World
Out in the World: LGBTQ news from Europe and Asia
United Nations Human Rights Committee raised concerns over LGBTQ rights in US
United Nations
In its review of the U.S.ā record on civil and political rights released earlier this month, the United Nations Human Rights Committee condemned a flood of discriminatory state legislation restricting the human rights of LGBTQ
The committee’s summary was first reported on by Human Rights Watch.
“The United States ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1992. Every four years, the HRC reviews laws and policies in countries that have ratified the treaty to evaluate where they are in compliance with the treaty and where they fall short. The review of the US was postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic, making this theĀ first review of the US in nine years.
Among the worrying U.S. laws are those restricting access to gender-affirming care and prohibiting transgender children from participating in school sports or using bathrooms consistent with their gender identity. Also concerning are laws banning books as well as prohibiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity, LGBT people and their families in schools.
In its concluding observations, the committee expressed concern about laws limiting transgender peopleās access to healthcare, athletics and public accommodations, and restricting discussions of race, slavery, sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. It underscored the prevalence of discrimination against LGBT people in the U.S., including in housing, employment, correctional facilities and other domains.Ā
The committee also condemned derogatory speech aimed at LGBT people, including from public officials, and violence against LGBT people and members of other minority groups.”
Russia
TNT Music, which is owned by parent company Fonbet, the largest sports betting company operating in Russia and Kazakhstan, altered a video of the South Korean K-Pop boy band Seventeenās hit song āGod of Musicā that showed a rainbow.
TNT Music transformed the rainbow featured in the original video into a gray cloud.
According to the English-languageĀ Russian news outlet the Moscow Times, TNT Music appears to have erred on the side of caution after a Moscow court finedĀ its owner Fonbet TV 1 million rubles ($10,800) in July for violating the countryās draconian āLGBT propaganda lawā when it aired Finnish singer Almaās music video for the song āSummer Really Hurt Us.ā
In a March 2019 article in British publication Gay Times, Alma confirmed she is a lesbian and in a relationship with Finnish poet and human rights activist Natalia Kallio.
The channel faces another fineĀ of up to 16 million rubles ($174,000) on four administrative charges of spreading āLGBT propagandaā among minors, according to Russian state media.Ā
The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, abbreviated as Roskomnadzor, has been directed to ban any websites that contain information about LGBTQ identities or anything that could be construed as promoting LGBTQ related materials.
According to the Moscow Times, there was fear that the rainbow and an all-boy band would provoke Roskomnadzor into fining TNT again.
Latvia
In a Nov. 9 vote, Parliament voted to allow same-sex couples to establish civil unions-partnerships, which gives same-sex couples in this Baltic state legal recognition, but fewer rights than married couples.
The countryās Prime Minister, Evika SiliÅa, issued a statement applauding the actions by lawmakers.
āThis is a good day. Society has taken an important step in creating a modern and humane Latvia. With the Saeima supporting the introduction of registered partnerships, the state has fulfilled its legal obligations and given a clear signal that all families are important. Thanks for the intelligent vote!ā the prime minister said.
The action by Latviaās Parliament comes five monthsĀ after lawmakers in Estonia approvedĀ a law that extended marriage rights to same-sex couples in that Baltic nation. However, while the new law allows hospital visiting rights, as well as some tax and social security benefits, the law falls short in other critical areas say LGBTQ rights activists.
Speaking with Reuters, Kaspars Zalitis, a gay rights activist, noted same-sex couples would still not be able to adopt children and would continue to face inheritance issues.
āThis is a great beginning ā¦ Latvia is not one of the six countries in the European Union that have no recognition for same-sex couples,ā he said.
European Union
A new global call for civil society organizations projects with a projected total budget of 36 million euros ($38.47 million) under a expanded program on Human Rights and Democracy (part of NDICI/Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument ā Global Europe) was announced on Nov. 7.
The present Global Call for Proposals targets:
- āFair, Accountable and Inclusive Trade and Business ā Flagship Action on Business and Human Rights, Forced and Child Labour and Indigenous Peoplesā Rights;ā
- Global, regional or multi-country projects targeting high-risk sectors, value or supply chains that will contribute to the accompanying measures of the upcoming Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence Directive and Forced Labor Regulation.
- CSOs will be better equipped to monitor, report, access remedies, partner with the private sector and/or social partners and advocate for the implementation of relevant EU and international human rights principles and legislations. Projects financed will contribute to the sustainable implementation of the Global Gateway Strategy by reinforcing relevant social and environmental standards.
