On Day Against Homophobia, Time for Governments to Act

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On the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia, Human Rights First calls on governments to do more to curb homophobia by combating violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity bias. “Regrettably, in many parts of the world homosexuality is criminalized, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people live under intolerable levels of social pressure and risk personal violence, while the perpetrators of homophobic hate crimes often go unpunished,” said Paul LeGendre, Director of the Human Rights First’s Fighting Discrimination Program and coauthor of the group’s 2008 Hate Crime Survey.

“Governments must protect their citizens and ensure that the perpetrators of bias-motivated violence are brought to justice. They should adopt hate crime legislation that is inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity, and ensure that the enforcement of such laws is well-documented. Governments should also reach out to NGOs which have an important role to play in bridging the distrust that often exists between LGBT persons and the authorities,” added LeGendre.

Human Rights First’s study focusing on Europe, the former Soviet Union, and North America shows that hate crimes against LGBT persons and their places of gathering are often more aggressive and purposely violent than other types of bias attacks. Nongovernmental and media reports reinforce the official findings that homophobic violence is frequent and on the rise in many parts of the world, yet it remains severely underreported.

Gay Pride Parades continue to provide the greatest public visibility for LGBT people, although that visibility often triggers violence and other manifestations of intolerance, particularly in Eastern Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union. On the question of violence perpetrated against gay pride demonstrators, LeGendre said: “Governments have a duty to respect freedom of association and assembly and to protect gay pride marches from such brazen daylight attacks we have witnessed in the past. It is unacceptable for public and other officials to use their platform to incite violence against LGBT people.”

Human Rights First’s Hate Crime Survey discusses the problem of violent hate crimes, offering practical solutions to governments. Some key findings pertaining to homophobic violence are summarized in the Fact Sheet on Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Bias, which draws attention to the rise in such attacks—manifested in the form of personal assaults and incidents of property damage— as well as the inadequate government response.

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