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Caribbean Conference Brings Together Activists from 18 Countries
October 20, 2015| Contributed by Maria Mercedes Gómez - LAC Regional Program Coordinator
OutRight's Latin America and Caribbean Regional Coordinator, María Gómez, facilitated workshops focused on prejudice and violence at the 3rd annual Caribbean Women and Sexual Diversity Conference (CWSDC) held in Port of Spain, Trinidad from October 5-11.
Activists on the Frontlines: Chesterfield Samba of Zimbabwe
October 19, 2015| Contributed by Suzanne Trimel - Director of Communications for OutRight
On September 28, OutRight awarded the Felipa de Souza award to GALZ, Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, a 25-year-old organization. At OutRight’s Celebration of Courage gala in New York City, the award was presented to Chesterfield Samba, director of GALZ.
New York LGBT Film Festival Arrives on October 22
October 18, 2015| Contributed by Sakshi Agarwal - Outright Intern
NewFest, the New York LGBT Film Festival, which runs October 22-27, is bigger, better, and more diverse than ever. The festival opens with the New York premiere of “Eisenstein in Guanajuato," which is a documentary about famous gay Russian director, Elmer Bäck, in 1931 Mexico. The closing event of the festival is the US premier of the Swedish drama “Girls Lost," about a trio of outcast teen females who mysteriously transform into boys overnight.
Roundtable Examines LGBT Rights in Iran at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York
October 15, 2015| Contributed by Frank Corazza and Austin Cartagena - Outright Interns
On October 12, OutRight Action International held a panel examining LGBT Rights in Iran at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. The panel included a professor, doctor, UN rapporteur, and lawyer who each offered their unique perspective on the state of LGBT rights in Iran. The event had a huge turnout with every seat being occupied.
Working to Help Get #JusticeForJenniferLaude
October 9, 2015| Contributed by By Ging Cristobal - Asia Program Coordinator
Ging Cristobal, OutRight's project coordinator in Asia, is coordinating, facilitating and speaking at the multi-sectoral regional workshop in the Philippines about comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation today, October 9th and October 10th. The regional multi-city, multi-sectoral workshop will cover violence and discrimination faced by LGBTIQ persons in the Philippines. The workshop will address:
OutRight Action International Celebrates 25th Anniversary With A New Name!
October 5, 2015| Contributed by Frank Corazza - Outright Intern and Sakshi Agarwal - Outright Intern
The Celebration of Courage Gala on September 28th marked the 25th anniversary of OutRight Action International, formerly known as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC).
OutRight Co-Organized High Level LGBT Core Group Event at the UN
September 30, 2015| Contributed by Frank Corazza - Outright Intern
OutRight Co-Organized Core Group event at the United Nations to speak out against discrimination and violence towards LGBTIQ individuals. Speakers included UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, former Botswana President Festus Mogae, and Pakistani human rights lawyer and civil society activist Hina Jilani.
How Are Mobile Apps Impacting LGBTI Communities Worldwide?
September 3, 2015| Contributed by Frank Corazza-Outright Intern
As social networking apps gain traction around the world, the risks and benefits these new technologies offer LGBTI communities worldwide vary greatly.
Interview with Photographer Documenting LGBT Refugees
August 27, 2015| Contributed by MJ Moneymaker - OutRight
A few weeks ago, on a Facebook post about LGBT people in Iran, one of our followers shared a photo essay that follows the journey of LGBT refugees seeking asylum. We contacted the photographer, Bradley Secker, whose photos we have used in our report, “When Coming Out is a Death Sentence: Persecution of LGBT Iraqis.” Based in Turkey, he graciously agreed to answer a few questions about his photography project via email.
Inside the Lives of Pakistan’s LGBT: An Interview with the Filmmaker
August 14, 2015| Contributed by Outright Action International Intern
"Poshida - Hidden LGBT Pakistan" (2015) is a first-of-its-kind independent documentary that delves into the secret world of LGBT Pakistanis battling against the Sharia law, media sensationalism, stigmatism and violence. With unprecedented access, this documentary uncovers the effects of growing conservatism in the Islamic State of Pakistan on the LGBT community.
Jamaica: A Week of Courage and Solidarity
August 6, 2015| Contributed by LAC Regional Program Coordinator and Maria Mercedes Gómez
This week, the LGBTI community of Jamaica decided to show another side of their courage by organizing Jamaica pride 2015 (#PRiDEJA2015) which consists of cultural and public political events throughout the week in Kingston.
As Angeline Jackson, a lesbian activist and founder of Quality of Citizenship Jamaica (QCJ) puts it:
LGBT Activism in Russia and Ukraine
July 2, 2015| Contributed by Cassidy Madison, IGLHRC Intern
“This was my first Pride without fear,” said Elena Kostyuchenko, a Moscow-based Russian journalist and LGBT activist. “In Moscow, Pride demonstrations only last around 30 seconds to a minute… then the police come and beat us.
Love Always Wins
July 1, 2015| Contributed by Ashley Choi, Advocacy and Documentation Intern
“Mom. Dad. I am transgender.” These are the words that my then sister uttered to my conservative Christian parents and me on one otherwise ordinary Thursday evening. I was born and raised in South Korea and lived there for fourteen years before my family and I moved to the United States in 2008.
New UN Report: Treat LGBTI Humans As Humans
June 2, 2015| Contributed by Marianne Møllmann, Director of Programs, IGLHRC
This week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued its second report on the state of human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people worldwide.
Here's a hint: It's not pretty.
ACSC/APF Participants Came Out as One ASEAN Community Clamoring for Human Rights!
April 27, 2015| Contributed by Ging Cristobal, Project Coordinator for Asia, IGLHRC
Instead of a protective indoor location, the closing ceremony of the civil society conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) took place on one of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s busiest streets on Friday, April 24, providing activists from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community a very public setting to raise their voices.