- āGlobal actions on human dignity, non-discrimination and inclusion;ā
- Projects will promote equality, inclusion and respect for LGBTQ+ persons at global, regional or national level and more specifically in Sub-Saharan countries where consensual same-sex sexual acts between adults in private are criminalised. Priorities will include advocacy for anti-discrimination laws, support to social inclusion and empowerment of CSOs working on LGBTIQ rights.
- Promote Freedom of Religion or Belief, and prevent and combat discrimination, intolerance and violence on grounds of religion or belief through regional projects. Under this lot, intersectionality between freedom of religion or belief and gender issues is encouraged.
Projects will be global, multi-country or regional. The lead applicants should be international organizations given the size of the grants and geographic scope, with at least one local co-applicant and mandatory financial support to local organizations.
France
Attorneys representing Groupe des familles LGBT filed a criminal complaint against Seattle-based Amazon Prime for replay of the Sept. 24 soccer match between teams Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, where homophobic chants were clearly audible.
According to the French English-language news outlet Le Monde, During the match between the bitter rivals, thousands of Paris Saint-Germain supporters chanted homophobic slogans referring to their opponents. An Agence France-Presse reporter covering the game said the chanting in PSGās Parc des Princes stadium went on for around 10 minutes.
Four PSG players, including Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane DembƩlƩ, were given suspended one-match bans for also chanting insults directed at the Marseille players while celebrating their 4-0 thrashing of their opponents.
In the legal complaint filed, Groupe des familles LGBT noted that under the French criminal code, that while broadcasters are not responsible for offensive content that may occur during a live match they are liable for content offered on replay.
The complaint says that during the replay, āyou can hear several chants from fans coming from the stands, some of which are distinctly homophobic in nature.ā Two other LGBT rights groups, Mousse and Stop Homophobie, have said they will also join the complaint against Amazon for public insults and incitement to hatred or violence against people based on their sexual orientation.
An Amazon spokesperson told AFP the match was no longer available on Prime Video at the time the complaint was announced and that, as a broadcaster, it did not condone the comments or behavior of certain fans.
āHomophobia has no place in sport or in society, and we condemn it, like all forms of discrimination, in the strongest possible terms,ā the spokesperson said.
Poland
In March 2019, local elected officials of the Polish conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party passed a regional government resolution backed by RadosÅaw BrzĆ³zka, who led a vocal and vitriolic anti-LGBTQ campaign. BrzĆ³zka, is now chief of staff to Education Minister PrzemysÅaw Czarnek, who labeled LGBTQ people, ādeviants who do not have the same rights as normal people.ā
Earlier this month after the threat of pulling 3.6 million Polish zloty ($867,955) in funding by the European Union the local council rescinded the 2019 resolution.
According to the Polish investigative journalism media outlet OKO.press, in Åwidnik, Jakub Osina, a local elected official announced that the resolution has now been repealed and replaced with one that makes no mention of LGBTQ issues but pledges to protect āthe moral development of the young generation and the institution of the family based on Christian values.ā
In September 2021, the executive branch of the EU, the European Commission, sent letters out to the governors of five of Polandās provinces warning that pandemic relief funds totaling over 126 million euros ($150 million) will be withheld over anti-LGBTQ measures passed in their jurisdictions.
Poland has seen a resurgence in the past three years of rightwing religious ultra-conservative groups backed by nationalistic extremists in this heavily Catholic country of 38 million, which have led to passage of measures to restrict pride parades and other LGBTQ-friendly events from taking place.
Proponents of these measures claim the necessity of the provinces to be āfree of LGBTQ ideologyā saying this is mandated by average Poles as well as by the anti-LGBTQ views of the Catholic Church.
ILGA-Europe, a Brussels based advocacy group promoting the interests of LGBTQ and intersex people, at the European level, in a statement it sent to the Washington Blade in June 2021 after the EU letter was issued, noted that both Hungary and Poland, another EU country in which lawmakers have sought to restrict LGBTQ rights in recent years are at odds with the EU position on LGBTQ people.
āFor quite some time now, weāve been informing EU ministers about systematic breaches of EU law committed by Hungary and Poland, which impact on LGBTI rights and the lives of LGBTI people,ā says ILGA-Europe.
The threat of losing funds led many Polish local authorities to begin repealing the resolutions local non-profit Polish news outlet Notes from Poland reported.
