03/12/2014 | Writer: Kaos GL
Kaos GL, Pink Life and Black Pink Triangle Izmir associations made a joint call for the inclusion of ‘sexual orientation and gender identity’ in the Draft Law on Anti-Discrimination and Board of Equality.
Kaos GL, Pink Life and Black Pink Triangle Izmir associations made a joint call for the inclusion of “sexual orientation and gender identity” in the Draft Law on Anti-Discrimination and Board of Equality.
"We need an anti-discrimination law! Sexual orientation and gender identity should be included in the Anti-Discrimination Legislation and Board of Equality Law!"
Below is the associations’ call for the Government to heed civil society:
Prepared by Human Rights Joint Platform (İHOP) and Minority Rights Group International in 2006, the Draft Law on Anti-Discrimination Legislation and Board of Equality disseminated by the government via the Interior Ministry to the bar associations, academic circles, and NGOs as a step for the “Democratic Initiative” by the late 2009.
The 3rd Article of the Draft Law titled “Equality principle, ban on discrimination, and types of discrimination within the scope of the ban” contained the provision stating that “it is prohibited to discriminate on the grounds of gender, race, color, language, religion, ethnic origin, sexual identity, philosophical and political view, social status as well as grounds similar to these.” The most recent version of the draft, as has been announced on the website of the Interior Ministry, has excluded the terms “sexual identity” and “ethnic origin”.
The then Interior Minister Beşir Atalay stated in his speech in the Grand National Assembly in November 2009 that the administrative regulation mechanisms concerning human rights would be set up and the Board of Anti-Discrimination and Equality would be established.
A positive process was then initiated as human rights organizations had talks with the minister. The Interior Ministry initiated its work within this field based on the draft prepared by Human Rights Joint Platform (İHOP) with the contributions of İstanbul Bilgi University and Minority Rights Group (MRG).
“Sexual identity” was among the grounds of discrimination that were redefined in this work.
"We need an anti-discrimination law"
Prepared by Human Rights Joint Platform (İHOP) and accepted by the Ministry of Justice, the Draft Law defined “sexual identity”, stating that it “denotes heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transsexual, transvestite identities and the like.”
The Draft Law on Foreigners and International Protection was passed, with its article that concerned the ban on discrimination and included the terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” excluded.
The phrase “sexual orientation and gender identity” were excluded from the constitutional article that concerned equality and prohibited discrimination despite the insistent demands of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) within the civil constitution debate.
No work related to this Draft Law has been conducted since 2010. The Draft Law on Anti-Discrimination Legislation and Board of Equality brought up on the agenda once again with the Interior Minister’s suggestion in the meeting held by Reform Monitoring Group at the beginning of November 2014.
We as Kaos GL, Pink Life, and Black Pink Triangle İzmir associations demand that the Draft Law on Anti-Discrimination Legislation and Board of Equality be prepared in a manner that meets the demands of the çivil society and the phrase “sexual orientation and gender identity” be included in its 3rd Article titled “Equality principle, ban on discrimination, and types of discrimination within the scope of the ban”.
Tags: life
