Examples how the human rights of gay people are violated
Around a third of countries in the world explicitly criminalise LGBT people in some form. While this achieved in a variety of ways, and enforced to varying degrees, wherever these laws exist they have a profoundly negative effect on the LGBT community.
How are LGBT people criminalised?
Laws which criminalise LGBT people are invariably framed in a way which criminalises sexual acts rather than identities. The specific framing of criminalising provisions varies from country to country, though common formulations include ‘sodomy’, ‘buggery’, ‘indecency’, ‘unnatural acts’, ‘homosexuality’, ‘lesbianism’, and ‘cross-dressing’.
In many cases, criminalising provisions are vaguely worded and unclear in scope, allowing a big margin of interpretation by law enforcement officers and judges, who are enabled to introduce their hold prejudices when enforcing the law. Additionally, the being alive of these provisions encourages police officers to operate beyond the exact letter of the law, and arrest, charge, and prosecute people based upon their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender self even where no prohibited act has been dedicated or can be proven.
In some countries, law enfo
The human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual person, transgender, queer, 2-spirit and intersex persons
Canada stands up for the protection and promotion of the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual person, transgender, queer, 2-spirit and intersex (LGBTQ2I) people globally.
The human rights of all persons are universal and indivisible. Everyone should enjoy the same fundamental human rights, regardless of their sexual orientation and their gender identity and expression.
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that “all human beings are born free and equivalent in dignity and rights.” Article 2 declares, “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration.” All people, including LGBTQ2I individuals, are entitled to like the protection provided by international human rights law, which is based on equality and non-discrimination.
Nearly 30 countries, including Canada, recognize homosexual marriage. By contrast, more than 70 countries still criminalize consensual same-sex actions. This includes 6 countries that effectively impose the death penalty on consensual same-sex sexual acts. In 6 other countries, the death penalt
Overview
Around the world, people are under attack for who they are.
Living as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual or intersex (LGBTI) person can be life-threatening in a number of countries across the globe. For those who do not live with a daily immediate risk to their life, discrimination on the basis of one’s sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression and sex characteristics, can have a devastating effect on physical, mental and emotional well-being for those forced to endure it.
Discrimination and violence against LGBTI people can approach in many forms, from name-calling, bullying, harassment, and gender-based violence, to existence denied a job or appropriate healthcare. Protests to uphold the rights of LGBTI people also deal with suppression across the globe.
The range of unequal treatment faced is extensive and damaging and could be based on:
- your sexual orientation (who you’re attracted to)
- gender identity (how you self-identify, irrespective of the sex assigned at birth)
- gender expression (how you express your gender, for example through your clothing, hair or mannerisms),
- sex characteristics (for example, your genitals, chromosomes, reproductive
LGBTQ Rights
Know your rights Back to Understand Your Rights main page
The legal landscape for LGBTQ people is constantly evolving. If you think you have been discriminated against and would like our assistance, please visit our Report LGBTQ and HIV Discrimination Page and we can help you figure out whether you are protected under federal or state laws.
Can an employer discriminate against me because of my sexual orientation or gender identity?
Your rights
Employers with 15 or more employees are prohibited by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Behave from discriminating on the basis of sex, and the U.S. Supreme Court held in 2020 (Bostock v. Clayton County), that firing someone on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is sex discrimination. In addition, many states and cities have laws banning this kind of discrimination, and some of those laws apply to smaller employers.
If you believe that your rights have been violated
If you think that you have experienced discrimination at work, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), or with your state human rights enforcement agency where applicable. Try
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STUDY GUIDE:
Sexual Orientation and Human Rights
Copyright © Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) 2003. All rights reserved.Introduction
Rights at Stake
International and Regional Instruments of Protection
National Protection and Service Agencies
Advocacy, Educational and Training Materials
Other Resources
IntroductionWhat is sexual orientation?
Sexual orientation is an enduring emotional, love-related, sexual or affectional attraction to another person. It can be distinguished from other aspects of sexuality including hereditary sex, gender culture (the psychological instinct of being male or female) and the social gender role (adherence to cultural norms for feminine and masculine behavior).Sexual orientation exists along a continuum that ranges from exclusive homosexuality to exclusive heterosexuality and includes various forms of bisexuality. Bisexual persons can experience sexual, passionate and affectional attraction to both their own sex and the opposite sex. Persons with a homosexual orientation