Indonesia
Roughly a hundred conservative Muslims took to the streets of the Indonesian capital city protesting the upcoming concert by British rock band Coldplay on Tuesday at Jakartaās Gelora Bung Karno stadium.
The protestors are angered by the groupās support of the LGBTQ community. Coldplayās lead singer Chris Martin has been known to wear rainbow colors and wave gay Pride flags during performances.
The Asian leg of Coldplayās āMusic Of The Spheres World Tourā has been a sell out in every major city on the tour. The AP reported that more than 70,000 tickets were scooped up in less than two hours when sales opened in May as Jakarta is one of the bandās top streaming hubs with 1.6 million fans in the city.
The Associated Press reportedĀ that demonstration was organized by Islamist group the 212 Brotherhood Alumni, whose name refers to the Dec. 2, 2016, mass protests against the polarizing Christian politician Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. The crowd chanted āGod is Greatā and āWe reject Coldplayā as they marched to the heavily guarded British Embassy in Jakarta.
āWe are here for the sake of guarding our young generation in this country from efforts that could corrupt youth,ā Hery Susanto, a protester from West Javaās city of Bandung told Associated Press journalist Fadlan Syam. āAs Indonesian Muslims, we have to reject the Coldplay concert.ā
Novel Bamukmin, a protest coordinator, gave a speech criticizing the government for allowing the band to hold a concert in Indonesia, the worldās most populous Muslim-majority country. He said if the concert was not canceled, thousands of protesters would confront the band on its way from the airport.
āColdplay has long been a strong supporter of LGBT and its lead singer is an atheist,ā Bamukmin said, standing on the top of a truck, āWe must reject their campaign, their concert here.ā
Security concerns in this deeply conservative nation have previously caused other Western musical artists who support the LGBTQ community to cancel their scheduled shows.
Lady Gaga canceled her sold-out show in Indonesia in 2012 over security concerns after Muslim hard-liners threatened violence if the pop star went ahead with her āBorn This Way Ballā concert.
Additional reporting by Human Rights Watch, the Moscow Times, Agence France-Presse, Le Monde, Reuters, OKO.press, the Associated Press, and the BBC.
World
Out in the World: LGBTQ news from Europe and Asia
Nonbinary Swiss singer Nemo won this year’s Eurovision
EUROVISION
Swiss singer Nemo won the Eurovision Song Contest with their operatic pop-rap song āThe Codeā about their journey to accepting their nonbinary identity.
āI went to hell and back, to find myself on track, I broke the code,ā Nemo sang in the chorus of their winning song.
Dressed in a frilly pink blouse and miniskirt, Nemo dazzled the audience at the Malmƶ Arena in Sweden, home to last yearās winner, Loreen.
Nemoās win is the first win for Switzerland since Canadian singer Celine Dion competed under the Swiss flag in 1988.
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held by the European Broadcasting Union since 1956, in which representatives of all member states present original songs. The entrants are voted upon by a panel of judges and by viewing audiences, who award points to their 10 favorite performances.Ā
Over the years, the competition has become well-known as a camp spectacle and a favorite event for the European LGBTQ community, with many high-profile queer competitors and winners, including Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst, who returned to this yearās show to perform a tribute to ABBA, who won the competition for Sweden with the song āWaterlooā in 1974.
This yearās UK entrant was nonbinary performer Olly Alexander, formerly of the band Years & Years. Their song āDizzy,ā a homoerotic pop-dance track that featured a quartet of dancing boxers, finished in 18thĀ place with only 46 points, after receiving no points from the voting audience.
This yearās competition was not without controversy.
The venue was met with a large protest demanding that Israel, which has competed in Eurovision since 1973, be removed from the competition due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Additional security measures were put in place for the competition
Israelās entrant, Edan Golan, had been a favorite early in the competition, but her song āHurricaneā finished fifth. The song had also drawn controversy, and Golan was ordered to change the title and lyrics by the EBU from āOctober Rainā due to its references to the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.
Golan travelled with agents of the Israeli Security Agency Shin Bet after death threats were made on her social media.
Additionally, Dutch performer Joost Klein was disqualified ahead of the final competition after an alleged altercation with a female production staffer that has led to a police investigation.
UNITED KINGDOM
Actor Ian Gelder, best known for his role as Kevan Lannister in the HBO seriesĀ “Game of Thrones,”Ā has passed away at age 74, five months after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
Gelderās husband, Ben Daniels, announced his passing in a post on Instagram on Tuesday.
