"Trans People are Humans Too and Deserve to Live in This Country: Violations of the Fundamental Human Rights of Florida's Trans Community" provides a human-rights analysis of Florida's continuing attacks against its transgender residents and offers human-rights-based recommendations to the state of Florida. It focuses on multiple rights, highlighting the rights to equality and non-discrimination, physical and mental integrity, health, freedom of expression, and education.
The report, by Miami Law's Human Rights Clinic and the Florida Health Justice Project, includes a visual chronology of crucial moments in LGBTQ+ rights in Florida, showing that recent violations against the trans community are a part of long-standing history.
"We have seen a flurry of laws limiting speech and education on gender, banning books, denying life-saving gender-affirming care, and eroding the basic safety and quality of life of transgender communities," said Tamar Ezer, acting director of the clinic. "Florida is unfortunately at the forefront of this abuse. We need to take action to affirm the basic human rights of all Florida residents."
The clinic promotes social and economic justice globally and, in the U.S. It engages in litigation and advocacy at the local, national, regional, and international levels, with a particular focus on gender and racial justice, immigrant and Indigenous women’s rights and the rights to housing, food, and health.
HRC legal interns, Bisan Amireh, Michelle Slebi, and Nicholas Stelter, drafted the report under the supervision of Ezer. Clinic fellow Jordan Brooks further provided important support.
The clinic, part of Miami Law's Human Rights Program, draws on international human rights laws and norms, along with domestic law and policy. It engages in multidimensional advocacy strategies, including documentation and report-writing, litigation, media engagement, work with legislative and administrative bodies, campaigning, community organizing, and global networking to develop practical solutions and promote accountability for state and non-state actors.
To bring international attention to increasing attacks on trans rights in the U.S., the clinic recently submitted a shadow report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee as it reviews the U.S. for compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The clinic partnered with Human Rights Watch, Equality Florida, Florida Health Justice Project, Southern Legal Counsel, and Southern Poverty Law Center on this report.
"The U.N. review presents a critical opportunity to mobilize international pressure to push back against laws targeting transgender communities in the U.S. and creating a climate of hate and discrimination," said Ezer. "We hope holding the U.S. accountable on an international stage will underscore the need for change if the U.S. stives to be a leader in the protection of rights."
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