LGBT & SOGI Human Rights News

12.17.09

Honduras - Gay activist killed in Honduras

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/17/gay-activist-killed-in-honduras/

A gay rights activist has been killed in Honduras in a drive-by shooting.  Walter Trochez, 25, was well-known for campaigning for equality in the country and had reportedly been harassed and beaten recently.  He was killed on December 13th in Tegucigalpa, the capital city. A motive for the killing is not yet known, but Trochez spoke of being trailed by men he believed to be members of the state's security forces.  Trochez was an active part of a National Resistance Movement that worked against the coup that ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya.  The group said this week that he had been detained by police earlier this month in connection with the group's beliefs.  According to writer Doug Ireland, Trochez recently wrote an open letter to supporters about the numbers of hate crimes in the city.  He told supporters: "As a revolutionary, I will always defend my people, even if it takes my life."

Philippines - Philippines Gay Group Denied Party Status

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/17/Philippine_Gay_Group_Denied_Party_Status/

The Philippines' commission on elections took a final vote Thursday that rejected the LGBT group Ang Ladlad's petition to register as a political party in the 2010 elections. 
Ang Ladlad, led by Danton Remoto, had appealed an earlier ruling from the commission that turned down its application on “moral grounds” and quoted passages from the Bible and the Koran, according to ABS-CBN News. On Thursday commission chairman Jose Melo issued the tie-breaking vote against the appeal from Ang Ladlad. According to ABS-CBN News, the decision from the commission is final. Ang Ladlad may appeal the case only to the supreme court.
 
United States - U.S. Members of The Family Condemn Ugandan Bill

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/17/US_Members_of_Family_Condemn_Ugandan_Bill/

A conservative group based in the U.S. that has been linked to the Uganda antigay bill has come out publicly to condemn the legislation.  A member of "The Family" with strong ties to the Ugandan membership, Bob Hunter, said that the organization opposes the bill, The Rachel Maddow Show reported Wednesday. Jeff Sharlet's recently published exposé reveals several key members of the group, which includes several prominent American lawmakers like Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Bart Stupak, who have since come out to condemn the bill.  However, Sen. Sam Brownback said he didn't know enough about the bill to come out against it.

12.16.09

United States - New York Governor Signs Bill Extending Protections To Transgender Citizens

http://speakequal.com/new-york-governor-signs-bill-extending-protections-to-transgender-citizens/

New York Governor David A. Paterson issued an executive order extending anti-discrimination policies to gender identity for state employees Wednesday. “Governor Paterson has taken significant action to advance equality for all New York state employees,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “The ability to provide for our families is non-negotiable. We applaud Governor Paterson for his commitment to the LGBT community and look forward to working with fair-minded New York legislators to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act which will protect private employees.”

12.12.09

United States - White House Condemns Anti-gay Uganda Bill

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/12/White_House_Condemns_Uganda_Bill/

In its strongest statement yet, the Obama administration condemned a homophobic Ugandan bill.  “The president strongly opposes efforts, such as the draft law pending in Uganda, that would criminalize homosexuality and move against the tide of history,” read the White House statement that came late Friday in response to an inquiry from The Advocate.  The bill in question would extend the punishment for engaging in gay sex to life imprisonment and introduce the death penalty for those who do so repeatedly or while HIV-positive — acts termed "aggravated homosexuality” within the bill. (There have been reports that the bill is being revised to remove life imprisonment and the death penalty as punishments.  The White House statement came on the heels of a week flooded with conservatives who took strong stands against the legislation. Obama supporter and evangelical pastor Rick Warren called on Ugandan religious leaders to stand against the measure.

12.11.09

United Nations - Landmark Meeting Denounces Rights Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity
Holy See Condemns Criminalization of Homosexual Conduct

See the full article by Human Rights Watch at the following link: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/12/11/un-landmark-meeting-denounces-rights-abuses-based-sexual-orientation-gender-identity

11.30.09

U.S. - Clinton Condemns International Homophobia

By Kerry Eleveld

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/30/Clinton_Condemns_International_Homophobia/

On the eve of World AIDS Day, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday made the strongest statement yet by an administration official that the United States will not tolerate efforts to criminalize homosexuality among countries that receive U.S. funding to combat HIV/AIDS.  “Obviously, our efforts are hampered whenever discrimination or marginalization of certain populations results in less effective outreach and treatment. So we will work not only to ensure access for all who need it but also to combat discrimination more broadly,” she said during a press conference in which officials also announced that the XIX International AIDS Conference, set for 2012, will be held in United States — the first time the conference has been held here since 1990. “We have to stand against any efforts to marginalize and criminalize and penalize members of the LGBT community worldwide.”  Specifically at issue is pending legislation in Uganda that would extend the punishment for engaging in gay sex to life imprisonment and introduce the death penalty for those who do so repeatedly or while HIV-positive — acts termed "aggravated homosexuality” within the bill.

