Violence & discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity - Press Conference

Press Briefing by Victor Madrigal-Borloz, Independent Expert on Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
An independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity said today that there are pervasive notions that identify transpersons with criminal culture in society, partly because of the lack of legal recognition that matches their appearance and their existence.
Speaking to reporters in New York today (25 Oct), ) Victor Madrigal-Borloz the Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity said that he had received numerous testimonies of transpersons throughout his career where "they describe that it is the conviction of the police that there is no need to actually have a reason to detain them and to actually send them to detention overnight, because there is an expectation that transpersons are associated automatically with certain activities that are criminalized, such as sex work for example.”
He continued “part of that situation is derived from the fact that they are not enjoying legal recognition that matches their appearance and their existence.”
Madrigal-Borloz added “therefore, the measures adopted to ensure that there is conformity between their self-identified gender and the legal recognition are of fundamental importance to prevent violence and discrimination against them.”
Asked about children, the independent expert said “the challenge is that the children that are exploring gender identities that are not necessarily binary or that don’t correspond with the sexes assigned at birth, are vulnerable to levels of bullying and prosecution in every context including schools.”
He added “this is one of the reason why children leave school and end up having very low scholarities and therefore compounding that effect of exclusion.”
Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back, in an unpaid capacity, on specific human rights themes. They also make annual presentations to the General Assembly committee dealing with human rights issues, known as the Third Committee.