OutRight Action International (85 Articles with 184,800 total views)
Every day around the world, LGBTIQ people's human rights and dignity are abused in ways that shock the conscience. The stories of their struggles and their resilience are astounding, yet remain unknown-or willfully ignored-by those with the power to make change. OutRight Action International, founded in 1990 as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, works alongside LGBTIQ people in the Global South, with offices in six countries, to help identify community-focused solutions to promote policy for lasting change. We vigilantly monitor and document human rights abuses to spur action when they occur. We train partners to expose abuses and advocate for themselves. Headquartered in New York City, OutRight is the only global LGBTIQ-specific organization with a permanent presence at the United Nations in New York that advocates for human rights progress for LGBTIQ people.
May, 2024
Lesbian Activist Delivers Landmark Security Council Briefing on LGBTQ Rights in Colombia's Armed Conflict
New York, 9 April 2024 - For the first time in its 78-year history, the United Nations Security Council received a full briefing in a regular session on security issues impacting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in a conflict setting. Marcela Sanchez, a lesbian human rights defender and executive director of Colombia Diversa, a human rights organization based in Bogota that focuses on LGBTQ people's human rights, briefed the United Nations Security Council on LGBTQ persons in the Colombian peace process. Sanchez called for an end to attacks against LGBTQ persons in Colombia and demanded the full, equal, and safe participation of women and LGBTQ people in the implementation of Colombia's peace agreement.
April, 2024
Uganda Court Ruling Fails to Stem Persecution of LGBTQ People
New York, USA- 03 April 2024 - Outright International strongly condemns the decision by Uganda's Constitutional Court to invalidate only a few provisions of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023, while leaving the rest intact. The Court categorically declined to nullify the Act in its entirety or issue a permanent injunction. This decision falls short of the necessary action to protect the rights and lives of LGBTQ individuals in Uganda.
United Nations addresses the human rights of intersex persons in ground-breaking resolution
Geneva, 4 April 2024 - The United Nations made a historic move to protect the human rights of intersex persons, 35 civil society organisations said today, as the Human Rights Council adopted its first-ever resolution specifically addressing discrimination, violence, and harmful practices against persons with innate variations in sex characteristics. A majority of States voted in favour of the resolution, with no States voting against it.
January, 2024
Russian Court, in Violation of International Law, Brands LGBT Movement as Extremist
New York, USA - November 30, 2023 - Outright International strongly condemns Russia's Supreme Court ruling declaring the "international LGBT movement" as an "extremist organization." On 17 November 2023, The Russian Ministry of Justice filed a petition to legally recognize the international public LGBT movement as "extreme" and to ban related activities. This move not only poses a grave threat to the safety and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) people in Russia but also flagrantly violates international law and human rights standards.
December, 2023
Why Mainstream Media Should Cover LGBTIQ events and stories
In a year marked by a surge in anti-human rights backlash, the LGBTIQ community has found itself at the forefront, defending its rights and dignity. Now, more than ever, it is crucial for mainstream media to cover events like Outright International's OutSummit 2023, which is coming up on the 4th of December 2023 in Washington, DC. It's a hybrid event, so anyone from anywhere in the world can reserve their seat. This conference serves as a solution-driven platform, providing a wealth of resources and stories that must be told thoughtfully. Media outlets can play a pivotal role in amplifying voices, fostering understanding, and promoting positive change
September, 2023
Outright International Welcomes World Bank Statement on Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act
New York, New York, August 18, 2023 - Outright International joins and supports Ugandan advocates in commending the World Bank for its decision to suspend future loans to Uganda.
July, 2023
Outright International Calls on the World Bank to Suspend Loans to the Ugandan Government
New York, New York - 12 June 2023 - Outright International supports the call of Ugandan LGBTQ advocates who have asked the World Bank to stop current and future loan payments to the Ugandan government in the wake of the adoption of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023, a piece of legislation that seeks to eradicate LGBTQ people. World Bank financing supports government poverty alleviation programs, including health care, education, housing, jobs, and economic infrastructure projects. The new law undermines these programs by mandating discrimination against LGBTQ people in all sectors of Uganda's economy.
April, 2023
Outright International and Alliance for Global Equality Renews Quest for LGBTIQ Rights
New York, New York - March 16, 2023 - Outright International and its partners are pleased to announce the launch of the Alliance for Global Equality, a five-year program to strengthen the resilience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) global movements. The program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Oak Foundation, Dreilinden, and private sector partners.
