Article I of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights begins, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." The United States was not just a party to its adoption in 1948; the key force behind its creation was Eleanor Roosevelt. While sexual orientation is not a protected category, the U.S. State Department since 1991 has included gay rights abuses and advances in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, tracking the status of internationally recognized human rights.
The reports for 2006, released on March 6, 2007, reflect a dramatic improvement in LGBT- and HIV-related information gathering. In the reports for 2005, I found relevant items under 105 countries. For 2006, the number has risen to 142 countries. You can view my extracts online at http://www.glaa.org/archive/2007/CountryReports2006.shtml .
Here are some highlights, organized in three broad groupings.
Negative:
• In many countries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) reported HIV/AIDS in prisons.
• In Cambodia, "Trafficking victims, especially those trafficked for sexual exploitation, faced the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS."
• In Cameroon, "false allegations of homosexuality were used to harass enemies or to extort money."
• In Central African Republic, "An estimated 110,000 children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS, and children accused of sorcery ... were often expelled from their households."
• In China, HIV/AIDS activist Hu Jia "was detained and held incommunicado for 41 days." His attorney was similarly detained.
• In Egypt, "The government ... has occasionally used emergency courts to prosecute homosexuals ...."
• In El Salvador, "There were no developments regarding the Governance Ministry's 2005 denial of legal status to En Nombre de la Rosa, a homosexual and transvestite advocacy NGO," and no developments in investigations into the 2004 killings of two transvestites.
• In Guinea, "An international NGO reported the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS among incarcerated minor boys to be as high as 50 percent, suggesting sexual abuse."
• In Iraq, "There were several reported examples of juveniles sentenced to up to 10 years in jail for having engaged in same-sex sexual relations."
• In Jamaica, the gay rights group J-FLAG reported "police harassment, arbitrary detention, mob attacks, stabbings, harassment of homosexual patients by hospital and prison staff, and targeted shootings of homosexuals."
• In Kuwait, "police raided a party where homosexuals were allegedly celebrating a wedding," and a law was approved "to impose a fine of $3,450 and/or one year's imprisonment for those imitating the opposite sex."
• In Rwanda, "Due to the genocide and deaths from HIV/AIDS, there were numerous households headed by children, some of whom resorted to prostitution to survive."
• In Tanzania, a Muslim NGO "blocked a local restaurant's planned celebration of Freddie Mercury's birthday because the Zanzibar-born rock star was gay."
• In Zimbabwe, members of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe were once again expelled from a book fair and their literature seized by unidentified men while police watched.
• Permits for gay events were denied by officials in Ghana, Latvia, Moldova, and Russia. Police in Estonia failed to protect gay rights marchers.
Positive:
• In Brazil, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, "The Secretariat of State Security in Rio de Janeiro State in partnership with NGOs operated a hot line and offered professional counseling services to victims of antihomosexual crimes."
• In Bulgaria, the gay rights group Gemini won three gay-related discrimination cases.
• In the Czech Republic, "parliament passed registered domestic partnership legislation."
• In Israel, "the High Court issued a ruling requiring the government to recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in foreign jurisdictions."
• In Mexico, Mexico City passed a civil unions bill.
• In Mozambique, "a major newspaper published, for the first time, an article arguing in favor of homosexual rights."
• In Singapore, "the government approved a gay and lesbian festival that included movie showings, book signings, and theater performances."
• South Africa legalized same-sex marriage.
Mixed:
• In Burma, despite widespread human rights abuses including anti-gay discrimination, "homosexuals had a certain degree of protection through societal traditions. Transgender performers commonly provided entertainment at traditional observances."
• In Germany, "authorities in Baden‑Wuerttemberg required residents seeking naturalization to complete a questionnaire concerning their political and moral beliefs and their adherence to the constitution. ... Critics viewed the questionnaire, which included questions on attitudes toward women's and gay rights ... as discriminating against Muslim immigrants."
• In Romania, a gay pride parade "was marred by violent physical and verbal attacks by onlookers" who "hurled bottles, food, and buckets of water" and were egged on by Orthodox priests and seminarians. On the other hand, "police were reportedly alerted in advance to the planned attacks and dispatched a highly organized force to protect the marchers."
• In Saudi Arabia, while sodomy is punishable by death or flogging, there was regular discussion in the media of homosexuality (previously taboo), and a case was dismissed against a journalist charged with promoting homosexuality for suggesting that homosexuality has a genetic cause.
• In Sweden, "The government allocated extra funding to combat honor-related violence [by Muslim immigrants] against young women and men (including homosexuals)."
As I searched through the immense document for the LGBT- and HIV-related portions, it was hard not to be overwhelmed by all the brutality and inhumanity; but gradually I became inspired by the realization that LGBT people are organizing everywhere from Mali to Fiji. Great things grow from small seeds.
14 Comments for “A Global Gay Report Card”
posted by Brian Miller on
While I’m not normally a cheerleader for government organizations, the State Department’s report is one of the most balanced and factual I’ve read on the issue of international gay rights.
Perhaps that’s why organizations like Human Rights Watch (and its peacockish LGBT co-ordinator Scott Long) have issued “cautions,” suggesting that the USA, as a wicked country that violates civil rights every day, cannot be trusted to track anti-gay violence around the world.
