82 Countries have anti-LGBT laws.

The eight countries I have mentioned in this blog are only a few of many countries, which have anti-LGBT laws. According to the article “82 countries where homosexuality is illegal” lists the countries, which have LGBT inequalities.

Here’s the list of 82 countries and independent political entities with anti-homosexuality laws:

Africa

1 Algeria
2 Angola
3 Benin
4 Botswana
5 Burundi
6 Cameroon
7 Comoros
8 Egypt
9 Eritrea
10 Ethiopia
11 Gambia
12 Ghana
13 Guinea
14 Kenya
15 Lesotho
16 Liberia
17 Libya
18 Malawi (enforcement of law suspended)
19 Mauritania
20 Mauritius
21 Morocco
22 Mozambique
23 Namibia
24 Nigeria
25 Sao Tome
26 Senegal
27 Seychelles
28 Sierra Leone
29 Somalia
30 South Sudan
31 Sudan
32 Swaziland
33 Tanzania
34 Togo
35 Tunisia
36 Uganda
37 Zambia
38 Zimbabwe

Asia, including the Middle East

39 Afghanistan
40 Bangladesh
41 Bhutan
42 Brunei
43 India
44 Iran
45 Kuwait
46 Lebanon (law ruled invalid in one court)
47 Malaysia
48 Maldives
49 Myanmar
50 Oman
51 Pakistan
52 Palestine/Gaza Strip
53 Qatar
54 Saudi Arabia
55 Singapore
56 Sri Lanka
57 Syria
58 Turkmenistan
59 United Arab Emirates
60 Uzbekistan
61 Yemen

Two Asian/Middle Eastern countries were listed separately by ILGA under the heading “Legal status of homosexual acts unclear or uncertain”:

• In Iraq, there is no law against homosexual acts, but homophobic violence is unchecked and self-appointed sharia judges reportedly have imposed sentences for homosexual behavior.
• In India, enforcement of the law against homosexual activity had been suspended by court action, but the Supreme Court overturned that ruling on Dec. 11, 2013, so India is back on the main list of countries with anti-homosexuality laws.

Americas

62 Antigua & Barbuda
63 Barbados
64 Belize
65 Dominica
66 Grenada
67 Guyana
68 Jamaica
69 St Kitts & Nevis
70 St Lucia
71 St Vincent & the Grenadines
72 Trinidad & Tobago

Oceania

73 Cook Islands
74 Indonesia (Aceh Province and South Sumatra)
75 Kirbati
76 Nauru
77 Palau
78 Papua New Guinea
79 Samoa
80 Solomon Islands
81 Tonga
82 Tuvalu

Europe

No country in Europe has a law against homosexuality. The last one, Northern Cyprus, repealed its law in January 2014.

Also in Europe and worth mentioning but not on that list of countries with laws against homosexuality are:

• Russia, which enacted a law in 2013 prohibiting any positive mention of homosexuality in the presence of minors, including online;
• Ukraine, which has considered, but so far has not adopted a similar law against “gay propaganda.”
• Moldova, which adopted and then repealed such a law in 2013.

Some of these countries have very harsh punishments for those who are LGBT. The article titled “7 worst capital punishments for those who are (illegally) Gay” addresses these punishments and paints a picture for those who may be unaware that these punishments are occurring.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.ranker.com/list/7-worst-capital-punishments-for-being-_illegally_-gay/joanne?page=1

Uganda’s ant-LGBT laws become stricter

 

This year, Uganda passed a law in which broadens the criminalization of same-sex relations to life in prison if caught. Before this law was passed the maximum sentence was 14 years.

Uganda is a great example of a country whose negative opinions on LGBT are largely influenced by the government. The article titled, “Uganda throws a party to celebrate passing of anti-gay law” addresses this issue through discussing the events of the rally which occurred in celebration of the bill being passed. This article mentions the fact that those living in Uganda are being brainwashed to think LGBT leads to disease 100% of the time. The author also mentions the large number of children who were present for this celebration. This is a huge concern to me as these children are being raised to think that LGBT are horrible people.