11.20.09

Worldwide - Transgender Day of Remembrance

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/20/transgender-day-of-remembrance/

Today is the 11th International Transgender Day of Remembrance.  The yearly event is held to recognize and remember trans people who have been killed through hatred or prejudice.  According to transgenderdor.org, it is estimated that 117 trans people worldwide have been murdered this year, although it is expected the actual figure is higher.  Events are being held around the world to remember them and others like them. 
See http://www.transgenderdor.org/ for a list of events taking place around the world.

11.19.09

U.S. - Draconian Anti-Gay Ugandan Law Protested in New York City and Washington, DC – see the article for mention of our office!

http://www.gaycitynews.com/articles/2009/11/19/gay_city_news/news/doc4b05f074ae43c804639319.txt

Roughly four dozen LGBT activists and allies, including UU-UNO staff, turned out on November 19 to protest at Uganda House –– that nation’s permanent mission to the United Nations on Manhattan’s East 45th Street –– voicing their outrage about a draconian proposal to criminalize the promotion of same-sex conduct and impose the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.” Amanda Lugg, the British-born lesbian advocacy director at the African Services Committee whose father is from Uganda, told the protesters that she was there “standing in solidarity” with gay, lesbian, and HIV-positive Ugandans.  The proposed anti-homosexuality law would supplement existing legal prohibitions on “carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature” –– a measure already used to persecute openly gay men and lesbians there. 

U.S. - Principal, Bus Driver Ignore Antigay Beating

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/19/Principal,_Bus_Driver_Ignore_Antigay_Beating/

A 16-year-old student in Houston who was attacked late last week by fellow students because he’s gay says he was ignored by two school principals and a bus driver when he asked for help.  Jayron Martin told people he had heard the boys planning the attack, and his fears were confirmed when he was chased off of his school bus and assaulted for seven minutes by a boy with a metal pipe while eight others watched.

South Africa - Caster Semenya Can Keep Gold Medal

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/19/Caster_Semenya_Can_Keep_Gold_Medal/

South African track star Caster Semenya will keep the gold medal she won at the world championship games this summer.  The country's sports agency, Athletics South Africa, announced Thursday that the results of a lengthy gender test will also remain confidential, according to the Associated Press.   According to the International Association of Athletics Federations, Semenya's tests are not yet complete. The organization ordered the tests shortly after her win in Berlin in the 800-meter final due to her rapid improvement over the past year and muscular build. Though the Australian press had reported that Semenya had both male and female genitalia, that finding has never been confirmed by the IAAF or ASA.


11.16.09

Puerto Rico (U.S.) – Gay Puerto Rican Teen Decapitated, Dismembered,  and Burned

http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/gay-puerto-rican-teen-decapitated-dismembered-and-burned.html

Over the weekend the brutalized body of gay teen George Steven Lopez Mercado was found by the side of a road in Puerto Rico. The police investigator suggested that he deserved what he got because of the "type of lifestyle" he was leading.  According to an iReport by Chrisopher Pagan, “He was a very well known person in the gay community of Puerto Rico, and very loved. He was found on the site of an isolated road in the city of Cayey, he was partially burned, decapitated, and dismembered, both arms, both legs, and the torso. Never in the history of Puerto Rico has a murder been classified as a hate crime. Even though we have to follow federal mandates and laws, many of the laws in which are passed in the USA such as Obama’s new bill, do not always directly get practiced in Puerto Rico."

Vigils are being planned across the United States for this Sunday, November 22.

(see http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/jorge-steven-lopez-mercado.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+(-Towleroad+News-+[%23gay])&utm_content=Google+Reade)

In New York City a vigil will be held at Pier 45 followed by optional mass at 5:00 pm.

In Boston - 6PM, Trinity Church, Copley Plaza

In Chicago - 4PM, Division and California, procession to Humboldt Park Boat House.

In Dallas at 6:15 pm on Sunday.

In L.A. - 8PM, Santa Monica and San Vicente

In Oakland - 3:30PM, MacArthur and Lakeshore/Grand Ave

In San Francisco - 7PM, Castro and Market

11.12.09

India - India's third gender gets own identity in voter rolls

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/11/12/india.gender.voting/index.html

Indian election authorities granted what they called an independent identity to intersex and transsexuals in the country's voter lists. Before, members of these groups -- loosely called eunuchs in Indian English -- were referred to as male or female in the voter rolls. But now, they will have the choice to tick "O" -- for others -- when indicating their gender in voter forms, the Indian election commission said in a statement. Intersex people are seen as a marginalized community in India. Many end up begging on the streets, becoming prostitutes or earning their livelihood by dancing at celebrations.

