Archive for the 'LGBT Human Rights' Category
January 19th, 2012 by aswaroop
The Unitarian Universalist- United Nations Office and Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) are throwing a Charity Gala to Support the Human Rights of the Global LGBTQ Community
“Love Beyond Borders” kick off event on
February 17th 2012
6pm-9pm
Venue: 777 United Nations Plaza, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10017
Tickets are available for purchase now: https://app.etapestry.com/cart/UnitarianUniversalistUnited/default/category.php?ref=1425.0.84680770
December 10, Human Rights Day Hillary Clinton stated, “LGBT Rights are Human Rights”.
On December 20, President Barack Obama gave a speech stating that he wants to promote sexual orientation/gender identity Rights globally.
We welcome this initiative from the Obama Administration which has motivated us to increase our efforts to end punitive laws that oppress people due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. We call this campaign, “ Love Beyond Borders: Equality and Acceptance For All.”
The title of this campaign truly describes the characteristics of this movement promoted by a religious based organization, The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, and a secular organization, GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). We have come together to work towards a common goal – Equality and Acceptance for all. The UU-UNO is the only faith-based organization with a sexual orientation/gender identity human rights advocacy program at the United Nations. We intend to ensure that our policy makers remember the millions of LGBT/SOGI voices around the world who suffer from oppression. Often this oppression is multiplied by gender, ethnic background, economic status, age, educational level, national origin or religion. We want to ensure that children around the world are no longer bullied because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Bullying and discrimination need to stop, especially against the young. Many children are bullied for being gay long before they have any sense of their own sexuality. Enough young promising lives have been lost or ruined because of bullying. Children who suffer from bullying are either driven to self-harm or drop out of school. We also aim to ensure that all individuals around the world are no longer denied access to healthcare because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
This kind of violence impacts people around the world. Violence prompted by hateful religious dogma has hit the headlines in countries like Nigeria, Uganda and Russia. We will not cede the world of faith to those who preach hate. We lead a growing coalition of progressive faith and secular voices, which promote the moral equality of all sexual orientations and gender identities. As a leading non-profit organization, we feel that people, gay or straight, need to come together to usher in a more tolerant, accepting and positive world. We want to inform people about both the progress and setbacks for global sexual orientation /gender identity human rights. We work closely with the United Nations system and its agencies, such as UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. To achieve these aims we are kick starting our LGBT program at United Nations. We will be hosting a campaign launch at UN Church Center, across the street from UN headquarters to declare to the world that we will fight and not give up.
We hope you will be part of this movement and help us steer our global society, and protect our children, our brothers, our sisters, and our future all over the world. Tickets are available for sale now.
December 1st, 2011 by intern
La identidad de género es “la vivencia interna e individual del género tal como cada persona la siente profundamente, la cual podría corresponder o no con el sexo asignado al momento del nacimiento,” text from the Gender Identity Bill that was approved in the Argentine Lower House on November 30, 2011
One year after legalizing gay marriage, the lower house of Argentina’s Congress passed a gender identity bill, which will give trans people in Argentina the right to gender recognition under the law. This bill will also allow trans individuals to access proper health care, such as hormonal or surgical treatments, within the public health system. In order to become a law, the Senate will have to approve the bill in 2012. A newspaper article in La Nacion, an Argentine periodical, is available in Spanish here.
In a world filled with a great deal of intolerance, we at the UU-UNO are refreshed by the progressive stance that the Argentine government has taken on LGBT rights. The bill’s text, cited above in Spanish, defines gender identity as the experience of gender as the individual feels it, and recognizes that this gender experience often does not correspond with the sex an individual has been assigned at the time of birth.
October 25th, 2011 by Youth Envoy Coordinator
Read more about the Compass for Compassion Conference! Editor in Chief of the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News (SDGLN), Ken Williams, recapitulates the conference and highlights our Executive Director, Bruce Knotts.
Jeff Sharlet (above) speaks at consultation, as do Bruce Knotts (upper left), Val Kalende (middle left) and Bishop Christopher.
NEW YORK – What’s really going on in Uganda?
