[Wamvan] Fwd: FW: BREAKING NEWS - In Major Reversal, Sweden Is Poised to End Forced Sterilization of Transgender People

[Frieda Werden]

** **

*From:* news at meltwaterpress.com [mailto:news at meltwaterpress.com]
*Sent:* 18 February 2012 12:29
*To:* femvue at earthlink.net
*Subject:* BREAKING NEWS - In Major Reversal, Sweden Is Poised to End
Forced Sterilization of Transgender People****

** **

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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:*
February 18, 2012****

*CONTACT:*
(PARIS) Guillaume Bonnet guillaume at allout.org
(STOCKHOLM) Ulrika Westerlund ulrika.westerlund at rfsl.se
(USA) Brett Abrams, 516-841-1105, brett at fitzgibbonmedia.com

*BREAKING NEWS - In Major Reversal, Sweden Is Poised to End Forced
Sterilization of Transgender People*****

*Conservative Christian Democrats announce, "It's time to abolish the
requirement for sterilization at sex change."*****

*With no remaining obstacles, Sweden's repeal sets a new precedent for the
28 remaining European countries with laws requiring forced sterilization*

*STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - *Today the conservative Christian Democrats - members
of the governing coalition in Sweden and the primary obstacle to ending the
policy of forced sterilizations - went public with a decision to reverse
their position.  "It's time to abolish the requirement for sterilization at
sex change," leaders of the Christian Democrats wrote in an opinion piece
published today in the Swedish press.****


The current law forces transgender persons in Sweden to undergo
sterilization before legally changing their gender.  The surgery renders a
person permanently infertile and unable to have children in the future.****


"This is an incredible news for Sweden: it means that anyone will be able
to have their true identity recognized without having to be
sterilized, says Ulrika Westerlund, President of the Swedish Federation for
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights. “It's crucial that the new
law comes into place as soon as possible."
The announcement come after several years of mobilization in Sweden
followed by a massive international outcry coordinated by AllOut.org, a
global alliance of over 850,000 straight, gay, lesbian, bi and trans
people. The global campaign to stop forced sterilization in Sweden was the
largest online campaign in history supporting human rights for transgender
people.****


"Swedish activists have worked for years to lay the foundation for this
victory and I am so proud that AllOut.org could build the international
momentum that finally pushed Prime Minister Reinfeldt and party leaders to
end this cruel practice," says Andre Banks, Executive Director
of AllOut.org. "It's a victory for Sweden, but it is also decisive for
Europe. AllOut.org members across the continent will continue to push
online and in Parliament until each of these appalling laws are thrown out
with the trash.”  ****


Since January, the international campaign coordinated
by AllOut.org generated incredible energy on an issue that rarely receives
coverage in mainstream media outlets.  After 50,000 Europeans called on
Swedish Prime Minister Reinfeldt to take a clear stand against forced
sterilization, one news article rose to the top of Reddit.com, a popular
social news aggregator, receiving more than 150,000 views and generating
thousands of comments. AllOut.org's video of Love, a young Swedish
transgender man directly impacted by the law has also become an
international sensation - generating more than 50,000 views in a few days.**
**


Love's video and the AllOut.org campaign with comments from supporters
around the world can be found here:
http://allout.org/stop_forced_sterilization****


*Surgery leading to sterilization has been identified as a requirement in 29
member states (Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,Croatia, Cyprus,
the Czech Republic, Denmark,291Estonia, Finland,292France, Georgia, Greece,
Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and Ukraine)
http://www.coe.int/t/Commissioner/Source/LGBT/LGBTStudy2011_en.pdf****


# # # # #****


AllOut.org is a global campaign organization of over 800,000 people from
190 countries around the world dedicated to LGBT equality. A movement
working online and on the ground to build a world in which everyone can
live freely and be embraced for who they are, All Out is adding global
people power to the historic fight for LGBT equality. Find out more at:
www.allout.org/about****
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