A Human Rights Analysis of HIV in the Yogyakarta Principles

May 16, 2017 - The past ten years have witnessed tremendous advances for HIV and lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex (LGBTI) rights globally. However, this progress does not outweigh the horrific instances of violence these groups face throughout the world, such as the targeted persecution of gay and bisexual men in Chechnya, violent crackdowns on HIV service providers for gay men and transwomen in Tanzania, and other injustices.

In this context, MSMGF attended a meeting in Bangkok to explore the gaps in the Yogyakarta Principles (YP) – a set of principles relating to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the context of international human rights law. The two-day conference aimed to assess the YP's impact in protecting LGBTI people over the last decade and to inform a "YP+10" document that is expected to be released in September of 2017.

In order for the YP to be fully utilized by MSMGF and other HIV activists, it must take into account the many ways men who have sex with men and transgender women face unique barriers in access to basic HIV services. The updated principles must also explicitly recognize the linkage between HIV-related stigma, homophobia, and transphobia.