ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book deals with concepts, social constructs and cultural context. It explores a cultural heritage in which Christian and common law principles provided the framework for a shared understanding of what constituted socially acceptable sexual relationships and gender conforming roles in those jurisdictions. The book focuses on legal rights and introduces the basic fundamental human rights as initially formulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, identifying and explaining the intersect between human rights and sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). It examines SOGI status in law, differentiating between “sex”, “sexual orientation”, “gender” and “gender identity”. The book identifies jurisdiction-specific characteristics, weighs them against relevant Principles and considers the more salient aspects of commonality and difference to gauge the way in which the tension affects “the world of the individual person”.
