Global Equality Today (September 2023)

Happy Autumn! (Almost)

True, neither the calendar nor the temperatures in D.C. quite reflect that fall is upon us. But we’re already diving into what will certainly be a very busy season here in Washington. CGE and its 35 member organizations are hard at work engaging our partners in the Administration and on Capitol Hill to ensure that U.S. foreign policy consistently and comprehensively promotes LGBTQI+ human rights around the world.

There are plenty of challenges in front of us, from the possibility of a government shutdown, the PEPFAR reauthorization stalemate, and the distractions of the 2024 election cycle to a flood of viciously anti-LGBTQI+ legislative efforts, not only here in the United States but in dozens of other countries as well.

But we are not approaching our mission from a defensive posture, no matter how well-organized the movement to roll back the human rights of LGBTQI+ people — and democracy and civil society at large — might be. Instead, with sixteen months to go in this first Biden Administration, we are focused on institutionalizing our victories and expanding our pro-human rights agenda:

• Alongside HRC, we are working with our Hill allies calling for the President’s Budget request to include $40 million for the State Department’s Global Equality Fund (GEF) and $30 million for USAID’s Inclusive Development Hub’s Protection of LGBTQI+ Persons in the FY2025 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bills. We are also partnering with numerous allies in the HIV and SRHR (sexual and reproductive health and rights) movements to pass a clean PEPFAR reauthorization, even in the face of unprecedented attacks from the anti-abortion movement.

• CGE — in collaboration with Rainbow Railroad, ORAM, Immigration Equality, and IRAP, all CGE members — is working with the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to ensure that the Biden Administration’s direct referral and private sponsorship mechanisms for refugees are both fully LGBTQI+-inclusive and fully operational. This includes promoting Rainbow Railroad’s referrals to  the new Welcome Corps program that will allow local groups to sponsor LGBTQI+ refugees to bring them to safety in the United States. (You can read more in our World Refugee Day blog.)

• We are excited by USAID’s release of its revised and expanded LGBTQI+ Inclusive Development Policy, and we are looking forward to collaborating with USAID’s Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator, Jay Gilliam, and his team to make sure that LGBTQI+ concerns are truly incorporated throughout the Agency’s work. To that end, we’ve added meetings with USAID’s regional and thematic bureaus to our annual meetings with State’s regional bureaus. And we are supporting the development of a new accountability mechanism at USAID to ensure that any violations of this groundbreaking new policy — or any other USAID policies ­— are reported and addressed at the local level.  

• We are working hard with Ugandan activists on the ground and with a global solidarity coalition organizing to overturn the horrific Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) assented to by President Museveni in May. The law has a genocidal intent and is already being implemented to disastrous effect. We are simultaneously working with regional colleagues to prevent the passage of similar anti-LGBTQI+ bills in other African countries, including Ghana and Kenya. Likewise, we are monitoring the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, where anti-LGBTQI+ legislation is pending and attacks on the LGBTQI+ communities are escalating, notably in Lebanon and Iraq.

• As part of our work fighting the AHA in Uganda, CGE met with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to call for the suspension of Uganda from AGOA, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which provides preferential trade benefits for qualifying countries. The AHA — the most draconian anti-LGBTQI+ law in the world — clearly contravenes the human rights requirements of the program, as well as the goals and ideals that animate the AGOA trade framework. CGE also has submitted public comments on Uganda, Kenya, and Ghana — in the latter two cases, with the goal of building pressure to scrap proposed anti-LGBTQI+ laws there — and will continue to work with our partners in the Administration and on the Hill to use U.S. trade policy as a tool to promote human rights.

CGE Co-Chairs Julie Dorf and Mark Bromley with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, center.

• We will continue to work with U.S., European, and Central Asian partners to push Uzbekistan for full decriminalization of homosexuality and the immediate end to the pervasive human rights violations committed against Uzbekistan’s LGBTQI+ community by state and non-state actors. This spring and summer, CGE and its partners have been meeting regularly with Congressional partners to promote this priority and to oppose rewarding Tashkent with normal trade relations without improving its human rights record. As Senators Murphy and Young introduce legislation to repeal Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions on Uzbekistan and its neighbors, we call on Congress and the Administration to ensure that human rights standards — including the decriminalization of homosexuality — are part of the trade normalization process.

Looking over the last few months, our work has included…

• CGE released an updated and expanded edition of Accessing U.S. Embassies: A Guide for LGBTQI+ Human Rights Defenders, our resource for helping international partners understand and access U.S. embassies and missions and build and maintain productive working relationships with U.S. diplomatic and development staff in around the world. This guide, released in English in June, will soon be available in Spanish, French, and Arabic as well.