āIt is with huge, huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that Iām leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder,ā Daniels wrote in the caption of a photo taken of the couple at Christmas, shortly after Gelderās first round of treatment for his cancer.
āHe was my absolute rock and weād been partners for more than 30 years. If we werenāt together, we spoke to each other every day. He was the kindest, most generous spirited, and loving human being. He was a wonderful, wonderful actor and everyone who worked with him was touched by his heart and light,ā Daniels wrote.
Gelder was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December. Such cancers are often not detected by health care providers until they have spread to other parts of the body.
Gelder had a long career in film and television and on the British stage, frequently appearing in Londonās West End and Shakespeareās Globe Theatre.Ā
Among his numerous television appearances was a stint on the “Doctor Who” spinoff “Torchwood,” and the celebrated UK sitcom “Absolutely Fabulous.”
POLAND
Declaring that she would āgo to hell and make a deal with the devilā to advance the rights of Polandās LGBTQ community, Equalities Minister Katarzyna Kotula joined the Equality March in ÅĆ³dÅŗ, the countryās fourth-largest city, on May 11.
The march was the 13th edition of the event, and the first time it had been attended by a government minister.
Last year, Poland elected a new government coalition of center-left leaning parties that have pledged to support LGBTQ rights, a sharp contrast to the right-wing, LGBTQ-hostile government that preceded them.
Still, the government has been slow to act on its stated promises to the LGBTQ community, including a law on civil unions, a ban on hate speech, and a gender recognition act, amid squabbling from more conservative members of the coalition.
Kotula has said that sheās waiting to introduce the civil union bill until she can get agreement from the coalition on key sticking points, including adoption rights.
āFor civil partnerships, for marriage equality, for the Gender Reconciliation Act, for dignity and human rights for the LGBT community, I will go to hell and make a pact with the devil. I promise that when we meet here next year, at least some of these demands will be implemented,ā Kotula said at the march. āI will do everything to take care of your dignity and your safety.ā
The organizers of the march, the Equality Factory, are calling for even greater rights, including full marriage equality, abortion and contraception rights, comprehensive sex education in schools, and facilitation of medical treatment for gender transition.
āWe are marching because words about equality cannot be thrown around. We are not a bargaining chip. We were promised something and the election promises should be fulfilled. The most important requirement to be implemented is the act on civil partnerships. This is not only about LGBTQ+ people, but also about protecting heterosexual people in relationships, because there is no such thing as cohabitation in Polish law. This should be important for all Poles,ā Ida Mickiewicz-Florczak from the Equality FactoryĀ told the Polish news site Odaka.
Even if the civil partnership law passes through Parliament, it may face a veto from President Andrzej Duda of the opposition Law and Justice Party, which has vociferously opposed LGBTQ rights. So far, Duda, who will be in office until presidential elections in May 2025, has not indicated how he will act on the bill, stating heās waiting until it is introduced to comment.
SOUTH KOREA
The Seoul Queer Culture Festival has found a new home after two years of struggle with the city council repeated denying permits for the annual festival.
The Queer Culture Festival had been held at Seoul Plaza at City Hall ever since 2015, but last year it was denied a permit, which the conservative-leaning city council decided to give to a Christian youth concert instead. This year, the city council has announced that the plaza is being used for a outdoor library all through spring and summer, effectively blocking all event applications.
āI think Seoul city is focusing on events that only suit its taste,ā Yang Sun-woo, chief organiser of the festival, told Reuters. āIf Seoul cared about LGBT people, they would have understood the significance of the event.ā
In response, organizers of the Queer Culture Festival have decided this yearās edition will take place on a several blocks in downtown Seoul, which only required the permission of police, rather than city council.
The festival, which takes place over two weeks in June, kicks off with a parade on June 1 and will feature a queer film festival, live performances, and 60 booths for vendors and interactive events.
For its part, Seoul City Council denies that anti-LGBTQ discrimination played a part in its decision to twice deny permits for the event.
The city government said it is āalways listening to voices and providing necessary support to protect human rights of LGBTQ people as members of society,ā in a statement.
The Queer Culture Festival was also denied a permit by the Seoul History Museum.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul will also support the event, as it has in previous years.
āAs in past years, embassy representatives will join in Pride events worldwide, including here in the Republic of Korea, to raise awareness of the challenges faced by LGBTQI+ individuals,ā the embassy told Reuters in a statement.