 

Iran - Three Iranian men on death row for homosexuality offences

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/09/three-iranian-men-on-death-row-for-homosexuality-offences-2/

Three Iranian men are thought to be facing the death penalty for having homosexual relations.  The men, named as Nemat Safavi, Mehdi P and Moshen G, have been on death row for three years and allegedly committed the crimes while under the age of 18.  Under Iranian law, homosexuality (lavat) is "punishable by death so long as both the active and passive partners are mature, of sound mind, and have acted of free will".  Campaigners say this not only conflicts with reports of the men being underage at the time of the offences but is also a gross violation of international law, which forbids, under any circumstance, the execution of juvenile offenders.  A date has not been set the executions, but according to Human Rights Watch, the men’s lawyers believe it could happen any day.  Amnesty International spokesman Steve Ballinger noted: "Some activists have suggested that…publicity may have an adverse effect on [this] case. We would not take action at this stage but would issue an urgent appeal if a decision is made."  Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said: "The Iranian government has flouted its most basic human rights obligations in allowing these cruel death sentences."

11.5.09

Worldwide - Further opposition to 'appalling' Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/10524

Diplomatic representatives from the USA and France are the latest to condemn a recently tabled anti-gay Bill in Uganda, which calls for the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality".  Humanitarian groups have called the legislation "appalling". But there is deep concern about the number of religious figures inside and outside the country who have supported, condoned or failed to speak out on a measure which the US embassy in Kampala told news agency AFP yesterday (4 November 2009) "would mark a major setback in the promotion of human rights" if it became law.  "If adopted, a bill further criminalising homosexuality would constitute a significant step backwards for the protection of human rights in Uganda," the embassy's public affairs officer Joann Lockard declared.  "We urge states to take all necessary measures to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties, in particular executions, arrests, or detention."  Human Rights Watch says people suspected of being gay have faced death threats and been physically assaulted. Many of them have been ostracised by their families or faced discrimination, including dismissal from their place of employment. 

11.1.09

Pakistan - Mob kills elderly man for being ‘homosexual’

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\11\01\story_1-11-2009_pg12_3

An elderly man was beaten to death by an angry mob for being involved in a homosexual act on Saturday. Police officials said that 60-year-old Mohammad Hashim Jhokio was a homosexual and added that unidentified people killed him at his residence.  The victim was a watchman by profession and had been married for the last 25-30 years without any children.  Police officials stated that the victim was living separately in the village and was abhorred by his fellow villagers for being a homosexual.  They said a group of angry people raided his house where he was engaging in sexual activity with a man and killed him on the spot by hitting him with clubs and rods.  Police officials said that apparently it was a case of ‘vigilante justice’ as people were enraged over the sexual behaviour of the deceased Jhokio.  Human rights protect individuals from arbitrary interference with one’s privacy, family, or home and this act of violence is a violation of those rights.

10.28.09

U.S. - Obama Signs Hate Crimes Bill into Law

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/28/hate-crimes-bill-to-be-si_n_336883.html

President Obama signed major civil rights legislation on Wednesday, making it a federal hate crime to assault people based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability. The new measure expands the scope of a 1968 law that applies to people attacked because of their race, religion or national origin. The U.S. Justice Department will have expanded authority to prosecute such crimes when local authorities don't. The provision, called the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is attached to a defense authorization bill. It is named after Matthew Shepard, a gay college student tortured and killed in 1998, and James Byrd Jr., a black man who was chained to a pickup truck and dragged to his death the same year.  The definition of hate crimes in the United States now covers assaults based on race, religion, color, national identity, sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).  This is a crucial step in recognizing SOGI human rights violations that take place here in the United States.

10.26.09

U.S. - Special Rapporteur on Promoting Human Rights While Countering Terrorism Discusses Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Human Rights

On Wednesday, October 26th, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, Martin Scheinin, presented his report to the Third Committee at the United Nations in which he advised, among other things, that  “torture and inhuman treatment must be prevented, investigated and punished, including when such acts occurred in the name of countering terrorism, when they targeted persons based on sexual orientation or gender identity, or when they utilized homophobia in the selection of torture methods.”  Mr. Scheinin acknowledged that the report was controversial given that in addition to focusing on human rights and women it also “included consideration of questions on how sexual minorities, including gays, lesbians and transgender individuals faced particular hardship due to insensitive, and in the worst cases, malicious, abuse of human rights in counter-terrorism efforts.”  Mr. Scheinin’s landmark report references the Yogyakarta Principles, which apply international human rights law in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).  For Mr. Scheinin’s the full report, see: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/terrorism/rapporteur/docs/A-64-211.pdf. 
 

