Independent Study Unit:

A World Lacking Love: Discrimination Based

on Sexuality and Gender Identity

Korol Pikulik
Mr. Toole
Global Perspectives
2019
 Pikulik 1

Preface 2
Definition 4
Significance 6
Background 9
Expert: Vitit Muntarbhorn 13
His Analysis of The Issue 14
Solutions 15

Role Of Control 16
International Organizations 20

Case Studies 22
Indonesia 22
Russia 28

Canadian Connection 31
Logic Of Evil 35
Solutions 38
Appendix 40
Works Cited 52
Bibliography 53
Works Cited 54
 Pikulik 2

Preface
As a butch lesbian, gender expression and sexuality have always been something that I
have struggled with. I have personally experienced discrimination based on my sexuality and
have friends who have been discriminated against due to their gender identity; this leads me to
write on this topic. I believe people need to know about the oppression that LGBT people face all
around the world, for education is what will help end intolerance.

The first time I was exposed to the word gay was when I was seven years old, and it was
being used in a derogatory way. As a young child, I then began to associate the word ‘gay as
being on the same negative level as profanity. Now looking back at this experience, I realize it
lead to internalized homophobia as I got older. Even though I heard the term when I was young, I
never truly understood what homosexuality was until I was about 10 years old when I met a
lesbian couple. I was confused to how two women could possibly be together, and thought it was
the strangest thing. The idea was so foreign to me and I could never have pictured myself one
day coming out. Still struggling with the concept of homosexuality, understanding gender was
far from my grasp at the time. Not until grade eight could I confidently say what it meant to be
trans or gender non-conforming.

In grades seven and eight, all the girls around became more obsessed with boys and
personal image. I was confused as to why I was not experiencing the same changes, so in an
attempt to not stand out I ‘made up’ these feelings. I convinced myself I had a crush on a boy,
and grew out my hair to become more feminine. This was a hard time in my life, I did not like
who I was and trying to be someone else led to further confusion.

In grade nine, I continued to struggle with my identity. However, I was starting to figure
out that ‘maybe boys just aren't my thing’. However, my grade nine sex ed class pushed me
further back into the closet. Girls in my class were revolted by the idea that a lesbian may share a
changeroom with them and listening to these girls resurfaced my internalized homophobia. The
 Pikulik 3

teacher hardly knew what she was talking about and, looking back on it now, she misinformed
many of the girls as to what being transgender and genderfluid meant and contributed to the
stigma that surrounds the LGBT community. Her misinformation caused the girls to think of
people of the LGBT community as ‘gross’.

I finally came out in grade nine to my closest friend and I came out to my parents in
grade ten. As stressful as this time was, I was shown nothing but love and support from the
people who really matter in my life. I am so lucky to have such supportive people around me
who love me unconditionally, for I have learned many queer people around the world are not as
fortunate as me.

The more I dig into this topic, the harder it is to continue. I can not help but imagine how
much more difficult life would have been if I had grown up in a different time period or country.
I have had to take a step back from my research on many different occasions, for I couldn’t see
past my tears. I am very passionate on this issue and I hope that by showing this paper to people,
I can help educate them on the struggles us LGBT people face and, in turn, they will speak up for
the LGBT community.
 Pikulik 4

Definition

Both fluid in nature, gender and sexuality have existed since man first rose. Gender is
often split into two conventional labels influenced by sex; ‘male’ and ‘female’. However, these
two labels are distinct ends of the continuum that is gender. Gender is based on one’s mental
state in regards to masculinity and femininity and is not based on genitalia.1 Gender can often be
confused with sex, which is one’s biological makeup; and can be divided into two categories of
‘male’ and ‘female’. The people that lie in between both distinct ends or that identify with the
gender not typically associated with their sex are often not able to express themselves due to
discrimination. Gender minorities often use labels to help define who they are. Common labels
include:

Transgender: A person who identifies as a different gender than what they were
assigned at birth
Transexual: A person who has taken surgical measures to change to the opposite
sex and gender
Non-binary: A person who does not identify as either a man or a women
Genderfluid: A person whose gender is constantly changing
.
Likewise, sexual minorities are often discriminated against. Sexuality is one’s physical
and emotional attraction to another being or lack thereof.2 Although fluid, there are many labels
to help defines one’s sexuality. Common labels include:

Heterosexual: Attracted to the opposite sex

Homosexual: Attraction to the same sex
Lesbian: A female who is attracted to other females

1
“Definitions of Sex and Gender.” CIHR, Government of Canada, 17 June 2015, www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/47830.html.
2
Department of Health & Human Services. “Sexuality Explained.” Better Health Channel, Department of Health &
Human Services of Victoria, Australia, 11 Feb. 2019,
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Sexuality-explained.
 Pikulik 5

Gay: A male who is attracted to other males

Bisexual: Attracted to both sexes

These labels help define where on the sexual continuum people are. The majority of the
world is heterosexual making all other sexualities the minority.

People who are gender and sexual minorities are often are referred to as members of the
LGBTQ+ (Lesbain, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, Plus) community or just LGBT for short. With
members of the LGBT community only making up eight to ten percent of the population they
experience discrimination, as minorities often do.3 Discrimination is the unjust treatment of
person based on certain traits. This discrimination comes in such extreme forms as capital
punishment for homosexual activity to being fired from a job due to gender identity.

Disliking or holding prejudice against the LGBT community is referred to as

homophobia. Actions or hateful speech against the LGBT community is considered to be
homophobic. Buggery is often referred to in many homophobic laws. Buggery is the act of anal
intercousre, this can be both between a man and a women, or between two men. Another term,
similar to buggery is sodomy, which is often referred to in religious texts. Sodomy refers to both
anal intercourse and oral copulation and is used to condemn homosexualiy.

3
​Singh , Yatharth. “What Is the Population of LGBT People in the World?” Quora, Quora, 15 Mar. 2018,
www.quora.com/What-is-the-population-of-LGBT-people-in-the-world.
 Pikulik 6

Significance
Currently ‘homosexual activities’ are considered illegal in seventy countries and 101
countries there are no protections against sexuality and gender-based discrimination (Appendix
A). Thirteen countries currently have a death penalty for any homosexual activity.4 These
homophobic laws do not uphold articles one, two, three, five, seven, twelve, sixteen, nineteen
and twenty-three of the Declaration of Human Rights (Appendix B). Sexual and gender
minorities live in constant fear in these countries that they will be killed or imprisoned for being
themselves.

Governments all around the world continue to violate people's basic human rights based
on their gender and sexual identity. Some examples of the blatant disregard of of human rights
outside of capital punishment include the torture of gay men in Russia and the sterilization of
transgender people in Japan. In Russian, gay men are being detained and tortured by the
government to eradicate their ‘gay thoughts’ and many of these men have died from this abuse
set out by their own government.5 In Japan transgender people have to be sterilized if they want
to be legally recognized by the government. Furthermore, in order to be legally recognized and
undergo sterilization, one must be: under the age of twenty, single, without a child, and receive a
diagnosis of “gender identity disorder” by a phyciatrist. One Japanese transgender man said “I
don’t want to [have surgery], to be honest. However, I have to just because it is a requirement…I
feel pressured to be operated on – so terrible”.6 Many transgender Japanese people have to make
a choice of fertility or recognition of who they are, this choice should never have to be made.

4
Carroll, Aengus & Mendos, Ramon. “State Sponsored Homophobia 2017: A world survey of sexual orientation
laws: criminalisation, protection and recognition.” ILGA, The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and
Intersex Association, May. 2017
5
“​Two Killed, 40 Detained in New Gay Purge in Chechnya.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 14 Jan.
2019, 10:47, www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/two-killed-40-detained-new-gay-purge-chechnya-n958366.
6
“Japan: Compelled Sterilization of Transgender People.” Human Rights Watch, 22 Mar. 2019,
www.hrw.org/news/2019/03/19/japan-compelled-sterilization-transgender-people.
 Pikulik 7

Even in places where homosexuality is legal, ‘traditional beliefs’ oppress people from
freely expressing their gender and sexuality. Fear of being ridiculed or outcast from society
drives many LGBT people to marry into heterosexual relationships or to remain their
birth-assigned gender. In China, where homosexuality is legal, a 2013 study showed that
fifty-seven percent of people believed that society should not accept homosexuality.7 A strong
stigma surrounding homosexualiy is present in many countries where homosexualiy is legal,
such as China. People do not fully understand what it mean to be LGBT and are not educated on
the subject. This leads to many false ideas such as ‘gay men are pedophiles’, ‘all LGBT people
have HIV’ or ‘being LGBT is a mental disease’, which are all untrue.8 These false idea and
misconceptions contribute to LGBT people experiencing rejection.

