underreporting.
Through this case, we have identified and expressed, once again, the need for awareness-raising and further relevant training for members of the Police, who are in charge of investigating homophobic/transphobic offences.
The key message that should be reflected through the policies and actions of the state is the zero tolerance of behaviours or actions that constitute discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, recognising that these are extremely damaging to human dignity, strike at the core of human existence, violate fundamental human rights and are dangerous for every individual and for every democratic society.
As an institution we underline our commitment to the issues concerning the LGBTI community in our country and will continue our active participation in the public debate on the issue, as well as in actions aimed at further raising awareness about the rights of our LGBTI fellow human beings, the defence of these rights and the deconstruction of homophobic/transphobic stereotypes, in order to combat discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but also to stop hate speech which, through repetitive behaviour, can lead to hate crimes.
The determination to combat such criminal and non-criminal behaviour against the LGBTI community also reflects the health of our society, of which we are all cells.
(BG/SX)
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