10.16.09

Russia - Russian Gay Activists Disappointed With Clinton
http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=4711&MediaType=1&Category=24

Russian gay activists said they were disappointed with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for not raising the issue of anti-gay sentiment during a two-day trip to Russia. Gay activists hoped Clinton would use the unveiling of a statue of gay icon Walt Whitman on the grounds of the Moscow State University to decry homophobia in the former Soviet Union. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has called Gay Pride marches a “satanic gathering,” banning them since 2006. Homosexuality is not illegal in Russia, but the Russian Orthodox Church has strongly condemned gay rights groups and anti-gay sentiment is widespread. Gay rights activists say authorities have shut down over 175 gay-related events.

Clinton had noted that as Secretary of State, she would “advance a comprehensive human rights agenda that includes the elimination of violence and discrimination against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity”; however, she failed to recognize the human rights violations taking place in Russia during her recent visit to the country.

10.15.09

Europe - STP 2012 Campaign

On Saturday, October 17th 2009, demonstrations and other actions will take place in 38 cities in Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia, to support the campaign Stop Trans
Pathologization STP 2012, which was initiated by the International Trans Depathologization
Network. To date, 181 groups from 40 countries in different world regions and 7 international networks declared their support of the campaign. The principal demand of the campaign is the removal of Gender Identity Disorders from the international diagnostic catalogues (DSM-V & ICD-10). Advocates consider that the classification of transsexuality as mental disorder fosters the risk of transphobia and social exclusion of trans persons all over the world.


10.13.09

Russia - Pop stars come out against homophobia

Requests to hold a gay pride march in Moscow have been rejected for years. Despite pressure from fellow Mayors of London & Paris, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzkhov has continued to ban pride parades and previously described them as "satanic." A group of well-known Russian singers and writers has called for an end to discrimination against gay people. They met after a local official tried to close Moscow's longest-running gay club, Dusha i Telo, where many of the artists have performed. Activist Nikolai Alekseyev, who called the meeting, said it was the first time celebrities had come together publicly to denounce homophobia. Activist Nikolai Alekseyev and pop star Lolita were among the speakers. Human rights forbid discrimination in any form and guarantee the right to freedom of expression and of association.

10.8.09

Honduras - Gays, Transgenders at Risk

Reports indicate that conditions are worsening for gay and transgender citizens of Honduras, with six murders reported since the June coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya and left Roberto Micheletti in charge. According to The New York Times, the violence stems from a climate where security forces have cracked down on supporters of Zelaya in an attempt to halt opposition to Micheletti, the de facto president.  “The groups describe an atmosphere of growing impunity, one in which security forces act unhindered by legal constraints. Their free hand had been strengthened by an emergency decree allowing the police to detain anyone suspected of posing a threat,” reports the Times. Under those circumstances, populations already at risk for human rights abuses, such as LGBT individuals, face heightened threats of violence. 

10.5.09

Canada – Teacher Loses Job for Changing Gender

A teacher has filed a human rights complaint against the Greater St. Albert Catholic school district in Edmonton, Alberta after it stopped hiring him as a substitute because he was changing his gender.  Buterman worked as a substitute teacher from March to June 2008 and told the district’s deputy superintendent at the end of that school year that he was transitioning from female to male.  He starting teaching again that September, but said he soon received a call from the Catholic deputy superintendent who asked him more detailed questions. Ultimately, Buterman was taken off the substitute teacher list after the deputy superintendent stated in a letter: "Your gender change is not aligned with the teachings of the Church and would create confusions and complexity with students and parents as a model and witness to Catholic faith values." Buterman filed a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission that has yet to be accepted.  Buterman’s case highlights a conflict between freedom of religion and anti-discrimination human rights. 

10.2.09

USA - Florida court throws out case of lesbian banned from seeing dying partner

Janice Langbehn sued Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami for not allowing her to see Lisa Pond, 39, her partner of 17 years in her final hours. Pond suffered a fatal brain aneurysm on February 18th, 2007. Langbehn says a social worker would not let her see her partner, who died alone the next day. The couple, who had three adopted children, was on vacation when Pond became ill. Langbehn and her children were not allowed to be with Pond in her final hours and hospital officials allegedly told Langbehn she was in an anti-gay city and state. Langbehn and Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit against Jackson Memorial Hospital but it was thrown out of court this week. The United States District Court for the Southern District in Florida ruled that the case should be dismissed because the hospital has no obligation to allow visitors to see patients. It is a human rights violation to deny an individual’s right to equality and freedom from discrimination. 

