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U.S. provides support to LGBTQ groups in Ukraine, surrounding countries

Special envoy in regular contact with activists, groups

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Jessica Stern, the special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad, spoke with the Washington Blade on March 18 about Russia's invasion in Ukraine and its impact on the country's LGBTQ community. (Photo courtesy of OutRight Action International)

The special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad on Friday said she and her office continue to provide support to advocacy groups in Ukraine and in countries that border it.

Jessica Stern told the Washington Blade during a telephone interview that she has held “multiple roundtables” with Ukrainian activists and organizations “to make sure that my office and I both have the relationships and then getting information directly from people on the frontlines.” Stern also noted she has also spoken with LGBTQ rights organizations in Poland, Hungary and other countries that “would be receiving LGBTQI Ukrainian refugees” and regional and international groups “that are closely monitoring and supporting LGBTQI Ukrainians in this incredibly difficult time.”

“The first and most important thing that the U.S. has been doing has been establishing contact with people who are advocating for and servicing LGBTQI Ukrainians, and then in all instances, trying to find ways to support them,” said Stern. “One of the things that’s been really important has been to identify the sort of patterns of human rights abuses, violations and vulnerability that they’re tracking that we need to be aware of.”

Stern said the State Department has “activated” its grant mechanisms to provide financial support to LGBTQ organizations in Ukraine and in surrounding countries.

“One of the things we’ve been focused on has been ensuring that LGBTQI Ukrainian organizations and LGBTQI organizations in the surrounding countries have the financial resources to provide emergency support to this population that finds itself facing double and triple discrimination,” she said.

Stern told the Blade a “top priority” is to ensure that humanitarian assistance to Ukraine “is distributed without discrimination.”

“One of the message that my office has been conveying and with working with others at the State Department to convey is that LGBTQI Ukrainian refugees are at heightened risk and that they should be supported and that anyone providing humanitarian assistance should actually be on the watch for instances of discrimination or violence they may be subjected to.”

Stern said her office has not received “too many stories of (discrimination) incidents, but we have to been able to sound the alarm.”

“The institutions and partners, we work with have been taking that seriously,” she said.

Russian airstrike kills Kharkiv activist

Stern spoke with the Blade less than a month after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

A Russian airstrike in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city that is less than 30 miles from the Russian border in the eastern part of the country, on March 1 killed Elvira Schemur, a 21-year-old law student who was a volunteer for Kharkiv Pride and Kyiv Pride. A group of “bandits” on the same day broke into the Kyiv offices of Nash Mir, an LGBTQ rights group, and attacked four activists who were inside.

“The case of Nash Mir was really horrific and really demonstrated the kind of opportunistic violence that LGBTQI persons, human rights defenders and organizations can be subject to right now by both state and non-state actors,” said Stern.

Stern told the Blade that activists have also said many transgender and gender non-conforming Ukrainians have decided to remain in the country because they cannot exempt themselves from military conscription.

“What I’ve been told is that many trans and gender non-conforming Ukrainians are sheltering in place, and even in some cases staying in places where they are at risk of being attacked by missiles and bombs and definitely in harm’s way simply because they’re concerned that they don’t have a way of being exempted from military conscription,” she said.

Stern cited the case of a trans man who tried to leave Ukraine and “in an effort to prove who he was, who he said he was, he was actually forced to remove his shirt and show his chest” at the border. Ā Ā 

“Unfortunately, that’s not the only humiliating and potentially violent incident that I’m hearing us,” she said.

Stern expressed concern about safety of gay men who are conscripted into the Ukrainian armed forces. Stern also noted “all women are at risk in times of war and conflict.”

“There’s absolutely a concern about the safety and well-being of lesbian and bisexual and trans and intersex women,” she said.

Challenges for LGBTQ Ukrainians ‘will be enormous’

Stern told the Blade the State Department is “working to provide as much support as possible for all Ukrainians that want to leave the country.”

She noted many LGBTQ activists in Ukraine with whom she spoke immediately after the invasion began said they did not want to leave. Stern acknowledged some of them have now fled the country.

“The invasion has just been so violent that even the most committed activists that people we both know have had to change their strategy,” said Stern. “So, in every instance where I’m hearing of an individual or a group that is at risk and wants to leave, we’re doing everything we can to help give them the support they need.”

“Most people do not become refugees,” she added. “You know, most people cannot leave … the global community should do everything we possibly can to affirm the human rights and provide support for Ukrainian refugees.”

President Biden shortly after he took office issued a memorandum that committed the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ rights around the world.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last November pledged his country would continue to fight discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity after he met with Biden at the White House.