People's rejection of sexual and gender minorities can also translate into bullying, both
online and in person. LGBT youth are three times more likely to experience online bullying and
harassment compared to non-LGBT youth and forty-two percent of LGBT youth reported being
harassed online in the United States.9 The bullying and harassment that these children face cause
many to become depressed and suicidal. Another study in the United States showed LGBT youth
are four to seven times more likely to attempt suicide than people who do not identify as LGBT.
10
Struggling to come to terms with who one is and rejection is what pushes these teens to last
resort ‘solutions’ such as suicide.

Additionally, some people who reject and condemn homosexuality are also putting
members of the LGBT community through mental and physical torture by the legal practice of
conversion therapy. This practice, often run by Christian churches, attempts to change the
patient’s sexuality and gender back to what ‘God intended’ through inhuman means. Some
examples of methods used to end ‘homosexual tendencies’ by conversion therapy programs

7
“The Global Divide on Homosexuality.” Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project, Pew Research Center's
Global Attitudes Project, 1 June 2015, www.pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-divide-on-homosexuality/.
8
​Yan, Alice. “Why China's Gays and Lesbians Are Still Stuck in the Closet.” South China Morning Post, 20 July
2018, www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2097292/why-chinas-gays-and-lesbians-are-still-stuck-closet.
9
​Robin. “Cyberbullying: LGBT Youth.” ​Netsanity,​ 22 Aug. 2018, netsanity.net/cyberbullying-lgbt-youth/.
10
Aranmolate R, Bogan DR, Hoard T, Mawson AR “Suicide Risk Factors among LGBTQ Youth: Review.”, JSM
Schizophr 2(2): 1011, 2017
 Pikulik 8

include: electric shock therapy, exorcisms, confession, praying the gay away, disconnection from
loved ones, verbal abuse, physical abuse, and medication. Conversion therapy lacks scientific
evidence to prove theses methods work, yet it is still legal in most countries. Contraily, there is
much scientific evidence that conversion therapy leaves patients with anxiety, distress,
depression, difficulty sustaining relationships and sexual dysfunction.11 A survivor of conversion
therapy said in an interview to the Huffington post: “Their tactics still haunt me. Aversion
therapy, shock therapy, harassment and occasional physical abuse. Their goal was to get us to
hate ourselves for being LGBTQ (most of us were gay, but the entire spectrum was represented),
and they knew what they were doing....”.12 Gender and sexual identity should not be an
allowance to mentally and physically abuse a person, but it continues to be.

A rejection and condemnation mentality can also manifest into hate crimes. The
manifesting of homophobic ideas into action can be clearly seen by the Orlando gay club
shooting which occurred June 12, 2016. The shooter, Omar Mir Seddique Mateen killed
forty-nine people and injured fifty-three others. There were many signs leading up to the
shooting the Mateens hated the LGBT community. Mateen’s parents said that when in Miami,
“Marteen saw two man kissing and was absolutely outraged”, this pattern of behavior eventually
lead up to the shooting.13 His homophobic thoughts and ‘outrage’ turned into action. Marteen’s
actions were also influenced by the Islamic extremist group ISIS from the Islamic state of Iraq
and Syria. Right before he committed the attack, Mateen called the local police to pledge his
allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. ISIS, is known for its extremist views regarding
many different moral issues. ISIS has been very open about its negative stance on homosexuality
and actively calls on people to commit hate crimes against the LGBT community. In Iraq and
Syria, ISIS is notoriously known for throwing homosexuals off of high building as a form of
persecution, and killing those who survive to by stoning. ISIS spreads and encourages others like

11
Borsellino, Jessie. “Why Is Conversion Therapy Still Legal in Canada?” Flare, Flare, 1 Nov. 2018,
www.flare.com/news/conversion-therapy-canada/.
12
Nichols, James Michael, and James Michael Nichols. “A Survivor Of Gay Conversion Therapy Shares His
Chilling Story.” HuffPost Canada, HuffPost Canada, 18 Nov. 2016,
www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/realities-of-conversion-therapy_n_582b6cf2e4b01d8a014a
13
​Fantz, Ashley, et al. “49 Killed in Florida Nightclub Terror Attack.” CNN, Cable News Network, 13 June 2016,
www.cnn.com/2016/06/12/us/orlando-nightclub-shooting/index.html.
 Pikulik 9

Mateen to follow their example by posting videos of the killings and spreading hate speech and it
has obviously worked.14 Homophobic thought can eventually lead to hate crimes against the
LGBT community and horrific acts of terror, like the Orlando gay club shooting, are committed.

One’s sexuality and the way to one chooses to express one's gender does not harm
anyone else, yet people feel threatened because LGBT people do not match their societal norm.
LGBT people are being outcast from society, mentally and physically tortured, killed, and overly
being stripped of basic human rights for simply being who they are. This is a prevalent issue that
affects people all around the world and this inhuman treatment is unacceptable.

14
Press Release - April 24, 2019, et al. “ISIS's Persecution of Gay People.” Counter Extremism Project, 31 Oct.
2018, www.counterextremism.com/content/isis-persecution-gay-people.
 Pikulik 10

Background
Many of the terms and concepts that are commonly used today have only been in use in
later centuries. As an example, the term “homosexuality” was only invented in 1869 when it first
appeared in an open letter to German Ministers of Justice.15 This letter was created when German
lawmakers were trying to decide if relationships between people of the same sex should be
illegal. However, even if these terms are relatively new, one can easily find examples throughout
history of people who could fit into today's LGBT community.

Many ancient cultures normalized the ideas of varying sexualities and ways to express
gender. In ancient Egypt, these minorities were considered normal. In 1503 BC, the Egyptian
Queen Hatshepsut would have been considered transgender by today's standards. She would
wear men's clothes accompanied by a fake beard and intend to rule as a Pharaoh.16 In Greece,
being a gay man was regarded as a sign of masculinity17. This was reflected by the gods the
Greeks worshiped such as Zeus, Apollo, Hermes and Dionysus, who all had lovers of the same
sex.18 Just like in Greek mythology, the religion of Hinduism has many gods that could be
considered LGBT. The god Vishnu is gender-fluid and often takes the form as a female goddess
named Mohini. It is was normal in ancient India for a man to dress as a woman and they would
belong to the Hijras, an organized community comprised of these sorts of men. However, these
positive views on sexuality and gender did not last.

Today's homophobic views can be largely pinpointed to European Christians that lived
between the late 1100s to the 1300s who were fascinated by the idea of ‘nature’ as the standard
of morality. With this new standard non procreative sex became a sin since the nature of sex is to

15
“Sexual Histories .” A Natural History of Homosexuality, by Francis Mark Mondimore, Johns Hopkins University
Press, 2011.
16
“Timeline: Transgender Throughout History - Doc Zone - CBC-TV.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada,
www.cbc.ca/doczone/features/timeline-transgender-through-history.
17
Pickett, Brent. “Homosexuality.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 5 July 2015,
plato.stanford.edu/entries/homosexuality/.
18
Ogles, Jacob. “52 Queer Gods Who Ruled Ancient History.” Gay Pride - LGBT & Queer Voices, PRIDE, 11 Sept.
2017, www.pride.com/entertainment/2017/9/11/52-queer-gods-who-ruled-ancient-history.
 Pikulik 11

procreate, therefore making acts of homosexuality a sin.19 These teachings essentially made the
majority of Europe homophobic, since most people were Christian.