What really struck me about this article is the fact that Museveni believes that they do not need U.S. after the country threatened to withdraw. He told the audience Uganda is one of the richest countries in the world. However many people who are struggling to survive in that country due to the lack of access to basic amenities. I also don’t agree with the fact that Museveni is brainwashing the audience to think that Uganda is a free country. Clearly they aren’t if they are refusing to give LGBT the equal rights they deserve. The fact that this law was passed only shows Uganda moving backwards when it comes to freedom. LGBT individuals are not criminals and the Uganda needs to be further educated on this topic in order for them to realize that.

Article found at:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/02/uganda-celebrates-anti-gay-law

8 States have laws similar to Russia’s in the U.S.

The article Washington Post raised a very valid agreement in the article titled “ U.S. hypocrisy over Russia’s anti gay laws” through stating that there are currently 8 states in America, which have similar propaganda laws to Russia. Although the U.S. is much more ahead of Russia when it comes to equal rights for LGBT their eights states which prohibits LGBT promotion makes them hypocrites for criticizing Russia. The eight states, which currently have the “no promo homo” laws, are Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.

This article argues that the U.S. must take immediate action to repeal these laws before they can go bashing other countries. The article states “sometimes the moral failings of others can help us see moral failings in ourselves.” I agree with this argument as clearly the U.S. government was over looking the fact that these laws are still in place in some states. The violence occurring in Russia due to these laws poses as a warning of what could occur in some states in the U.S. if these laws continue to be in place. If the U.S. wants to be the free of speech and equal rights country they claim to be they need to take further action in ensuring LGBT equality. That way they will be able to scrutinize other countries for their anti-gay laws without seeming like hypocrites.

 

Article Found at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/us-hypocrisy-over-russias-anti-gay-laws/2014/01/31/3df0baf0-8548-11e3-9dd4-e7278db80d86_story.html

Hopes for Increased Tolerence in Jamaica

According to some human’s rights activists, Jamaica is said to be one of the most homophobic places on earth due to the high levels of violence towards those who are LGBT. Sexual acts between men in this country are punishable with up to ten years imprisonment. However, sexual acts between women are legal. There are no laws in place to protect those who are LGBT from discrimination. One of these major causes to Jamaicans homophobic believes is due to their Catholic religion.

The article “Jamaica’s Gay Tolerance On The Upswing, Growing Push To Repeal Anti-LGBT Law” discusses how equal rights for LGBT is gaining momentum in this country. This article mentions how Jamaica’s current prime minister advocated repealing the law. This was a bold move on the prime ministers part as it risked political suicide but her party actually won the election.

The article also tells the story of a 25-year old gay male who fled to the United States and plans on never returning to Jamaica. He states that while living in Kingston Jamaica he was repeatedly harassed. He also tells the reported how a few of his friends were murdered because they were gay.

This article argues that fact that Jamaicans are homophobic due to the fact that they believe being homosexual is a choice. It is my strong opinion that people are LGBT because they are born that way and the only choice they have in the matter is if they want to come out or not. In order to remove this stigma Jamaicans have towards LGBT they must be further educated on the topic. If Jamaicans can learn to be more understanding towards LGBT then the violence towards them may slow down. I really hope that the prime minister has some luck with repealing the law as that is the first step to giving LGBT equal rights and hopefully will reduce the violence against them.

Article found at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/19/jamaica-gay-tolerance_n_4622866.html

Cameroon quietly aresting, charging and imprisioning LGBT individuals for years

Cameroon is an African country in which anti-LGBT laws have been in place for the last 30 years. In 2007, a poll found that 84 percent of Cameroonians stated that their country is not a good place for homosexuals. The current president, who has been in power for the last 31 years, as well as the catholic church are the two mains reasons why the anti-LGBT laws are in place and have no plans on being terminated. What is interesting to note is that only 39 percent of people in this country are Catholic yet this religion has such high influence on these laws. In Cameroon, officials do not require much proof to arrest and individual for being LGBT. If a person suspects an individual to be gay, they can just call the police and that individual will be arrested. Some people accuse a person just because they don’t like them but the police don’t bother doing any further investigation. Police will often sit outside of clubs that are rumored to be LGBT friendly and will arrest men and women as they leave the premises. Not all arrests result in imprisonment if the accused is able to pay a bribe. These individuals will often be rearrested and extorted all over again.

