LGBTQ+

On-Going

Crisis

Past Work

What's Going On

The experiences of people who identify as LGBTQ+ are central to our work of protecting and extending human rights around the world.

Where It's Happening

What We're Doing

Whether we are working to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community in their efforts to earn asylum or pushing for international sanctions regimes to provide accountability for victims of abuses, Human Rights First will always include issues that impact the LGBTQ+ community in our work.

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LGBTQ+

Systemic Injustice

Human Rights First Warns Against Implementation of Honduras Asylum Agreement During Pandemic

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Department of Homeland Security published the United States’ “asylum cooperative agreement,” agreement with Honduras – a move that may signal plans to move ahead with the highly flawed…

Press

Transgender Ban Undermines Military Culture of Honor and Respect

Washington, D.C.—In response to today’s Supreme Court decision lifting injunctions that will allow the Trump Administration’s policy banning certain transgender people from the military to go into effect, Scott Cooper,…

Press

Authoritarianism

Human Rights First Applauds Creation of Fact Finding Mission into Abuses of LGBTQ Persons, Human Rights Workers in Chechnya

Human Rights First welcomes the actions of 16 countries, including the United States, to implement the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) so-called “Moscow Mechanism” to investigate human rights abuses in Chechnya. The rare…

Press

Human Rights First Welcomes Passage of House Resolution Condemning Attacks on Gay and Bisexual Men in Chechnya

Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today applauded the bipartisan passage of House Resolution 351, which is a strong condemnation of the detention, torture, and murders of gay and bisexual men in…

Press

Pride in the Capital

By Charlotte Gliserman On June 10th, Human Rights First celebrated Pride Month by participating in Washington, D.C.’s Capital Pride Parade. Surrounded by tens of thousands of “unapologetically proud” LGBT people and…

Blog

Administration Urged to Press El Salvador on Protection of Transgender Citizens

Washington, D.C.—Following an alarming string of murders of transgender women in El Salvador, Human Rights First today called on the State Department to urge the Salvadoran government to investigate and combat bias-motivated violence in the country.…

Press

Extremism

LGBT Refugees and President Trump’s Refugee and Muslim Ban Executive Order

LGBT REFUGEES AND PRESIDENT TRUMP’S REFUGEE AND MUSLIM BAN EXECUTIVE ORDER President Trump’s Executive Order President Trump’s January 27th executive order sought to: Halt the refugee admissions program for a minimum…

Fact Sheets

LGBT Refugees, Experts Explore Impact of President Trump’s Travel Ban

Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today will co-host a congressional briefing examining the administration’s recent executive order targeting refugees and its impact on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. Organized…

Press

Voices for Equality: Rwanda

By Shawn M. Gaylord Silence can be its own type of persecution. It can marginalize an entire social group, driving its members underground, making them afraid to stand up and proudly…

Blog

Members of Congress Urge Saudi Ambassador to Protect Rights of LGBT Community

Washington, D.C. –– Human Rights First today applauded members of Congress for their bipartisan effort to express concern for human rights abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Saudi Arabia. This concern was expressed in…

Press

Ugandan Parliament Closes Without Considering Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Washington, D.C. — Human Rights First welcomes the news that the current convocation of the Ugandan Parliament today adjourned without adopting the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Ugandan human rights activists deserve praise…

Press

Human Rights First Condemns Decision to Ban Moscow Gay Pride

New York, NY—Human Rights First condemns the decision by the Moscow authorities—issued on the International Day Against Homophobia—to deny permission for a Moscow gay pride event. This is the sixth…

Press