Broad Initiative Would Ban Discrimination for Sexual Orientation
European Union governments should vote in favor of a proposed directive providing protection from discrimination on a broad range of grounds including sexual orientation, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to leaders of all 27 member states. European Union law presently bans discrimination based on sexual [...]

Tags: EU, LGBT

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A local court in Istanbul ordered the closure of the Turkish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender solidarity organization, Lambda Istanbul. The court ruled on 29 May in favour of a complaint by the Istanbul Governor’s Office that Lambda Istanbul’s objectives were against Turkish “moral values and family structure”. An appeal challenging this ruling is currently [...]

Tags: LGBT, Turkey

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Censorship, Silence Around HIV/AIDS Can Kill
The arrest of three sexual rights activists during a peaceful demonstration to raise awareness about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues shows the Ugandan government’s determination to enforce silence around sexuality and HIV/AIDS, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to Minister of Justice and Attorney General Edward Kiddu [...]

Tags: LGBT, Uganda

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States Condemn Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
The General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) has unanimously adopted a resolution condemning human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, taking a crucial step to end the silence around violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the [...]

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The Gay Pride march in Riga on Saturday (31 May) may have passed largely without incident, but elsewhere in Europe, the right of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people to claim their rights and celebrate their identity is under threat.
Hundreds of people, including Amnesty International activists from 30 countries, joined the celebratory Riga Pride [...]

Tags: Latvia, LGBT, Russia, Turkey

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Human Rights Group Ordered Closed on Procedural Grounds
A Turkish court’s decision to disband a human rights organization defending lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people shows that official repression poses a serious threat to democratic rights and freedom of association, Human Rights Watch said today.
Link to hrw.org

Tags: LGBT, Turkey

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Amnesty International activists from around 30 countries gathering in Latvia to join Riga Pride 2008 in solidarity with the Mozaika alliance of LGBT people and other LGBT people in Riga, in Latvia and in the Baltic states.
Link to amnesty.org

Tags: Latvia, LGBT, Video

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A Latvian organization for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, called Mozaika, is planning to hold a Gay Pride event in the centre of Latvia’s capital, Riga on 31 May.
When similar events were organized in 2005 and 2006, they were either banned or inadequately protected against attacks from homophobic counter-protestors.
In 2007, [...]

Tags: Latvia, LGBT

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EU Should Insist on Reforms to Counter Persisting Inequality and Abuses
Turkey should urgently change law and policy to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people from extensive harassment and brutality on the streets, in homes, and in state-run institutions, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. Human Rights Watch also called [...]

Tags: LGBT, Turkey

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International Day Against Homophobia Highlights Dangers of Bias
The president of Poland, the leader of Uganda, and the UK Home Office are making prejudicial policies and public statements that deny people’s dignity and endanger their lives, Human Rights Watch said today in its annual “Hall of Shame” to mark the International Day Against Homophobia.
Link to hrw.org

Tags: LGBT, Poland, Uganda, UK

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