These homophobic beliefs then translated into law. One of the earliest European laws
enforcing discrimination based on sexuality was the Buggery Act of 1533 in Britain. Put into
action by King Henry the VIII’s parliament, this act made buggery a crime punishable by
hanging (Appendix C). It also allowed the government to seize the assets of anyone found guilty.
This act was only intended to last a year, but instead was put into parliament law in 1541 and
remained a capital offence until 1861.20 At the time, the Buggery Act did not stem out the
Christian teaching of nature as a standard of morality, but instead was a political tactic used by
King Henry to suppress clergy who opposed him being the Supreme Head of the Church of
England. King Henry wanted to created a way to execute monks who did not agreed with him
and the Buggery Act was the perfect way. At the time, if a clergy member was found guilty of a
capital offence it was written into law that they could not be killed, but King Henry specifically
made the Buggery Act to be an exception. He would then elicit confessions of homosexual
activity from monks who threatened him by mean of continuous harassment and he was then
able to kill and seize the monks assets through the Buggery Act.21

This Act slowly became highly supported by Christians as the idea of creationism as a
moral standard became more popular. The Act was then entrenched in law due to the high praise
it received from the religious community. Rikki Arundel, an expert on the issue states, “I have
read a lot of the history of persecution of LGBT people and one thing seems clear. Apart from a
few isolated periods of extreme persecution, same sex relationships were not just tolerated, but
seem to have been largely accepted as normal until the reign of Henry VIII”.22 King Henry’s
Buggery act was the beginning of the growth of many nations anti-homosexual attitudes.

19
​ ​Pickett, Brent. “Homosexuality.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 5 July 2015,
plato.stanford.edu/entries/homosexuality/.
20
Arundel, Rikki. “The Buggery Act 1533.” The Gender Speaker, Rikki Arundel,
www.genderspeaker.com/buggery-act-1533/.
21
​“Homosexuality and Civilization.” Homosexuality and Civilization, by Louis Crompton, Belknap, 2006, pp.
362–367.
22
​Arundel, Rikki. “The Buggery Act 1533.”
 Pikulik 12

As Britain began to colonize, the British legal system became the foundation for the
fifty-three countries in Asia, Africa, Australia and North America. Many discriminatory laws
towards homosexuals that the British created, such as the Buggery Act, were carried on into
these countries. To this day Britain’s colonial-era homophobic laws still remain in thirty-six
countries. Furthermore, as Europeans colonized they instilled their understanding of Christianity
to the local people, including their beliefs about creationism and procreative sex. This caused
many cultures to no longer accept LGBT people and assimilate to the Europeans negative beliefs
about gender and sexual minorities.23 As parts of Asia began to modernize, they adopted western
ways of thinking which brought Christian beliefs on the morality of homosexuality to its people,
even though the majority of the population were not Christian. Countries that were not colonized
by the British or Europeans in general were still influenced by western ideas, and these beliefs
came to be called ‘traditional values’24.

In the early nineteenth century during the Holocaust, mass amounts of homosexuals were
killed as the Nazi’s were conductiong their ‘moral crusade’ to save Germany. The Nazis started
in the early twentieth century by creating a ‘pink list’ of suspected gay men. In 1935, the Nazis
began to arrest and detain these men under the new paragraph 175 of the Criminal Code, which
stated, “A male who commits lewd and lascivious acts with another male or permits himself to
be so abused for lewd and lascivious acts, shall be punished by imprisonment.” By 1945, a
hundred thousand men had been arrested for suspected homosexual activity and fifty thousand of
them were detained. They were put into Nazi prison camps, were five to fifteen thousand died.25

In the late nineteenth century after world war two, discriminatory laws began to be
reversed in some western countries. Many European countries started to lessen or revoke their

23
Villarreal, Daniel. “How Britain Turned a Fourth of the World Anti-Gay, and What the Ultimate Colonizer Is
Doing About It.” Hornet Stories, Hornet Stories, 20 Apr. 2018, hornet.com/stories/british-commonwealth-lgbt-two/.
24
Blain, Hayden. “A History Of Homosexuality In China.” Culture Trip, Culture Trip, 8 Oct. 2015,
theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/a-history-of-homosexuality-in-china/.
25
​United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum,
www.ushmm.org/learn/students/learning-materials-and-resources/homosexuals-victims-of-the-nazi-era/persecution-
of-homosexuals.
 Pikulik 13

laws that punished LGBT people along with other countries such as Canada and Australia.
However, no laws protecting LGBT people were created during this time period.

In the twentieth century progress was made in some parts of the world to protect LGBT
people. The 1960s was a pivotal time for gay rights in the western world. In Europe, Canada, and
the United States homosexuality was becoming viewed as a mental disease instead of an act of
evil. This led to psychiatrist trying to find a cure and began to theorize why children became gay.
They came up with ideas that masturbation and exposure to pornography would cause children to
become gay. Although they came up with these types of harmful theories that led many children
to feel shamful for being sexualy curious, psychiatrists played a major role in changing harmful
laws regarding the LGBT community. By 1987, the American Psychiatric Association removed
homosexualilty from the list of mental diseases.26

Nonetheless, discrimination against members of the LGBT community was still very
prominent. In the state of New York on June 28, 1969, the Stonewall riot took place and started a
gay revolution. The police stormed a gay club, which was common, but this time the bar patrons
revolted. The police used excessive force to remove the bar patrons and arrested thirteen people
who were in violation of the states gender-appropriate clothing statute. This included both
transgender people and drag queens. The bar patrons, becoming increasingly fed up with the
mistreatment by the police, began to mutiny and attack the police officers. This lead to a riot.
The Stonewall Inn was burt down and many queer people were arrested that night. The following
six days, thousands of people protested in front of the Stonewall Inn against the oppression the
LGBT community was facing from the police and society. After this event, more political
activism began and groups such as the Gay Liberation Front, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD
(formerly Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and PFLAG (formerly Parents,

26
Burton, Neel. “When Homosexuality Stopped Being a Mental Disorder.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers,
18 Sept. 2015,
www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/hide-and-seek/201509/when-homosexuality-stopped-being-mental-disorder.
 Pikulik 14

Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) formed.27 Additionally, since this event, pride
parades all around the world commemorating the Stonewall riot have taken place.28

The formation of activist groups after the riot eventually lead to western countries
reforming their laws. In terms of laws in favor of homosexuals, there has been positive
progression in many countries. In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize gay
marriage. As of June 22, 2018, twenty-seven countries have made same-sex marriage legal.
However, for gender minories, change has not come as quickly. Currently, in only five countries
can one’s gender on government documents be changed without restrictions (Appendix D).29
Since the Buggery Act, much has changed and many laws have been reverted, but the world is
still far from where it needs to be as LGBT people from all around the world are still suffering.

27
“Stonewall Riots.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 31 May 2017,
www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots​.
28
​Pickett, Brent. “Homosexuality.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 5 July 2015,
plato.stanford.edu/entries/homosexuality/.
29
Champine, Riley D. “The Legality of Gender Change.” National Geographic, National Geographic, 6 Apr. 2017,
www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/01/gender-identity-map-where-you-can-change-your-gender-on-legal-
documents/.
 Pikulik 15

Expert: Vitit Muntarbhorn

International law professor at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, Vitit Muntarbhorn is

an expert on violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. He was
designated the first UN Independent Expert on this issue by the Human Right Council in
September 2016 and, unfortunately, had to resign after a year due to ill health and caring
responsibilities.30 Educated in the United Kingdom, mainly at Oxford University, Mr.
Muntarbhorn holds a graduate law degree from Oxford and a degree on European law from the
Free University of Brussels. He has taught taught international law, human rights, the law of
regional organizations, migration and refugee law, child rights, international humanitarian law
and European Union law. In 2004, Mr. Muntarbhorn received the UNESCO Human Rights
Education Prize for his work.31 He advocates for the LGBT community and has written
publications about sexuality and gender identity.32 “It is unconscionable that people with an
actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression different from a
particular social norm are targeted for violence and discrimination in many parts of the world”
states Mr. Muntarbhorn.33

30
Freedman , Rosa. “Top UN Expert's Resignation Spells Trouble for Defenders of LGBT Rights.” SBS News, SBS
News, 18 Sept. 2017,
www.sbs.com.au/topics/sexuality/agenda/article/2017/09/18/top-un-experts-resignation-spells-trouble-defenders-lgb
t-rights.
31
“Vitit Muntarbhorn from Thailand Wins 2004 UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education.” Universal
Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights: UNESCO, UNESCOPRESS, Nov. 2004,
portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=24058&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html.
32
​“ Vitit Muntarbhorn.” United Nations Human Rights Office of Commissioner, United Nations,
www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/SexualOrientationGender/Pages/VititMuntarbhorn.aspx.
33
“Action Needed to Stop Violations of LGBT People's Rights Worldwide, Expert Tells UN | UN News.” United
Nations, United Nations, 27 Oct. 2017,
news.un.org/en/story/2017/10/569492-action-needed-stop-violations-lgbt-peoples-rights-worldwide-expert-tells-un.
 Pikulik 16

His Analysis of The Issue

In a keynote address, ​Sexualities, Genders and Rights: Implications for the Asian Region,​
he analyzed the issue of discrimination based on sexuality and gender identity. Following is a
summary of the of his analysis:

Discrimination based on sexuality and gender identity is a complex issue, and solving it
“is dependant upon much more than the law”. A factor that heavily influences the progression or
regression of progress being made is based on what the medical community’s opinion on gender
and sexuality is. “Some psychologists and psychiatrists still harbour the feeling that
homosexuality and other expressions of sexual orientations and identities are an illness”. As
mentioned earlier, this is evident since conversion therapy is still practiced. The medical
community needs to leave stereotypes and prejudices out of their work, otherwise skewed results
will determine how people view the LGBT community.

