Accessing U.S. Embassies: A Guide for LGBT Human Rights Defenders

This guide is a preview copy of a resource manual for LGBT activists and NGOs in other countries to help them understand how U.S. embassies work.

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United States Issues UN Report on Its Own Human Rights Conditions

On December 30, the United States submitted its fourth periodic report to the United Nations Committee on Human Rights concerning the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which is one of the most important human rights treaties that the United States has ratified.

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United Nations releases groundbreaking report

December 15, 2011–The United Nations today released a groundbreaking report, titled simply “Discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity,” by the UN’s leading human rights commissioner.

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Hilary Clinton's landmark Human Rights Day speech

As I listened to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s landmark Human Rights Day speech last week before a United Nations audience in Geneva, I was overwhelmed with emotion.

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Op-Ed: A Changed U.S. State Department

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s December 6 Geneva speech on LGBT rights is another high-water mark in the Obama administration’s integration of the human and civil rights of LGBT people into U.S. foreign policy.

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White House Fact sheet on Presidential LGBT Memorandum

Read the fact sheet put out by the White House on Preseident Obama's presidential memorandum that directs all federal agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons.

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LGBT Activists from Around the World React to Secretary Clinton’s Speech

LGBT Activists from Around the World React to Secretary Clinton’s SpeechIn Photo (right to left): Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Alice N’kom (Cameroon), Anastasia Danilova (Moldova), Sanja Juras (Croatia), Adrian Jjuuko (Uganda), Sass Sasot (Philippines), Polina Savchenko (Russia), Vladimir Simenko (Lithuania), Arvind Narrain (India), Zoryan Kis (Ukraine), Santiago Eder (Colombia), N’dumie Funda (South Africa), Pouline Kimani (Kenya), and Rev. MacDonald Sembereka (Malawi). December 9, 2011 – For this historic moment in the LGBT movement, the Council for Global Equality was privileged to bring 14 prominent LGBT activists from around the world to Geneva to be present for Secretary Clinton’s Human Rights Day speech. The Council applauds both Secretary Clinton for the pitch-perfect speech as well as President Obama for yesterday’s vital Presidential Memorandum addressing the human rights of LGBT people worldwide.  

Reactions from LGBT human rights defenders from around the world who were on hand to witness the speech included these:

Arvind Narrain from the Alternative Law Forum in India: “The Secretary made a passionate case for LGBT rights as gay rights while being very culturally sensitive. The generosity of mentioning the gains in South Africa, Brazil, India, and Nepal conveyed a wider sense of ownership of these issues.”

Sass Rogando Sasot from Society of Transsexual Women of the Philiipines: “The sincerity and courage of Secretary Clinton is an invitation for us to make the dignity of our common humanity the center and goal of our politics. Her speech is another step towards a world that's more inclusive, fair, and compassionate.”

Polina Savchenko from the Russian LGBT Network: “Secretary Clinton’s point about ‘honest discussion’ is particularly important for Russia because we suffer from extreme ignorance. Discussion is shut down in our country. Her message about decriminalization was also very important in our country right now.”

Santiago Eder from Colombia Diversa: “It was extremely important that the Secretary of State of the United States of America introduced the concept that ‘gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights.’ It was a very symbolic and historic moment for the gay liberation movement.”

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Council Applauds Clinton Speech and White House Announcement in Support of Human Rights for All

clinton-un-geneva-hrd-2011Secretary Clinton made a powerful case today at the UN in Geneva for why the respect and fair treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people worldwide is of concern to the United States and the world. President Obama also released a Presidential Memorandum today commiting the entire U.S. government to support this important human rights agenda. The Council for Global Equality applauds their leadership.

The speech can be viewed via webcast by following the links below:

http://www.humanrights.gov/2011/12/06/human-rights-geneva

http://conx.state.gov/digital-diplomacy/

http://geneva.usmission.gov/2011/12/02/webcast/

If you would like to read the Secretary's remarks: http://www.humanrights.gov/2011/12/06/remarks-in-recognition-of-international-human-rights-day/

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UN Adopts Groundbreaking Resolution Affirming that LGBT Rights are Human Rights

un-geneva-flagsiiJune 17, 2011—For the First time, the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva has adopted a resolution expressing concern at acts of violence and discrimination committed against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.  The text calls on the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a global study outlining discriminatory laws, practices and acts of violence directed at LGBT individuals, with recommendations on how to put an end to such fundamental human rights abuses.  The study will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council next year.  The resolution was tabled by South Africa and it enjoyed strong support from the United States and a broad coalition of voting states from all regions of the world.  It was adopted in Geneva today by a vote of 23 countries in support, 19 against and 3 abstentions.

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The State Department’s Annual Human Rights Report

clinton-hrr2011

A Firmly Measured Response to Egregious Abuse

April 14, 2011 – The State Department last week released its annual human rights report.  Once again, the Council for Global Equality applauds the State Department’s effort to “provide an overview of the human rights situation around the world as a means to raise awareness of human rights conditions, in particular as these conditions affect the well-being of women, children, racial and religious minorities, trafficking victims, members of indigenous groups and ethnic communities, persons with disabilities, sexual minorities, refugees, and members of other vulnerable groups.”  And once again this year, the report bears witness to a clear and growing crisis in human rights abuse directed against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people worldwide.

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