Sexual Orientation + Gender Identity

Relevant Policy and Legal Guidance:

1. The Yogyakarta Principles are internationally-agreed guidance setting forth the application of existing human rights law and policy to sexual orientation and gender identity.  The principles are available in all six official United Nations languages.

2. The SOGI Casebook is a compilation of legal opinions and authority on issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity that have been litigated before judges in jurisdictions worldwide, as well as international courts.  It offers important insight into legal trends and developments on important issues including but not limited to criminalization, equality, parenting, marriage, etc.

3. Topical Articles, Reports, and Information:

4. Born Free and Equal is a publication of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights setting out some core legal structures protecting the freedoms of people of diverse sexual and gender identities.  The report is available in PDF form here or via the OHCHR LGBT webpage here. The report is translated and available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese (PDF), Farsi, Khmer, Portuguese, Turkish, and Vietnamese here.
5. The State of Trans* and Intersex Organizing A case for increased support for growing but under-funded movements for human rights is a report summarizing "a survey of 340 trans* and intersex groups, conducted from July to September 2013... and the challenges and obstacles experienced by these groups in accessing resources. It also highlights key differences in access to funding between groups that are led by trans* and intersex activists, and those that are not. [The] findings show clearly that groups led by trans* and intersex activists are under resourced—yet in the midst of this challenging funding context they are doing remarkably successful work to promote the rights and improve the lives of their constituents and communities. To emphasize their efficacy and potential, this report highlights examples of successful trans* and intersex organizing efforts around the world."
6. Get Yr Rights: A Toolkit for LGBTQTS Youth and LGBTQTS Youth-Serving Organizations is a 2015 resource guide funded by Open Society Institute and setting forth case studies, relevant research, and concrete resources, largely aimed at combating discriminatory policing: "Across the country and around the world, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and Two Spirit (LGBTQTS) youth – particularly LGBTQTS youth of color - experience widespread profiling, harassment, targeting, and physical and sexual violence by police. Non-heterosexual youth are more likely to be stopped by the police and experience greater criminal justice sanctions not explained by greater involvement in violating the law. A New York City study found that LGB youth are more likely to experience negative verbal, physical, and legal contact with the police than their heterosexual peers, and more than twice as likely to experience negative sexual contact with law enforcement." This Guide's " intention is to make the resources, strategies, and policies we are aware of that can contribute to addressing the profiling, policing and criminalization of LGBTQTS youth broadly available to a wide range of organizations across the country. We also want to help shift the narrative of what is a queer issue, and what LGBTQTS advocacy looks like. Though rarely centered in mainstream advocacy about either LGBTQTS rights or policing, we have learned through our work on the ground and our personal experiences that profiling and policing are among the primary issues affecting the lives of LGBTQTS youth, particularly LGBTQTS youth of color."