Media center

The Trinidad and Tobago Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold the criminalization of consensual same-sex activity is an alarming assault on human rights. This ruling, which reinstates the criminality of private, consensual intimacy, is a direct violation of the fundamental rights of LGBTQI+ people and a stark reminder of the colonial-era laws that continue to inflict harm across the Caribbean. IPPF Americas and the Caribbean Regional Office (ACRO) together with local member Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FPATT) stand unequivocally with LGBTQI+ communities in Trinidad and Tobago and across the region. We reject this ruling and any legislation that denies people their right to love freely and live with dignity. This decision reflects a justice system with oppressive statutes that have no place in a just and democratic society. According to Eugenia López Uribe, Regional Director of IPPF ACRO, this ruling is not just a setback for LGBTQI+ rights, it is an attack on human dignity: “It is a deliberate attempt to silence, criminalize, and exclude a part of citizens and people living in the country. But let this be clear: IPPF regional office in the Americas and the Caribbean will continue fighting for and with the LGBTQI+ movement so they won’t be silenced. IPPF will not back down. LGBTQI+ people’s rights are non-negotiable. " Criminalizing LGBTQI+ lives perpetuate violence, discrimination, and stigma. It emboldens hate, undermines access to justice, and creates a climate of fear where LGBTQI+ individuals are forced to live in further vulnerability. Research published by CAISO: Sex and Gender Justice’s  Wholeness and Justice programme in 2023 indicate that 1 in 3 LGBTQI+ individuals in Trinidad and Tobago experience discrimination and harassment, 1 in 4 face family violence, and 1 in 4 experience physical assault. “FPATT [Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago] notes the recent Court of Appeal decision that affirms an old law before independence that criminalizes persons of a different orientation, due to a technicality- the saving law clause,” says Professor Rose Marie Antoine, FPATT’s Board of Trustees President. “Interestingly, the British colonial masters that drafted that law have long abolished it. We note too that this was not a unanimous court decision. FPATT looks forward to the day when our legal system and laws can reflect true equity and non-discrimination, serving all our nation’s peoples in their access to fundamental rights and protecting vulnerable groups from harm and violence. FPATT will continue to welcome and serve all people regardless of their sexual orientation.” We call for urgent action: The immediate repeal of Sections 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act. A commitment from Caribbean governments to decriminalize same-sex relations and protect LGBTQI+ individuals from discrimination and violence. An end to the use of colonial-era "savings law" clauses to justify human rights violations. Now is the time for every human rights defender, policymaker, and ally to take a stand. LGBTQI+ people in Trinidad and Tobago—and across the Caribbean, our region and the world—deserve justice, equality, and the freedom to live without fear. IPPF will not stop until that is a reality. For more information, please contact [email protected] - +44 7918 845944    About the International Planned Parenthood Federation   IPPF is a global healthcare provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. Led by a courageous and determined group of women, IPPF was founded in 1952 at the Third International Planned Parenthood Conference. Today, we are a movement of 158 Member Associations and Collaborative Partners with a presence in over 153 countries.   Our work is wide-ranging, including comprehensive sex education, provision of contraceptive, safe abortion, and maternal care and responding to humanitarian crises. We pride ourselves on being local through our members and global through our network. At the heart of our mission is the provision of – and advocacy in support of – integrated healthcare to anyone who needs it regardless of race, gender, sex, income, and crucially no matter how remote. 

All LGBTQI+ people in Peru and in the Americas and the Caribbean have the right to lives free from violence! In recent months, IPPF ACRO Member Associations, Collaborating Partners and the IPPF ACRO Secretariat have witnessed how some governments in the Americas and the Caribbean, even some that have historically acted to protect and advance human rights, have become the main opponents of people's rights, freedom and self-determination. So, after writing about our concerns about the new Argentinean government, today, on the International Day Against LGBTIQ+-Phobia, we want to demonstrate our strong concern with the actions of the government of Peru, which undermine the fundamental rights of LGBTIQ+ people. The IPPF Americas and Caribbean Regional Office joins INPPARES, Member Association in Peru, in expressing its rejection of the Supreme Decree Nº 009-2024-SA issued last May 10th by the Peruvian Ministry of Health which, by updating the Essential Health Insurance Plan (PEAS) based on the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), violates the human rights of LGBTIQ+ people.   Some context: The PEAS contains the list of interventions that can be addressed by health insurers in Peru, so it is vitally important that it is kept up to date with the guidelines and standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). From time to time, the WHO revises its International Classification of Diseases (ICD) to update it based on recent scientific evidence and thus adequately guide global clinical practice. Recall that in 2019, the 11th revision of the ICD made history by removing trans identities and expressions from the chapter on ‘Mental and Behavioural Disorders’. However, last week, the government of Peru decided to use an outdated revision of the ICD, which pathologises sexual orientation and gender identity. This decision of the Peruvian government to use ICD-10 is very serious, as it violates binding codes and agreements at local, regional and international level. On the one hand, it violates the constitutional right to health established in articles 7 and 9 of the Political Constitution of Peru, which establishes the right to health on the basis of equality and non-discrimination. Furthermore, it disregards the information, guidelines and standards of the WHO, the United Nations specialised health agency, and the requests of the Office of the UN High Commissioner since 2015 to stop the pathologisation of LGBTIQ+ people, in particular trans and intersex people. It also goes against commitments adopted by Peru in numerous regional and international declarations, such as the Montevideo Consensus, whose implementation and follow-up was officially adopted in 2016 by Supreme Decree N° 051-2016-PCM. Today, it is necessary to reaffirm that LGBTIQ+ people have the right to live free from violence, to live their gender identity and sexual orientation freely, to access health and reproductive services where their identities are respected and their specific needs are met. It is the responsibility of governments to ensure that these rights are fulfilled.

The Fifth Meeting of the Forum of Latin American and Caribbean countries on Sustainable Development 2022 was held in Costa Rica - San José from March 7 to 9, in its face-to-face/virtual form due to COVID-19.   This event brought together 1,200 people, including government delegates and representatives of international organizations, the United Nations, the private sector, academia and civil society to discuss the progress and challenges of implementing the 2030 Agenda in the region and how the region has been the most impacted by COVID-19 in terms of development from the health, economic and social point of view.  Pamela Martín García, IPPF ACRO's Advocacy and Communications Manager, participated in this indispensable space for regional integration and cooperation. First at the Civil Society meeting and then at the Forum, as well as the March 8th rally in Costa Rica                           During the event for International Women's Day, civil society representatives expressed their concern about the advance of authoritarian proposals in various governments of the region with public policies that generate setbacks in terms of human rights, sexual and reproductive rights. They also denounced the extreme vulnerability of women environmental defenders in different countries. They called on governments to take affirmative action to address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women in the region.  One important statistic shared during the event was that 68% of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals continue on an insufficient trend towards 2030 and that only one third of the 111 targets evaluated are on an adequate pace and trajectory. This urges us to continue working to meet them. The greatest challenge today is to eradicate poverty in all its forms and is an indispensable requirement for sustainable development in the region.   During the closing ceremony, delegates from the countries, United Nations agencies, representatives of civil society and other participants paid tribute to Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, who bids farewell to this position with full honors and after a formidable performance, always promoting and defending the human rights of all people. It was she, with her lucidity and eloquence, who for more than 20 years incorporated the feminist perspective in ECLAC and its actions. We join in the heartfelt recognition of a leader who knew how to build in the adversity of inequalities a light of hope throughout the region.