The notorious “Kill The Gays” bill is still floating around Parliament despite almost universal condemnation over the draconian attempts to criminalize homosexuality and punish anyone who comes to the aid of LGBT people.
Investigative reporters and faith leaders warn that Uganda is the “line in the sand” over the criminalization of homosexuality, a movement propagated and financially supported by the Religious Right in America.
LGBT activists, however, tell of small victories on the ground and the desperate need for cash to keep up their grassroots efforts to change hearts and minds.
Last week, during the “Compass to Compassion – Discovering a Common Way to LGBT Global Equality” consultation at Union Theological Seminary, almost 100 prominent leaders representing a wide diversity of faith and secular communities attended a case study that focused on Uganda.
Bruce Knotts, executive director of the United Nations Office for the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, introduced the session. He provided a brief history of the gathering, the third such meeting since Human Rights Watch alerted progressive and liberal clergy in America in spring 2009 to do something about the “Kill The Gays” bill in Uganda….
…To continue reading this article, please click HERE
September 23rd, 2011 by rarnold
Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14-year-old high school freshman who was bullied because of his sexuality, took his own life Monday. Now many want the bullying they believe that caused his death to be treated as a crime.
His parents feel that “School systems need to do more to protect LGBT students from bullying, and not turn their back on them because of their sexual orientation.”
The White House held a conference on bullying prevention in March, where, President Obama said then he hoped to “dispel the myth that bullying is just a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up. It’s not.”
Lady Gaga tweeted that she believes “Bullying must become be illegal. It is a hate crime.”
“I am meeting with our President” she tweeted. “I will not stop fighting. This must end. Our generation has the power to end it. Trend it #MakeALawForJamey”
Cases like these are prime examples of how important it is for us to take responsibility within our own communities to encourage tolerance and acceptance of everyone regardless of their sexual orientation. No human being should be subject to discrimination, violence or abuse simply because of their sexual orientation. It’s not easy for years of intolerance to simply disappear overnight but change must start somewhere. I urge you to talk with your family and friends about this issue.
Words do hurt; words can destroy your soul if the fiber of your being is the object of hate, discrimination and criticism by others in your community.
In the words of Jamey Rodemeyer: It gets better, I promise!
April 14th, 2011 by Youth Envoy Coordinator
The January 2011 killing of David Kato, a prominent gay rights activist in Uganda, drew much needed attention to the lack of protection for international LGBT rights. Though in March the United States ended years of ambiguity on the subject by releasing a statement calling for the United Nations to combat discrimination against gays and lesbians around the world, consensus at the international body is far from assured.
Please join the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office and the Yale Political Union Liberals for a panel on Global LGBT rights. Our panelists will include:
Bruce Knotts, Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, and Chair of the United Nations NGO Human Rights Committee
Dr. Cheikh Traore, Senior Policy Advisor, Sexual Diversity – HIV/AIDS Group of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Noah E. Lewis, Staff Attorney at Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc.
Where: 777 United Nations Plaza, 7th Floor Conference Room
When: Friday, April 15th, 12:30pm
Lunch can be provided for a $10 fee. If you would like to purchase lunch, please include your dietary preference with your RSVP.
To RSVP, please send an email with your name, affiliation, and lunch preference to Kate@uu-uno.org.
June 17th, 2010 by Erin
On Monday, June 14th, 2010 the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office hosted a day-long consultation on strategies to end homophobia and oppression based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The consultation, which took place at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York, NY, featured Ugandan Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo, LGBT advocate, ally and Bishop of the Anglican Church of Uganda. Bishop Ssenyonjo has just completed a two-month speaking tour of the U.S. during which he spoke out about the struggle for LGBT human rights in his country—one of 37 countries in Africa where homosexuality is criminalized. He commented that draconian laws under consideration in Uganda were provoked by American religious pastors who oppose human rights for sexual minorities. The poor human rights example of Uganda is negatively impacting other African countries in the East African region that are also considering similar laws to criminalize gay people and anyone who helps them.
Dr. Sylvia Rhue of the National Black Justice Coalition, Darin McAnelly of the US Department of State, and Julius Kaggwa of the Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development in Uganda, were among those speaking at Monday's consultation.