The media can also cause confusion on what homosexuality and gender truly is. Media
has historically been used as a tool to confuse people into believing that pedophilia and
homosexuality are one in the same. This interim has prevented many same-sex partners from
adopting children since people believe that they will molest the child, although there is no
scientific proof. Furthermore, governments should not have control over private sexual acts
between consenting adults, yet they intervene “on the basis of the so-called public interest which
is in reality no more than the draconian vision of the Governmental interest or that of a powerful
illiberal group”. Finally, religion is often used to to justify homophobia by “not so liberal
lobbies”. Religion evolves with the times and does not stay static, “their axioms have to be seen
contextually, of course they are open to change in accordance with the times, and it is their more
liberal voices with whom we should network”.34

34
​Muntarbhorn, Vitit. “Sexualities, Genders and Rights: Implications for the Asian Region .” Conference on
Sexualities, Genders and Rights in Asia .
 Pikulik 17

Solutions
Muntarbhorn strongly believes that “there is a need for effective anti-discrimination
measures covering both the public and private spheres”. Communities need to be built that are
open and respectful to LGBT people. “Non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders
and activists, as well as independent national human rights institutions, play a crucial role in the
advancement of an inclusive agenda for all without discrimination and distinction, including
through the promotion of understanding of and respect for human rights and gender diversity”.
The people of a nation can create waves in government for change if they stand up for LGBT
people since “they are agents of change which can activate significant reform processes.”35

He states that five key steps need to be taken in order for the world to be an equal place
for LGBT people. These steps are “lifting criminal laws which affect LGBT people; not seeing
the community as suffering from a disorder; giving all people the right to have their gender
identity recognized on official documents; working with different cultures and religions to ensure
inclusive practices; and, ensuring children grow up with the ability to empathize with people of
different sexual orientation and gender identity”.36 Muntarbhorn is especially passionate about
the fifth step. He believes that educating is the ‘entry point’ to teach children the right values;
education has the power to make the future generation more accepting of the LGBT community.
Furthermore, he says running anti-bullying campaigns targeting children are essential to creating
a less discriminatory future.

35
“Action Needed to Stop Violations of LGBT People's Rights Worldwide, Expert Tells UN | UN News.” United
Nations, United Nations, 27 Oct. 2017,
news.un.org/en/story/2017/10/569492-action-needed-stop-violations-lgbt-peoples-rights-worldwide-expert-tells-un.
36
“UN's New LGBT Rights Expert Urges Global Partnership to End Violence and Discrimination | UN News.”
United Nations, United Nations, 22 Nov. 2016,
news.un.org/en/story/2016/11/546582-uns-new-lgbt-rights-expert-urges-global-partnership-end-violence-and.
 Pikulik 18

Role Of Control
Control refers to powers that have the ability to influence people's thinking and
behaviour. Religion, social values and government are all powers that control how members of
the LGBT community are viewed by others and themselves. These powers have the ability to
create environments that are either hostile or accepting.

Religion shapes many people's beliefs and outlooks on life. Christianity and Judaism both
have religious texts that have passages that could be interpreted as anti-LGBT. In the Bible it
states, “Because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and
each woman her own husband” (7:2). This passage and others justify homophobia to some
Christians and Jews. LGBT people are labeled sinners since their actions defy the teachings of
the bible.37 LGBT people are often afraid to tell their religious families about their sexuality or
gender identity for fear that they will be disowned. As for parents, they can often be pressured by
members of their own church to disown their children although they may not wish to. Susan
Cottrell, the founder of FreedHearts, a foundation to support Christian parents with LGBT
children shared her personal experience with her church when her daughter came out:

“At bible study, I shared with some of my closest friends, hoping they’d give me
some wisdom. Instead they just went straight to the rules. They said ‘being gay is
a sin and you can’t accept it’... I realized I was being asked to choose between the
two most important parts of my life: my child and my church.”

Christian parents are often spilt on the right choice to make and many chose their church over
their child.38 This choice can have devastating effects on a LGBT child, and can lead the child to
being sent to conversion therapy.

37
“Homosexuality and Religion.” SexInfo Online, University of California,
www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/article/homosexuality-and-religion.
38
​Cottrell, Susan. “Why I Chose My LGBTQ Daughter over the Evangelical Church .” TEDxMileHigh.
TEDxMileHigh, 4 Jan. 2019.
 Pikulik 19

Christians embraced conversion therapy that was first invented by psychologists when
homosexuality was considered to be a mental disorder. Most reputable psychologists no longer
practice conversion therapy since it is not effective, but Christian churches have continued its
practice. Christians who view their LGBT children as sinners use conversion therapy run by the
church under the misguided belief that it will ‘fix’ their children. At these church-run conversion
camps physical, verbal and mental abuse are used to deter the patient from having homosexual
thoughts.39

As well, within the Muslim religion, many people who follow it find the LGBT
community to be an abomination. The Quran states that sodomy is unacceptable and should be
punished, but it does not state how. However, Sharia law found in the Hadith (the teachings of
the Prophet Muhammad the founder of Islam) provides all the punishments for varying degrees
of homosexual acts. These teachings have lead to homophobia within the Muslim community.40
Just like some Christian communities, Muslim children are often disowned by their parents for
their ‘lifestyle’ decision. Miriam, a Muslim lesbian recalls her story of coming out to her Muslim
parents: "[My mother’s] words were that she never thought any child of hers could bring her as
much shame as I did. And since then it's very much been about religion. She'd reply, 'God made
man and woman - if you look at any verse in the Quran it's never husband and husband or wife
and wife”.41 Certain religious morals and teachings pressure LGBT people to hide who they are
and pressure others to not be accepting when someone is LGBT. These religious teachings tear
apart families and even lead to the killing of sexual and gender minorities. Sharia law has
contributed and influenced people to commit mass killings of LGBT people. Terrorist groups
such as ISIS are inspired by Sharia Law and use it to justify their acts. One account of the

39
​ Borsellino, Jessie. “Why Is Conversion Therapy Still Legal in Canada?” Flare, Flare, 1 Nov. 2018,
www.flare.com/news/conversion-therapy-canada/.
40
Shalev, Chemi, et al. “Islam and Homosexuality: What Does the Koran Say?” Haaretz.com, 4 Apr. 2019,
www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/islam-and-homosexuality-what-does-the-koran-say-1.5395747.
41
​“'It Is Possible to Be Muslim and a Lesbian'.” BBC News, BBC, 14 Jan. 2019,
www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-46567505.
 Pikulik 20

Prophet Muhammad states that homosexuals "should be thrown from tremendous heights then
stoned", and ISIS does exactly that.42

Religion has a major influence on government laws and societal values regarding gender
and sexuality. Specifically, Christianity and Islam have influenced people throughout history to
create homophobic laws and some of these laws have yet to be abolished. Governments are the
only powers that can decide if discrimination based on sexuality and gender expression is legal
or illegal, and the government is often reflective of the societal values of its people. Some
countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia have Sharia Law written right into legal
law, making it illegal to be LGBT.43 If a society becomes more accepting of sexual and gender
minorities this is often reflected by its laws by decriminalizing homosexuality or allowing people
to change their gender. Australia legalized same sex marriage on December 9, 2017. Before
taking the vote to parliament, the Australian government released a non-compulsory survey that
80% of the population participated in that showed 61.6% of Australia voted in favor of and
38.4% voted against same sex marriage.44

If a society deems that members of the LGBT community should not be accepted, this
leads to the creation of discriminatory laws. In Russia, a new 2013 law was introduced that made
‘gay propaganda’ illegal. This law was “aimed at protecting children from information
promoting the denial of traditional family values”.45 The majority of Russian citizens consider
themselves to be conservative and wanted to uphold their ‘traditional’ values and this law
appealed to these beliefs. Putin wanted to increase his approval among the people of his nation
and therefore signed off on this law. This new law was a reflection of what the people of
Russia’s valued.