Outright International Condemns Passage of Uganda's Repressive Anti-Homosexuality Law
New York, New York - March 23, 2023 - Outright International has noted with regret the passage by Uganda's parliament on March 22 of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. It's now up to President Yoweri Museveni to sign the bill into law. This next step would further entrench state-sanctioned discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the East African nation, who already face up to life in prison under the Penal Code currently in effect. The bill, which seeks to build on the original 2014 Anti-Homosexuality Act-later ruled invalid on procedural grounds-steamrolls over the right to freedom of expression, freedom of association, privacy, and non-discrimination The renewed effort to criminalize same-sex relationships and support for LGBTQ people's human rights feels like a loaded gun aimed at the lives and livelihoods of Ugandan LGBTQ people.
March, 2023
Outright International Publishes Report on the Taliban's Persecution of LGBTIQ Afghans
New York, New York - February 15, 2023 - Outright International today published a report documenting the Taliban's abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) people in Afghanistan since the takeover in 2021. The report, "A Mountain on My Shoulders," details first-hand accounts from 22 LGBTIQ Afghans who were interviewed between September and October of last year. Participants shared stories of beatings, sexual assault, or threats because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
January, 2023
Outright International Welcomes the Repeal of Buggery and Gross Indecency Laws in Barbados
New York, New York - December 14, 2022 - Outright International welcomes the repeal of Barbados' buggery and gross indecency laws. The oral decision was handed down on December 12th by the Supreme Court of Judicature of Barbados and will be followed by a full written decision in January of next year. Although these laws do not explicitly mention gender identity or expression, law enforcement officials often conflate gender identity with sexual orientation, and, as such, these laws are also used to criminalize gender expression and identities which don't correspond with the norms associated with the sex assigned at birth. Despite the fact that these laws are rarely enforced, they provide legal cover for police abuse and discrimination against LGBTIQ individuals.
September, 2022
OutRight Action International Welcomes Repeal of Anti-LGBTQ Law in St. Kitts and Nevis
New York, New York - August 29, 2022 - OutRight Action International, a global human rights organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) people, today welcomed a ruling from St. Kitts and Nevis' High Court of Justice striking down Section 56 and 57 of the Offences Against The Person Act. This colonial-era law criminalizes same-sex relations between consenting (adult) men making them punishable with up to ten years of imprisonment with potential for hard labor. While Sections 56 and 57 are seldom enforced, it has served as a form of government-endorsed discrimination, contributing to harassment and violence against sexual and gender minorities. This decision, stemming from a constitutional challenge filed by St. Kitts and Nevis Alliance for Equality, comes on the heels of a similar case in Antigua and Barbuda in which that country's "buggery" law was declared unconstitutional in July.
August, 2022
OutRight Action International Welcomes Repeal of Anti-LGBTQ Laws in Antigua and Barbuda
New York, New York - July 5, 2022 - OutRight Action International, a global human rights organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) people, today welcomed Antigua and Barbuda's repeal of sections 12 and 15 of the Sexual Offences Act of 1995. The decision, handed down by the Honorable Justice Marissa Robertson, ruled that the law conflicted with Constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression, personal privacy, and protection from discrimination.
February, 2022
Afghanistan: Taliban Target LGBT Afghans
January 25, 2022 - Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Afghans and people who do not conform to rigid gender norms in Afghanistan have faced an increasingly desperate situation and grave threats to their safety and lives under the Taliban, OutRight Action International and Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
December, 2021
Court of Appeals Upholds Decriminalization of Same-Sex Relations in Botswana
In 2019 the High Court of Botswana decriminalized same-sex relations. The State appealed the court's decision. Today, on 29 November, 2021, the Court of Appeals of Botswana dismissed the State's appeal.
UNGA Adopts Resolution on Free and Fair Elections With Second Ever Mention of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
During the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Third Committee adopted the resolution "Strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections" including an explicit reference to sexual orientation and gender identity. This is only the second UNGA resolution which explicitly mentions sexual orientation and gender identity.
November, 2021
Court of Appeals Hearing on Decriminalization of Same-Sex Relations Takes Place in Botswana
Today, on 12 October 2021, the Court of Appeals of Botswana held a hearing on decriminalization of same-sex relations after the state appealed a 2019 ruling by the High Court to decriminalize.
Polish Parliament Sends Draft Bill Banning Pride for Further Work in Committees
Today, on October 29, 2021, the Polish Parliament voted to send a bill which proposes to amend the right to freedom of assembly to ban Pride marches and other events promoting LGBTIQ equality for further work in committees. The draft bill stipulates that any event which questions marriage as a relationship between a woman and a man or propagates the extension of marriage to persons of the same sex can not go ahead.
US State Department Issues Passport With X Gender Marker
The US State Department issued a US Passport with an X gender marker today, marking the first time a gender neutral passport is issued in the country and sending a strong message in support of the rights of trans, intersex and non binary persons.