• In May, CGE Co-Chair Mark Bromley attended the inaugural meeting of the P7 (for “Pride7”) that brought together LGBTQI+ advocates from the world’s leading industrial democracies to lobby the G7 alliance to promote LGBTQI+ human rights. The P7 meeting, ahead of the full G7 summit in Hiroshima, helped win support for passage of Japan’s first-ever LGBTQI+ rights legislation (as incomplete as the law may be) as well as lay the groundwork for the P7 becoming an officially recognized civil society engagement group attached to the G7.

CGE Co-Chair Mark Bromley joins other advocates at the inaugural meeting of the P7 in Tokyo

• At a June reception, CGE honored former Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) with our Global Equality Award shortly after he left Congress to lead the Rhode Island Foundation. We had the opportunity to talk with Rep. Cicilline about his leadership with the Congressional Equality Caucus and the Foreign Affairs Committee, the progress we’ve made during his dozen years in Congress, and the opportunities we see and the challenges we’re facing. Additionally, Ambassador Ursu Viorel of Moldova spoke powerfully about being the first openly LGBTQI+ Ambassador from a former Soviet republic and his country’s fundamental commitment to democracy and human rights — even as Russia wages war next door in Ukraine.

Top: former Rep. David Cicilline accepts the Global Equality Award

Bottom: Amb. Ursu Viorel of Moldova speaks to the reception

• In May, we spoke with Alexander Voronov, Executive Director of Coming Out, an NGO that provides legal, psychological, and other direct services to Russia’s LGBTQI+ community. Alex spoke about Coming Out’s continuing work, even in the face of the worsening crackdown on dissent in Putin’s Russia following the invasion of Ukraine — a crackdown that forced him to leave the country and function from exile.

• For IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia, we welcomed the U.S. government’s rollout of its Interagency Action Plan dedicated to ending so-called “conversion therapy” (CTP) practices around the world. With this plan, the U.S. government has committed itself to the numerous partnerships necessary to stop these abusive practices. This includes working with LGBTQI+ community groups around the world; with like-minded allies and other partner governments; and with faith leaders, educators, professional associations, and other civil society networks. The U.S. government also plans to work to end CTPs at various multilateral fora, including the development banks and international institutions to which the United States is a party, to ensure that no financial or programmatic support, direct or otherwise, goes towards CTPs.

• For Pride in June — knowing how easy it is to focus on the backlash and the battles we’re fighting — we published a list of 23 recent victories in the movement for LGBTQI+ justice and human rights. We also reiterated how Pride marches are both expressions of fundamental rights to democratic participation and tools for promoting inclusivity, visibility, and acceptance. CGE staff also attended the annual State Department and USAID Pride receptions, meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Administrator Samantha Power, respectively.

Co-Chair Julie Dorf and CGE member leaders meet with Secretary of State Blinken, left

• Additionally, at the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, CGE promotes accountability and investments that support LGBTQI+-inclusive development. CGE staff helped organize several World Bank meetings over the summer that ultimately led to the freezing of new investments in Uganda following the adoption of the AHA.

A Conversation with David Cicilline, Global Equality Champion

Through his dozen years in Congress, Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) has been a steadfast champion for LGBTQI+ human rights through his leadership on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and within the Congressional Equality Caucus. Now, as Congressman Cicilline steps away from Congress to lead the Rhode Island Foundation, CGE has recognized his legacy by honoring him with our Global Equality Award at a reception last week.

Rep. Cicilline has been an unwavering human rights advocate for LGBTQI+ people at home and around the world, both when we’ve had the political winds at our back and when they’ve come at us headfirst, as we see in the House of Representatives today. Since his first days in Congress in 2011, he deftly used the levers of power to stand up for LGBTQI+ people. He and his outstanding staff worked closely with CGE on letters to foreign leaders, on critical legislation for our communities such as the Global Respect Act and the Equality Act, and particularly on appropriations for our nation’s global LGBTQI+ funding programs.

Last year, in one of our greatest successes, in collaboration with his office and with HRC, we together managed to double the amount of foreign assistance to LGBTQI+ people around the world – getting $50 million in the omnibus budget bill. 

We also thank Congressman Cicilline for taking a few minutes to talk with us about his work for global LGBTQI+ human rights.

Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA, left) and former Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI, right)

What does receiving the Global Equality Award mean to you? 

It’s a great honor — to be one of only three recipients, and to stand in the company of Tammy Baldwin, Samantha Power, and Susan Rice, it’s really humbling and affirming. I’ve been an admirer of the Council’s efforts for many years, but really came to understand the power and import of its work around the world during my time in Congress. I’m so glad to have been a part of supporting that work and hope to continue to do so. 