The consultation also featured Julius Kaggwa of the Ugandan Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development, Todd Ferrell of The Evangelical Network, Ryan Thorenson of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, Bishop Yvette Flunder of the United Church of Christ and Dr. Sylvia Rhue of the National Black Justice Coalition. The consultation also enjoyed the participation of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and representatives of the Swedish, British, Norwegian and Dutch Permanent Missions to the United Nations.
Monday’s consultation sought to explore the connection between religion, faith-based activism and violence against sexual minorities. Beginning with an overview of the legal and cultural context in which the criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity is occurring, specific attention was paid to the well-funded exportation of homophobia by U.S. citizens to Uganda and other African countries.
Ayaz Ahmed of Al-Fatiha spoke on the context of LGBT rights in the Middle East.
The day proceeded with a discussion of how to advocate for LGBT human rights within the context of the faith-based community, and how to reach out and engage those members of the faith community who are agitating for anti-gay legislation like the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda. The consultation provided a key arena for human rights activists and members of different faith traditions to come together to strategize on how to combat the incitement of homophobia through religious manipulation. A follow-up consultation will tentatively take place in September of this year.
Click here to see photos of the day’s events
June 9th, 2010 by Erin
Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo speaking at a noontime service at the Chapel of the Church Center of the United Nations
On Monday, June 7th, 2010 we had the honor of hosting Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo of Integrity Uganda. Bishop Ssenyonjo, who has taken great risks in defense of LGBT people in Uganda, spoke at a noontime service at the Chapel of the Church Center of the United Nations. The service, which was presided over by Rev. Galen Guengerich of All Souls Church in New York, featured a welcoming by UU-UNO Executive Director Bruce Knotts and music by All Souls Church of New York. During the service, Bishop Ssenyonjo spoke not only about the trials of LGBT people in his country, but of the importance of decriminalizing sexual orientation and gender identity worldwide. He reminded those in attendance that of the three cardinal virtues- faith, hope and love- love is the greatest of them all.
UU-UNO Board Member Scott Seale and his partner Frank at Ubuntu Uganda: An Evening with Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo
Later that evening, these sentiments were echoed at Ubuntu Uganda, a fundraiser for the UU-UNO LGBT/SOGI Human Rights Program and Bishop Ssenyonjo’s work in Uganda. The event, held at the National Arts Club, was hosted by UU-UNO board member Scott Seale and featured entertainment by Broadway in South Africa. Click here for photos of the day’s events.
May 21st, 2010 by Geronimo
Support the work of Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, Ugandan LGBT human rights defenders, and the LGBT/SOGI Human Rights Program of the UU-UNO. Click
here for more information on this special fundraising event on June 7, 2010 at the National Arts Club.
May 5th, 2010 by Geronimo
The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office expresses great concern over the deception employed by Lou Engle in traveling to Uganda to take part in TheCall Uganda—an exploitative and homophobic crusade against the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (
New York Times article, May 3, 2010, “In Uganda, Push to Curb Gays Draws U.S. Guest”).
We call upon the US State Department, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and US Mission to the UN to respond with urgency to address the safety of LGBT people in Uganda, who are facing genocidal threats and harsh criminal sanctions.
We call upon diplomatic channels to implement Responsibilty to Protect principles to engage Ugandan leadership in high-level dialogue. This human rights framework, agreed upon by the international community, can protect vulnerable minorities including LGBT people.
Further, we call upon President Barack Obama to reach out to faith leaders to seek an end to the exportation of homophobia by American citizens who in the name of religion are employing genocidal rhetoric, which continues to jeopardize LGBT lives around the world.
Unitarian Universalist principles call people to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We stand with partners in faith in condemning the exportation of religious homophobia.
The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office
April 27th, 2010 by Geronimo
From
Jim Burroway at The Box Turtle Bulletin:
The Sunday Monitor, Uganda’s largest independent newspaper, has apparently gotten a copy of the report by the Ugandan Cabinet committee tasked with reviewing the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill. According to the Monitor, the committee recommends deflecting attention to the bill by changing its title and/or combining it with the Sexual Offences Act.
Read more here.