42
Shalev, Chemi, et al. “Islam and Homosexuality: What Does the Koran Say?” Haaretz.com, 4 Apr. 2019,
www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/islam-and-homosexuality-what-does-the-koran-say-1.5395747.
43
​Kiprop, Victor. “Countries That Follow Sharia Law.” WorldAtlas, 23 Nov. 2018,
www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-that-follow-sharia-law.html.
44
Berlinger, Joshua, and Ben Westcott. “Australia Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage.” CNN, Cable News Network, 7
Dec. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/12/07/asia/australia-same-sex-marriage-intl/index.html.
45
“No Support | Russia's ‘Gay Propaganda’ Law Imperils LGBT Youth.” Human Rights Watch, Human Rights
Watch, 14 Dec. 2018,
www.hrw.org/report/2018/12/11/no-support/russias-gay-propaganda-law-imperils-lgbt-youth#.
 Pikulik 21

Governments can control what its nation values through media and education. In certain
countries, governments have strict control over what media people are consuming and can
prevent LGBT people from connecting with each other or allowing people to learn about LGBT
issues. In Egypt, the government uses ‘contempt of religion’, ‘incitement to debauchery’, and
immorality laws to prevent mention of LGBT people in the media. This, in turn, prevents people
from learning what it means to be part of the LGBT community and leaves their people ignorant.
This allows the government to control what the population believes.46

A less extreme version of this can be seen in Canada’s education system. In Canada, the
provincial governments have power over the education system by creating standardized
curriculum. Ontario’s education system is very progressive when it comes to teaching children
about gender and sexuality but, when the Ford government came into power, some of the
progress was reversed. The Ford government decided to revert back to the 1998 sexual education
curriculum that does not educate children about gender and sexuality to the same degree as the
2015 Liberal sex ed curriculum did47. The government decided it was in the children's best
interest to limit their education on these subjects. It is clear to see, the government has a degree
of control over what children are and are not allowed to know in regards to their own gender and
sexuality. Education is a powerful tool governments can use to shape their nation’s values about
all sorts of issues. Government is able to impose its own values onto its people through education
and media which in term influences societal values.

Religion, government and societal values all influence one another and together they
have the ability to create environments where discrimination based on sexuality and gender
expression grows or diminishes. LGBT people deserve to have the same rights as any other
persons and there is much work being done to make these changes.

46
“Egypt's LGBT Crackdown Expands to Stifle Journalists.” Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch , 31 Jan.
2019, www.hrw.org/news/2019/01/25/egypts-lgbt-crackdown-expands-stifle-journalists.
47
“Ontario Parents Voice Support for Modern Sex-Ed Curriculum | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 17
Dec. 2018, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-sex-ed-consultations-1.4949832.
 Pikulik 22

International Organizations
From large organizations working on the world stage to small local grassroots
organizations, there is all kinds of efforts being made to improve the lives of LGBT people.
ILGA, Heartland Association International and All Out are three organizations that are working
through different means for the common goal of bettering the lives of LGBT people.

Established in 1978, the ILGA lobby internationally. They currently have 1500 member
organisations from 150 countries and territories and are still expanding. They are able to run due
to funding from governments, private foundations and private donors. The ILGA is accredited by
the United Nations and has been granted NGO Ecosoc consultative status. ILGA (International
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association) mission is to be “a global voice of
LGBTI networks, communities and movements tirelessly committed to shaping a world where
everyone can live safely, equally and free”. They do this through advocacy, empowerment and
research. On the ILGA website, they offer many comprehensive papers and fact sheets about the
status of LGBT issues around the world. This includes, their annual State-Sponsored
Homophobia report which outlines all laws regarding the LGBT community around the world,
Trans Legal Mapping report, Treaty Bodies annual report, etc. They also advocate and push for
LGBT rights within the United Nations at Special Procedures, Treaty Bodies and the Human
Rights Council. Each year the ILGA holds their world conference where LGBT advocates can
meet to share their ideas about which direction the organization should move in the future. The
ILGA is helping to educate and advocate on behalf of the LGBT community.48

Some members of the LGBT community are not safe in their home country and need to
seek asylum, Heartland Alliance International is dedicated to helping these people. LGBT
refugees and asylum seekers have specific needs due to their situation and Heartland Alliance
fills this gap. They do this by helping these people resettle upon arrival in their new country

48
​ “What We Do.” The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association | ILGA, The
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), 2 May 2018, ilga.org/what-we-do.
 Pikulik 23

through services that help integrate them into the new environment. Each year, Heartland
Alliance helps over one million people from all around the world. Heartland Alliance also
provides online resources to LGBT refugees and asylees in a variety of languages. These
resources include advice concerning emergencies, health, legal issues, employment, and where to
find support.

All Out is a global movement for love and equality. They do this by mobilizing thousands
of people to build a world where people are not discriminated against because of who they love
or how they identify. All Out runs two types of campaigns, global pressure and grass roots. With
their global pressure campaigns, they start with online petitions directed at decisionmakers and
combine other tactics such as media work and offline action to further their voice. They are able
to bring issues regarding the LGBT community to light that may have otherwise been ignored.
Their ‘Stop Gay Cures in China’ petition was able to bring light to conversion therapy in China
and All Out was even noticed by the New York Times. Their second form of campaigning, grass
roots, is where people from around the world donate to All Out and they then use this money to
fund local groups around the world that are fighting for equality. A few events All Out has
funded include a Pride Parade in Uganda and keeping open the only LGBT shelter in Eastern
Europe.49

These international organizations play a vital role in protecting LGBT people, especially
in countries where LGBT people are most oppressed. They help bring attention to important
issues facing sexual and gender minorities that helps raise awareness.Without these
organizations, progress would be much slower.

49
“Home | All Out.” All Out | A Global Movement for Love & Equality, All Out, allout.org/en.
 Pikulik 24

Case Studies

Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is located in just off the mainland of
southeast Asia. It is the world’s largest island country, and is the world’s fourth most populated
country with an estimated 268 million people as of March 31, 2019.50 The majority of the
population is Muslim, as eighty-seven percent of Indonesians declared Muslim on the 2010
census.51 Since the majority of the population is Muslim, government and religion are heavily
intertwined. LGBT people experience oppression from the government and people around them.
Violent acts towards the LGBT community is a normal occurance and there are little to no
repercussions for those who physically or verbally harass members of the LGBT community.

