HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best wishes to you, your family, and the other special people in your life as many people around the world celebrate in the next few days. Regardless of your religious affiliation (or lack thereof), may we all wish for a renewed sense of hope for LGTB people in the coming year.

SEE YOU AFTER THE HOLIDAYS!!!

Student Escapes Oppression in Malaysia

It is good to read a story of someone successfully leaving behind oppression and bigotry, even though it is sad when people have to leave the country of their birth to do it.

READ STORY HERE

It is wonderful that nations like Ireland afford a place for non heterosexual people from oppressive countries.

The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland can be contacted with CONGRATLATIONS on their government's policies here:

POST A SUPPORTIVE COMMENT

The push for gay rights in Africa

The fight for lgbt human rights in Africa is lagging.

BBC Story Here

Support the LGTB Community in Russia

The international community is standing with Russian lgtb people in the face of blatant discrimination and persecution.

More Information Here

Show the U.N. you are supportive of the effort to protest these actions. Send a LETTER ---yes a good old fashioned letter---to:

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Plan a House Party!!!!

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission needs all the help it can get in spreading the world for human rights. You can host a gathering of friends, neighbors, and members of your community.

FIND MORE INFORMATION HERE

CONNECT!!!!!!!

The best way to build a movement to eradicate the threatened imprisonment and execution of lgtb people across the globe is for people to connect with each other to affect change. If you are in a country where legal lgtb persecution is the law or in a country with greater freedoms, please take an opportunity to connect with others.

Email: emadison2011@gmail.com with your name (if you can give it) and your contact information (mail or email).

You will be matched with a person from around the globe with which to correspond.

Why do this?

* Build international relationships to further lgtb rights.
* Understand the issues facing lgtb people around the globe.
* Learn how we can help each other in our local struggles and challenges.
* Foster multicultural relationships within our global lgtb community.

SIGN UP TODAY!!!

The Catholic Crusade Against LGTB People Worldwide

The Roman Catholic Church is one of the most influential non-governmental bodies in the world. And its views of lgtb people is a major obstacle for those striving to uphold the humanity of lgtb people. The Catholic Church claims that it is dedicated to the "dignity" and "respect" of non-heterosexual people, but the doctrine that it espouses contradicts that fact. In essence, the Catholic Church proclaims to the world that:

* LGTB people are inherently broken and "defective" human beings in terms of their sexuality, a prime component of a person's existence.
* Being LGTB people is something to be ashamed of and remorseful about in all ways. In 2006, the U.S. Catholic bishops even advised gay Catholics to not even tell people in their parishes that they were gay.
* Gay and lesbian people are a threat to families and children.
* Gay people are not entitled to close, intimate relationships that non-heterosexual people take for granted.
* Gay people are "the other"--- not fully "normal".

This type of dogma not only causes significant damage to the self esteem of lgbt people worldwide, but also is the foundation to justify many types of discrimination and harrassment. People have the right to their religious beliefs, but when their religious beliefs negatively impact other members of the community it is inherently just to oppose them.

Contact the Catholic bishop in your area and let them know that you oppose the Catholic Church's anti-gay agenda.

FIND YOUR AREA BISHOP HERE

Support LGTB People Worldwide

We are naturally drawn to events and people close to home. And with the rampant amount of homphobia and heterosexism in the United States it is not too difficult to be consumed with issues in the U.S. However, it is critical to view the progress of lgtb rights in a larger, international context. Historically, human rights progress has gained momentum as nation by nation, region by region, humanity has enlarged its concern for the lives of others in areas of ethnicity, religion, and gender. It will be the same for sexual orientation.

Gay couples marrying in New York or Iowa cannot consider themselves distinct and not connected to those in the Middle East or Africa who face imprisonment or death based on their sexual orientation or same sex relationships. Those who oppose the full equality of lgtb people (especially those whose bigotry is based on religion) see themselves as engaged in a world wide struggle. We can believe no less. It is time to educate and engage.