September, 2021
OutRight, Citizen Lab and OONI Expose Censorship of LGBTIQ Websites in New Report
A new report from OutRight Action International, the Citizen Lab, and the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) documents the state of website censorship in some of the most challenging countries in the world for LGBTIQ communities. The report shows prevalent censorship of LGBTIQ website content, reflecting prevalent levels of LGBTIQ-phobia and active silencing of LGBTIQ voices by certain states. The study combines network measurement techniques with interviews from local experts, providing novel insight into the technical obstacles many users face in accessing LGBTIQ news, health, and human rights websites.
August, 2021
OutRight Releases Briefing on Prides Around the World
June 30, 2021 - The annual Pride month, symbolically marked to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots, comes to an end today. However, Pride events take place around the world year-round, and the essence of Pride - affirming the existence of LGBTIQ people and fighting for the protection of our rights - never ends. As such, OutRight marks the end of the month with the release of a new briefing - "Pride Around the World" - providing a global snapshot of what Pride looks like in different countries, documenting both increasing attacks on Pride events, and new Prides.
June, 2021
Illegal Detention of 21 LGBTIQ People in Ghana
May 24, 2021 - Twenty one LGBTIQ people were arrested by armed police in the city of Ho in Ghana on Thursday, May 20, after a local tip-off. The people arrested were representatives of LGBTIQ civil society organizations holding a training session on protecting vulnerable LGBTIQ people from discrimination. They have been charged with "unlawful assembly", bail has been denied, and they are due to appear before a judge on June 4.
OutRight Action International's Statement on IDAHOTB
May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB, sometimes also called IDAHOBIT). Picked on the date on which in 1990 the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, the day serves to reflect on the progress made in the recognition and protection of the human rights of LGBTIQ people, and draw attention to the challenges LGBTIQ people continue to face on a day to day basis around the world.
Parliament of Uganda Passes "Sexual Offences Bill" Enhancing Criminalization of Same-Sex Relations
On Monday, May 3, 2021, the Parliament of Uganda passed the Sexual Offences Bill 2019. Purportedly the Bill aims to prevent sexual violence, enhance punishment against sexual offenders and provide additional protection for victims. However, it also reinforces and reiterates a ban on same-sex relations codified in the country's Penal Code.
Pride 2021 and the Global State of LGBTIQ Equality
Pride marches are a central element of the global LGBTIQ movement, loudly and visibly affirming the existence of LGBTIQ people, and demanding recognition of our human rights. June 1 marks the start of Pride month, which, although Pride events happen year-round across the world, is symbolically marked to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots.
January, 2021
Bhutan Decriminalizes Same-Sex Relations and Recognizes Existence of Homosexuality
December 10, 2020 - Today, Bhutan decriminalized same-sex relations in a sitting of both houses of Parliament. Both houses of parliament voted in favor of amending articles 213 and 214 of the Penal Code which criminalized "unnatural sex." While they didn't specifically mention homosexuality, Articles 213 and 214 were widely interpreted as prohibiting same-sex relations. The amendment passed with a vote of 63 of the total 69 members of Parliament. The newly adopted amendment does not repeal the provision entirely, but clarifies that "homosexuality between adults shall not be considered unnatural sex."
December, 2019
Haitian LGBTIQ Activist Found Dead Under Suspicious Circumstances
One of Haiti's most prominent LGBTIQ activists, Jeudy Charlot, was found dead at his home in Petion-Ville outside of the capital of Port-au-Prince on the morning of Monday, November 25th. The circumstances of his death are still unclear and an autopsy is needed to determine the cause of death.
November, 2019
Uganda Plans to Re-introduce "Anti-Homosexuality Act"
October 10, 2019 - n an interview with Thomson Reuters today the Ethics and Integrity Minister of Uganda, Simon Lokodo, has announced plans to introduce to parliament a bill imposing the death penalty for same-sex relations and "promotion and recruitment" of homosexuality in order to curb a rise in "unnatural sex". Local activists confirm that it is to be tabled on October 28, 2019.
World Congress of Families to Boost Export of LGBTIQ-phobia in West Africa
October 9, 2019 - The World Congress of Families (WCF), designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, announced last week that a regional conference would be held on October 31 and November 1 in Accra, Ghana, marking an expansion of its right-wing fundamentalist agenda in West Africa.
June, 2019
Kenya High Court Rules that Decriminalizing Same-Sex Relations Contradicts Constitutional Values
(Nairobi, Kenya - May 24, 2019) Today, Kenya's High Court ruled to maintain Sections 162 and 165 of the penal code, relics of the colonial era, which prohibit same-sex sexual activity or "carnal knowledge against the order of nature", and prescribe a jail sentence of up to 14 years for those found guilty. The key argument, which stands in stark opposition to international human rights standards and recent verdicts from other jurisdictions, centered around the fundamental importance of family, as defined by marriage between people of the opposite sex, and argued that decriminalization of same-sex activity would lead to same-sex marriage.