9.19.09

Indonesia - Activists Fight To Overturn Oppressive Law in Aceh

On September 14, 2009, the province of Aceh in Indonesia, which has an autonomous regional government, passed a law that broadened the meaning of the criminal morality code to include any sexual activity outside marriage, including sexual activity between unmarried people, male-to-male sexual activity, and female-to-female sexual activity. Responding strongly to the stoning penalty, Ifdal Kasim, chair of Indonesia's Human Rights Commission has lambasted the provincial legislature for "taking Aceh back to the 14th or 15th century." Indonesian LGBT groups Violet Grey and Arus Pelangi are working with Acehnese human rights organizations and IGLHRC to entirely repeal or revise the criminal code and bring it in line with Indonesia's international obligations and its reputation for being a liberal democracy. Indonesia is a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Covenant Against Torture, and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Brazil - ABGLT letter to Ali Abdussalam Treki sets the record straight on decriminalization

This is an excerpt from a letter sent by Brazilian LGBT rights organization ABGLT to the new President of the UN General Assembly in response to comments he made to a UN press conference condemning decriminalization of homosexuality:

Your statement is in manifest contempt of some of the most basic precepts of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights : “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status… All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination…”

Rather, your attitude towards homosexual people recalls one of the very reasons why the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted and proclaimed: “Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.”

It is, to say the least, disappointing that prejudice and discrimination continue to characterize the attitudes of certain country representatives at the United Nations, contrary to the very reasons for which it was set up. It is very simple to explain why we find your statement “unacceptable.” In order to see just how offensive such remarks are, all you need to do is rephrase your statement, replacing the word “homosexuals” with “muslims”, for example.

9.23.09

UN - New General Assembly President Says Being Gay ‘Not Acceptable’

The new president of the United Nations General Assembly has declared that being gay is “not acceptable.”  Ali Abdussalam Treki, of Libya, opened the 64th session of the UN General Assembly with a press conference where he answered questions on a variety of topics.  When asked the issue of decriminalization of homosexuality, Treki stated, “[T]hat matter is very sensitive, very touchy.  As a Muslim, I am not in favor of it … it is not accepted by the majority of countries. My opinion is not in favor of this matter at all. I think it's not really acceptable by our religion, our tradition.  It is not acceptable in the majority of the world. And there are some countries that allow that, thinking it is a kind of democracy … I think it is not.”

9.21.09

Serbia - Belgrade Pride Parade Canceled

Amid threats of violence, Serbian gay rights leaders have canceled their September 20 Gay Pride Parade. A counter demonstration being organized by the ultra-nationalist Serb Popular Movement 1389 is expected to take place as planned. The group hailed the cancellation of the march as “a great victory for normal Serbia.” Pride Parade organizers said they expected the march to draw about 1000 people to the streets of Belgrade, Serbia's capital and one of Europe's oldest cities. Anti-gay graffiti warning “We are expecting you!” had been left on buildings in the capital. On Friday, Serbian President Boris Tadic promised to protect the parade, saying, “The state will do everything to protect people, whatever their national, religious, sexual or political orientation, and no group must resort to threats and violence, or take justice into its own hands and jeopardize the lives of those who think or are different.” But during a meeting with Prime Minister Mirko Cvektovic organizers say authorities told them they could not guarantee protection for the event. Organizers rejected a change of venue suggested by police.

9.18.09

India - Government Defers Decision on 377 to Supreme Court

The government of India decided on September 17, 2009 that it will not oppose the Delhi High Court verdict on Section 377 of the Penal Code, which decriminalizes homosexuality by “reading down” the section pertaining to same-sex relations between consenting adults in private. Indian activists are praising this decision as a symbol of tacit support for decriminalization in this landmark case. After reviewing the findings of the panel, the government has opted not to join the appeal and to let the Supreme Court determine the “correctness” of the High Court’s ruling. Upon announcing the decision, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni added that the Cabinet would ask Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati to assist the Supreme Court in any way possible, suggesting that the government could still weigh in during the appeal.

Malawi - Health Secretary sees SOGI rights in HIV/AIDS struggle

Malawi must recognise the rights of its gay population to be able to step up its fight against AIDS, a senior government official said on Tuesday. In a first public government comment on homosexuality in the conservative African country, Mary Shawa, secretary for nutrition, HIV and AIDS in the president's office, said Malawi would not be able to fight the virus without giving gays access to HIV and AIDS services. "There is a need to incorporate a human rights approach in the delivery of HIV and AIDS services to such risk groups like men who have sexual intercourse with men if we have to fight AIDS," she said, opening a two-day conference on HIV/AIDS. AIDS has killed more than 800,000 people in Malawi since the first case was reported in 1985 and left more than one million orphans.