The article “Abandoned and Imprisoned for being Gay in Cameroon” discusses the lives of those who are LGBT in this country. The author of the article actually visits a prison where 20 known LGBT individuals have been incarcerated. The author describes the horrible living conditions in the prison where the individuals have been contained. In Cameroon, all inmates are required to pay for their own beds, medication, water and food. This is very difficult for arrested LGBT to do as many of their families of abandoned them, as they do not support their sexual orientation. This means that many of these individuals have to sleep on the cement floor. The author describes one female inmate who has developed a rash on her leg from the abuse she was receiving from the prison guards. She told the journalist that she could not afford the medication to heal it.

Through reading the story of what this journalist experienced while visiting this prison, I felt sorry for the LGBT individuals who are contained there. Being LGBT is not a crime and these individuals should not have to live that way. It’s horrifying to know that LGBT individuals in this county are seen as equal to criminals who have committed murders.

The author of this article also points out that the treatment towards LGBT in this county doesn’t get the same media attention as countries such as Nigeria. He explains that this could be because Cameroon lacks petroleum, which is the largest exporter of crude in Africa. I believe this is a great point to address, as there are many countries that have anti-LGBT laws that most North Americans are unaware of.

Article found at:

http://www.thenation.com/article/178630/abandoned-and-imprisoned-being-gay-cameroon#

Harassment to Transgendered Not Yet Considered a Hate Crime in Canada

The fact that the law doesn’t protect Transgendered Canadians is something that really boggles my mind. The articles, Transgender Canadians Deserve Protection — Why Aren’t They Getting It? Makes a great argument that the U.S. has better laws protecting transgendered individuals. We are a country that prides ourselves over the fact that we support LGBT equality yet our laws are not to the point where that equality can be fully supported. I am happy that the House of Commons have passed bill C-279 nicknamed “The Bathroom Bill” but it still shocks me that this has not been done sooner. Its also shocking that it’s been almost a year since this bill was passed and it has yet to become a law.

As this article states 79 percent of transgendered individuals reported being harassed in some form while attending school. This is a huge issue as it affects their self-esteem as well as their learning. This article also states that 43 percent of trans people surveyed said they had attempted suicide at one point in their lives. This is a huge percentage that needs to be taken into consideration by the government. Canadians need to realize that harassing these people because they are transgendered is wrong. The only way to accomplish this is if it became against the law. By expanding the Canadian Criminal Code to protect gender identity and gender expression by hate crime law would help lower the amount of harassment transgendered individuals face on a regular basis. Canada has come so far in creating equality for the LGBT community but transgender rights have been placed on the back burning. In order for Canadians to remain a country who takes pride in the rights we have for those who are LGBT we need pass the law to establish harassing transgendered individuals as a hate crime.

Article found at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/peter-goffin/transgender-hate-crimes_b_3818530.html

LGBT Iranians seek Community over the Internet to avoid Execution

In Iran those homosexuality considered a crime punished by imprisonment or even execution in more extreme cases. Those LGBT Iranians who chose to come out risk being tortured solely for their sexual orientation. The article titled “Iran gay report highlights isolation, abuse and fear” discusses findings of a report based on the LGBT community in Iran. The report found that many LGBT Iranians are expressing their true self and finding a sense of community through the use of the Internet. Many of the people interviewed in this article emphasis that they don’t feel part of their community, they feel like outsiders and seeking a community on the Internet gives them a sense of self worth.

The quote that really struck me in this article was made by a 26-year-old male to female transsexual from Lorestan. She states, “I am a human being, but I was created with an imperfection. I’m someone that nobody wants to be friends with, someone that even her own family doesn’t like. Nobody will employ me because of the way that I am.” As a straight, female living in Canada I could not imagine living a life where I had no friends, family and no career path. Those are the three most important things that keep me going everyday. This woman goes on to say I long to become a woman, get married, have a family and find a good job. I like to be surrounded by people, but people always reject me. It’s as if I’m from another planet and they don’t want to be seen with me.’ Unfortunately this is what all LGBT Iranians feel and it is something that will continue to be felt unless the laws change.

Unfortunately those laws will not be changed anytime soon. After the report was released the president of Iran slammed the LGBT community for engaging in ugly behavior. He quoted “Do you believe that someone is born homosexual? Homosexuality ceases procreation.” As long as the president is against gays the laws will remain the same, which is a very unfortunate fact for the LGBT community in Iran.