Taiwan Becomes First Country in Asia to legalize Same-Sex Marriage
(Taipei, Taiwan) On May 17, 2019, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, (IDAHOTB) in a historic vote, the Parliament of Taiwan voted to legalize same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in Asia to do so. This landmark step follows a ruling by the Constitutional Court of Taiwan back in 2017, which ruled that legislation preventing partners of the same sex to marry was unconstitutional and violated LGBTIQ people's right to equality.
April, 2019
Commission on the Status of Women Agrees Inclusive Conclusions Despite Backlash
(New York, USA) Despite an increasingly polarized environment and strong pressure against inclusivity and diversity, the 63rd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the foremost intergovernmental body dedicated to gender equality, came to a close late on Friday, March 22, with participating states having agreed conclusions which aim to strengthen the rights of all women to social protection systems, access to public services, and sustainable infrastructure.
November, 2018
New report: Progress on LGBTQ issues in the Middle East and North Africa
October 11, 2018 - Today, OutRight Action International, a LGBTIQ human rights organization, releases the report, Activism and Resilience: LGBTQ Progress in the Arabic-speaking States in the Middle East and North Africa Region. The report is a joint research initiative with the Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality. The report explains how activism in the region leads to progress on LGBTQ issues, and how challenges are met with the resilience of the movement. It looks into the country situation in Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia. The report finds that while the legal and social contexts differ across the four countries, there are commonalities in the strategies activists have used to respond to challenges, including:
Referendum Fails to Constitutionally Ban Same-Sex Marriage in Romania
October 8, 2018 - A victory for LGBTIQ people in Romania was won on Sunday, October 7 as an initiative to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage in Romania failed to garner enough votes to move any further in the political process.
October, 2018
There's A New Proposed Crimes Against Humanity Treaty: But Where Are Women's and LGBTI Rights?
New York–A new international treaty is in the works, focusing on crimes against humanity such as massacres, torture, and rape. However, the draft treaty adopts an opaque definition of gender, that would give some governments an excuse to ignore persecution of women and LGBTIQ people. Most civil society groups are unaware of the treaty and have not weighed in. Today, activists are launching a campaign calling on the international community to affirm our understanding of discrimination, including when based on sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics.
September, 2018
Governments Around the World Are Using Laws to Silence LGBTIQ Civil Society
August 7, 2018 - Today, OutRight Action International launches their latest report, The Global State of LGBTI Organizing: The Right to Register. The report highlights a phenomenon in which governments are trying to silence a growing movement for equality by preventing formation and registration of LGBTIQ civil society organizations. This has been happening amidst an intense crackdown and large-scale arrests of LGBTQ people around the globe over the last year in places like Russia, Egypt, Indonesia, Tanzania and more.
India's Colonial-Area Ban On Same-Sex Relations Is Repealed
(New York - September 6, 2018) Today the Supreme Court of India made the historic decision to repeal the ban on same-sex relations. The colonial-era Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code made sexual behavior "against the order of nature" illegal and punishable by imprisonment and served as a model for similar laws across the British Colonial Empire.
July, 2018
OutRight Reacts to the United States Withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council
June 19, 2018 - Today, at a press conference held at the State Department, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Nikki Haley announced the withdrawal of the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council. The withdrawal marks the latest announcement in a concerning trend of US divestment from United Nations institutions and multilateral agreements including the 2017 defunding of the UN Population Fund and the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation.
April, 2018
Forced Anal Examinations for Gay Men are Stopped in Kenya
March 22 - Today, a Court of Appeals in Kenya, led by a 5 judge bench, ruled that forced anal examinations are contrary to the law. Forced anal examinations have largely been used to "prove" whether or not a man is homosexual in countries where homosexuality is criminalized. This practice has been decried by organizations across the globe as dehumanizing and as amounting to torture, not to mention being discredited by the scientific community as holding no value as proof.
March, 2018
Turkish LGBTIQ Activist Released, But Prosecution Continues
February 7, 2018 - Ali Erol, leading LGBTIQ human rights defender, and co-founder of Kaos GL Association, Turkey's first registered LGBT organization, was released from detention yesterday. Erol was arrested in the home he shares with his partner early Friday morning, February 2nd, in Ankara.
February, 2018
Prominent Turkish LGBTIQ Activist Arrested in His Home in Ankara
February 2, 2018 - On Friday morning, Ali Erol, a prominent Turkish human rights activist and a founder of Kaos GL Association, Turkey's first registered LGBT organization, was arrested and detained in a home he shares with his partner.