Letters that Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality and Ukraine Caucuses sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the eve of the invasion noted Ukraine in recent years ā€œhas made great strides towards securing equality for LGBTQ people within its borders and is a regional leader in LGBTQ rights.ā€ These advances include a ban on workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and efforts to protect Pride parades.

Stern reiterated the challenges for LGBTQ people inside Ukraine “will be enormous” as the conflict drags on.

“In all war and conflict, anyone who is vulnerable and vulnerable before the conflict remains at heightened risk and even becomes at greater risk,” she said. “Where people have access to weapons and LGBTQI people are unsafe. In a context where the rule of law is weak, LGBTQI people are at risk as the Nash Mir case showed us immediately.”

“I’m very worried that discrimination and violence will rise for LGBTQI people in Ukraine,” added Stern. “I’m extremely concerned that the track record from the Russian government on these issues is a harbinger of danger for LGBTQI Ukrainians in Russian occupied parts of the country.”

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The Vatican

Pope Francis meets with transgender, intersex Catholics

Meeting took place at pontiffā€™s Vatican residence on Sunday

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Pope Francis (Photo by palinchak via Bigstock)

Pope Francis met with a group of transgender and intersex Catholics and LGBTQ allies at the Vatican on Sunday. 

During the meeting, participants shared their personal stories, urging the pope to support greater acceptance within the church and address its stance on gender-affirming care.

Sister Jeannine Gramick, one of the co-founders of New Ways Ministry, a U.S.-based Catholic organization advocating for LGBTQ people, arranged the meeting that took place at Casa Santa Marta, Francisā€™s residence in Vatican City.

The delegation that met with the pope included Nicole SantamarĆ­a, an intersex woman, Michael Sennett, a trans man, and Cynthia Herrick, a doctor who works in a gender medicine clinic. Over the course of more than an hour, they recounted to Francis their struggles with depression and suicide on their transition journey and emphasized the positive impact of gender-affirming care.Ā 

New Ways Ministry Executive Director Francis DeBernardo, who was present at the meeting, said Francis didnā€™t respond vocally so much, but, clutching his cross, looked ā€œsincerely painedā€ as he listened to people describe their hardships and ā€œnodded vigorously when they talked about how positive medical transition was for them.ā€

ā€œHe really thanked them. He was very grateful that he had this opportunity,ā€ DeBernardo said. 

The impetus for bringing the pope in direct conversation with trans and intersex people was the Vaticanā€™s release of the ā€œDignitas Infinataā€ declaration in April. While the document emphasized the need for respect and dignity for all, it also condemned gender-affirming medical care, framing it as incompatible with human dignity. 

Gramick, who had been corresponding with the pope and had met him with members of the New Ways Ministry last year, was disappointed by the declaration and proposed that he hear directly from trans and intersex Catholics about their experiences, to which he agreed. 

ā€œPart of the problem is that the Vatican documents had not consulted transgender, intersex people, or any of the medical professionals who work with them. So we were encouraging the pope to consult with people more and to view peopleā€™s stories,ā€ DeBernardo said.

The participants in the meeting had previously shared their personal testimonies with a group of two dozen Catholic bishops in the U.S. earlier this year as part of New Ways Ministryā€™s efforts to educate church leaders about the experiences of LGBTQ people and to advocate for their full acceptance. 

During the meeting, Gramick stressed to Francis that other Vatican officials must also listen to the voices of LGBTQ people. DeBernardo said the pope fully agreed with this suggestion. 

DeBernardo believes that by accepting the invitation to meet the group and listening to the experiences of trans and intersex people, Francis was deliberately setting a precedent for other church leaders to engage more meaningfully with the LGBTQ community.

In its doctrine, the Catholic Church condemns any same-sex sexual relations and rejects same-sex marriage. However, under Francis, the church has generally adopted a more inclusive tone toward LGBTQ people. The Vatican last year reversed a 2015 absolute ban on trans people serving as godparents, and approved priests to bless same-sex couples ā€” but not same-sex unions.Ā 

Two LGBTQ activists from Africa ā€” Clare Byarugaba of Chapter Four Uganda and Rightify Ghana Director Ebenezer Peegah ā€” met with Francis in August.

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World

Out in the World: LGBTQ news from Asia and Europe

11 same-sex couples applied to register marriages in South Korea

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(Los Angeles Blade graphic)

SOUTH KOREA

Eleven same-sex couples have applied to register their marriages in what the group are saying is the first step in a legal challenge for same-sex marriage rights in South Korea.Ā 

The couples had their marriage applications rejected by the local district offices, so they filed objections with the local courts. The couples allege that the current law, which bans same-sex marriage, violates their constitutional rights to equality, and the pursuit of happiness.

