Forced Migration Review issue 42 – to be published in April 2013 – will include a feature on ‘Sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI-LGBTI) and the protection of forced migrants’.
Deadline for submission of articles: **December 3rd 2012**
Levels of cultural and political tolerance of the variety of sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI) among people differ enormously between societies and countries. Despite international law being ‘blind’ to these differences, the experience of people who fall outside stereotypical gender norms of unambiguous heterosexuality is that their ‘orientation’ or their gender identity often stands between them and fair and equal treatment and recognition of their rights. How countries manage the asylum claims and protection needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) individuals varies enormously.
The European Union and European States have already taken some concrete and positive steps, such as recognising sexual orientation as a cause of persecution in Article 10 of the EU Asylum Qualification Directive. Some EU Member States have also explicitly added gender identity as a cause of persecution in their national legislation (Portugal, Spain) or policy documents (Austria, the UK). Canada made a commitment in 2011 to provide partial funding of private sponsorships of LGBTI refugees, and in February 2012 the USA issued guidance to asylum officers on substantive aspects of the law, highlighting the unique difficulties that LGBTI claimants may experience in articulating their claims for asylum.
Please see the full call for articles at www.fmreview.org/sogi
The FMR Editors invite reflective, analytical and practice-oriented submissions focusing on situations of forced displacement which address questions such as the following:
• What are the different state practices in asylum for recognising sexual orientation or gender identity as grounds for claiming a well-founded fear of persecution?
• Do existing legal instruments protect LGBTI people’s rights in respect of displacement and how are those instruments enforced?
• What are the practices in reception, detention, status determination and resettlement for LGBTI people, whether their gender identity or sexual orientation is the cause of their claim for asylum or not?
• What examples of good practice are there in reception, detention, status determination and resettlement?
• What can we learn from local initiatives to protect LGBTI rights and prevent persecution and displacement?
• Is data about the legal and cultural position of LGBTI people included in Country of Origin Information?
• Is discrimination by states and by others on the grounds of gender identity and/or sexual orientation given due weight by those states considering asylum claims? Are non-stereotypical relationships given fair or equal consideration in matters of asylum and resettlement?
• How can government agencies, service providers and displaced communities enhance the protection of displaced LGBTI people?
• Are there particular aspects relating to age – either young or old – that need to be considered?
We are particularly keen to reflect the experiences and knowledge of communities and individuals directly affected by these questions.
Maximum length of article: 2,500 words.
Deadline for submission: **December 3rd 2012**
If you are thinking of writing for FMR, please consult our Guide for authors at www.fmreview.org/you/writing-fmr - and if possible please let us know in advance ( at [log in to unmask] ) what particular aspect/s you propose to write about.
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With apologies for any cross-posting of this message.
Best wishes
Marion Couldrey & Maurice Herson
FMR Editors
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