Indonesia’s laws on homosexuality varies from region to region. The only region where
homosexuality is explicitly criminalized is Aceh which enforces Sharia law upon its people.52
With the majority of the population being Muslim and following Sharia law, even if it is not
enforced by the government, people who are gender and sexual minorities experience
discrimination due to their existence defying Sharia law.53 Members of the LGBT community are
often viewed as suffering from a mental illness or possessed by demons by Muslim communities,
and conversion therapy and exorcisms are commonly used to try and ‘heal’ LGBT people. Social
pressure to be straight makes it hard for queer people to come out without negative
repercussions.54

50
“Indonesia Population (LIVE).” Worldometers, www.worldometers.info/world-population/indonesia-population/.
51
“Indonesia Population 2019.” Indonesia Population 2019 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs),
worldpopulationreview.com/countries/indonesia-population/.
52
Salvá, Ana. “Sharia Is Here to Stay in Indonesia's Aceh.” The Diplomat, The Diplomat, 28 Sept. 2018,
thediplomat.com/2018/09/shariah-is-here-to-stay-in-indonesias-aceh/.
53
“What Is Sharia Law?” Snopes.com, www.snopes.com/news/2017/06/19/what-is-sharia-law/.
54
Hodge, Amanda, and Nivell Rayda. “Crackdown Looms as Indonesia Exorcises Gay ‘Demons.’” The Australian,
The Australian, 18 Aug. 2018,
 Pikulik 25

Even though there is not a specific law that criminalizes homosexuality in Indonesia,
members of the LGBT community experience discrimination from their government that finds a
way to use laws that are not necessarily targeted at the LGBT community to harass, imprison and
punish them. Indonesia does not have any protections laws to prevent discrimination of LGBT
people. Contrarily, it has a law that promotes discrimination based on sexuality, the Law on
Pornography. Indonesia's Law on Pornography prohibits: sex parties, the use of pornography,
and “deviant sexual acts”. ‘Deviant sexual acts can encompass anything from necrophilia to
homosexuality.55 Furthermore, this law has recently been used to justify police raids on
nightclubs, hotel rooms, hair salons, and private homes that are suspected of harbouring
members of the LGBT community.

In 2018, a beauty salon was raided, and 12 trans women were arrested because several
parents reported that their teenage sons had been ‘seduced’ by them. The trans women were then
forced to undergo training to help them return to their true identity as a man and were then forced
to shave their head and dress in men’s clothing (Appendix E).56 On March 28, 2017, in Arch, the
first flogging of individuals for having same sex relations took place. Unidentified vigilantes
forcibly entered an apartment and arrested two men in their twenties for allegedly having
same-sex relations as reported by their neighbor. Authorities then publicly flogged the two young
men eighty-five times with a cane. The men were originally sentenced to one hundred lashes, but
the prosecutor recommended eighty-five because the men were young and confessed their guilt.
The crowd cheered as the two men were flogged (Appendix F).57 Since then, many more cases
like this have occurred and in August of 2018, two women became the first women to be flogged
due to same-sex relations.58

55
​Haynes, Suyin. “Indonesia's LGBT Crackdown Fuels HIV Crisis, Report Warns.” Time, Time, 2 July 2018,
time.com/5324621/indonesia-lgbt-crackdown-hiv-human-rights-watch/.
56
“'We Helped Them to Return to Their Nature'.” NewsComAu, 30 Jan. 2018,
www.news.com.au/world/asia/transgender-women-released-from-jail-on-one-condition-return-to-their-nature-as-me
n/news-story/bbcb8bb2f61b41f70f33a987709a
57
“Indonesia Won't End Floggings, but Rather Hide Them.” Human Rights Watch, 30 Apr. 2018,
www.hrw.org/news/2018/04/30/indonesia-wont-end-floggings-rather-hide-them.
58
Hodge, Amanda, and Nivell Rayda, 2018
 Pikulik 26

“The [Indonesian] government and police have made it abundantly clear that it’s
perfectly okay to hate LGBT people and to act on it,” says Kyle Knight, LGBT rights researcher
at Human Rights Watch.59 These acts of discrimination by the government demonstrate to the
public that it is okay hate people based on their sexuality and gender expression. In a 2013 study,
when asked the question “Should Society Accept Homosexuality?”, ninety-three percent of
Indonesians responded “no”.60 These attitudes are creating an unsafe environment for LGBT
people, an environment where hate flourishes.

The persecution of members of the LGBT community is also contributing to the HIV
epidemic in Indonesia. HIV is a sexualy transmitted virus that attacks the body's immune system,
that will eventually cause the victim to no longer be able to fight off disease or infection. The
most severe stage where the body can no longer fight disease or infection is called AIDS61. Gay
men and transgender women are the groups most affected by the epidemic. HIV rates increased
from five to twenty-five percent among gay men from 2007 to 201562 and the HIV rates among
trans women was twenty-two percent in 2015.63 Currently, only nine percent of gay men with
HIV are taking antiretroviral drugs in order to slow the effects. Outreach workers want to help,
but the fear of being raided and prosecuted is preventing them from providing venues and safe
spaces to carry out their work with LGBT communities.They are unable to provide their services,
such as education programs on prevention and transmission, counseling support services and
distribution of condoms and HIV testing kits.64 It is imperative that Indonesia acknowledge and
address the HIV epidemic within the LGBT community or its population as a whole will suffer.

59
Haynes, 2018
60
​“The Global Divide on Homosexuality.” Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project, Pew Research Center's
Global Attitudes Project, 1 June 2015, www.pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-divide-on-homosexuality/.
61
​Cdc. “What Are HIV and AIDS?” ​HIV.gov,​ 21 Feb. 2018,
www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/what-are-hiv-and-aids​.
62
“World Report 2019: Rights Trends in Indonesia.” Human Rights Watch, 17 Jan. 2019,
www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/indonesia
63
​“Indonesia's HIV Rates on the Rise.” ​The ASEAN Post​, 3 July 2018,
theaseanpost.com/article/indonesias-hiv-rates-rise.
64
​ Haynes, 2018
 Pikulik 27

Nigeria
Located on the western coast of Africa, Nigeria is the result of British colonization and
division of land. Nigeria is Africa’s most populated country with a population of 199 million as
of March 31, 2019. Fifty-two percent of the population lives in urban areas, and the median age
is a low 17.9 years.65 Nigeria is considered to be a developing country, and many basic human
rights are overlooked by the government. Nigeria is one of the worst, if not, the worst country to
live in for LGBT people. They have some of the most oppressive laws aimed at the LGBT
community and those who associate with them. Many of the homophobic attitudes can be traced
back to the colonization by the British and the large population of Muslims within the country66.

In all of Nigeria, homosexuality is illegal under the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act
(SSMP) that became law in 2014, and is punishable by fourteen years in prison. One does not
even need to have sexual relations to be sent to jail , “domestic partnerships,” “caring
partnerships,” or “adult independent relationships” between two people of the same sex is illegal.
Furthermore, any shows of affection between two people of the same sex in a public space can
lead to a ten year prison sentence and, even sharing a room alone with someone of the same sex
can lead to an imprisonment under this act.67 Under the Criminal Code Act of 1990 that prohibits
“carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature”, just knowing a person who
identifies as LGBT can lead to imprisonment. Twelve states in the northern parts of Nigeria,
where the majority of the population is Muslim, have Sharia law and its penalty code. This code
states that men can be stoned to death if they commit same-sex relations, and women who do the
same can be jailed and whipped. A 2017 survey conducted by The Initiative for Equal Rights , a
Nigerian-based human rights organization, stated that ninety-percent of Nigerians believe that
these homophobic laws should continue.68

65
“Nigeria Population (LIVE).” Worldometers, www.worldometers.info/world-population/nigeria-population/.
66
Udo, Reuben Kenrick, et al. “Nigeria.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 14 Mar. 2019,
www.britannica.com/place/Nigeria.
67
​“HAPPENING NOW: LGBT Nigerians Jailed After Passage of New Anti-Gay Law.” Amnesty International
USA, 18 Jan. 2014, www.amnestyusa.org/happening-now-lgbt-nigerians-jailed-after-passage-of-new-anti-gay-law/.
68
“Social Survey of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Rights.” The Initiative for Equal Rights,
https://theinitiativeforequalrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Social-Perception-Survey-On-LGB-Rights-Repor
t-in-Nigeria3.pdf
 Pikulik 28

LGBT people live in fear for their lives every day, and it is near impossible for anyone in
Nigeria to stand up for the LGBT community without fear of being abused, killed or imprisoned.
69
In 2014, in Abuja the capital of Nigeria, a mob of fifty young men attacked four gay men and
nearly beat them to death. The men were dragged from their homes and beat with nail-studded
clubs and whips, the attackers claimed that they were “cleansing the community” of gays. After
thoroughly beating the four gay men, the mob dragged them to the local police station where
they were further beat by the police. This attack came in direct response to the SSMP. As well,
many other mob beatings and lynchings against gay men were soon to follow after this attack.
Homophobic people in Nigeria suddenly felt empowered after the SSMP was passed and began
to beat and kill members of the LGBT community. These sorts of mob attacks against gay man
are still common in Nigeria.70

Being transgender in Nigeria is also considered to be unacceptable. In the northern part of