Indonesia – Aceh province introduces severe penalties for homosexuality

Aceh, a Muslim province of Indonesia, has passed new laws allowing heavy punishments for homosexuality, adultery and alcohol consumption. Under the new laws, those convicted of homosexuality may face public lashings and up to eight years in prison. Aceh is a semi-autonomous region and as such has the power to decide its own laws independent of the state. Among other things, it is a human rights violation to enforce criminal sanctions for homosexuality and because human rights are interconnected, interrelated, and interdependent, it is also a human rights violation to use religious beliefs to justify another human rights violation.
Amnesty International press release: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA21/016/2009/en

Italy – Man arrested for homophobic attack

A 32-year-old has been arrested in connection with the beating of a young gay man in Florence last week.
The 26-year-old victim has undergone surgery after being brutally attacked in a gay nightclub in the central Piazza Salvemini. This is the latest of several attacks on people because of their real or presumed homosexuality in Italy in the last few weeks. Following the attacks, Italy's largest gay rights organization, Arcigay, has called for more legal protections from such attacks and is asking parliament to urgently expand existing laws. It is currently organizing marches to protest for the new rights. Italy's hate crime laws do not mention homophobia, something LGBT groups have been campaigning about for years.

South Africa – Minister appeals to UN on Semenya’s rights

The government of South Africa has written to the United Nations to investigate whether embattled world champion Caster Semenya was treated in line with its protocols on gender and equality. Writing to the UN’s Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya argued that there had been blatant disregard for Semenya’s human dignity. She said she believed the matter violated at least three international commitments governed by the UN on the protection and promotion of the rights of women. According to her letter to DAW director Carolyn Hannan: “The equal opportunity to be involved in sport for leisure or for competition is the right of all women and men, girls and boys… I request that the UN Division for Advancement of Women investigates this matter as it has severe consequences for women participation in sports globally… There should be some degree of transparency from the IAAF about the sequence of events that led to Miss Semenya’s gender being subjected to such unjustified public scrutiny… The questioning of her gender is based on (a) stereotypic view of the physical features and abilities attributable to women. Such stereotypes demonstrate the extent of patriarchy within the world’s sporting community.”

South Africa – 700+ Posters for gay film fest vandalized

A South African gay and lesbian film festival, Out in Africa, has been “devastated” after more than 700 posters showing same-sex couples kissing were removed from lamp posts. Nodi Murphy, the director of the festival, has lodged a complaint with police. The festival was launched in 1994 to celebrate the fact that the constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Murphy suspects the “two-day systematic removal of the 700 posters” had been carried out by fundamentalist religious or right-wing groups. She hoped to see the vandals “in the court of law, with them doing community service at a gay and lesbian project”. Murphy believed the festival had helped to promote tolerance. “I kept thinking that there was an end to my work and that people have come to tolerate gays and lesbians. I don’t know why there has been this upsurge [in homophobia] all of a sudden. I think it’s because we’re an easy target. When there’s fear in the world it’s easier to go after a minority group.” Murphy said there had been many messages praising the poster design as well as queries as to where the posters had gone. “I’m outraged. It’s my right to advertise, we have a constitution and our rights are protected.” The vandals who confiscated the posters have violated the festival organizers’ rights to free speech and expression, thus creating a hostile environment in which LGBT individuals could be more vulnerable to becoming victims of violence and discrimination.

Senegal – IGLHRC calls for opposition to homophobic persecution

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has called on the international LGBTI community and allies to mobilize and hold the Senegalese government accountable for soaring human rights  violations and persecution of gay people. According to Sara Perle from IGLHRC “the international LGBTI community cannot be silent in the face of these human rights violations and should be supportive of the LGBTI community within Senegal and their strategies and goals. The international community must also hold their own government accountable for human rights violations against sexual minorities; discrimination is global and interconnected, and so must the struggle against it be,” said Perle. This statement comes after the arrest of four presumed gay men from the city of Darou Mousty in Senegal accused of sexual acts against nature.

Perle also denounced the duplicity of the minister of justice’s discourse on homosexuality during the United Nation Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review of Senegal, two weeks before the arrest of the four men. According to Perle, the Minister assured the UN Human Rights Council that “there was no legislative or regulatory prescription criminalizing homosexuality in Senegal, perhaps drawing a precarious distinction between sexual practice and sexual orientation. In fact, both prosecuting someone for identifying as a gay man or for merely being accused of being a gay man are discrimination according to international human rights laws and principles,” concluded Perle.