One thing you can do is support the work of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association. Join now!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Secretary of State Clinton: PROTECT LGTB RIGHTS!

U.S. Secretary of State Clinton urges U.N. to protect lgtb people worldwide!

READ HERE

A Correct Use of American Influence--Foreign Aid

The Obama administration is using American influence to assist lgtb people facing persecution around the world. American power and influence in the world can be used for good--- protecting human rights and advancing equality.

READ THE GREAT NEWS HERE

Show your support for this important White House initiative! There are various ways to contact the White House.

WHITE CONTACT OPTIONS

New Belgium Prime Minister is gay!

It is good to see in some places in this world ability and character are more important than sexual orientation.

READ HERE

Support the UN!

It has been almost 6 months since the United Nations passed a historic resolution defending the humanity and rights of lgtb people throughout the world.

SEE STORY HERE
Tell the U.N. that you want this historic resolution to be backed up with action. Direct your emails to:
Navanethem Pillay
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights
InfoDesk@ohchr.org

Nothing has changed...six years later

Though Iran rushed to charge that the two teenagers were perpetrators of the rape of a young boy, most international observers believe that these two young men were hanged in 2005 for being in a non-heterosexual relationship. LGTB people the world over face state sanctioned violence, either in official forms or unofficial acceptance.

Gay marriage is a wonderful goal. But we can't forget many of those in our community would be happy with gay survival.

All My Bones Shake

“…My heart is broken within me, all my bones shake…”
-Jeremiah 23:9

This verse from the Bible is an apt description of the pain felt by many lgtb people throughout the world. Full equality for lgtb people will not be realized without the active support of people of faith who stand against injustice.

Anyone who is a part of a denomination that has not spoken against the imprisonment or detention of lgtb people needs to contact their denomination’s central governing board to ask that this step by taken.

The National Council of Churches is a respected organization that forges connections between many denominations in the United States. Here is information on the organization.

Information Here

Please contact the group's head, The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon (General Secretary)at
mkinnamon@ncccusa.org to encourage the group to speak out against the oppression of lgtb people worldwide.

Also, if you are a part of any of the group's member denominations, contact your denomination as well. The member denominations are:

African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Alliance of Baptists
American Baptist Churches in the USA
Apostolic Catholic Church
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Church of the Brethren
Community of Christ
The Coptic Orthodox Church in North America
The Episcopal Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Friends United Meeting
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Hungarian Reformed Church in America
International Council of Community Churches
Korean Presbyterian Church in America
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
Mar Thoma Church
Moravian Church in America Northern Province and Southern Province
National Baptist Convention of America
National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
Orthodox Church in America
Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Polish National Catholic Church of America
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.
Reformed Church in America
Serbian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. and Canada
The Swedenborgian Church
Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America
United Church of Christ
United Methodist Church

Anti-Family Adoption Policy in Columbia

Children need loving parents, heterosexual or homosexual. A person should not have to announce their sexual orientation before adoption like it was some type of communicable disease from which children need to be shielded.

CLICK HERE

Update on Iran

Repression continues in Iran. In a country where the nation's president declares there are "no homosexuals" in the country, lgtb people lead perilous lives.

CLICK HERE

Time to Act: Nigeria

The bill passed by the Nigerian Senate is one of the most repulsive in recent times.

Read part of the article by Christian Purefoy and Faith Karimi of CNN:


"It would place a wide range of people at risk of criminal sanctions, including human rights defenders and anyone else -- including friends, families and colleagues -- who stands up for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people in Nigeria," Amnesty International said in a statement.

The bill passed Tuesday comes nearly a month after British prime minister, David Cameron, threatened to withhold aid from nations violating gays rights, sparking outrage in Africa where leaders interpreted it as "colonial" display of power.

Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries based on remnants of sodomy laws introduced during the British colonial era and perpetuated by cultural beliefs.

Punishments across the continent range from fines to years in prison.