AUSTRALIA
Cumberland in New South Wales drew international headlines this week after its city council voted 6-5 to ban books on same-sex parenting from local libraries. Four council members were not present for the May 1 vote.
The motion amends the councilās library strategy to order āthat council take immediate action to rid same sex parents books/materials in councilās library service.ā
The move from the council, which represents around 250,000 people in the western suburbs of Sydney, was swiftly condemned by residents, LGBTQ leaders, and representatives of the state government.
New South Wales Attorney General Michael Daley has referred the motion to the stateās Anti-Discrimination Board for advice, while Arts Minister John Graham has warned the council that the new policy directive puts state library funding for the council in jeopardy, as it would breach public library guidelines. Heās asked council to reconsider the ban.
āItās a terrible message to send, to have this councilor importing this US culture war into our country and playing it out on the shelves of the local library,ā Graham said on a morning television show. āI think the community expectations are clear ā the local councilor should be coming around to pick up their bin, not telling them what to read.ā
Cumberlandās local council is dominated by the relatively LGBTQ-friendly Australian Labor Party, but the motion from Our Local Government Party Councilor Steve Christou carried with support from Liberal-Party-affiliated Independents and a single vote from a Labor councilor, who has since been condemned by the party.
The move comes just a few months after the same council voted to ban drag queen storytime events at local libraries.
Christou says the motion was inspired after he received complaints from constituents who saw the book “Same-Sex Parents” by Holly Duhig on display in the childrenās section of a library. The book explores what itās like to have two moms or two dads from a childās perspective.
During the debate on the motion, Christou alleged that the book āsexualizedā children and repeated dog-whistle allegations against queer people and parents.
āWeāre going to make it clear tonight that ā¦ these kind of books, same-sex parents books, donāt find their way to our kids,ā Christou said, according to the Guardian. āOur kids shouldnāt be sexualized.ā
Christou said the proposed amendment was āfor the protection and safety of our children.ā
āHands off our kids,ā he repeated.
Christou has said the amendment was demanded by his community, which he says is a āvery religious community,ā despite the fact that a petition against the amendment garnered more than 10,000 signatures in 24 hours.
āThis community is a very religious community, a very family-orientated community.
āThey donāt want such controversial issues going against their beliefs indoctrinated to their libraries. This is not Marrickville or Newtown, this is Cumberland City Council.ā
The petition was launched by a Cumberland area grandmother to what she describes as a ārainbow familyā Caroline Staples. Staples will present her petition to the council on May 15.
Africa
South African president signs new hate crimes, hate speech law
Advocates largely welcome new statute
South African LGBTQ organizations have welcomed a new law that seeks to combat hate crimes and hate speech.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on May 9 signed the Preventing and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill that had been introduced in 2018.
According to the new law; the direct or indirect unfair discrimination against anyone on the grounds of age, albinism, culture, disability, ethnic or social origin, gender, HIV status, language, nationality, migrant, refugee status, asylum seekers, occupation, trade, political affiliation, conviction, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, sex characteristics or skin color is a criminal offense punishable by a fine or up to eight years in prison.
āA hate crime is committed if a person commits any recognized offense under any law that is motivated by prejudice or intolerance based on one or more characteristics or perceived characteristics of the victim, as listed in the legislation or a family member of the victim,” said the president’s office. “The law also makes it an offense when speech material is intentionally distributed or made available in electronic communication, and the said person knows that such electronic communication constitutes hate speech.ā
CrimenĀ injuria, theĀ unlawful and intentional impairing of dignity or privacy of another person under common law, was in place before the new law. Crimen injuria, which to extent protected some forms of hate againstĀ the LGBTQ community, is still active.
The Preventing and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill, however, is more comprehensive in the sense that it particularly focuses on hate speech and hate crimes, and therefore makes it easier to seek legal recourse than under crimen injuria.
āAs Out, we commend President Cyril Ramaphosa on the move that he has made in making sure that the rights of LGBTQ+ persons are protected. We, as Out, also hope that other African countries can learn from this historic milestone that all people are equal and that their rights should be protected,” said Out LGBT South Rights Human Rights Coordinator Sibonelo Ncanana.
Ncanana specifically applauded Deputy Justice and Constitutional Development Minister John Jeffrey and the working group that helped secure the bill’s passage.
“We hope that all government departments will enforce the mandate of the act,” said Ncanana. “We also hope that it will help in decreasing the amount of hate crimes that are happening in South Africa, create safer communities, and that LGBTQ+ people will find themselves safe.”