January, 2018
40 LGBTIQ Activists, 29 Countries, 5 Days of Activism
(New York - December 4, 2017) OutRight Action International kicks off the Global Week of Advocacy, where dozens of LGBTIQ activists from 29 countries from every region of the world has come to participate in the organization's 6th annual United Nations (UN) Week of Advocacy. From December 4 to 8, human rights defenders meet with government representatives and UN officials.
December, 2017
Athletic Stars Call on UN States to Protect Sexual Orientation in Olympic Truce
November 8, 2017 - Today, 17 professional athletes came out against attempts by Egypt and Russia to thwart non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in the United Nations Olympic Truce Resolution. The letter, endorsed by respected athletes such as Billie Jean King, Greg Louganis and Martina Navratilova, is part of the #OlympicSpirit campaign spearheaded by OutRight Action International and Athlete Ally. It calls on countries to ensure that sexual orientation remains grounds of protection in the Olympic peace agreement.
UN Member States Maintain Non-Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation in Olympic Truce Resolution
(New York - November 13, 2017) Today, all 193 United Nations Member States adopted the Olympic Truce Resolution maintaining language protecting against discrimination based on sexual orientation. The resolution, which passed by consensus, included the contested reference to non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in the Olympic Charter. The non-discrimination clause is housed in Principle 6 and prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation at the Olympic Games.
November, 2017
Report Release: Defending the United Nations Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
The IE SOGI mandate was created through UN Human Rights Council resolution A/HRC/RES/32/2 in June of last year and was confirmed through six separate votes over the UNGA session in 2016. Despite this comprehensive process of approval, some UN Member States insist on opposing any decision that links sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics to international human rights protection. Just last week, a delegate from Egypt addressed a committee of the UNGA claiming to speak on behalf of Belarus, Russia, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) States, minus Albania, and stated: "Our position on the matter is clear, that we do not recognize the mandate of the independent expert and therefore are not in a position to engage, interact or cooperate with the mandate holder. While reiterating our firm commitment to combat different forms of violence and discrimination, we believe that the resolution establishing the mandate adopted by a margin vote is highly divisive. Moreover the introduction and imposition of controversial notions outside the internationally agreed human rights legal framework contradicts the fundamental universality and would lead to polarization."
Russia and Egypt Attack Sexual Orientation Protections in Olympic Truce at the UN
October 30, 2017 - Over the next two weeks, a decision will be made at the United Nations (UN) on whether governments globally will accept discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. While the UN General Assembly cannot remove the ban on discrimination from Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter itself, Egypt and Russia are leading a stealth attack on the Olympics at the UN General Assembly that is laden with meaning and must be stopped.
October, 2017
Outright Action International Reacts To President Trump At UN General Assembly
On September 18 and 19, President Trump addressed world leaders at the opening of the 72nd Session of the General Assembly in New York. Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight Action International, reacted to President Trump's address. Time and time again, President Trump has threatened to curtail the United States' obligations to the international human rights system and to the United Nations itself. In his remarks today, the word he said most often - sovereignty - underscored that his political agenda promotes political isolationism and undermines the global cooperation that protects vulnerable people from natural disasters, corrupt governments, and civil war.
September, 2017
Report Finds Arabic Media is Perpetuating Homophobia and Transphobia in the Region
August 30, 2017 - Today, OutRight Action International launches a new report titled, 'Arab Mass Media: A Monitoring Report Looking at Sexuality and Gender Identity in Arabic Media from 2014 to 2017.' The report is available in both English and Arabic.
August, 2017
Singapore Voids Marriage of Trans Woman And Her Wife
As The Straits Times has reported on July 18th, the Registry of Marriages ("the Registry") has voided the marriage of a transgender woman and her partner in an unprecedented case in Singapore condemned by OutRight Action International. Known as FK and BS, the couple were married in October 2015 while FK was still designated as male under Singaporean law. When applying for subsidised housing available only to married couples, Singapore's Housing and Development Board (HDB) questioned the couple's marriage because, by then, they were each legally registered as female. The marriage was then voided by the Registry and later the couple was denied marital housing.
United Nations Must Address the Health and Well-Being of LGBTI People
July 5, 2017 - A new report released today by the Global Forum on MSM and HIV (MSMGF) and OutRight Action International in collaboration with the Global Platform to Fast Track the Human Rights and HIV Responses with Gay and Bisexual Men argues for a global health and development approach that is inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people. Released ahead of this year's United Nations (UN) High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, the paper calls on countries to recognize and address the impact of stigma, discrimination, violence, and criminalization on health.