Nigeria, being found guilty of ‘crossdressing’, or being transgender, can lead to a one year jail
sentence. Many young trans people try to escape to nightclubs to be themselves, but it is not safe
there either, and many attacks have occured. On April second, 2019 a young man was arrested
and stripped naked at a Night club in Abuja, located in Northern Nigeria, for wearing feminine
clothes (Appendix G). The unidentified ‘crossdresser’ was reported by a few patrons at the bar,
he was then forcefully undressed by authorities and publicly humiliated. It is unknow what
happened to the young man after.71 On December twenty-eighth, 2018, a transgender woman
named Ekombong was almost killed at a nightclub when she was outed for being biologically a
man. When at a nightclub, a man continuously harassed her until to come with him to his car.
Ekombong recolects, saying:

69
Corey-Boulet, Robbie. “As Election Nears, LGBT Nigerians' Expectations Can't Get Much Lower.” World
Politics Review, 13 Dec. 2018,
70
​Nossiter, Adam. “Mob Attacks More Than a Dozen Gay Men in Nigeria's Capital.” The New York Times, The
New York Times, 15 Feb. 2014,
www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/world/africa/mob-attacks-gay-men-in-nigerias-capital.html.
71
Daemon, Mike. “Young Nigerian Cross-Dresser Arrested and Stripped Naked.” NoStringsNG, NoStringsNG, 2
Apr. 2019, nostringsng.com/cross-dresser-arrested-stripped-naked/.
 Pikulik 29

“After many pleas from the young man, I obliged, but he wanted to rape me. He
threatened to kill me if I didn’t undress for him to have sex with me. But when I
did, he realized that I am not a girl by birth so he hit me and alerted a homophobic
mob who nearly killed me. They beat me with sticks and injured me with bottles
and knives. I was almost burnt alive, but I cried and begged for my life before they
let me go but not after they robbed me.”

Even in spaces where transgender people believe they are safe, they are brutally attacked and
publically humiliated. Ekombong later tried to dress as her identified gender at her university,
since dressing in men's clothes made her uncomfortable. She was expelled from school on the
grounds of ‘gender identity disorder’ and was told to seek a doctor for help. When Ekombong
finally contacted a doctor, she was told by the doctor “... he was unable to help [her] in any
way”.72 Transgender people are not able to reach out and obtain the help they need, and are rather
subjected to discrimination and violent acts against them.

Since 2016 there has been a decline in violent acts against LGBT people but, there has
been an increase in extortion, blackmail, infringement of rights to assembly, and police
malpractice towards members of the LGBT community. The police in Nigeria are known to
exploit anti-gay laws to gain money. They often target known gay clubs where they can arrest
many people at once to maximize profit. In 2017, at a club in Lagos, seventy men and boys were
arrested on the grounds of supposed homosexual activity. In exchange for money, the police
released the men and boys and, in return, did not take them to court where they would inevitably
be found guilty.

“You live life [in Nigeria] as a gay person, knowing that there is no future in Nigeria if
you want to live an open life” stated Mohammed, one of the only outspoken gay activists in the
country. The situation in Nigeria is only getting worse, especially after the passing of the 2014

72
​ Daemon, Mike. “'I Was Almost Burnt Alive,' Nigerian Trans Woman Says.” NoStringsNG, NoStringsNG, 28
Dec. 2018, nostringsng.com/burnt-alive-transwoman-nigeria/.
 Pikulik 30

SSMP73. Currently, there seems to be no hope for improvement in the near future, the best course
of action for those who are LGBT in Nigeria is to seek refugee and find some way out of the
country.74

73
​Akinwotu, Emmanuel. “Blackmail, Prejudice and Persecution: Gay Rights in Nigeria.” The Guardian, Guardian
News and Media, 30 Mar. 2018,
www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/mar/30/blackmail-prejudice-persecution-gay-rights-nigeria.
74
​ Adeoye, Aanu. “Nigerian Police Officer Tells Gays: Leave Country or Face Prosecution.” CNN, Cable News
Network, 23 Jan. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/01/23/health/nigeria-police-gay-prosecution-warning/index.html.
 Pikulik 31

Russia

Russia, the largest country in the world in terms of land size, is located in the north of
Asia and has a population of over 143 million as of March 25, 2019.75 The current President
Vladimir Putin, who has been in office since 2012, lives in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Russia
is an ethnically diverse nation, with an estimate of over 120 ethnic groups that speak many
different languages and practice many different religions. However, as diverse as Russia is, their
tolerance towards people who deviate from their ideas of ‘traditional values’ is almost
non-existent.

Hate crimes towards the LGBT community are common and accepted as normal by most
as these sorts of actions are easily justifiable to many Russian citizens. A 2018 state sponsored
study in Russia determined that two thirds of all Russians believe “gays are conspiring to subvert
the country’s traditional values”.76 A transgender boy in a Human Rights Watch interview said,
“I’m sure the police will not consider a report from a teenager about being beaten, if he says that
he is part of the LGBT community. Adults can safely mock us, rape us, and undermine us”. Also,
the number of hate crimes have been on the rise since the creation of the 2013 gay propaganda
law.

Although it is not illegal to be a member of the LGBT community in Russia, the hostile
attitudes towards members of the LGBT community is supported by the government. The
Russian government has enforced these attitudes onto their people by creating a ‘gay
propaganda’ law in 2013 that is “aimed at protecting children from information promoting the
denial of traditional family values,” such as nontraditional sexual relations.77 The implications of

75
“Russia Population (LIVE).” Worldometers, Worldometers,
www.worldometers.info/world-population/russia-population/.
76
“Теория Заговора Против России.” ВЦИОМ, ВЦИОМ, 20 Aug. 2018, wciom.ru/index.php?id=236&uid=9259.
77
​“No Support | Russia's ‘Gay Propaganda’ Law Imperils LGBT Youth.” Human Rights Watch, Human Rights
Watch, 14 Dec. 2018,
www.hrw.org/report/2018/12/11/no-support/russias-gay-propaganda-law-imperils-lgbt-youth#.
 Pikulik 32

this law is to reinforce an already hostile attitudes towards members of the LGBT community
and to prevent the normalization of LGBT people within new generations. This law is being used
to shut down online resources that intended to help LGBT youth who are struggling with their
mental health, who have suffered from physical and verbal abuse due to their sexual orientation
and gender identity, and for those who do not understand the feeling that they are having in
regards to their gender and sexuality.78

Elena Klimova, a journalist, is the creator of the website ​Children 404​ that strives to
support LGBT youth in Russia. From her website ​Children 404​, she has read many emails from
LGBT youth in Russia seeking help. From these emails she has learned about the harsh situations
and the discrimination LGBT youth have endured. Kilmova said,

“Many [LGBT youth] close in on themselves, they don't tell anyone. They are
scared of parents and classmates. If they open up, parents sometimes beat them,
insult them, throw them out, take away their phones, ban them from going on the
internet and even lock them up in a psychiatric clinic79 . Russia is not a safe place
for people in the LGBT community and oppression based on sexuality and gender
expression is common.”

Yet, Vladimir Putin claims that “[the gay propaganda] law is not harmful to anyone”.80 Klimova
was charged and found guilty in 2013 of promoting “propaganda of nontraditional sexual
relations among minors” and was fined 50 000 rubles (approximately $750 US).81

78
Rfe/rl. “'A Living Hell': Russia's 'Propaganda' Law Damaging LGBT Youth, HRW Finds.”
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, 12 Dec. 2018,
www.rferl.org/a/russia-gay-propaganda-law-rights/29651416.html.
79
O'Flynn, Kevin. “Gay Russian Teens Communicate in Secret to Avoid Law on 'Propaganda'.” The Guardian,
Guardian News and Media, 10 Aug. 2013,
www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/10/gay-russian-teens-avoid-propaganda-law.
80
“ Vladimir Putin: Anti-Gay Law 'Does Not Harm Anybody'.” BBC News, BBC, 19 Jan. 2014,
www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-politics-25800158/vladimir-putin-anti-gay-law-does-not-harm-anybody.
81
​“Russia: Defending LGBT Rights Is Not ‘Propaganda.’” Amnesty International USA, Amnesty International
USA, 9 Feb. 2015, www.amnestyusa.org/russia-defending-lgbt-rights-is-not-propaganda/.
 Pikulik 33

Apart from the shutting down of online resources, the gay propaganda law has been used
to oppress the voices of those who threaten ‘traditional values’. Two LGBT activists in
Arkhangelsk were fined for protesting in 2013, a journalist was fined for conducting an interview
with a teacher who was fired for being gay, and musicians in Russia have had their music
censored or removed due to their ‘suggestive’ lyrics.82 The Russian government is limiting
people basic right to freedom of speech in order to maintain hatred towards those in the LGBT
community.

