"Human Rights Issue for the LGBT Community" by Bryant
Recently the UN reported that the LGBT community is still facing human rights violations in many countries. In the report Vitit Muntarbhorn said, “LGBT people are suffering a crucible of egregious violations, including killings, rape, mutilation, torture, arbitrary detention, abduction, harassment, physical and mental assaults.” This was the first UN report on the subject even when many members of the UN discriminate against LGBT people and over seventy sovereign states still have laws criminalizing same-sex relations (eight of which the crime is punishable by death). This means that roughly 45% of the world’s people live in an environment not friendly to homosexuals.
According to the report Russia, Belarus, and most of the Islamic Cooperation States are the worst when it comes to committing these heinous crimes. In Egypt hundreds of people are detained each year by the state. At Muntarbhorn’s address to the UN Egypt even spoke out against him and claimed to represent “Belarus, Russia, and fifty-six of the fifty-seven states in the Islamic Cooperation States. Egypt’s latest act of discrimination was when several people raising a rainbow flag at a concert were arrested on charges of “debauchery” and “inciting debauchery”. Many of the detainees were forced to anal exams and sentenced to prison terms. In states such as Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen homosexuality is punishable by death. The reason for this is Islam’s Sharia Law which when followed by more fundamental Muslims leads to public floggings and even execution. While all the countries have been criticized by activists as long as Islam’s laws are in place it is unlikely any major change will happen.
But the problem isn’t just in the middle east. In many Asian countries such as the Philippines and China LGBT people are also discriminated against. The Philippines have been committing these crimes for a long time but since Rodrigo Duterte became the country’s president the crimes have become even more frequent. Duterte legalized killings of anyone who posed a threat to Filipino society, this included drug dealers, drug addicts, and many homosexuals. The country already has the highest murder rate of LGBT people of any Southeast Asian country and it’s getting worse. Police often raid LGBT venues without warrants or probable cause and charge them with violating the “Public Scandal” section of the Revised Penal Code (another of Duterte’s ways of ending society’s burdens) if they don’t pay the cops or perform sexual acts on them. Duterte isn’t the only public figure who openly critisizes homosexuality, Secretary of Health Enrique Ona said, ”Parents should rein in their homosexual children and get them tested.” As state officials openly encourage discrimination and violence towards homosexuals people are dying from murder and suicide and sadly they might be the lucky ones.
Rodrigo Dutete was quoted saying, “Wherever God placed you, just remain there. Do not mix it up.”
Why people throughout the world from the U.S.A. to the Islamic State are denied their right to live as they choose is a major question society must answer soon. With hatred towards LGBT people spreading in many states rather than states becoming more accepting more human rights violations are likely to occur. In cultures that oppose the LGBT community-and even think that it’s okay to discriminate and kill people simply because they live different lifestyles- acceptance must be taught and adopted by all. The LGBT community isn’t harming anyone anymore than any straight person is so we as a planet must come to realize that it’s okay for men to like men, women to like women, and if a person wants even change their gender to what they feels best suits them because if we don’t people will continue to be discriminated against and killed.
World Map of Laws Pertaining to Homosexuality
According to the report Russia, Belarus, and most of the Islamic Cooperation States are the worst when it comes to committing these heinous crimes. In Egypt hundreds of people are detained each year by the state. At Muntarbhorn’s address to the UN Egypt even spoke out against him and claimed to represent “Belarus, Russia, and fifty-six of the fifty-seven states in the Islamic Cooperation States. Egypt’s latest act of discrimination was when several people raising a rainbow flag at a concert were arrested on charges of “debauchery” and “inciting debauchery”. Many of the detainees were forced to anal exams and sentenced to prison terms. In states such as Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen homosexuality is punishable by death. The reason for this is Islam’s Sharia Law which when followed by more fundamental Muslims leads to public floggings and even execution. While all the countries have been criticized by activists as long as Islam’s laws are in place it is unlikely any major change will happen.
