аЯрЁБс>ўџ 46ўџџџ3џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС%` №Пbjbj"x"x 8"@@џџџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЄИќќќќ Ию Ж00000000m o o o o o o $Єh D“ Є- 00- - “ ЄЄ00Ј с с с - "Є0Є0m с - m с с ЄЄс 0$ =ЖjрŸЫќO "с m О 0ю с Pq fPс PЄс Œ02Ис ъ”~ Џ000“ “ з 000ю - - - - ИИИDќИИИќИИИЄЄЄЄЄЄџџџџ 25 November 2011 Comment upon Discussion Paper “Protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sex and/or gender identity Background to comment By way of brief background about myself as context for the comments below, I am a UK citizen working as a lawyer for the United Nations at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, in The Hague. I studied social and political sciences (BA Hons) and international relations (M.Phil) at Cambridge, and attended law school in Oxford, followed by an LLM in international criminal law. My interest in commenting on this paper stems from my extremely strong interest in gender issues in international human rights discourse. A primary focus for me in this regard has been the differential experience of women (my LLM thesis focuses on crimes of sexual violence before the international criminal tribunals, and I recently completed a research project for an Iranian NGO, considering the international human rights contraventions engendered by restrictions placed upon women’s rights campaigners in Iran). However, I am also particularly interested in the unique human rights questions raised by transgender citizens, and considered the marriage rights of transsexual citizens in the UK under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as my law school thesis. My comments thus go specifically to the transgender/transsexual elements of this discussion paper, from an academic/practitioner perspective. Comments Comment on paragraph 7.3 By way of general comment, whilst the paper is orientated towards elucidating issues of discrimination on a variety of fronts, and to this end is commendable, there are practical limitations to an approach whereby the homogeneity of experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people is presumed. For example, at the time when I researched the issue of transsexual marriage, the British Gender Recognition Act 2004 was not yet in force, and transgender or transsexual persons were unable to marry in their acquired sex, unless it was to someone who had been of the opposite sex to them at the time of birth. In this climate, I found that to conflate the issues of same sex marriage with that of the right to marry in one’s acquired sex was often unhelpful from the perspective of promoting immediate change - there are frequently entrenched societal norms militating against same sex marriage, and the right to marry someone of the opposite sex to one’s acquired sex is a different issue. Thus, I would sound a note of caution in presenting the Commission’s views on same sex marriage as in paragraph 7.3, without acknowledging that the question of same sex marriage will not be at issue for all of those to whom the paper is speaking. Comment on basis for gender recognition in Australia As a brief further comment, there is very little in this paper about how and when an individual is recognised as having changed sex for legal purposes and the extent to which this requires surgical intervention. Whilst it is probably outside the scope of the underlying report, my experience in the UK suggests that this issue is key to a meaningful analysis of discrimination from the perspective of the transgender community. Relevance of European Convention on Human Rights I would also note that there is extensive ECHR discourse and European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence of relevance to the issues you discuss in your paper, which is not considered in your section 6 on international human rights standards. Whilst the ECHR is of course not directly applicable to Australia, it is one of the ways in which international human rights standards are given substance, and may accordingly be of relevance. I would be happy to put together some relevant materials for you in this regard, should this be helpful. ‘’ЉЋИХЦгтцэюєћ  % 3 6 s  ƒ  Ћ Д Е к ш ѕ  3 = ? 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