Will the UN 'leave no one behind' and improve LGBTI health and well-being?
While there has been progress in researching the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people and responding to certain emerging health threats in high-income countries - elsewhere in the world such research is inadequate and incomplete. A new report published by OutRight Action International, the Global Forum on MSM and HIV highlights that wherever research has been conducted, LGBTI people's health is shown to be consistently poorer than the general population.
July, 2017
One Year Since the Orlando Massacre
June 9, 2017 - Almost one year ago, a gunman who pledged himself to ISIS showered bullets in an Orlando nightclub and carried out the most deadly shooting in US modern history. On that night alone, 49 people were killed and many others injured. The attack happened on Latin Night at a gay bar named Pulse. Following the attack, vigils were held across the world, leaders spoke out in solidarity with those that lost their lives, and the United Nations Security Council issued a historic statement acknowledging the attack and its anti-gay bias.
June, 2017
141 Men Arrested in Gay Sauna in Indonesia
On 21 May 2017 at 8PM, 141 men were arrested by Indonesian authorities claiming they were engaging in a "gay sex party" at Atlantis Gym & Sauna in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. Those arrested were detained by the North Jakarta District Police. Indonesia does not have laws criminalizing homosexuality, except in the Aceh province, however the country does have severe anti-pornography laws which have been used to target LGBTIQ websites and activities.
IDAHOT Statement: LGBTIQ Youth Continue to be Disenfranchised
May 17th has become a day to raise awareness of violations against the rights of LGBTIQ people. It was on this day in 1990 that the the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses as part of the International Classification of Diseases. While much has progressed since that day, LGBTIQ people, and often LGBTIQ youth in particular, continue to face a disproportionate burden of discrimination and violence. Because of society's heteronormative and cisgender expectations, LGBTIQ youth experience abuse at home, discrimination in educational settings, including verbal and physical bullying, and due to regressive laws, like the anti-propaganda law in Russia preventing anyone from speaking about LGBTIQ issues, often lack access to lifesaving information.
Taiwan Votes to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
On Wednesday, 24 May 2017, the Judicial Yuan, Taiwan's highest court, ruled that restricting marriage to only a man and a women was unconstitutional, voting in favor of marriage equality. Taiwan has made history as the first Asian country to vote in favor of same-sex marriage. The 14 grand justices demanded that current laws be amended within 2 years to allow for same-sex marriage, in the event laws have not changed in that timeframe, couples will be able to register their marriage anyway.
May, 2017
OutRight Comments on President Trump's First 100 Days
April 28, 2017 - Saturday, 29th April, marks President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. Since becoming President of the United States on 20th January 2017, President Trump has put forth a slew of Executive Orders and made both domestic and foreign affairs decisions that have been met with pushback. Many of these policy decisions have a direct impact on LGBTIQ people in the United States and around the world.
President Trump to Sign Religious Freedom Executive Order Allowing for Discrimination Against LGBTIQ People
May 4, 2017 - President Donald Trump is scheduled to sign an Executive Order titled, "Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom," as early as today. If signed, the Executive Order would allow for discrimination against the LGBTIQ community, among others, providing a religious or moral objection. A first draft of the bill was leaked on February 1st and was tabled after public outcry and pushback. It is understood that Vice President Pence has since continued to lobby for the adoption of a revised version of the religious exemption bill. If signed, this Executive Order would override President Obama's 2014 Executive Order which protects federal employees against LGBTIQ-based discrimination. The White House has not announced details of the order or when it will be signed.
April, 2017
Anti-LGBTIQ Hate Bus Tours The United States
March 22, 2017 - The so-called FreeSpeechBus, is currently spreading its hateful message through the streets of New York City. The organizers behind the bus include the International Organization for the Family, labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the notoriously anti-LGBTIQ group National Organization for Marriage. The bright orange bus is covered in the message, "It's Biology: Boys are boys...and always will be. Girls are girls...and always will be. You can't change sex. Respect all."
C-Fam Violates Federal Ethics Laws: Remove Hate Group From U.S. Delegation
(NY, New York - March 19, 2017) -- The hate group Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam) has used its place on the official US delegation to the annual United Nations women's rights meeting, Commission on the Status of Women, to fundraise for itself in what appears to be a violation of federal ethics rules. OutRight Action International calls for C-Fam's immediate removal from the US delegation and for the group to be barred from the CSW negotiating room while their actions are under investigation.
