homosexuality
October 22nd 2008 02:52
Global fight to eliminate laws criminalizing homosexuality. How your support can help IGLHRC ensure equal rights for LGBT people worldwide.
Just three weeks ago, two prominent trans/gay activists in Uganda were arrested, beaten with batons, and held in jail for a week without bail or access to a lawyer. Their crimes? "Spreading homosexuality" - a crime that does not exist - and carnal knowledge against the order of nature - a crime that they were not engaged in at the time of arrest. In many parts of the world, sodomy laws are still fully enforced, giving the government unbridled power to frighten and silence lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.
The fight to ensure equal rights of LGBT people to love, to speak, and to live free from imprisonment and discrimination is an ongoing global struggle requiring an equally global response. Because homophobia does not stop at the border of any country, each violent threat from a political or religious leader anywhere in the world creates a backlash that threatens and affects us all.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) works to eliminate laws criminalizing homosexuality and constantly challenges homophobic leaders and governments. We work with local LGBT and human rights activists and their organizations to contest homophobic leaders and their brutal record of arrests and imprisonment. This work does not come easy and the obstacles are enormous.
Thankfully, there have been a number of small yet significant victories. When the President of Gambia called for the beheading of homosexuals, IGLHRC publicly called on him to retract his comments - a victory of sorts came when he publicly denied having made them. When a public health official in Argentina refused to enforce a unanimously enacted public health law requiring health care workers to respectfully address trans individuals by their chosen names that reflect their gender identity, IGLHRC spearheaded a mail campaign demanding that he enforce the law. As a result, the health official's refusal was overruled and the law will be enforced.
As we acknowledge these successes, we're mindful of the pressing need to continually challenge homophobic leaders and combat government-sponsored discrimination. Many of you have joined with us in our fight for justice by staying updated on emergency situations and responding to our action alerts. This has resulted in important victories around the world. Now I am asking for you to take an additional step to help us sustain the results of our victories by making a financial contribution. Support is especially needed during these financially uncertain times.
In the face of backlash against LGBT people around the world, our challenges seem daunting at times. Yet global momentum is on our side. The expertise and support that IGLHRC provides to LGBT groups enables them to make a difference in promoting our goal of establishing human rights for everyone, everywhere.
We promise to continue fighting for equality of LGBT people everywhere, and we are asking for your promise, too. Your support at this time will ensure that our work of seeking and creating human rights justice continues and grows, one person, one community and one country at a time. Please be as generous as you can. Together we can truly change the world.
email: executive_director@iglhrc.org
phone: 212-268-8040
web: http://www.iglhrc.org
The Mission of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission is to secure the full enjoyment of human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation or expression, gender identity or expression and/or HIV status.
Just three weeks ago, two prominent trans/gay activists in Uganda were arrested, beaten with batons, and held in jail for a week without bail or access to a lawyer. Their crimes? "Spreading homosexuality" - a crime that does not exist - and carnal knowledge against the order of nature - a crime that they were not engaged in at the time of arrest. In many parts of the world, sodomy laws are still fully enforced, giving the government unbridled power to frighten and silence lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.
The fight to ensure equal rights of LGBT people to love, to speak, and to live free from imprisonment and discrimination is an ongoing global struggle requiring an equally global response. Because homophobia does not stop at the border of any country, each violent threat from a political or religious leader anywhere in the world creates a backlash that threatens and affects us all.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) works to eliminate laws criminalizing homosexuality and constantly challenges homophobic leaders and governments. We work with local LGBT and human rights activists and their organizations to contest homophobic leaders and their brutal record of arrests and imprisonment. This work does not come easy and the obstacles are enormous.
Thankfully, there have been a number of small yet significant victories. When the President of Gambia called for the beheading of homosexuals, IGLHRC publicly called on him to retract his comments - a victory of sorts came when he publicly denied having made them. When a public health official in Argentina refused to enforce a unanimously enacted public health law requiring health care workers to respectfully address trans individuals by their chosen names that reflect their gender identity, IGLHRC spearheaded a mail campaign demanding that he enforce the law. As a result, the health official's refusal was overruled and the law will be enforced.
As we acknowledge these successes, we're mindful of the pressing need to continually challenge homophobic leaders and combat government-sponsored discrimination. Many of you have joined with us in our fight for justice by staying updated on emergency situations and responding to our action alerts. This has resulted in important victories around the world. Now I am asking for you to take an additional step to help us sustain the results of our victories by making a financial contribution. Support is especially needed during these financially uncertain times.
In the face of backlash against LGBT people around the world, our challenges seem daunting at times. Yet global momentum is on our side. The expertise and support that IGLHRC provides to LGBT groups enables them to make a difference in promoting our goal of establishing human rights for everyone, everywhere.
We promise to continue fighting for equality of LGBT people everywhere, and we are asking for your promise, too. Your support at this time will ensure that our work of seeking and creating human rights justice continues and grows, one person, one community and one country at a time. Please be as generous as you can. Together we can truly change the world.
email: executive_director@iglhrc.org
phone: 212-268-8040
web: http://www.iglhrc.org
The Mission of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission is to secure the full enjoyment of human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation or expression, gender identity or expression and/or HIV status.
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