In 2021, EQUAL GROUND filed a case in the court of appeal in response to a police trainer who was using homophobic rhetoric.
As a result of this case, the court instructed the police to ban the trainer in question from conducting any more police trainings. The Police also undertook to issue a circular to every Police Station in Sri Lanka, with comprehensive guidelines protecting LGBTQI persons and their rights. The original circular, when issued, unfortunately only mentioned protection for Transgender persons and those undergoing gender confirming treatment.
While this was not the outcome EQUAL GROUND was looking for from the courts due to the fact it only included trans people, it was a significant one.
EQUAL GROUND then reopened the case to ensure that all members of the LGBTQI community were protected under this circular.
Now, the police circular includes all members of the LGBTQI community, meaning the police have comprehensive guidelines protecting all LGBTQI persons in Sri Lanka.
EQUAL GROUND have advised members of the LGBTQI community in Sri Lanka to carry copies of this circular for protections against confrontations with police that most often ends with harassment, arrest, bribery etc.
A huge congratulations to EQUAL GROUND for this landmark decision!