SEXUAL HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS : UNITED STATES & CANADA Alice M. Miller, Mindy J. Roseman and Corey Friedman This document is a Working Paper, commissioned by the WHO (World Health Organization, Geneva) and completed in 2010. ICHRP has not edited it and is not responsible, for its accuracy or for the views and opinions expressed. ICHRP welcomes the re-use, re-publication and re-distribution of this paper appropriately cited. I)I)I) METHODOLOGMETHODOLOGYYYY ................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ..................................... 666 1)1)1) U.S. and Canadian Sources ................................................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................... ......... 666 II)II)II) INTRODUCTION TO THE LEGAL SYSTEMS OF THE UNITED STASTATESTES AND CANADA ............................ 777 1)1)1) The Shared Legal History of the United States andand CCanadaanada ...................................................................................................................... 777 2)2)2) U.S. Federalism ................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ............................... 777 3)3)3) Canadian Federalism ................................................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................. ................. 888 4)4)4) The U.S. and International Law ................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................ ......... 999 5)5)5) Canada and International Law ................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................... ...... 111111 A) International Adjudication of Canadian Law ............................................................................. 12 III)III)III) EQUALITY AND NONDISCRIMINATION AS IT IS RELEVANTRELEVANT TO SEXUALITY AND SEXUAL HEALTH ...... 131313 1)1)1) Section Introduction: an International PerspectivePerspective on Discrimination and Sexual Health ................ 131313 2)2)2) Prohibition on Discrimination by the Government ...................................................................................................................................................................... ...... 151515 A) Non-discrimination in the Canadian Charter of Rights ............................................................. 15 B) Non-discrimination in the U.S. Constitution ............................................................................. 15 3)3)3) Protections Against Discrimination by Private ActorActorss ................................................................................................................................................................. ... 161616 A) The Canadian Human Rights Act .............................................................................................. 16 B) Human Rights Laws in the Canadian Provinces ......................................................................... 17 C) Federal Law, Including Title VII Protections Based on Race, Color, Religion, Sex, and National Origin .............................................................................................................................................. 17 D) Employment Discrimination: an Example of Robust Anti-Discrimination Law in the U.S. and Canada ............................................................................................................................................ 19 E) Employment Discrimination: Openly Discriminatory Practices in the Workplace......................... 19 F) Employment Discrimination, Disparate Treatment, and Neutral Policies with Discriminatory Effects ............................................................................................................................................. 20 4)4)4) Pregnancy Discrimination ................................................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................... ........ 222222 1 5)5)5) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity DiscriminatiDiscriminationon ............................................................................................................................ 232323 A) Canadian Provincial and Charter Prohibitions on Sexual Orientation Discrimination .................. 23 B) Gender Identity Discrimination in Canada ................................................................................ 24 C) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination in the U.S. ............................................ 25 6)6)6) Marital Status Discrimination ................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................ ......... 262626 7)7)7) Access to Health Services and Information for Specific Populations .......................................................................................... 272727 A) Incarcerated People’s Access to Contraception and Abortion .................................................... 27 B) Disability ................................................................................................................................. 27 C) Refugees: a Canadian Example ................................................................................................ 27 8)8)8) Mandatory HIV Testing ................................................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................... ............ 282828 9)9)9) Access to Adoption (Same Sex Couples, Marital Status)Status) ............................................................................................................................ 282828 10) Access to InIn----vitrovitro fertilization (IVF)/Assisted reproduction tectechnologieshnologies (ART) ........................ 292929 11) SameSame----SexSex Marriage ................................................................................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................... ............. 313131 A) Same Sex Marriage in Canada .................................................................................................. 31 B) Same-Sex Marriage in the United States ................................................................................... 31 C) Marriage Alternatives in the United States ................................................................................ 32 12) Asylum Law and Persecution Based on “a ParticularParticular Social Group” .................................................................................... 333333 A) Sexual Orientation as a Particular Social Group ........................................................................ 34 B) People Who Violate Gender Norms as Members of Particular Social Group ................................ 34 C) Women as a Particular Social Group: a Canadian Example ........................................................ 35 D) Persecution by Non-State Actors and Domestic Violence .......................................................... 36 IV)IV)IV) DECRIMINALIZATION OF SEXUALITY AND SEXUAL ACTIVITIEACTIVITIESS ............................................................................................................ 383838 1)1)1) Section Introduction: an International PerspectivePerspective on Decriminalization of Sexual Activities .......... 383838 2)2)2) Decriminalization of SameSame----SexSex Conduct and Other Consensual Sexual Acts in CanCanadaada ................. 414141 3)3)3) Age of Consent in Canada ................................................................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................... ....... 414141 4)4)4) Decriminalization of SameSame----SexSex Conduct in the United States ...........................................................................................................