Download Course Outline for Human Rights, Sexual Orientation

Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
LW 548: 5 credit course, examined by means of an essay.
Professor Michael O’Flaherty
In this course we will first examine the experience of human rights violation perpetrated
against members of sexual minorities and then locate the international human rights
legal protection framework. Following an examination of such intellectual categorisations
as "sexual orientation" and "gender identity", attention will be paid to the application of
the international human rights treaties and the operation of the international (especially
of the United Nations) supervisory mechanisms. We will also review current
developments at the UN Human Rights Council regarding the protection of the human
rights of members of sexual minorities. The course will include examination of the
development and the operation of the “Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of
International Human Rights Law regarding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity”.
Seminar 1: Tuesday, January 14: 11-14.00.
Human Rights Violations as Experienced by Members of Sexual Minorities; the
issue of labels (sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.) and why it matters.
Reading:
Report of the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights on violence and
discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, UN Doc A/HRC/19/41
(17 November 2011).
O’Flaherty and Fisher, ‘Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and International Human
Rights Law: Contextualising the Yogyakarta Principles’ (2008) 8 HRLR 207 (just read the
Introduction for this seminar).
Waites, ‘Critique of ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ in human rights discourse:
global queer politics beyond the Yogyakarta Principles’, available at:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13569770802709604#.Uo5DWl-vkdU
Seminar 2: Friday, January 17: 14-17.00.
The Evolving Law in the Practice of the Human Rights Committee and other
International Instances.
Reading:
O’Flaherty and Fisher, ‘Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and International Human
Rights Law: Contextualising the Yogyakarta Principles’ (2008) 8 HRLR 207 (just read the
section, “Review of law and Jurisprudence” for this seminar).
Toonen v. Australia, Human Rights Committee, CCPR/C/50/D/488/1992, available at:
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/undocs/html/vws488.htm
Joslin v. New Zealand, A/57/40 at 214 (2002), available at:
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/undocs/902-1999.html
Young v. Australia, CCPR/C/78/D/941/2000 (2003), available at:
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/undocs/941-2000.html
Fedotova v. Russian Federation, Human Rights Committee, CCPR/C/106/D/1932/2010,
available at:
www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/.../CCPR-C-106-D-1932-2010.doc
X and others v. Austria, (ECHR) Application no. 19010/07, available at:
http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/sites/eng/pages/search.aspx?i=001-116735#{"itemid":["001116735"]}
Seminar 3: Wednesday 05th February, 14.00-17.00.
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and the Politics of the United Nations
Guest lecturer: John Fisher, Co-founder, Arc International.
Biographical note:
http://arc-international.net/about/john-fisher
Reading will be indicated in due course.
Seminar 4: Friday February 7, 14.00-17.00.
Bringing it all home: the Yogyakarta Principles.
Reading:
The Yogyakarta Principles, available at: www.yogyakartaprinciples.org
O’Flaherty and Fisher, ‘Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and International Human
Rights Law: Contextualising the Yogyakarta Principles’ (2008) 8 HRLR 207 (the
remainder of the article).
The Impact of the Yogyakarta Principles on International Human Rights Law
Development - A Study of November 2007 – June 2010, available at:
http://www.ypinaction.org/files/02/57/Yogyakarta_Principles_Impact_Tracking_Report.p
df
Other Reading
O’Flaherty,’ Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity’, in Moeckli et al., International
Human Rights Law, OUP, 2010 – a new 2nd edition is forthcoming in Spring 2014.
Additional Useful Websites
International Commission of Jurists: < http://www.icj.org >
Human Rights Watch : < http://www.hrw.org/en/category/topic/lgbt-rights >
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association: <
http://www.ilga.org >
ARC International : < http://www.arc-international.net >