U.S. Restricts Police Aid to Africa Over Effects of Anti-LGBT Law

July 28, 2014 at 3:00 PM

Cameroon, May 2013: A young man who has been frequently beaten in his neighborhood and evicted from his home because of his sexual orientation and gender identity (Photo Credit: Amnesty International).

By Colby Goodman, Senior Research Associate at the Security Assistance Monitor and a member of Amnesty USA’s Military, Security and Police Working Group

Late last month, the Obama Administration took the unusual step of suspending U.S. security assistance to Uganda in connection with its new “Anti-Homosexuality Act,” raising the possibility of similar U.S. restrictions for other African states on the eve of the U.S.-Africa Summit.

According to a June 24th Amnesty International fact sheet, homosexuality is illegal in 38 African countries and punishable by death in four of these states (Mauritania, northern Nigeria, southern Somalia and Sudan).

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Tell the United Nations: Protect #MyBodyMyRights!

By Lyric Thompson

March 18, 2014 at 2:00 PM

I’ve just come from opening week at the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), when thousands of women’s rights activists and member state delegations descend on New York to review the current state of affairs for women and girls globally and recommend actions states can take to advance gender equality and promote female empowerment.

Many of the events this week are calling attention to sexual and reproductive rights as a primary barrier to development progress and the enjoyment of rights and dignity for all. The priority theme for the CSW this year is a review of progress for women and girls under the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

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ACT NOW: Take Action to Fight Back Against Nigeria’s Anti-LGBT Law

By Ian Lekus

March 7, 2014 at 12:45 PM

With the stroke of a pen, the President has essentially turned Nigeria into one of the world’s least tolerant societies (Photo Credit: Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP/Getty Images).

In January, Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan, signed the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act into law. This act imposes a 14-year prison sentence for attempting to marry a partner of the same sex.

Nigerians convicted of same-sex public displays of affection, or of participating in organizations or meetings related to LGBT issues face ten years of jail time.

In the weeks since President Jonathan signed the law, Nigeria has seen a sharp increase in anti-LGBT mob violence and the arrest of dozens of LGBT people.

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Love is a Right, Hate is a Crime

By Adotei Akwei

February 28, 2014 at 9:44 AM

This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post and Amnesty International USA in the theme of “Bringing Human Rights Home.” Read all posts in the series here.

Over the weekend, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni signed into law a bill that criminalizes being gay. Moreover, it criminalizes the “promotion of homosexuality,” which will directly impact human rights defenders, healthcare providers or others providing services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

These additional restrictions on top of already discriminatory policies directly undermine the human rights to privacy, health and freedom of expression and association – as the way the laws in Uganda and Nigeria have been written, conducting sex education or trainings on HIV and AIDS could be interpreted as promoting homosexuality and result in jail time of several years.

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What Everyone Ought to Know About Uganda’s Anti-Gay Law

By Adotei Akwei

February 27, 2014 at 10:34 AM

NOTE: This text is from a New York Times Letter to the Editor in response to the article “Ugandan President Signs Anti-Gay Bill.”

The new antigay law in Uganda is alarming and, sadly, not shocking. You note that it follows the passage of similar legislation in Nigeria and fits within a growing trend that Amnesty International reported on last July.

The developments in Uganda and Nigeria underscore the depth to which many African leaders are determined to go, not only to discriminate against a segment of their populations, but also to incite hatred and potentially acts of violence. It is a failure of their obligations, internationally and regionally, to protect the rights of people living within their borders and a failure of governance.

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#SochiFail: The Legacy of Russia’s Olympic Games Won’t Be What Putin Wants It To Be

By The Editors

February 22, 2014 at 5:23 PM

The legacy of the Sochi Olympics will be tainted by the numerous human rights violations in the run-up and during the Games, as well as the failure of the International Olympic Committee to confront the Russian authorities over the arrests and beatings that marred this prestigious sporting event.

The Olympic Games are meant to contribute to a peaceful and better world. This goal was not achieved in Sochi. The reason is simple: Russia’s repression continued unabated throughout the Games, and the Olympic movement failed to challenge the host country on its pledge to promote human rights.

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Sneaky Tricks Putin is Pulling to Stave Off Criticism During the Olympics

By Guest Writer

February 14, 2014 at 2:10 PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin talks with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach at a welcoming event ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics (Photo Credit: David Goldman-Pool/Getty Images).

By Ludmila Krytynskaia, Amnesty USA Russia Country Specialist

President Vladimir Putin lifted a blanket ban on protests and rallies in Sochi shortly before the Olympic Games were launched, thereby fulfilling his promise to the International Olympic Committee to relax the rules governing protests in the city.

The easing of the protest ban coupled with the release of dozens of high-profile prisoners last month – including former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky and members of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot – has led to speculation in the Western media about whether these decisions were a sign of a political thaw in Russia, a result of diplomatic behind-the-scenes maneuverings or just a public relations stunt to stave off criticism of the human rights situation in the country on the eve of the Olympics.

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HAPPENING NOW: Russian Journalist Charged Under “Gay Propaganda” Law

By Jasmine Heiss

February 12, 2014 at 12:30 PM

Meet Elena Klimova, the latest victim of Russia’s new “gay propaganda” law (Photo Credit: Private).

She saved lives. So why does Russia want to punish Elena Klimova?

Because she created a safe space for LGBTI teens in a country rife with homophobia.

Elena is a journalist and founder of Children 404, a popular online resource that supports LGBTI teens in Russia. It’s a space for teenagers to share their stories, get support and obtain advice from experienced psychologists.

Elena’s Children 404 has prevented teenagers from committing suicide and running away from home. She’s easing their isolation and making their world a little better, right?

Not according to Russian authorities. Russian authorities are going to absurd lengths to punish people and defenders of LGBTI human rights. They want to shut Children 404 down, and have charged Elena with “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations.”

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Something’s Rotten in the State of Denmark: A Tale of Two Identities

By Guest Writer

February 10, 2014 at 3:54 PM

Josh Bryan is an American transgender man living in Denmark © Private.

Josh Bryan is an American living in Copenhagen, where he helped to launch a recent Amnesty International report on discrimination against transgender people in the European Union. Below, he tells his story how strict Danish legislation has left him trapped in a system that doesn’t recognize his true identity while demanding that he surgically change his body.

My story is about being stuck in two legal identities. I live in Denmark, a country that prides itself on its liberalism and welfare for its citizens. However, the Danish legislation is very strict when it comes to transgender people – people whose gender identities don’t align with the legal gender they were assigned at birth – and that is why I’m now trapped in the system.

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7 Days Before Sochi, 7 Prisoners of Conscience You Should Be Thinking About

By Samir Goswami

January 31, 2014 at 8:00 AM

(Photo Credit: Antonin Thuillier/AFP/Getty Images)

On February 7, 2014, the XXII Winter Olympic Games will begin in the Russian city of Sochi. The lead up to the Games has shone a spotlight on Russia and the country’s human rights record.

Since his re-election, President Vladimir Putin has signed laws and instituted measures that restrict the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

Since Putin announced his intention to return to the Presidency, thousands of people have attended protests all over Russia, and hundreds have been arrested and prosecuted simply for exercising their right to peaceful assembly.

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Human Rights Now Blog

Tag Archives: LGBT Rights

Tell the United Nations: Protect #MyBodyMyRights!

What Everyone Ought to Know About Uganda’s Anti-Gay Law

Sneaky Tricks Putin is Pulling to Stave Off Criticism During the Olympics

Something’s Rotten in the State of Denmark: A Tale of Two Identities