Among the couples pursuing the cases is Kim Yong-min and So Sung-wook, who earlier this year won a case at the Supreme Court seeking to require the government to provide health benefits to same-sex partners. The National Health Insurance Service has, however, continued to deny claims by same-sex couples in defiance of the ruling, saying that there are no clear legal standards of what constitutes a same-sex couple.

South Korea does not have any legal framework for recognizing same-sex couples, and the country lacks national-level discrimination protections for LGBTQ people. Legislators have also tended to be hostile to queer rights, with the Seoul Queer Culture Festival facing repeated bans from the city government.

The courts have also taken an inconsistent view on LGBTQ rights. In 2022, the Supreme Court severely curtailed a law that banned soldiers from having same-sex intercourse, a ruling that was overturned the following year by the Constitutional Court, a co-equal top court of South Koreaā€™s judicial system. 

CYPRUS

The Cypriot parliament began debate this week on a bill that would stiffen existing penalties for hate crimes, following a string of violent attacks on LGBTQ people on the island over the past year.

The bill would raise the maximum penalty for anti-LGBTQ hate crimes from three years to five years in prison and double the maximum fine to ā‚¬10,000 ($10,924.35.)

The bill comes after more than 10 anti-gay attacks have been reported to police on the Mediterranean island of 1 million people this year alone. 

Last month, a gay man claimed he was assaulted by a security guard outside a Limassol nightclub. 

Last year, police issued arrest warrants for five students at Limassolā€™s Technical University of Cyprus, alleging they threw smoke bombs into an on-campus event hosted by Accept-LGBTI, the countryā€™s leading queer advocacy group, then vandalized the room and assaulted a student attendee.

Separately, the government approved the drafting of the countryā€™s first National Strategy for LGBTQ people.

The strategy will be drafted by the countryā€™s human rights commissioner with representatives from the ministries of justice, education, interior, and health, as well as representatives from Accept-LGBTI and academia.

The goal of the strategy is to align Cyprusā€™s legislation with European Union directives, addressing discrimination, ensuring equality and security, and promoting an inclusive society for the LGBTQ community.

Currently, Cyprus lacks comprehensive anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people and does not have a straightforward process for transgender people to update their legal gender, both of which are increasingly norms expected of EU members. The state also does not allow same-sex marriage or adoption, although neighboring Greece legalized both earlier this year.

NETHERLANDS

The Dutch governmentā€™s statistics bureau released a report on National Coming Out Day that estimates that LGBTQ people make up approximately 18 percent of the countryā€™s population, or approximately 2.7 million people.

The estimate is drawn from a study the bureau conducted last year on safety and criminality, which also asked its 182,000 participants about their gender identity and sexual orientation.

The study found that bisexual people make up by far the largest cohort of the countryā€™s LGBTQ community, with 1.7 million people, or just over 11 percent of the population, with about 20 percent more bisexual women than men. Conversely, gay men make up about 1.8 percent of the population, while lesbians account for 0.7 percent of the population

Asexuals make up just under 2 percent of the population, while just over 1 percent identified as some other non-heterosexual orientation or said they didnā€™t yet know their sexual orientation.

About 1 percent of the population is estimated to be trans or nonbinary, just under 200,000 people. The study estimated the intersex population at about 45,000, or 0.3 percent of the population.

The study found that LGBTQ people tended to be younger and more likely to live in urban areas than the general population. It also found that the proportion of LGBTQ people born outside the Netherlands was slightly higher at 17 percent, compared to the general population, at 14 percent.

GERMANY

The German government has announced it plans to update adoption law to recognize co-maternity for lesbian couples and allow unmarried couples to adopt.

The government says the new law will recognize modern realities of adoption and procreation.

Married same-sex couples have had the right to jointly adopt since same-sex marriage became legal in Germany in 2017. However, current law still presents challenges for some couples. 

For example, when a lesbian couple conceives a child through assisted reproduction, the non-birthing parent is not automatically recognized as a parent, and must go through a legal process to adopt their own child.

The proposed law will address that issue, but it will not address male couples who conceive a child using a surrogate, as German law currently only recognizes single paternity.

The Federal Constitutional Court delivered a ruling earlier this year that opened the door to legal recognition of multi-parent families, although it gave legislators until June 2025 to figure out how that would work. The draft law, however, states that children will continue to have only two legal parents.

ā€œThe hassle of stepchild adoptions for two-mother families must be brought to an end. After all, children from rainbow families have a right to two parents from birth, and regardless of their gender,ā€ says Patrick Dƶrr, a board member of the Queer Diversity Association, Germanyā€™s largest LGBTQ advocacy group, in a statement to German newspaper DW.

