FORWARDED APPEAL (South Korea): Call for the retention of protection from discrimination against sexual orientation and gender 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from LGBT Coalition for Seoul Students Rights Ordinance calling for the members of the education committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council not to delete clauses protecting them from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

For more information, please contact the coalition through email: lgbtstu@gmail.com.

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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Clauses Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and 
Gender Identity are in Danger of Deletion from the Original Draft of the “Seoul Student 
Rights Ordinance”

Dear LGBT people and allies around the world,

Only a few days are left to make it happen. On December 16th, the Education Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan 
Council will be reviewing the original draft of the “Seoul Student 
Rights Ordinance” established by the Residents Initiative Movement (a draft willingly signed by 97,702 citizens of 
Seoul in a rare act of direct democracy) and making a decision as to whether they should pass the 
bill into ordinance with or without its current clauses prohibiting 
discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The 
decision that will be made by the Education Committee is crucial 
because debate on the ordinance at the following Plenary Session of the 
Seoul Metropolitan Council will more likely than not be affected by it. 
There will be a much lesser chance for the clauses being passed then if they are 
eliminated during the earlier decision on the 16th.

We need your help in convincing the Education Committee of the necessity and importance in keeping the clauses in the final version 
of the ordinance. Your support for the original draft can prevent the Seoul Student 
Rights Ordinance from becoming another discriminatory 
document against the LGBT students of Seoul. Your solidarity with our 
fight can prevent many LGBT students in our city from being beaten, 
bullied, taken into correction therapy, or punished based on their sexual 
orientation and gender identity. Your actions can help the LGBT students of Seoul obtain 
proper protection and enjoy their basic rights at their schools.

The biggest obstacle in passing the LGBT rights-inclusive original draft is 
the massive homophobic and transphobic pressure coming from 
conservative right-wing Christian and parental groups, who have been a substantial threat to the committee members and may cause them to drop the ball during their decision making process.

The clauses 
prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender 
identity have already been excluded once from the draft of the Advisory Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE). Although it was just barely restored into the final SMOE version, this draft ultimately did not make it to the discussion table of the Education Committee of Seoul Metropolitan Council because of strong backlash from the biased groups of fundamental Christians and certain parents.

So for now, our last hope is to keep the original draft of the Residents Initiative Movement. We, however, are again facing a similar situation of losing these uncompromisable 
clauses. Not only do we stand to lose the clauses prohibiting discrimination based on 
sexual orientation and gender identity, but the clauses 
guaranteeing the freedom of reproduction, religion and assembly have also come under attack. Without these clauses, the Seoul Student 
Rights Ordinance will become an ordinance not for the rights of but for 
the discrimination against students in Seoul.

As one of the countries which voted in favor of the resolution “17/19 
Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” adopted by the 
United Nations Human Rights Council on June 2011, the Republic of Korea 
has an obligation to undertake full responsibility for securing the rights of its LGBT people. As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, the Republic of Korea is also committed in the eyes of the international community towards inclusive and 
comprehensive human rights. And it is an undeniable fact that LGBT rights are human rights.

No exception is acceptable from the Seoul 
Metropolitan Council. As representatives of ALL the citizens of Seoul, the 
elected members of the council must not ignore the 
voices of the people from marginalized populations. Please stand up and speak out with us Korean LGBT activists and pressure the Education Committee and the Seoul Metropolitan Council to pass the original draft of the Seoul Student Rights Ordinance, which includes clauses prohibiting discrimination 
based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Please tell them to 
keep the current draft of the ordinance including every clause which clearly illustrates the type of discrimination that should be prohibited.

Thank you!

LGBT Coalition for Seoul Student Rights Ordinance

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter to the members of the Education Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

 

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER