WHEELIEQUEER

Hello! In the first issue of the WheelieQueer monthly newsletter, we mourn the death of disability activist Judith Heumann, a champion of the disability rights movement, spotlight the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Relief and have a look at a Japanese Minister in hot waters.

THIS MONTH'S NEWS

On Human Rights Issues

2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake

On Monday, February 6th at 4:17 AM local time, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey, devastating parts of Turkey and bordering Syria, with the war-torn city of Aleppo amongst those worst-hit. Followed by a series of powerful aftershocks over the following weeks, making rescue efforts even more difficult.

So far, it’s been reported that an estimated 50,000 people have died due to the earthquakes, with thousands more injured and millions rendered homeless.

Now, over a month later, relatives and friends are still desperately searching for those missing after the earthquakes as they walk amongst the tonnes of debris, combing hospitals and morgues for traces of their loved ones.

Meanwhile, the World Bank has recently reported that Turkey faces estimated damages worth $34 billion.

If you want to help the British Red Cross Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal in their work or want to donate, you can click the link below.

Important Read:

Ethnic Profiling

On February 14th a Dutch appeal court found the Dutch military police - called the Royal Netherlands Marechausee - guilty of racial profiling.

Campaigners have hailed the ruling that states that going forward, the Dutch military police will no longer be able to use race or ethnicity as reasons for border checks.

The case was originally brought forward by Mpanzu Bamenga, a Dutch lawyer, after he was stopped by the Marechausee when returning to Eindhoven from Italy. He was later joined by several human rights groups in a joint effort to bring the case forward.

While an earlier court had initially ruled in favour of the Marechausee, this was now overturned by the successful appeal.

"Really it's a historic victory, not only for me but for many people in the Netherlands who have been fighting against racism and racial profiling and for equal opportunities," Mpanzu Bamenga told the BBC.

Czech government under pressure

The Czech government is becoming increasingly under more pressure to amend a communist-era rule that denies citizenship rights to descendants of Jewish refugee children that fled to Britain from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia on WW2 Kindertransports.

Campaigners are arguing that the old law affects the rights of what could potentially be thousands of children and grandchildren of the Jewish refugees that escaped thanks to British humanitarian aid in the 40s.

The citizenship of those forcibly deprived of their citizenship during the Nazi era has been restored since the 90s, but the regulation for unregistered children still remains in effect even today.

“Those Kindertransport children were Czechs who were got out as nine or 10-year-olds […]. Yet their own children, born 20 years later, cannot become Czechs - it’s terrible.” Naomi Yandell for The Guardian

On LGBTQ+ Rights Issues

Japan: Political aide fired over derogatory LGBTQ+ remarks

In early February Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida fired a government aide over their derogatory remarks regarding LGBTQ+ couples.

“Masayoshi Arai reportedly said he would not want to live next to, or look at, people in same-sex relationships,” the BBC reports.

While its fellow G7 member nations (such as Germany and the UK) have already recognized same-sex marriage, Japan is yet to do the same, while polls suggest that most Japanese would actually support such a change in legislation.

Now, only a few weeks after publicly speaking out against the derogatory remarks of the former aide, Kishida, himself, has come under fire for saying that Japan’s current ban on same-sex marriage is not discriminatory.

This comes only months after a Tokyo court upheld the ban on same-sex marriage in November of last year. In its reading, however, the court had clearly stated that denying legal protections to same-sex couples was in fact discriminatory.

India might legalize same-sex marriage

India’s supreme court is set to make a historic ruling on same-sex marriage as it prepares to hear a number of petitions on marriage equality this year.

“In India, marriage is governed by a set of religious laws, which date to the colonial era and vary among faiths, and by a secular law called the Special Marriage Act. Both define marriage as a union of a man and a woman. Legalising same-sex marriage would require an overhaul of India’s legal system, the government of India has said.”- Pink News

The decriminalisation of homosexuality in India in 2018, is raising the hopes of many that the court’s ruling will potentially fall in favour of the petitioners.

Important read:

Wales: gender change legislation to be made easier

The Welsh government is aiming to make it easier for trans and non-binary people to legally change gender. The news comes after the UK government only recently said it would block similar legislation after a push from the Scottish government in favour of more accessible laws.

“The Welsh government called the new LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales an ‘ambitious plan with hope’,” the BBC reports.

Under the proposed plan, Wales aims to improve the rights of LGBTQ+ people by banning all aspects of the so-called conversion therapy practice, as well as to ensure that maternity and fertility services are made accessible and easy to use by "reviewing and improving” fertility referral pathways.

"An action plan is great, there's some really key and clear commitments as part of it, but we want to see it implemented." - Davinia Green, director of Stonewall Cymru comments for the BBC.

Until the UK government reconsiders its stand, however, the proposal as of this month has no way of moving forward.

On Disability Rights Issues

Judy Heumann: A champion for disability rights

“She’s considered the mother of disability rights - and she’s a ‘badass’” - The Washington Post

On March 4th Judith ‘Judy’ Heumann passed away in Washington, D.C. aged 75.

The wheelchair-using civil rights activist is known for having reshaped what it means to be disabled in the US since the 1970s. She served in the Clinton and Obama administrations and was a Senior Fellow at the Ford Foundation.

Her death comes after a week of dealing with heart issues that stemmed from her lifelong challenge with polio, the Guardian reports.

Heumann, who founded the Independent Living Movement, was instrumental in the development and implementation of US legislation for over four decades, such as Section 504, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives – job opportunities or barrier-free buildings, for example,” […] “It is not a tragedy to me that I’m living in a wheelchair.” - Judy Heumann

Gene editing

A Citizen’s panel of people with experience in genetic conditions are urging the UK government to consider changing the law allowing scientists to carry out genome editing of human embryos for serious genetic conditions, the Guardian writes.

The news comes with the release of a report on the views of individuals who live with genetic conditions and their opinion on the editing of human embryos to treat hereditary disorders, which is to be presented in London in early March.

“The ethical discussions have been derailed by an abstract focus on designer babies when we have patients dealing with life-threatening diseases who want their voices heard,” the Guardian quotes Prof Anna Middleton of Cambridge University, the project’s leader.

“People affected by genetic disorders recognise it’s time to embrace a genuine discussion on whether embryo research should be enabled and what a pathway to implementation looks like. They have made it clear we should proceed down that road with urgency.”

In the UK, around 2.4 million people, currently, live with some form of a genetic condition.

London: new Batista scheme for deaf people

As part of a South African-based scheme to create work opportunities for deaf people, four Baristas started their new job in London in February.

“One of the baristas, Prisilla Kwakye, 21, from Croydon, said she was ‘really excited’, having previously faced difficulties finding a job,” the BBC quotes her.

Based at four WeWork office locations, the four Baristas will be using tablets to show customers how to order using sign language.

Initiated by Gary Hopkins, the London scheme originated in South Africa from his social enterprise "‘I Love Coffee’. Founded seven years ago, the scheme aims to train deaf people to become baristas. Since then, the initiative has helped more than 100 people.

Important Read:

What’s Next

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