Ruth Maseko of Umndeni LGBTI Group and the Triangle Project said the new law creates a precedent of what constitutes hate crime and the repercussions.
āWe are delighted at the passing of the bill after so many years, as it creates a legal definition of hate crimes,” said Maseko. “This now puts in place mechanisms for authorities to collect and report details about these incidents of hate for the effective monitoring, analysis of trends, and appropriate interventions that are needed.”
Maseko added that although the new law will aid in giving the courts a framework to work in when handling cases of hate, it will not really deter people from committing those crimes.
āThe new law will provide quantitative and qualitative data as currently we have no way of telling how many of these crimes are committed. The only way we know, is when they are reported to a civil society organization or are reported in the media,” said Maseko.
“Although it will do nothing to change the attitudes of people who act out in these ways, the law does send out a message that hate crimes will not be tolerated in South Africa and will provide additional tools to investigators and prosecutors to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions,ā added Maseko.
The law, however, does not consider actions undertaken in good faith as part of hate speech. They include artistic creativity, performance or other form of expression, academic or scientific inquiry fair, and accurate reporting or commentary in the public interest.Ā
It also excludes interpretation and articulating or espousing of any religious conviction, tenet, belief, teaching, doctrine or writing that does not advocate hatred or constitutes incitement to cause harm. The law also contains directives on training and other measures to be undertaken by the South African Police Service and the National Prosecuting Authority to ensure effective processing of the newly defined crimes.
South America
Lesbian couple dies after man sets Buenos Aires boarding house room on fire
Suspect has been charged with homicide
Editor’s note: Andrea Amarante on Sunday died from injuries she sustained in the fire.Ā
Two people died and at least five others were injured on Monday when a man threw a Molotov cocktail into the room of a Buenos Aires boarding house in which two lesbian couples lived.
The fire took place at around 1 a.m. in a house at 1600 OlavarrĆa St., between Isabel la CatĆ³lica and Montes de Ocoa in Buenos Aires’s Barracas neighborhood. The blaze forced roughly 30 people to evacuate, and the injured were taken to local hospitals.
Police say Justo Fernando Barrientos, 68, sprayed fuel and set fire to the room where Mercedes Figueroa, 52, lived together with Pamela Fabiana Cobas, 52, and SofĆa Castro Riglos, 49, and Andrea Amarante, 42.
Figueroa and Cobas both died. Castro and Amarante are hospitalized at Penna Hospital in Buenos Aires.
Witnesses say the fire started on the second floor when Barrientos threw a Molotov cocktail inside the women’s room, and it soon spread throughout the property. LGBTQ organizations in Argentina have described the blaze as a hate crime because Barrientos had already threatened to kill the women because they are lesbians.
“We are in a rather complex context, where from the apex of power, the president himself and his advisors and downwards permanently instill a hate speech, instilling it when they close the (National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism or INADI), stigmatizing the population that is there and the vulnerable groups,” Congressman Esteban PaulĆ³n, a well-known LGBTQ activist, told the Washington Blade.
“All this is generating a climate of violence,” he said. “The fact that it happened in the city of Buenos Aires, which is terrible … has to be investigated.”
PaulĆ³n said President Javier Milei’s government has installed in the public discourse speeches and actions against the LGBTQ community that have provoked more violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“All that is installed … and then there are people who fail to make a mediation of that, that fail to make a critical analysis of that and can end up generating an act of hatred like this, which is tragic and that already took the lives of two people,” he said.
The Argentine LGBT+ Federation on social media said it was looking for the victims’ families and friends, but has yet to be able to connect with them.
“We are going to stand by them, making ourselves available for whatever they and their families need, and we will closely follow the court case so that there is justice,” said the organization. “But we cannot fail to point out that hate crimes are the result of a culture of violence and discrimination that is sustained on hate speeches that today are endorsed by several officials and referents of the national government.”
100% Diversidad y Derechos, another advocacy group, demanded the investigation address the attack “with a gender perspective and as motivated by hatred towards lesbian identity.”
Barrientos has been arrested, and will be charged with murder. Activists have requested authorities add discrimination and hate provisions to the charges.
-
Middle East5 days ago
Tel Aviv authorities cancel Pride parade
-
Politics2 days ago
Trump vows to reverse transgender student protections ‘on day one’
-
Movies4 days ago
Deliciously queer āDead Boy Detectivesā a case worth taking on
-
Canada4 days ago
Prominent Ugandan activist asks for asylum in Canada