Gay Pride Flag often displayed at events to promote acceptance
But the problem isn’t just in the middle east. In many Asian countries such as the Philippines and China LGBT people are also discriminated against. The Philippines have been committing these crimes for a long time but since Rodrigo Duterte became the country’s president the crimes have become even more frequent. Duterte legalized killings of anyone who posed a threat to Filipino society, this included drug dealers, drug addicts, and many homosexuals. The country already has the highest murder rate of LGBT people of any Southeast Asian country and it’s getting worse. Police often raid LGBT venues without warrants or probable cause and charge them with violating the “Public Scandal” section of the Revised Penal Code (another of Duterte’s ways of ending society’s burdens) if they don’t pay the cops or perform sexual acts on them. Duterte isn’t the only public figure who openly critisizes homosexuality, Secretary of Health Enrique Ona said, ”Parents should rein in their homosexual children and get them tested.” As state officials openly encourage discrimination and violence towards homosexuals people are dying from murder and suicide and sadly they might be the lucky ones.
Rodrigo Dutete was quoted saying, “Wherever God placed you, just remain there. Do not mix it up.”
Why people throughout the world from the U.S.A. to the Islamic State are denied their right to live as they choose is a major question society must answer soon. With hatred towards LGBT people spreading in many states rather than states becoming more accepting more human rights violations are likely to occur. In cultures that oppose the LGBT community-and even think that it’s okay to discriminate and kill people simply because they live different lifestyles- acceptance must be taught and adopted by all. The LGBT community isn’t harming anyone anymore than any straight person is so we as a planet must come to realize that it’s okay for men to like men, women to like women, and if a person wants even change their gender to what they feels best suits them because if we don’t people will continue to be discriminated against and killed.
Works Cited
“Action Needed to Stop Violations of LGBT People's Rights Worldwide, Expert Tells UN.” UN News Center, United Nations, 27 Oct. 2017,
Bearak, Max, and Darla Cameron. “Analysis | Here Are the 10 Countries Where Homosexuality May Be Punished by Death.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 16 June 2016,
“Duterte Backtracks on Gay Marriage in Philippines.” BBC News, BBC, 21 Mar. 2017,
“Egypt Doesn't Speak for Africa on LGBT Issues.” Human Rights Watch, 1 Nov. 2017,
“Global LGBTQ Population Facing ‘Crucible of Egregious Violations," UN Expert Warns.”NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group,
Grove, Lloyd. “Is Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Donald Trump's Press-Avenging Doppelganger?” The Daily Beast, The Daily Beast Company, 16 Aug. 2017,
Kmills. “Human Rights Violations on the Basis of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Homosexuality in the Philippines.” OutRight, 14 Mar. 2013,
“Philippines.” Human Rights Watch, 20 Jan. 2017,
Written by Andrew Beaujon | Published on December 9, 2016. “DC Elementary School Removes Rainbow Flag After Neighbors Troll Mike Pence.” Washingtonian, 9 Dec. 2016.
I liked your other blog better, but you still have a good writing style. You have a lot of interesting facts and statistics. The map picture helps add to your blog as a whole. Good job buddy.
ReplyDeleteDid you do this the night before again? :)-
ReplyDeleteYou are a great writer. I also admire your audacity in saying what you believe; backing those claims up with solid evidence is equally if not more impressive. The way you defend the innocent - even at the cost of condemnation by some of your less open-minded peers - is brave and authentic.
However, I have some questions:
Where did you get the world map you have as a picture/stat. reference? It's obviously pretty outdated - and therefore makes your point less relevant - because same-sex marriage has been federal law (thus legal in all American states) since 2013.
That leads me to wonder, what other of your stats are too old to be pertinent?
I do agree that LGBTQ people face serious suffering, but what piqued your interest in this, other than existing on the same planet as LGBTQs and seeing their plight?
It's interesting to me that you chose this but did not tie it in with any other human geography issues that naturally coincide. Why? What other event/s do you think are important that are in/directly caused by this?