Twelve years after trans activist Vicky Hernández was murdered for her gender identity, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a landmark ruling holding the state of Honduras accountable for her death.

The case, led by RFK Human Rights and Red Lésbica Cattrachas, was the first before the Court involving the death of a trans person and could have broad implications for trans rights in one of the world’s deadliest regions for LGBTQ+ people.

As part of its decision, the Court has ordered the government of Honduras to reopen its investigation into the case, pay reparations to Vicky’s family, and enact measures to prevent violence against LGBTQ+ people, including allowing transgender people to officially alter their gender identity on IDs and other public documents.

The Court’s orders are an important first step towards tackling the structural causes of violence against the LGBTQ+ community in Honduras and across the region; and importantly, address the long-standing culture of impunity that has allowed perpetrators of human rights violations, including Vicky’s attackers, to avoid justice.

What comes next is ensuring that the Court orders are implemented and that the roadmap it lays out is followed by other governments in Latin America and beyond.

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