How did you become interested in global LGBTQI+ human rights?  

As a member of the LGBTQI+ community, an attorney, and former lawmaker, it has always been important to me to use the influence that I have to ensure that those in power use their diplomatic, political, and economic leverage to oppose human rights abuses and to support the people and organizations that are helping to support free and vibrant civil society around the world. I have always believed in equality. It’s a profoundly American idea and a founding principle of our great country. And it is our responsibility to share that sentiment — and more importantly, the actions that align with it — in all our efforts. 

How has supporting an LGBTQI+-affirming human rights policy changed since you first came to Washington, DC?  

The ranks have grown, and at the same time our work has becoming more challenging in many ways.  

Here’s what I mean: When I was first elected to Congress, 12 years ago, there were just three of us who were members of the LGBTQI+ community. Since then, we’ve grown to 10 colleagues in the House and two in the Senate. We know that when a member of our community is elected or appointed to any office, we understand the responsibility to represent the constituents in our district, state, or nation, but also the additional responsibility of representing our community too. 

For me, that has meant advocating for human rights and LGBTQI+ equality, both at home and abroad, as a member of the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees.  

We’ve made so much progress, but we’ve also faced the possibility of a backwards slide. There are members of Congress and people in power at all levels of government who fundamentally reject the idea that our community deserves full equality as citizens of this country.  

We have to continue to be vigilant, as we were in the wake of an alarming opinion by Justice Thomas [concurring in last year’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling striking down the right to abortion] in which he stated that he would like to revisit the Supreme Court’s case establishing marriage equality as the law of the land. I had the privilege of co-leading the introduction of the Respect for Marriage Act to ensure federal protections for married same-sex and interracial couples — which is now law.   

Are there particular accomplishments in your work to promote LGBTQI+ human rights through U.S. foreign policy that you’re especially proud of? 

It has been my honor to serve as a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and to fight to ensure that U.S. foreign policy is holding governments abroad accountable for their failure to prevent violence against LGBTQI+ individuals and for advancing explicitly anti-LGBTQI+ policies. 

I’m grateful to my colleagues in the House for passing the Global Respect Act, a bill that would help prevent international violators of LGBTQI+ human rights from entering the United States and enhance U.S. State Department tracking and reporting of violence and other human rights violations against LGBTQI+ individuals in foreign countries.  

And I’m so proud to have been part of the efforts to secure nearly $58 million in funding for the Global Equality Fund over the last four years to support efforts spearheaded by human rights defenders and civil society organizations working to protect LGBTQI+ persons from violence and abuse, criminalization, discrimination, and stigma and to empower LGBTQI+ movements and people.  

I’m also pleased to have helped to secure $50 million in funding over the last three yearsfor the Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation through USAID for protection of LGBTQI+ persons. 

As Chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, I’ve worked to defend the rights of our community in Congress. We know that despite growing acceptance of LGBTQI+ people, we continue to experience high rates of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  

That is why I have been so committed to the Equality Act, the historic legislation that passed the House twice and that explicitly prohibits discrimination against LGBTQI+ people in employment, housing, public accommodations, government funded programs, education, credit, and jury selection.  

I know my colleagues will stay committed to this effort — and that we will see the Equality Act become law. Our responsibility is to make sure that happens as quickly as possible. 

How do you see what’s happening for LGBTQI+ Americans to be connected to what’s happening for our counterparts all around the world?  

Around the world, and here at home — despite the growing acceptance of LGBTQI+ people, we continue to experience discrimination. We must remain vigilant — about what is taking place in the U.S., and around the world — and call out those who seek to deny us full equality. And stand shoulder to shoulder with our trans brothers and sisters who are the target of so much hate and discrimination.

Tip O’Neill famously declared that “all politics is local.” How do you see your global advocacy connecting to your work on behalf of Rhode Islanders, whether in Congress or moving forward at the Foundation? 

Rhode Island was founded on the ideals of tolerance and equality. As incomplete as those two ideals may have been during colonial times, our state has evolved and established itself as a place that values individuality, diversity, and independence. The global advocacy work that I’ve done connects directly to those ideals. And I’m so grateful to my Rhode Island neighbors, colleagues, and former constituents for the extraordinary opportunity to advocate for our community — and for equality broadly — as a member of Congress. 

Knowing that these are certainly challenging times for LGBTQI+ people in the U.S. and around the world, what gives you hope? 