8.31.09

US - TABC Agents Fired Over Fort Worth Gay Bar Raid

An internal investigation into what went wrong during a June inspection on a gay bar in Fort Worth, Texas has resulted in three firings. In a statement released Friday, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) announced that agent Christopher Aller and agent trainee Jason Chapman were fired Friday. Both men participated in the June 28 bar raid on the Rainbow Lounge that resulted in the arrests of six people for public intoxication and sent one man, Chad Gibson, to the hospital with a severe head injury. The agent's supervisor, Sergeant Terry Parsons, who had reportedly taken an early retirement, was also fired, effective September 2. A 32-page report released earlier in the month found that Aller and Chapman failed to get approval for the inspection initiated by TABC agents, failed to report that Gibson was injured while in the agency's custody, and failed to report that force was used in his arrest. Parsons failed to adequately supervise the agents and report their violations, the report said. Lieutenant Gene Anderson, Parsons' direct supervisor, is being suspended without pay for three days and will remain on probation for six months. Captain Robert “Charlie” Cloud, who oversees the Dallas and Fort Worth TABC offices, has received a written reprimand for failing to adequately monitor supervisors and agents. The raid sparked a loud outcry from the city's gay and lesbian community, which has called the raid police harassment.

US - Methodists Reject Partnered Lutheran Gay Clergy

Despite a full communion agreement between the United Methodist Council (UMC) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), gay clergy are not welcome in the UMC. Earlier in the month, the Lutheran church voted in favor of a communion pact with the UMC that includes the sharing of clergy the day before it dropped its ban on partnered gay and lesbian clergy. On Wednesday, Methodist officials said the pact does not supersede its own ban on gay clergy. “Our Book of Discipline on that subject did not become null and void when they took that vote,” Bishop Gregory Palmer, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, said in a statement. “It still applies to United Methodist clergy.” 

Hungary - Foreign Embassies Support Budapest Pride

Embassies from 13 countries including the United States issued a joint statement expressing support for the Budapest pride festival, which culminates with a march in the Hungarian capital this Saturday amidst fears of violence. The statement from embassies representing four continents calls for respect of human rights and the rule of law at the Budapest march. It references the joint statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity delivered at the United Nations Gender Assembly in December. “Our governments seek to combat such discrimination by promoting the human rights of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” says the statement. ”We urge all governments to ensure that neither sexual orientation nor gender identity form the basis for criminal penalties.” This year, the extreme right wing party, Movement for a Better Hungary, announced in June that it would stop the September 5 march “by all means necessary.” In addition to the statement from the embassies, Budapest police and city officials have pledged to protect the marchers. Battles with governments and anti-LGBT communities are common in countries where homosexuality is not criminalized. The freedoms of association and expression are human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
 

8.27.09

UK - PM gives ignorant response to petition against deportation of LGBT asylum-seekers

A petition on the Downing St website calling on the Prime Minister to stop deporting LGBT people to countries where their human rights will be violated because of their sexuality has prompted a response from the government. 4,595 people signed the petition. In its response the government said the issue was one of "the removal from the UK of gays and lesbians who have been found not to be in need of protection. Enforced returns [deportations] to any country will only be undertaken where, after very thorough examination of the asylum claim, it is decided that the individual would not be at risk of execution, torture, unjust imprisonment, or other forms of persecution. Where an asylum application has been refused, there is a right of appeal to the Asylum Immigration Tribunal or an opportunity to seek judicial review through the higher courts."

The government also rejected the idea that gay asylum seekers be given an automatic right to stay in the UK. "The government recognises that the conditions for lesbian and gay people in some countries are such that there may be individuals who are able to demonstrate a need for international protection. "Instructions to decision-makers are clear that they may qualify for asylum on the grounds of persecution as a member of a particular social group. However, there can be no presumption that each and every asylum seeker of a particular nationality who presents themselves as being lesbian or gay should automatically be afforded protection in the UK. It is in keeping with the terms of the Refugee Convention that every case is assessed individually on the basis of all the available information against the Refugee Convention and European Convention on Human Rights criteria."

This is a very serious human rights concern. We have recently seen immigration judges in the UK and other Western countries deny asylum to people in genuine need based on abusive reasoning such as, she can't 'prove' that she's a lesbian, or he can go back, 'keep his sexuality a secret, get married and have kids and he'll be safe.' The right to migration and to seek asylum is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for all human beings.

8.26.09

USA - "Ex-Gays" Seek Protections based on sexual orientation in D.C.

Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) brought the lawsuit against the National Education Association for failing to provide public accommodations for people who formerly identified as gay. The organization had applied to attend an NEA convention in 2002, where they were denied space to rent an information booth, according to the Washington City Paper. The NEA said the rejection was due to limited space, but three years later PFOX brought the NEA to court, citing sexual-orientation discrimination. When the Washington, D.C., Office of Human Rights ruled that the NEA had the right to reject PFOX, the "ex-gay" organization appealed to the D.C. superior court. Judge Maurice Ross rejected their appeal, but agreed that people who identify as being formerly gay were protected under the city's Human Rights Act. Wayne Besen of Truth Wins Out, a group that fights against the "ex-gay" movement, said "I think PFOX has furthered its reputation as a group that distorts the truth and exaggerates the facts to further its strange political agenda. This is a group that has no sense of reality and lives in a parallel universe devoid of reason and logic."

8.24.09

Pakistan - Trans Cricket Team Win First Game

A cricket team made up of hijras -- the common term for South Asia's "third sex" population, most of whom identify as female -- played its first official match in Pakistan, scoring 65 runs to beat a local men’s team, reports the BBC. "I want to dedicate our victory to Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry," Sanam Khan, captain of Sanam XI, told the BBC. "It is only due to him that things are changing for eunuchs in Pakistan." Last month Chaudhry ordered the government of Pakistan to stop discriminating against hijras and paved the way for improved access to medical and public facilities.


USA - Lutherans Vote to Approve Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clergy

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination, voted on Friday to allow gays and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy, lifting a restriction that had required gay and lesbian ministers to remain celibate. Church delegates voted 559-451 to remove the ban during their biennial conference in Minneapolis. The vote makes the ELCA, which claims nearly 5 million members, the largest denomination in the country to allow non-celibate gay and lesbian ministers. Last month, the leaders of the U.S. Episcopal Church voted to lift a similar restriction on non-celibate gay and lesbian bishops. The votes are considered likely to influence the debate over gay clergy in other large Protestant denominations, such as the Presbyterian and Methodist churches. In another landmark vote, ECLA delegates also voted 619 to 402 to approve a resolution allowing individual congregations to recognize same-sex unions in the way they see fit.


Serbia - Interior Minister promises police protection for Pride parade

Police in Belgrade will ensure public safety during next month's Pride events, a senior politician has said. “In this country, no one is allowed to threaten or bother anyone," said Interior Minister Ivica Dacic. Last month graffiti appeared across the city, the Serbian capital, threatening LGBT people and Pride participants with violence. Belgrade's mayor has ordered that the graffiti be painted over and said all citizens have the right to feel safe. He claimed that the homophobes are using the cover of football supporter [soccer fan] clubs to organize. The Pride parade is scheduled for September 20th. Over the last 5 years governments and police in Eastern Europe have refused protection for Pride parades and other events, violating citizens' human right to free assembly and expression. Many are also members of the EU, which holds its member states to a very high standard of SOGI human rights.

8.17.09

Iraq - Human Rights Watch report on SOGI-targeted violence in Iraq

Iraqi militias are carrying out a spreading campaign of torture and murder against men suspected of homosexual conduct, or of not being "manly" enough, and Iraq authorities have done nothing to stop the killing, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Human Rights Watch called on Iraq's government to act urgently to rein in militia abuses, punish the perpetrators, and stop a new resurgence of violence that threatens all Iraqis' safety. The new report, "‘They Want Us Exterminated': Murder, Torture, Sexual Orientation and Gender in Iraq," documents a wide-reaching campaign of extrajudicial executions, kidnappings, and torture of gay men that began in early 2009. Some people told Human Rights Watch that Iraqi security forces have colluded and joined in the killing. International human rights law forbids all forms of torture and inhuman treatment and guarantees the right to life, including the right to effective state protection. In its 1994 decision in the landmark case of Toonen v. Australia, the United Nations Human Rights Committee held that the protections against unequal treatment in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) extend to sexual orientation as a protected status.

In June, the UU-UNO passed an Action of Immediate Witness at this year's UUA General Assembly calling upon UUs in the USA to be active on this issue. The recommendations in this report are especially important for our work to fulfill the promise of the 2009 Iraq AIW. To learn more, please visit http://uu-uno.org/2009-iraq-aiw/2009-iraq-aiw.html?Itemid=123 or contact us at lgbt@uu-uno.org.

8.6.09

USA - APA task force finds ex-gay (SOCE) therapy ineffective and harmful

A task force of the American Psychological Association conducted a systematic review of the peer-reviewed journal literature on sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) and concluded that efforts to change sexual orientation are unlikely to be successful and involve some risk of harm, contrary to the claims of SOCE practitioners and advocates. Even though the research and clinical literature demonstrate that same-sex sexual and romantic attra