The proposal would also allow more flexibility in adoptions, by allowing unmarried couples to jointly adopt. Under current law, if a couple is unmarried, only one person will be legally recognized as the adopted childā€™s parent.

The draft bill is now out for consultations with Germanyā€™s state governments.

HONG KONG

Hong Kongā€™s Court of Final Appeal heard a case seeking to establish that same-sex couples can inherit property from each other last week, the latest same-sex couplesā€™ rights case to reach the cityā€™s top court. 

Last month, the Court of Final Appeal heard a case challenging the city governmentā€™s unequal treatment of same-sex couples seeking access to social housing. Both cases come after a 2023 ruling that found the government must give legal recognition to same-sex couples by a 2025 deadline.

The inheritance case was filed in 2019 by Edgar Ng, after he learned that his husband Henry Li could not inherit his government-subsidized apartment without a will. Ng passed away in December 2020, and Li has continued the case.

The governmentā€™s attorney told the court that the city does not recognize Ng and Liā€™s overseas marriage, and that they differ from a heterosexual married couple because heterosexual couples have a legal responsibility to financially support each other. The governmentā€™s position is that the court should not address inheritance rights until the government creates a framework for registering same-sex couples, as that could give rise to inconsistencies in the law.

Liā€™s attorneys, meanwhile, contested the suggestion that the inheritance issue could be settled with a written will, arguing that most people in Hong Kong die without a written will, and that written wills can be contested, unlike a legal marriage.

The court reserved its judgment for a later date.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, was returned to China in 1997, with the understanding that it would continue to operate as an autonomous unit for 50 years.

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Nigeria

Gay couple beaten, paraded in public in Nigeria

Incident took place in Port Harcourt this week

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(Bigstock photo)

A gay couple was beaten and paraded in public this week because of their sexual orientation.

In a video clip shared by Portharcourt Specials on X, the couple who appeared half naked were being insulted and slapped on the back, with one showing trails of blood on his back. The incident took place in Rumuewhara in Port Harcourt.

Although consensual same-sex sexual relations are criminalized in Nigeria and punishable by death on some states, many Nigerians viewed the attack against the couple as distasteful, arguing rapist or pedophiles don’t face the same treatment.

“This is where you will see Nigerians very active on; on matters that donā€™t concern them because why is someoneā€™s sexual orientation your problem? We are well deserving of politicians that punish us well,” said Rinu Oduala, a human rights activist.

No Hate Network Nigeria, an LGBTQ rights organization, said the couple’s public victimization was a stark reminder of the rampant homophobia in the country.

“The brutal attack on the gay couple is appalling and unacceptable,” said the organization. “It’s a stark reminder of the rampant homophobia and intolerance in Nigeria.” 

“Such violence is often fueled by discriminatory laws, societal norms, and lack of education, this incident highlights the urgent need for increased advocacy, education, and protection for LGBTQI+ individuals,” added No Hate Network Nigeria.

No Hate Network Nigeria also highlighted the plight of LGBTQ people in the country who are constantly under attack due to current laws and cultural and religious norms.

“The LGBTQI+ community in Nigeria faces extreme risks, including violence, harassment, and persecution, the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act of 2014 exacerbates these challenges, effectively criminalizing LGBTQI+ individuals,” said No Hate Network Nigeria. “Many live in fear, hiding their identities to avoid persecution, the community requires enhanced support, safe spaces, and robust advocacy to ensure their basic human rights.”

For many LGBTQ people in the country, remaining in the closet is the only way they can preserve their life. They often flee Nigeria if they decide to come out.

There is currently no appetite from any lawmakers to amend or repeal parts of Section 21 of theĀ Criminal Code Act (Penal Code) that are used to arrest, charge, and prosecute those who identify as LGBTQ.

In northern states where Sharia law is practiced, one who is found to identify as LGBTQ or is an advocate may face death by stoning.

Although not widely practiced, death by stoning is the preferred punishment in many of the northern states if a Sharia court finds someone guilty of engaging in consensual same-sex sexual relations. A number of local and international human rights organizations in recent years have condemned this punishment. It is, however, still enforced in some of these states.

No Hate Network Nigeria said amending parts of the Criminal Code Act and repealing the Same Sex (Prohibition) Act might give relief to LGBTQ people in the country.

“Repealing or amending discriminatory laws, like the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, implementing education and awareness campaigns to combat homophobia, establishing safe spaces, and support networks for LGBTQI+ individuals and strengthening law officialsā€™ response to hate crimes as well as holding perpetrators accountable, will aid in averting and combating attacks on LGBTQI+ individuals,” said No Hate Network Nigeria.

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