Act now! Contact

Johnnie Carson
Assistant Secretary
Bureau of African Affairs
U.S. Department of State
202-647-4000

John Kerry
Chairman
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Washington D.C. 20510
202-224-2742

Richard Lugar
Ranking Minority Member
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
202-224-4814

THE WORLD IS WAITING

Caught in our own struggle for marriage equality in the United States, it is relatively easy to forget that in some parts of the world there are still heinous legal consequences for being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered. LGBT communities across the globe are still parochial in outlook, concerned with struggles on a local or national level rather than the common struggles across the globe. This type of focus is understandable given the adversity and challenges we face from day to day. But it is imperative that we see our quest for full equality, and the valuing of our humanity, as interconnected with other LGBT people we will never know or meet. SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE, has to say SOMETHING. It might as well be you.

Where We are Persecuted

Countries where homosexuality is illegal:
(F) Denotes countries where its legal for females.

AFRICAN COUNTRIES:

ALGERIA
ANGOLA
BOTSWANA
BURUNDI
EGYPT
LIBYA
MOROCCO
SUDAN
TUNISIA
NAMIBIA
GAMBIA
GUINEA
MAURITANIA
SENEGAL
TOGO
SAO TOME & PRINCIPE
COMOROS
DJIBOUTI
ERITREA
ETHIOPIA
MOZAMBIQUE
SOMALIA
UGANDA
TANZANIA
LIBERIA
SIERRA LEONE(F)
LESOTHO(F)
SWAZILAND(F)
GHANA(F)
NIGERIA(F)
KENYA(F)
MALAWI(F)
MAURITIUS(F)
SEYCHELLES(F)
ZIMBABWE(F)
ZAMBIA(F)

CARRIBEAN ISLANDS:

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA
BARBADOS
DOMINICA
ST VINCENT & GRENADINES
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
GRANADA(F)
JAMAICA(F)
SAINT KITTS & NEVIS(F)
SAINT LUCIA(F)

MIDDLE EAST:

KUWAIT
LEBANON
OMAN
QATAR
SAUDI ARABIAI
SYRIA
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
IRAN
YEMEN
BAHRAIN
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES(GAZA) (F)

ASIA/PACIFIC:

AFGHANISTAN
BANGLADESH
BHUTAN
MALDIVES
PAKISTAN
SRI LANKA
PAPAU NEW GUINEA
SOLOMON ISLANDS
BRUNEI
BURMA
MALAYSIA
WESTERN SAMOA
UZBEKISTAN
KIRIBATI(F)
NAURU(F)
PALAU(F)
COOK ISLANDS(F)
TONGA(F)
TURKMENISTAN(F)
TUVALU(F)
SINGAPORE(F)

SOUTH AMERICA:

GUYANA(F)

CENTRAL AMERICA:

BELIZE(F)

Our Rights

•The right to be free of imprisonment of imprisonment, detention, or banishment because of sexual orientation or gender identity.

•The right to be free of imprisonment for involvement in same sex relationships.

•The right to live free of violence, intimidation or threat of violence.

•The right to live free of verbal harassment, bullying, or hateful speech.

•The right to live a life of honesty and openness in regards to sexual orientation and relationships.

*The right to not be discriminated against in housing.

•The right to not be discriminated against in employment.

•The right to not be discriminated against in educational settings.

•The right to not be discriminated against in medical care.

•The right to not be discriminated against by civilian police authorities.

•The right to defend one’s nation in the armed services as any other member of society.

•The right to assemble,organize, and form associations.

•The right to vote, be a candidate for public office, and hold public office.

•The right to not have one’s life disrupted by the religious based bigotry of others.

•The right to not be censored in the art, the culture, and in the media.

•The right to have monogamous, two person relationships recognized by the state.

•The right to have same sex families with children recognized as family units by the state.

•The right of inheritance for the surviving partner of a former couple.

•The right of international recognition of marriages performed by different nations.