Image

Breaking the Silence: Criminalisation of Lesbians and Bisexual Women and its Impacts

This report, the second edition to an original published in 2016, considers the history, extent and nature of laws criminalising consensual sexual intimacy between women, and the anti-LGBT criminal laws of all varieties that foster and perpetuate homophobia against lesbian and bisexual women as a particular group.

Long read

Toonen v Australia, CCPR/C/50/D/488 (1992)

Toonen v Australia, CCPR/C/50/D/488 (1992)

Landmark decision of the UN Human Rights Committee finding that criminalisation of sexual relations between consenting males is a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Crucially, the Committee noted that the reference to ‘sex’ in Article 26 (equality before the law) and in Article 2(1) (non-discrimination) included sexual orientation.

Sign up to receive updates

Join our newsletter to receive regular updates about decriminalisation efforts around the world, including breaking news on key legal cases, hot off the press reports, invitations to events and messages from our Chief Executive.

SIGN UP