Pressmeddelande -

Demonstration och uttalande mot transfobi i Malmö

Ikväll kl 23.00 demonstrerar RFSL och den transpolitiska organisationen Transgender Europe mot transfobi utanför Crown Nightclub på Amiralsgatan 23 i Malmö.

Just nu pågår den internationella transpolitiska konferensen 3rd European Transgender Council i Malmö. Under konferensen har flera av deltagarna utsatts för transfoba och rasistiska brott och dessutom utsatts för ytterligare kränkningar av polisen i Malmö. Med anledning av det ordnar Transgender Europe och RFSL ikväll en demonstration mot transfobi och presenterar följande uttalande med krav riktade mot polisen, Diskrimineringsombudsmannen och svenska staten:

Declaration of the 3rd TGEU Council on the discrimination and violence targeted at the trans participants from Turkey

We the participants of this 3rd TGEU Council are shocked at the experience of the trans activists from Turkey who were subjected to transphobic and racist violence on two occasions during their stay in Malmo. We are also concerned at the unacceptable discrimination and victimisation that they suffered at the hands of the police while they were reporting the violence that took place on the night of Thursday 30th September.

On Thursday, the activists were entering a restaurant and were transphobically and racially harassed by a group of young men. On their way out the activists were physically attacked by this same group and pelted with eggs. The aggressors then also smeared egg on the face of an activist. The police did not respond adequately to the reported case of violence.

The following morning Transgender Europe and RFSL called for an appropriate investigation. However, when the activists were interviewed by the police, later in the afternoon, the police asked a series of unacceptable and offensive questions to the activists about their gender identity and right of stay in Sweden. In addition, the incorrect use of names and pronouns violated the dignity of the activists. Through their behaviour the police made the activists feel intensely violated and humiliated.

A further act of transphobic violence happened later on Friday night, when the activists were at Crown Nightclub and a customer slapped one of them on the face. Following the activist's complaint, the bar staff ordered the trans activists to leave without challenging the aggressor. At this stage the activists no longer trusted in an adequate police response and did not report this second incident.

In view of the above we demand that:

I. The Swedish Police:

1.    Take responsibility for the inappropriate handling of the investigation of the case of violence that the trans activists reported
2.    Investigate and take appropriate disciplinary procedures against the police officers who mistreated the trans activists and victimised them through their transphobic and racist questioning
3.    Implement comprehensive training efforts to make sure that all police forces dealing with the public are respectful of all people regardless of gender identity/gender expression, race, nationality or any other ground, or an intersection of them.
4.    Commit to working with RFSL and other LGBTI and trans organisations to effectively implement the above demands.

II.    Swedish Discrimination Ombudsman:

1.    Enhance the promotion of equality particularly looking at the experience of trans people in the acquisition of goods and services.

III.    Sweden

1.    Adopt hate crime legislation that explicitly covers the grounds of gender identity and gender expression
2.    Raise awareness that trans people's equality and human rights must always be respected thus making sure that such incidents cease to happen.  

The European Region of the  International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA Europe), International Network for Trans Depathologization (STP2012) and Global Advocates for Transgender Equality (GATE) express their solidarity with the activists from Turkey and support the statement.


För frågor och vidare information kontakta:
RFSL:s pressekreterare Malinda Flodman, 0736 – 60 32 64, alt malinda.flodman@rfsl.se

Ulrika Westerlund, förbundsordförande för RFSL, 0703-45 01 83, alt ulrika.westerlund@rfsl.se

Ämnen

  • Brott, juridik, rättsfrågor

Kategorier

  • ulrika westerlund
  • transfobi
  • kongress
  • hbt
  • demonstration
  • internationellt
  • certifiering och utbildning
  • hälsa och hiv

RFSL, Riksförbundet för homosexuellas, bisexuellas och transpersoners rättigheter, bildades 1950 och är därmed en av världens äldsta organisationer av sitt slag. RFSL verkar genom politiskt påverkan, informationsarbete och sociala och stödjande verksamheter.

Besök RFSL:s hemsida för ytterligare information: www.rfsl.se

Kontakter

Magnus Kolsjö

Presskontakt Tillförordnad förbundsordförande 072 - 33 05 024 (obs ej sms)

Mathilda Piehl

Presskontakt Senior kommunikationsstrateg 072 - 33 05 024 (obs ej sms)

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