Part I Experiences of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex in the Asia Pacific In every region of the world, there are examples of a wide diversity of sexual orientations, gender identities and sex characteristics. In this region, as in others, this is reflected in traditional terms and descriptions of people who today might be known as sexual or gender minorities or as intersex.17 Some religious and faith traditions have encompassed such diversity; in other contexts and traditions, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people have been ostracised or punished. There is also a history of medical diagnoses framing sexual and gender diversity and intersex variations as illnesses that could or should be cured or fixed. This approach is no longer tenable according either to medical ethics or to human rights standards. Human rights are universal. They are the rights of all people, whatever their sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics. To varying degrees, many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people share a common experience of being outside dominant sex and gender norms and rigid stereotypes about what it means to be ‘a real woman’ or ‘a real man’. In many societies, a person’s physical sex characteristics are assumed to dictate that individual’s gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. Specifically, there is an assumption people are born either male or female and are then attracted to someone of ‘the opposite’ sex. Someone born with what is considered to be a ‘male body’ is expected to grow up and identify as a man, have a masculine gender expression and be solely attracted to women. Someone born with a ‘female body’ is expected to identify as a woman, be feminine and only be attracted to men. This fails to reflect the lived realities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people or to uphold their human rights to dignity, equality and freedom. These norms also create rigid stereotypes about how women and men should behave. They perpetuate gender inequalities. When these distinctions define heterosexuality as superior (heteronormativity), they contribute to the marginalisation of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Similarly, transgender people are vulnerable to stigmatisation when social norms dictate that someone’s gender identity should match their sex assigned at birth (cisnormativity). Stereotypes, including medical norms, about what constitutes a female or a male body are also used to justify medically unnecessary surgeries and other interventions on intersex people.18 1.2. CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY 1.2.1. The importance of terminology19 I want to acknowledge that terminology can have a profound impact on a person’s identity, self-worth and inherent dignity. The use of inclusive and acceptable terminology empowers individuals and enables visibility of important issues. The [Australian Human Rights] Commission supports the right of people to identify their sexual orientation, sex and gender as they choose. The Commission also recognises that terminology is strongly contested. Susan Ryan, Age Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission19 Terminology that describes such intrinsic parts of a person’s identity or characteristics carries a heavy weight and significance. This is particularly so for groups that have been stigmatised and whose existence has been denied. In those circumstances, terms validate who someone is and may help them to feel connected to others who share that identity or those characteristics. 17 UNDP, Leave no one behind: Advancing social, economic, cultural, and political inclusion of LGBTI people in Asia and the Pacific, 2016. 18 Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Issue Paper: Human rights and intersex people, 2015, p. 7. 19 Presentation to the Homosexual Histories Conference 2014 – Pride History Group, November 2014; at www.humanrights.gov.au/ news/speeches/homosexual-histories-conference-2014-pride-history-group-0. Chapter 1: Understanding sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics | 9