LGBTQ+ community, says that some of the provisions of the law governing persons and family do not treat them the same as others, especially when it comes to the proof of gender and the definition of gender.
This was reiterated in an event organized by a non-governmental organization that defends human rights, Human Rights First Rwanda Association, which brought together journalists, representatives of non-governmental organizations that defend human rights, and some LGBTQ+, community, in order to look together at what can be done to advocate for such minority groups.
Article 44 of Law No. 32/2016 of 28/08/2016, which regulates persons and family, states that “Gender is the condition of a person as an organism that identifies him as a man or a woman.” They say that this provision should be extended “not only to men and women”.
While explaining how this article should be changed, they say that there are other genders, other than men and women because there are siblings of both sexes.
In another article, they request that it should be changed regarding article 45 of this law, which deals with proof of sex. Article 45 states: ” The sex of a person is the one recorded in his/her birth record.”.
One of the LGBTQ+ community, says about these topics: “If I was born as a boy but later I feel like I am a girl and I have grown up and I still feel (transgender), why don’t I register in the registry as I feel. In nature, they write male or female depending on where you were born and not.” He goes on to say that a person should translate into a document that characterizes the situation when he understands himself.
“This is not a choice, it’s how we were created,” he said.
The amendment of these provisions of this law is also supported by a non-governmental organization that advocates for the human rights of Sexual minorities people, Wiceceka Community Support Organization.
Uwayezu Andre, from Wiceceka Organization, said: “When this law was passed, there was no one to speak for LGBTQ+ Community, because there are those who were born as men but later came to feel like women and choose to be, to appear as women or men as opposed to the way they were born they appear. So he ignored the law.”
The Human Rights First Rwanda Association, says that it is going to advocate for this law, but the steps that have been taken should be praised even though there are still gaps in the law, and there are various amendments made to many laws that protect human rights in general, including LGBTQ+ Community.
Kanyarushoki Juvens, legal officer of the Human Rights First Rwanda, said: “We are their voice, that problem exists, we are also there and we will continue to advocate for them, we know that there is still a gap in the law but it will be solved by all of us together. We will do everything possible to resolve their problems and issues.”
Rwanda is one of the countries that facilitate LGBTQ+ community, because in its laws they do not punish the practice and they are not discriminated against because they are protected from any discrimination by the Constitution of Rwanda and other laws.