A majority of voters in every single state in this nation support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQI+ people, Americans support equality. I know that sentiment extends beyond our borders, and across the world. And I know that as a community, alongside our allies, we’ll continue to make progress toward full equality. That gives me hope.  
 

House LGBT Caucus Commends Foreign Affairs Committee Approval of Bipartisan Chechnya Resolution

Washington D.C.— The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus commended the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) for passing H.Res.351, a bipartisan resolution condemning the detention, torture, and murders of gay and bisexual men in Chechnya.  H.Res.351 was introduced by LGBT Caucus founding member and former HFAC Chair Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27) on May 23rd and has 52 bipartisan cosponsors, including HFAC Chairman Rep. Ed Royce (CA-39) and Ranking Member and LGBT Caucus Member Rep. Eliot Engel (NY-16).  H.Res.351 passed in committee by a unanimous voice vote.

“This resolution demands that Russian and Chechen authorities end the violence against innocent men in Chechnya, and hold the perpetrators accountable.  The rights to personal safety, freedom of association and freedom from violence are universal values, regardless of a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion, or any other characteristic,” said LGBT Equality Caucus Co-Chair Rep. David Cicilline (RI-01).  “I commend Rep. Ros-Lehtinen for introducing this resolution and for her ongoing leadership on LGBT equality.  I also thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for making passage of this resolution a priority and their dedication to ending this horrible situation in Chechnya.  We hope that Speaker Ryan will call a floor vote on this resolution and show the world that the United States is still a leader on human rights for all.”

Since early March, Chechen law enforcement officials have arrested and detained over 100 gay men in prisons, with reports of torture and starvation. Initial reports and confirmation by human rights organizations confirmed three deaths, with up to 20 deaths now reported. Both the U.S. State Department and US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley have condemned the reports. On April 7th, 2017, Rep. Cicilline and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) led a bipartisan letter signed by 50 members of Congress calling on Secretary of State Tillerson to condemn the violence during his trip to Russia.

Please contact Roddy Flynn at 202-257-8416 or roddy.flynn@mail.house.gov with press inquiries.

The mission of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus is to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality. The bi-partisan LGBT Equality Caucus is strongly committed to achieving the full enjoyment of human rights for LGBT people in the U.S. and around the world. By serving as a resource for Members of Congress, their staff, and the public on LGBT issues, the Caucus works toward the extension of equal rights, the repeal of discriminatory laws, the elimination of hate-motivated violence, and the improved health and wellbeing for all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

Ros-Lehtinen, Engel, Issa, Cicilline, Royce, and Smith Introduce Bipartisan Resolution on Violence in Chechnya

May 23, 2017

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, made the following statement after introducing bipartisan resolution, H. Res. 351, condemning the violence and persecution in Chechnya. Joining Ros-Lehtinen in introducing this resolution were U.S. Reps. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Darrell Issa (R-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Ed Royce (R-CA), and Chris Smith (R-NJ).

Click to read the full resolution

Statement by Rep. Ros-Lehtinen: “For over a month, hundreds of gay or perceived to be gay Chechens have been arrested, many have been tortured, and some even killed. This bipartisan resolution sends a clear message to Chechnya and Russia authorities and any oppressor that the U.S. will not stand idly while these human rights atrocities are being committed. The U.S. government needs to continue to speak up to help those who are being indiscriminately targeted, and we must pressure Russia to uphold its international commitment to prevent any further abuses from happening while perpetrators are brought to justice.”   

Statement by Rep. Engel: “We’ve heard chilling reports of authorities in Chechnya detaining, torturing, and even killing men from the LGBT community over the last several weeks. We are witnessing the unfolding of a horrific tragedy and it’s long past time that the Kremlin start protecting its own citizens—all of them—regardless of sexual orientation. That’s why I introduced this bipartisan resolution with my colleagues—to send a clear signal that Republicans and Democrats alike call on President Putin to respect and promote the dignity of all persons and provide safe haven for all those fleeing such horrific persecution.”

Engel Sends Bipartisan Letter to USAID Urging Funding for LGBT Rights in Central America

Press Statement from Rep. Eliot L. Engel

MARCH 12, WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Representative Eliot L. Engel, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was joined by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Richard Hanna (R-NY), David Cicilline (D-RI) and Chris Gibson (R-NY), in calling on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide funding for the protection of the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals in the Northern Triangle countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Specifically, the letter states that given the dangerous levels of crime and violence committed against LGBT individuals in these countries, existing Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) funding should be made available to LGBT human rights groups in the subregion. In Honduras alone, more than 90 LGBT people were killed between 2009 and 2012, and many others were victims of violence and harassment.

