LGBTQ Persons and the Promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Opinion
President Joe Biden told the U.N. General Assembly earlier this year, we must continue working to ensure that "LGBTQI+ people are not prosecuted or targeted with violence because of who they are." These rights are part of our shared humanity, he added, and "when they are absent anywhere, their loss is felt everywhere."Earlier this year, we met with activists from Uganda, where the Anti-Homosexuality Act requires individuals to report anyone suspected of "homosexual behavior," imposes a 20-year prison sentence for "promotion" of homosexuality, and even imposes the death penalty in certain cases.
As a recent U.S. business advisory noted, because of the law, landlords are reportedly evicting private and commercial tenants on suspicion of being LGBTQI+.In September, we met with a lesbian activist from the Kyrgyz Republic, where LGBTQI+ organizations are facing increased restrictions under the state's anti-propaganda law.
We also met a transgender woman from Indonesia who detailed severe risks to safety and livelihood faced by the transgender community there.
Their experiences reflect the heartbreaking repression that LGBTQI+ persons often face from both governments and local communities when law enforcement refuses to provide protection.Yet there is also hope, including a growing number of nations overturning laws criminalizing LGBTQI+ relationships.