Anything that annoys the poseurs of HRW is a good thing. . . even if it comes from the government.
posted by James on
I believe that another thread stressed how unnecessary and incompetent government is–something to the effect that it’s the person’s own fault if they don’t have health insurance, and why should we protect them?
It’s the person’s own fault if they are discriminated against for being gay, isn’t it? Why can’t gays protect themselves from oppression and violence? Why should we expect incompetent and unnecessary governments to provide laws and protections?
If this thread were about undocumented workers, many on this board would be cheering their oppressive treatment. They brought it on themselves for breaking the law, didn’t they? Laws against undocumented workers are perfectly just in every way and need to be enforced–so the same must be true about all laws against gays everywhere, since laws can’t be unjust. If gays get beat up, they brought it on themselves because they broke the law, didn’t they?
Here’s my point–perhaps the government has a role to play in making sure everyone is insured AND protected from discrimination. Maybe laws oppressing undocumented workers AND gays need to be changed.
Maybe if gays were sympathetic to other people who suffer oppression and worked on their behalf, we’d have more people on our side.
posted by Doug on
“Maybe if gays were sympathetic to other people who suffer oppression and worked on their behalf, we’d have more people on our side.”
Okay – I just had to respond: who says we aren’t? Who says we aren’t fighting oppression for everyone?
What’s with you?
posted by James on
What’s with me? Look on other threads and see the attitudes toward undocumented workers, uninsured workers, Muslims, etc. Not a lot of sympathy there.
posted by Brian Miller on
perhaps the government has a role to play in making sure everyone is insured AND protected from discrimination
Yes. Right now, in dozens of states, it’s passed laws making it more difficult for individuals who are gay to get insurance, and actively discriminates against them.
I guess the inverse wouldn’t be much better. After all, James, you might want your doctor and hospital to work more like your state DMV or the Social Security Administration, but I’ll take the benefits of my own efforts!
posted by James on
I’d like my doctor and hospital to work like the police force and firefighters which protect me, the military, the teachers, and all the people who give their lives to the service of others and who are paid by the government. I think that the government does a much better job providing these kinds of public services, however flawed they may be. I think that the same way each American citizen has access to firefighters, policemen, teachers, etc., he should have access to doctors.
posted by ColoradoPatriot on
James: “I think that the same way each American citizen has access to firefighters, policemen, teachers, etc., he should have access to doctors.”
Each American citizen DOES have access to doctors, its called an emergency room. Your constant misguided and wrong diatribes are beyond boring.
posted by Tim on
“Each American citizen DOES have access to doctors, its called an emergency room. Your constant misguided and wrong diatribes are beyond boring.”
I think James is right. If have a chronic disease and lose your insurance, you’re not going to get treated at the ER. Even if you keep the insurance, you can go broke just paying the co-pays.
posted by ColoradoPatriot on
Good point Tim, but I was not speaking about specific medical instances. In general, ALL US citizens (and non-citizens as well) have access to doctors in the form of ER service. And yes, you can go to an ER for treatment of a chronic illness. Ability to pay for that service is an altogether different topic.
posted by Tim on
Point taken Mr. Patriot. There’s no denying our medicial system is screwed up. Treating non-insured people at the ER is extremely expensive. Those who buy insurance and or pay co-pays are paying a tax because they’re subsidizing the people who don’t have insurance. If you get sick, can’t work and lose your insurance (COBRA is expensive), you’re shit-out-of-luck.
posted by Brian Miller on
If have a chronic disease and lose your insurance, you’re not going to get treated at the ER.
Under “national health care” systems in the UK, Sweden or Canada, you’re often not going to get treated either.
In fact, the system will calculate that treating you — when you only have a 40% chance of living, or might only live another couple of years as a result — is “uneconomical.” You get a shot of morphine, a pat on the back, and are sent home to die.
posted by Tim on
Brian, if you don’t think healthcare isn’t rationed in this country, you’re not paying attention.
posted by Brian Miller on
Where did I say health care isn’t rationed?
Health care in this country is rationed by the market, which is the most efficient way to ration it.
Health care in “public” systems is rationed by politics — which ensures that a larger share of spending goes to “consultants” and bureaucracy, as opposed to R&D, and that life-and-death decisions are left to bureaucrats rather than individuals.
In Britain, it’s illegal to end your own life if you have a terminal condition you’ve decided is no hope, but the British authorities are pushing for eradication of entire classes of medical treatment for people who smoke or eat the wrong food.
I prefer a “rationing” approach where an individuals’ choices — not those of unaccountable bureaucrats — most greatly influence his health care options.
posted by Xeno on
“In Germany, ?authorities in Baden‑Wuerttemberg required residents seeking naturalization to complete a questionnaire concerning their political and moral beliefs and their adherence to the constitution. … Critics viewed the questionnaire, which included questions on attitudes toward women?s and gay rights … as discriminating against Muslim immigrants.?”
I’m almost inclined to put this highlight into the positive section, but contrary to Rosendall, I think Germans aren’t going enough. Instead of simply imposing not-so-rigid tests for German citizenship, they should be curtailing their amount of immigrant applications, especially from Islamic states with the exception of those that seek refuge for renouncing the Religion of PeaceTM or are persecuted by it.