“As former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, ‘Gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights.’ As we ramp up our country’s investment in Central America, we need to protect the subregion’s most vulnerable populations. This means protecting the basic human rights of LGBT individuals and ensuring that citizens of these countries are not killed or assaulted just because of who they are,” said Engel.

Read the letter here

Tammy Baldwin, Susan Collins, David Cicilline and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Pen Op-Ed “Human Rights Issues Pollute Olympic Spirit”

Repost from USA Today

Host countries should promote tolerance. IOC failed on this principle in picking Russia.

On Friday, the world will come together to open the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia — a celebration of hard work and fair play, social responsibility, and international friendship. Every two years, the Olympic Games bring the world together, regardless of political ideology, to compete in feats of endurance, strength and sportsmanship. The issues that often divide our world seem to be suspended or even temporarily disappear during the Olympics. And instead of focusing on our differences, we come together as a global community to focus on what we have in common and our shared appreciation for our athletes and the games.

Although some individuals or groups have threatened to use the Games as an opportunity to wreak violence, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) continues to organize the Games to promote peace through sport — diplomacy through fierce, but friendly competition. In many ways, the IOC has been successful in its mission, as stated in the Olympic Charter, “to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind.”

The Olympic Games are unparalleled in their ability to bring together people of diverse cultures and backgrounds, and to promote tolerance and acceptance of these differences. Fundamental Principle Six of the Olympic Charter explicitly prohibits “(a)ny form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise.” This principle reflects the basic human right of equality before the law — the idea that everyone enjoys the same basic human rights free of discrimination. Continue Reading

Sixty-two Members of Congress Call on the Ukrainian Parliament to Reject Anti-LGBT Legislation

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Joe Crowley (NY-14) and David Cicilline (RI-1) led a bipartisan letter to the Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament expressing their concerns about draft Ukrainian laws that violate the fundamental human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies – specifically the freedoms of assembly and expression.

Currently two discriminatory bills are pending in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s Parliament. The bills prohibit “propaganda of same-sex sexual relations.”  If passed, the bills would ban sending out positive messages about being gay, whether through materials, the media or public gatherings like parades.  For example, the bills could restrict access to accurate information about HIV and AIDS.  Violators would face fines and up to six years in prison.

“Ukraine in recent decades has made significant strides and commitments to human rights, but these bills threaten to create an environment that condones state-sanctioned discrimination against LGBT people,” said Rep. Eric Swalwell.  “This is a clear violation of the fundamental freedoms that both of our countries respect and I urge the parliament to reject both of these bills.”

“These proposals are a chilling threat to not only the LGBT community, but all Ukrainian citizens who deserve to live in a society where the fundamental rights of speech, expression, peaceful assembly and equality are protected,” said Rep. Joe Crowley.

“As a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, I am deeply disappointed to see some elements of the Ukrainian government supporting discrimination against members of the LGBT community,” said Rep. David Cicilline.  “We should never excuse these sorts of regressive proposals, and I look forward to working further to ensure that human rights are fully embraced across the world.”

“The LGBT community in Ukraine has seen a significant increase in targeted violence since the introductions of these bills. With homophobia on the rise in Ukraine, it’s crucial that the legislature protects the rights and freedoms of all its citizens,” said Julie Dorf, Senior Advisor at the Council for Global Equality.

Click here to read the letter

Committee on Foreign Affairs of the U.S. Congress adopts LGBT provision

July 20, 2001—The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the U.S. Congress adopted an amendment late on Thursday calling on “the Secretary of State to discourage foreign governments from condoning murder and other forms of physical violence that is directed against individuals because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”  The amendment was offered to the Foreign Relations Authorization bill by David Cicilline (D-RI), the openly gay former Mayor of Providence, who introduced it after two other more detailed LGBT amendments were rejected by the Committee along largely party line votes.

The two defeated amendments were offered by Cicilline and the Committee’s ranking Democrat, Howard Berman (D-CA).  Those provisions were rejected by Republicans, with the exception of the Chairman of the Committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), who broke with her party to support the LGBT language.  The debate was contentious, but after several procedural battles, a watered-down Cicilline amendment was adopted by voice vote.

The larger bill has some highly partisan provisions, including one that would reinstate the so-called “global gag rule” to prohibit funding for international reproductive health groups that provide abortion-related information, referrals or services overseas.  As such, it is not expected to pass both houses of Congress in its current form.

The newly adopted LGBT provision in the House bill sets a very low bar for international engagement, but the Council is pleased that it was supported by Republicans, including vocal support from the Republican Chairman, and that the Secretary of State has already committed to engage on these issues as important human rights priorities internationally.