Article found at:

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/iran-gay-report-highlights-isolation-abuse-and-fear110512

Shocking anti-gay Stories in Russia

The article titled “The 25 most shocking anti-gay stories in Russia so far” gives further insight to the shocking events that have occurred to the LGBT community in Russia. These examples portray how serious this issue of violence against LGBT is in that country. The new propaganda law has pushed the anti-gay issue so far that children’s books have been pulled off of libraries shelves for promoting the slightest but if LGBT equality. Journalist’s freedom of speech is being limited, as they are unable to print anything that promotes gay rights without being fined. LGBT people are being murdered for coming out about their sexual orientation. Protesters are being beaten for expressing their opinions. What is the most shocking is that government officials are all for this violence and many LGBT people who have experiences this violence will not go to the police as they believe that the police will turn a blind eye and do nothing about it. I believe that the violence that is occurring to the LGBT is horrifying and this article is a great portrayal of it. I encourage everyone to read it.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/02/07/the-25-most-shocking-anti-gay-stories-from-russia-so-far/

Russia’s Occupy Pedophilia

In 2013 Russia adapted the federal law banning “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors,” which is one of many anti-LBGT laws adapted or proposed that year. This law makes it illegal to say anything positive about being gay publically, telling a child that there is nothing wrong with being gay and even makes it illegal for children to be raised by gay parents. If those living in Russia violate this law in any way they are faced with hefty fines.

This law proves that life for LGBT people in Russia is only getting worse. Violence against LGBT people has escalated in 2013 and plans to rise even more due to the Olympic games.

To make matters even worse, Russian officials have began to stigmatize homosexuality through stating that they are equal to pedophiles. During a meeting in January at one of the Olympic locations Russia’s president stated that gay people are welcome in Sochi and will be comfortable there but he asked them to “leave the children in peace.”

 

The reaction from the president is believed and stated by the Human Rights Watch Organization to be irresponsible and extremely dangerous. The fact that officials are claiming that LGBT is linked to pedophilia is only increasing the violence that was already high to begin with. Since late 2012, a group called “Occupy Pedophilia” have been harassing and attacking gay people under the belief that they are fighting pedophilia and protecting children. They accomplish this goal through luring men seeking a same-sex encounter to discreet locations and then abusing them both physically and verbally while recording the proceedings on video. The group then posts the videos on various social networking sites to further humiliate the victim. You can see the abuse being done in the video below which further explains this groups actions.

I believe that if the principle of non-discrimination is a core provision of the Olympic Charter then the Olympics should not be held in countries that do not share the similar belief. The Olympics have only highlighted and brought attention to the abuse LGBT people face on a daily basis but Olympic officials should be doing more to prevent this violent behavior from happening. Through allowing the Olympics to be held in Sochi only shows that the Olympics support the anti-gay laws in Russia which means that they are not supporting what is stated in their charter. I feel that a rule should be put in place that the games should only be held in countries that are free of discrimination which could be an incentive for officials who are in countries with high anti-gay laws to lift them in order to host future games.

 

Introduction

For many Canadians members of the LGBT community, July 20, 2005 is a very memorable day. It was the day that Canada became the first country in the America’s and the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage nation wide after the enactment of the Civil Marriage act.

Canada is most often referred to as one of the most-gay friendly countries in the world so much so that a few of our largest cities, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa even have their own gay villages. Recent polls have indicated that a large majority of Canadians support Same-Sex marriage, which is an awesome fact to know that our country has come so far in supporting equality for the LGBT community.

Growing up in a country that has such huge support for those who are LGBT has had a great impact on my view to those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered. I never once considered them as an outsider as it is my personal belief that you can’t control whom you are attracted to. When I was 15 years old one of my good friends came out to me. I remember how nervous she was to tell me that she liked the same sex and I remember assuring her that I would never judge her for whom she liked and I will support her through every step of her coming out process. Since I was 15 I have witnessed the struggles many of my friends had to face through being LGBT. Although Canada is thought to be gay friendly, the LGBT community still face discrimination from time to time.

However the even though the LGBT community isn’t perfect in Canada those living in this country who are LGBT have it easier compared to some countries in the world.  The fact that I live in a country where gay rights for the most part are accepted and I still witness my friends go through struggles due to their sexual orientation makes me think how much worse their lives would be if they lived in a country where gay rights are not accepted at all. For this reason I was inspired to create a blog which analyses current gay rights across the globe. This blog will focus on the abuse and discrimination many LGBT face world wide due to their sexual orientation.