Americas!

I didn’t know there is such a thing as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. It is a part of the Organization of American States and nearly every country in North, Central, and South America is a member, though Trinidad and Tobago has withdrawn. The court responds to human rights issues brought to it by member states.

This court is in the news because it issued a decision ordering member nations to legally recognize same-sex families and transgender people. The ruling explains the word “family” has evolved and now includes those with different genders and sexual orientations.

Because same-sex couples have historically been oppressed, separate but equal substitutes, such as civil unions, is not sufficient. Yes, some people oppose same-sex marriage for religious reasons, but in democratic societies there should be a mutually peaceful coexistence between the secular and religious.

Transgender people must be given the same dignity and respect as everyone else. Transgender people should be allowed to change their name, gender, and photograph on identity documents.

Costa Rica brought the case, saying do we really have to give property rights to same-sex couples? Do we really have to allow transgender people to update identity documents? Costa Rica has said they will comply with the ruling.

This ruling sets a precedent for all countries in the OAS. 19 of these countries do not yet have marriage equality. Each country must apply the ruling to itself, so this could take a while. Even so, it is a massive LGBT victory in the Americas.