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[OS] FACT SHEET: Working to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Persons Globally

Released on 2012-10-11 16:00 GMT

Email-ID 5012973 Date 2011-12-06 17:49:55 From noreply@messages.whitehouse.gov To whitehousefeed@stratfor.com

[OS] FACT SHEET: Working to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay,

Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Persons Globally





THE WHITE HOUSE



Office of the Press Secretary



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



December 6, 2011







FACT SHEET: Working to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian,



Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Persons Globally







"The struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and

transgender persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United

States' commitment to promoting human rights."







--President Obama, December 6, 2011







Since taking office, President Obama has demonstrated that his vision for

a brighter future includes greater equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and

Transgender (LGBT) Americans. The President and this Administration are

dedicated to eliminating barriers to equality, fighting discrimination

based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and engaging LGBT

communities across the country. The Administration's dedication to LGBT

rights does not stop at our borders, as the President made clear at the

United Nations in September of this year when he said: "no country should

deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must

stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere."



Today, President Obama issued a presidential memorandum that directs all

federal agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign

assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons. Under the

Obama Administration, agencies have already begun taking action to promote

the fundamental human rights of LGBT persons everywhere. And now,

following an interagency process coordinated by the National Security

Staff, this memorandum directs the first-ever U.S. government strategy

dedicated to combating human rights abuses against LGBT persons abroad.

Today's memorandum applies to the Departments of State, the Treasury,

Defense, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services,

Homeland Security, the United States Agency for International Development

(USAID), the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Export-Import Bank, the

United States Trade Representative, and such other agencies as the

President may designate.







The memorandum directs agencies to:







o Combat the criminalization of LGBT status or conduct abroad.

o Protect vulnerable LGBT refugees and asylum seekers.

o Leverage foreign assistance to protect human rights and advance

nondiscrimination.

o Ensure swift and meaningful U.S. responses to human rights abuses of

LGBT persons abroad.

o Engage International Organizations in the fight against LGBT

discrimination.

o Report on progress.







Even before today's memo, U.S. agencies have been working to protect and

promote the rights of LBGT persons around the world. Since January 2009,

Secretary Clinton has directed the Department of State to champion a

comprehensive human rights agenda-one that includes the protection of LGBT

people.







Around the world, the State Department is:







. Engaging bilaterally and regionally in conjunction with U.S.

embassies, civil society, and multilateral agencies to encourage countries

to repeal or reform laws that criminalize LGBT conduct or status.



. Reinforcing the human rights of LGBT people in multilateral

fora, such as the UN Human Rights Council. In June 2011, the United States

joined South Africa and a cross-regional group of co-sponsors in passing

the first-ever UN Human Rights Council resolution on the human rights of

LGBT persons.



. Promoting human rights worldwide. U.S. embassies are declaring

the United States' support for the human rights of LGBT people through

innovative public diplomacy. Ambassadors and embassies have hosted public

discussions and private roundtables, published op-eds and supported Pride

events.



. Supporting LGBT human rights defenders and civil society groups,

with programmatic and financial assistance, including efforts to document

human rights violations; build advocacy skills; provide advocates with

legal representation; and, when necessary, relocation support.



. Reporting on the conditions of human rights of LGBT people in

each of its annual, country-specific Human Rights Reports.



. Strengthening the Department's personnel and consular policies.

The Secretary extended the range of legally available benefits and

allowances to same-sex domestic partners of foreign service staff serving

abroad. The United States also incorporated gender identity into federal

equal employment opportunity policies in 2010.



. Protecting LGBT refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants through a

protection strategy developed with other U.S. Government agencies, the UN

High Commissioner for Refugees and NGOs.







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