A/HRC/41/45/Add.2 44. Several lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people with whom the Independent Expert held discussions highlighted the invisible mechanisms of exclusion that result in their marginalization. As one member of the community noted: “The whole system is designed to exclude lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people. There is no widespread violence against us, but we are subjected to exclusion, poverty and psychological violence. These are equally valid forms of violence. The wounds of the soul do not heal and they have a negative lifelong impact.” 45. Exclusion often starts within the family. Most parents perceive their children as an extension of themselves and hope they will have a stable, quiet and happy life in every aspect of life: professional, personal and social. Consequently, the level of parental intolerance in cases when their child reveals a diverse sexual orientation or gender identity is often very strong. The Independent Expert heard disheartening testimonies from lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans young people who had been rejected by their families, banished from their home or deprived of financial support. As a result, many of them were unable to pursue their studies and faced certain poverty. The members of the community resort to sex work in numbers that are out of proportion with those of the general population, which points to the lack of other choices. 46. Responses towards inclusivity within religious spaces vary and some claim that these spaces are the most hostile towards diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. The Independent Expert was, however, encouraged to hear wise words from religious leaders who stressed the key role of faith-based communities in promoting respect and tolerance towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people, even if their religious doctrine condemns same-sex relationships. Given that the vast majority of Mozambicans are religious, such calls could quickly permeate many households and greatly contribute to the furtherance of the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people. 47. As in many other parts of the world, trans and other gender-diverse people in Mozambique are among the most vulnerable in society. Due to stigma and prejudice, many transgender people are banished from their families and face barriers when accessing education, health care or work. Given that changing their identity and undergoing gender affirmation treatment is not possible in Mozambique, trans persons have to face daily instances of psychological violence, harassment, humiliation, abuse or arrest upon attempting to seek police protection, owing to the discrepancy between their gender expression and their gender identity. 48. The Independent Expert heard accounts of trans people being mocked, called names, demonized and abused in public space. Some trans women explained that they had stopped going to public health facilities for fear of having their masculine name called out in a crowded waiting room of a health facility, leading to mockery and scornful looks. Several trans persons described immense difficulties in finding a formal job. As a result, many are in vulnerable and high-risk situations, also relating to disproportionate reliance on sex work. 49. According to social expectations, women should marry and have children. The Independent Expert heard several testimonies from lesbian women who were being put under pressure through financial and other means to conform to those expectations by their families and facing exclusion when attempts to change their sexual orientation fail. At school, girls who were considered masculine or were openly lesbian were mocked, bullied and ostracized, and often subjected to sexual harassment to make them “change their minds”. When applying for jobs, employers asked those who appear to be masculine to change the way they dress and behave, to conform to social expectations. A lesbian couple told the Independent Expert that they had been asked by the owner of their rented property to pay double rent or to leave their house, as their neighbours refused to live next door to them. Despite the fact that the domestic violence law is gender-neutral, the Independent Expert was told by one victim that when she reported violence by her same-sex partner to the police, the officers would not accept it in the mistaken belief that the law applied to heterosexual couples only. 50. As elsewhere in the world, bisexual people are not visible in Mozambique. When they come out, they are not taken seriously by their peers, who lack knowledge about bisexuality, and they end up being abandoned by their friends. A bisexual refugee living in 10