February, 2017
OutRight Reacts to Confirmation of Rex Tillerson as US Secretary of State
(New York City - February 1, 2017 ) --- In reaction to Rex Tillerson's confirmation as the United States Secretary of State, OutRight Action International examined his responses to questions during his Senate confirmation hearing and Questions for the Record (QFR) about protecting LGBTIQ rights internationally. When Senator Chris Coons asked Secretary of State Tillerson during the Senate confirmation hearing about whether LGBTIQ rights are human rights, he responded, "American values don't accommodate violence or discrimination against anyone." Senator Coons also asked Secretary of State Tillerson if he thought advancing LGBTIQ rights was "a piece of our human rights advocacy and agenda around the world" to which Tillerson responded, "That's part of that American values that we protect."
January, 2017
Equality Prevails at UN General Assembly; SOGI Independent Expert Position Protected
December 19, 2016 - Today in the United Nations General Assembly, a cross-regional group of states affirmed the principles of universal human rights by blocking a hostile attempt to prevent the work established by the UN Human Rights Council of the Independent Expert on Discrimination and Violence based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identit
On International Human Rights Day: Global LGBTIQ Activists Urge the Trump Administration to Uphold Human Rights for All
(New York - December 10, 2016) -- LGBTIQ activists from Iraq, Lebanon, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, Sweden, Thailand, and USA gathered at the office of OutRight Action International, formerly the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, in New York City, to discuss the impact of the incoming Trump Administration and urge the President-elect and his administration to maintain US commitment to protecting the human rights of LGBTIQ people globally.
Thwarted Attempt to Defund the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Two days before Christmas, a group of conservative states at the United Nations made a final attempt to stop the Independent Expert on the "protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity," by stripping the mandate of standard UN fundin
December, 2016
Trump Administration Must Maintain Commitment to LGBTIQ People
(11 November 2016) OutRight Action International, the global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ) human rights organization, calls on the upcoming Trump administration to maintain important policies and programs introduced by the Obama administration to safeguard the human rights of LGBTIQ people everywhere.
United Nations SOGI Mandate Safeguarded in Face of Hostility
21 November 2016 (New York) -- The United Nations mandate of the Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) has been safeguarded despite hostile contestation at the 71st Session of the 3rd Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City.
September, 2016
Belize is the First Country in the Caribbean to Overturn Their Sodomy Laws
August 10, 2016 - The Belize Supreme Court today made a historic ruling in favor of gay activist Caleb Orozco, and has struck down the country's anti-sodomy law. This is the first case launched in the Caribbean and the first case where the sodomy laws have been overturned.
July, 2016
Beyond ISIS - In the Aftermath of Orlando...
(New York - June 13, 2016) -- OutRight Action International is shocked and saddened by the deadly massacre at Latin Night at Pulse nightclub on 12 June 2016 in Orlando, Florida. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the 49 people whose lives were taken and the more than 50 people injured. These events were not only a tragedy for the LGBTIQ community in Orlando but for all humanity. Our way forward must emphasize community building from a global perspective.
January, 2016
Human Rights Day at the United Nations to Focus on the Economic Cost of LGBT Exclusion
(New York - December 10, 2015)—On Human Rights Day, OutRight Action International is releasing the final video in its "Cost of Exclusion" LGBTIQ Africa series (https://youtu.be/Dw5UTTnZQXY)- a theme that will be highlighted on a global basis during a special United Nations Human Rights Day event on Thursday.
OutRight Action International Releases Free Download of Graphic Novel Yousef and Farhad
(New York) –Following the Facebook serialization of a love story Yousef and Farhad about a gay couple in Iran, OutRight Action International, the global human rights organization, on Monday releases the full 20-page graphic novel to download for free.
United Nations Enlists OutRight in Effort to Measure LGBTI Inclusion Worldwide
(New York - December 21, 2015) -- How can we measure the degree to which lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people are included – and, as likely, excluded – from the lifeblood of societies around the world?
December, 2015
Video Series Highlights Exclusion of LGBTIQ Africans from Social, Political, Economic Spheres
(Johannesburg) -- OutRight Action International, the global human rights organization, is releasing a video series starting Tuesday, Nov. 17th, that explores how LGBTIQ Africans are excluded from mainstream social, political and economic participation in most countries—in violation of their basic human rights.
October, 2015
A New Name-Outright Action International- for a Storied Global LGBTIQ Organization
(NEW YORK - September 28, 2015) -- The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, marking its 25th anniversary, on Monday announced a new name---OutRight Action International-at its annual gala in New York City.
September, 2015
First-Ever Security Council Briefing Focuses on LGBTI Rights Abuses
(New York - August 21, 2015) -- The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) will brief the U.N. Security Council on Monday, August 24, during the first-ever Council briefing on LGBTI human rights violations. The briefing, an informal session known as an "Arria,", focuses on alleged atrocities committed by ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Historic UN Briefing on LGBT People Focuses on Persecution and Killings in Iraq and Syria
(New York - August 24, 2015) – During an historic briefing before the U.N. Security Council on violence against LGBT by ISIS, Jessica Stern, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), urged world governments to act urgently to support people targeted by extremist persecution and cruel acts in Iraq and Syria.
