Gender Salon this Wednesday: LGBT Rights

Please join us this Wednesday, February 15th at noon in the Board Room for a joint discussion with the Gender and Conflict Communities of Practice on LGBT Rights: Opportunities for and Challenges to IREX Programming. 

Persecution on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is widespread in many countries and is often underreported. Gay men in Iran are imprisoned, undergo corporal punishment, and have even been executed.  In South Africa and other countries, lesbians can be targets of “corrective rape.” Attempts at pride parades in cities like Moscow and elsewhere can be met with violence, which can be condoned by authorities. In the U.S., overall hate crimes are declining except against LGBT individuals.

President Obama and Secretary Clinton recently articulated the first-ever U.S. Government strategy to direct all federal agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons. Jesse Bernstein, Program Officer at DRL in charge of LGBT programming, confirmed that this is a priority for the administration.

What role can IREX play in supporting LGBT rights internationally?  We have a modest record thus far in addressing LGBT issues in our programming, and new opportunities will continue to emerge as governments and advocacy organizations continue to prioritize and call attention to these issues.  This Salon can serve as a venue to enliven this discussion within the IREX community, and identify the possibilities, along with the challenges associated with LGBT rights–focused programming.  We can also discuss ways to better serve LGBT individuals through our current programs.

On Wednesday we will watch a portion of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s groundbreaking recent speech to the United Nations in Geneva calling for the acknowledgement of LGBT rights as inalienable human rights.  We will discuss the implications of Secretary Clinton’s speech for LGBT rights in the context of IREX’s work, and tie in some of the key themes raised during a recent conference attended by several IREX employees at American University on Engaging Marginalized Populations in Post-Conflict Peace Building. 

If you would like to view Secretary Clinton’s full speech before Wednesday you can access it here: http://lgbtweekly.com/2011/12/06/hillary-clinton-%E2%80%9Cfree-and-equal-in-dignity-and-rights%E2%80%9D/

In addition to the video, here are some suggested readings that you may want to look at before Wednesday, as they will inform our discussion:

An Atlantic article “The Challenge of Promoting Gay Rights in Africa”, written in response to Secretary Clinton’s speech, accessible here:  http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/12/the-challenge-of-promoting-gay-rights-in-africa/249749/

In the Human Rights Watch report entitled “Together Apart: Organizing Around Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Worldwide,” please read the Introduction (pg. 1-6). It is accessible via this link: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/lgbt0509web.pdf

Also take a look at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report entitled “Discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.” Accessible here: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/19session/A.HRC.19.41_English.pdf

We look forward to having a productive and lively discussion on Wednesday.

Michelle L. Paison • Development Coordinator •  Development Division •  International Research & Exchanges Board

2121 K St, NW Suite 700, Washington, DC 20037 | 202.628.8188 x174 | mpaison@irex.org  | Make a Better World: www.irex.org/donate