Association), ironically, became the site for gay conduct. However the strong opposition arose after a scandalhit Oregon, where over 50 prominent men of the community were arrested for homoerotic activities. Thisthen changed the outlook of the YMCA leadership.New York City’s Wagner Administration, in 1959, started toshut down the gay and drag bars in Manhattan and other islands.However after several petitions and protests, the law was alteredand there was an increased visibility of LGBT life in the city of NewYork. Nevertheless, fire and police departments did not accepthomosexuals and did not co-operate. In 1969, the Stonewall Riotsbroke out – this marked the turning point for the modern gayrights movement through the world.THE FOCUS:LGBT rights at the United NationsSupport: Countries which have signed an LGBT rights Declaration in the General Assembly, sponsored the 2011 LGBT rights resolution in the UN<strong>HRC</strong>, or both (94 memberstates)Oppose: Countries which had signed a statement opposing LGBT rights in 2008; initially 57, but 3 countries switched to supporting LGBT rights (54 member-states)Neither: Countries which have not officially opposed or supported LGBT rights in the UN (46 member-states)The first UN report on the <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Right</strong>s of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people details howpeople are killed or endure hate-motivated violence, torture, detention, criminalization and discrimination injobs, health-care and education because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.3
According to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA), 76countries prosecute people on the grounds of sexual orientation, and only 53 countries have antidiscriminationlaws applicable to the LGBT community. What worsens the situation is political discourse andlegislation on the rights of same-sex couples.A report released by the UNONCHR (United Nations Office for the High <strong>Commission</strong>er for <strong>Human</strong><strong>Right</strong>s) in Geneva outlines, “a pattern of human rights violations… that demands a response.” The report alsostates that governments themselves have overlooked violence and discrimination based on gender identityand sexual orientation.The report was prepared as a response to an appeal from the UN <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Right</strong>s Council. In the report,Navi Pillay, the UN High <strong>Commission</strong>er for <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Right</strong>s, calls upon countries to revoke laws that criminalizehomosexuality, and harmonize the age of consent for heterosexual as well as homosexual conduct, and alsoact on anti-discrimination laws. However, in a minimum of 5 countries: Iran, Mauritiana, Saudi Arabia, Sudanand Yemen, the death penalty for this offence prevails.Transphobic violence, as well as homophobic violence has been recorded in almost all countries and aplethora of reports find that the violence ranges from murder, kidnappings, rape incidents, and assaults topsychological threats as well as arbitrary deprivations of liberty. Governments themselves violate civilians’fundamental rights when it comes to the LGBT community. Often LGBTs are the focus of structured abusefrom religious fundamentalists, several Para-military groups, and extreme nationalists among others. Therehave been cases of family and community violence, with transgender and lesbian women at the mouth ofdanger. In several cases of violence, the incidents frequently go unreported. This is because the LGBTindividuals don’t trust the police, are afraid of retaliation or simply fear to identify themselves as LGBT. NaviPillay, after viewing a surfeit of these statistics, recommended that Member States establish their governmentsystems to investigate all forms of discrimination, which includes violence. He also recommended that theStates establish well functioning systems to record such data.Decriminalization of homosexuality, and LGBT rights as a whole, have proved to be a difficult subjectfor the United Nations. An LGBT rights session in March saw a 47-member panel gather for its first-eversession on sexual orientation-based discrimination and violence. However the session was marred whenseveral African and Islamic nations promptly walked out of the meeting. In June 2011, the UN closelyapproved a resolution that expressed “grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination in all regions of theworld, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity,” but the staunchopposition presented itself through Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and many other nations.4
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