Iranian Press Criticism Shows Why New Story of LGBT Persecution in Iran is Needed
(New York - August 21, 2015) -- The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) says an Iranian newspaper's disparaging characterization of its newly serialized "Yousef & Farhad " graphic novel underscores why the organization's campaign for greater acceptance of LGBTI people in Iran is so urgently needed.
Powerful Human Rights Story About Two Iranian Gay Men Struggling for Acceptance Launched
(New York) – Starting Thursday, August 12, on Facebook [ http://www.facebook.com/yousef.farhad.story ], the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) launches the first episode of a commissioned graphic novel, Yousef and Farhad, a story about the struggles for acceptance by two fictional gay men in Iran. This weekly publication will be the start of the digital campaign: #LoveForAll. The campaign kickoff on Facebook includes weekly episodes in both English and Farsi with additional posts about the real life struggles of LGBTIQ people in Iran and across the world.
August, 2015
New Groundbreaking Publication Seeks to Advance Human Rights LGBT Iranians
(NEW YORK - July 15, 2015) – On Tuesday, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) releases a collection of eight articles that offer innovative and provocative approaches to advance acceptance and improve understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community of Iran. With contributions from prominent international activists, lawyers and scholars from IGLHRC's second conference held in Düsseldorf, Germany in 2014, the collection,"Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights in Iran: Analysis from Religious, Social, Legal and Cultural Perspectives," examines human rights for LGBT Iranians from legal, religious and socio-political perspectives, analyses and interpretations.
July, 2015
IGLHRC Condemns Turkish Police Response to Pride Event
(New York - June 30, 2015) - The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) today condemned the Turkish government's use of pepper spray, water cannons, and rubber bullets to stop the 13th Istanbul lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) Pride Parade, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 28.
LGBTI People Gain Ground on Rights Advocacy in Turkish Parliamentary Elections
(New York) - June 10, 2015- The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) welcomes the results of the June 7 parliamentary election in Turkey, which has seated an unprecedented 22 outspoken advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) rights. These new members of Parliament are allies of the LGBTI community who have signed a pledge to support LGBTI rights.
June, 2015
IDAHOT: 'Best of times' but progress is not universal
To mark International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on Sunday, May 17, Jessica Stern, executive director, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, made the following comments:
May, 2015
Serious Concerns Raised Over Discriminatory Malawi Law Targeting LGBTI People
(New York - April 17, 2015) - The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) today raised serious concerns about discriminatory provisions in a law signed by Malawi's President Mutharika that is expected to go into effect today. The Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Law creates new forms of legal discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals. While the law raises the minimum marriage age to 18—a positive move to combat child marriage—it also promotes a policy of exclusion against LGBTI Malawians that would likely translate into discrimination in education, housing, jobs and elsewhere.
April, 2015
Int'l LGBT Human Rights: Response to Russia's Proposal at 5C
March 24, 2015 - Jessica Stern, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, gave the following response today to the U.N. General Assembly 5th Committee vote to uphold U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's "personal status bulletin" of June 2014 interpreting partnership benefits of U.N. Secretariat employees to include marriages performed outside of the country of the employee's citizenship. The vote on the Russian proposal failed 80 to 43 with 37 abstaining.
February, 2015
Chile: Historic decision Civil Unions, a step forward on LGBTI Rights
(New York, N.Y. - January 28, 2015) – The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) today applauded the Chilean legislature's vote to allow civil unions for all people, including same-sex couples. The historic decision grants legal status to stable and permanent cohabitation by two people, without regard to either person's sex or gender. The bill does not legalize same-sex marriage.
IGLHRC Responds to News of LGBT Special Envoy Created by U.S. State Department
February 5, 2015- Jessica Stern, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, issued the following comments, in response to news that the U.S. State Department will appoint a special envoy to advocate for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people overseas:
OutRight Action International
Every day around the world, LGBTIQ people's human rights and dignity are abused in ways that shock the conscience. The stories of their struggles and their resilience are astounding, yet remain unknown-or willfully ignored-by those with the power to make change. OutRight Action International, founded in 1990 as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, works alongside LGBTIQ people in the Global South, with offices in six countries, to help identify community-focused solutions to promote policy for lasting change. We vigilantly monitor and document human rights abuses to spur action when they occur. We train partners to expose abuses and advocate for themselves. Headquartered in New York City, OutRight is the only global LGBTIQ-specific organization with a permanent presence at the United Nations in New York that advocates for human rights progress for LGBTIQ people.
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