Furthermore, although Russia allows homosexuality, a ‘gay purge’ is taking place.

Authorities in Chechnya, which is located in the northern region of Russia, are detaining
members of the LGBT community, some of which have been tortured and killed. Since the latest
roundup that started in December 2018, there have been reports stating that 40 members of the
LGBT community, predominantly gay men, have been detained and two have been killed by
torture.83 The Republic of Chechnya have denied targeting the LGBT community. These types of
roundups are not new in Chechnya, in 2017, authorities rounded up men suspected of being gay
and tortured them with electric devices. Families were encouraged to commit ‘honor killings’. A
witness stated that police officers told relatives, "Either you kill your kid or we will do it for
you".84 Many have attributed the anti-gay propaganda law to the influx of violence and
detainment of members of the LGBT community. Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen
Republic, even claimed that gay people do not exist in his state: "In Chechen society, there is no
such thing as nontraditional orientation", he stated in an interview with Interfax news agency.85

The Russian government has taken a step backwards with the implementation of the gay
propaganda law. However, progress is being made as more people learn about the gay

82
​“Russia: Defending LGBT Rights Is Not ‘Propaganda.’” Amnesty International USA, Amnesty International
USA, 9 Feb. 2015, www.amnestyusa.org/russia-defending-lgbt-rights-is-not-propaganda/.
83
The Moscow Times. “Reports Surface of Fresh Anti-Gay Purge in Chechnya.” The Moscow Times, The Moscow
Times, 31 Mar. 2019,
www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/01/11/reports-surface-of-fresh-anti-gay-purge-in-chechnya-a64120.
84
Ingber, Sasha. “Activists Say 40 Detained And 2 Dead In Gay Purge In Chechnya.” NPR, NPR, 15 Jan. 2019,
www.npr.org/2019/01/14/685192372/activists-say-40-detained-and-2-dead-in-gay-purge-in-chechnya.
85
“Kadyrov Says Ready to Help Inquiry into Reports on Sexual Minorities' Situation in Chechnya.” Interfax
Religion, © 1991-2019 Interfax, 8 May 2017, www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=13767.
 Pikulik 34

propaganda laws. As well, many international organizations are reaching out to help the LGBT
community members being held after the roundups in Chechnya, but the only true solution is for
the Russian government to put an end to the roundups.
 Pikulik 35

Canadian Connection
Canada is one of the most progressive countries in the world in terms of LGBT rights.
However, only in the past century has Canada come to accept homosexuality, and only in the
past decade has the government acknowledged non-binary people by allowing them to change
their gender on government documents.86 Canada still has more to do and each level of
government must be active in helping. In Canada, there are three different levels of government:
federal, provincial and municipal. Each level of government has different levels of control and
power. Federal, being the highest, deals with legislation affecting the whole country. Provincial
deals with legislation concerning provinces and territories, and municipal deals with
municipalities and cities. Each level of government has the ability to create laws to help or
hinder the prevention of LGBT oppression.

Federally, the legislation protecting LGBT people is some of the best in the world. The
Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects LGBT people from discrimination. Under section
section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the
equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in
particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour,
religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.
(2) Subsection (1) does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its
object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups
including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin,
colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability. (84)87

86
Joseph, Rebecca. “Canadian Passports to Have 'X' Gender Starting Aug. 31.” Global News, 25 Aug. 2017,
globalnews.ca/news/3694753/canadian-passports-x-gender/.
87
​Legislative Services Branch. “Consolidated Federal Laws of Canada, Access to Information Act.” Legislative
Services Branch, 26 Mar. 2019, laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-15.html.
 Pikulik 36

These laws protect members of the LGBT community from discrimination, and are
helping to create a society where, hopefully, LGBT people are more accepted. The Charter has
been in effect since 1982, protecting many members of the LGBT community in Canadian law
since then. However, only on October 18, 2016 was the Charter amended to include gender
expression and identity through Bill C-16.88 In 2005, Canada passed its federal Civil Marriage
Act and became the fourth country to legalize same sex marriage.89 Even with Canada’s great
strides in LGBT rights in terms of federal legislation there is still room for improvement, the
federal government must use its influence to get laws passed provincially. Canada has yet to
criminalize conversion therapy which provinces are incharge of. The Province of Ontario has
taken steps back in education surrounding LGBT issues.

Despite being discredited by many esteemed psychologists and mental health institutions,
conversion therapy is still legal in Canada. The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), has
condemned the practice of conversion therapy. The CPA states, “conversion or reparative
therapy can result in negative outcomes such as distress, anxiety, depression, negative
self-image, a feeling of personal failure, difficulty sustaining relationships, and sexual
dysfunction”.90 Despite the Canadian government knowing the negative repercussion that
conversion therapy inflicts, they continue to allow its practice. Efforts have been made by
citizens to criminalize it practice, including signing E-Petition 1833, which calls for the
criminalization of conversion therapy. The petition gained enough signatures to be presented to
the House of Commons --which is at the federal level of government-- and was presented on
February 1, 2019 (Appendix H).91 The government released its formal response on the March 18,
2019, and stated that “This issue primarily implicates, the regulation of the health profession,
which is a provincial and territorial responsibility [...] . We continue to work with provincial and

88
​“Bill C-16.” Openparliament.ca, openparliament.ca/bills/42-1/C-16/.
89
“Same-Sex Marriage in Canada.” The Canadian Encyclopedia,
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/same-sex-marriage-in-canada.
90
“C​PA Policy Statement on Conversion/Reparative Therapy for Sexual Orientation.” Canadian Phycological
Association, Canadian Phycological Association,
cpa.ca/docs/File/Position/SOGII%20Policy%20Statement%20-%20LGB%20Conversion%20Therapy%20FINALA
PPROVED2015.pdf.
91
“E-1833 (CONVERSION THERAPY).” Parliament of Canada, Government of Canada,
petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-1833.
 Pikulik 37

territorial governments to address these practices through the regulation of the health
profession”.92 Hopefully, the government will be working on the criminalization of conversion
therapy in order to outlaw the practice.

Education is controlled by the provincial level of government, so each province has its
own curriculum. On June 29, 2018 Progressive Conservative (PC) Party came into power in
Ontario after defeating the previous Liberal government. One of the campaign promises made by
the PC’s leader, Doug Ford, was to scrap the highly controversial Liberal government’s sex ed
curriculum put into effect in 2014 and revert back to the 1998 sex ed curriculum with some
changes. The major change that will negatively affect the LGBT community is that students will
be introduced to the concepts of gender identity and sexual orientation at an older age. Instead of
being introduced to these concepts in grades two and three, they will start learning about this in
grade eight. Often with trans children "one of the most consistent themes is that at some early
point, sometimes as early as age three to five, there's this feeling that the individual is part of
another gender group", says Charlotte Tate, a psychologist at San Francisco State University.93
Without introducing these concepts earlier, younger children experiencing these unknown
feelings will feel uncertain and unsupported and question what and why they feel the way they
do.

Furthermore, by the time children reach grade eight, biases are often already formed.
Therefore, by only introducing sexuality and gender expression in grade eight children, children
who have already formed a negative bias towards LGBT people will be less willing to listen with
an open mind, unlike grade two and three children who have not formed as many biases yet.94
Psychologist Fred Kaeser advises “[...] that the age of 5 is a wonderful time to lay a foundation

92
Benson. RESPONSE TO PETITION. House of Commons Canada, 1 Feb. 2019,
www.ourcommons.ca/Content/ePetitions/Responses/421/e-1833/421-03168_JUS_E.pdf.
93
​Kappler, Maija, “Trans Kids As Young As 3 Understand Their Gender Identity: Study.” HuffPost Canada,
HuffPost Canada, 17 Jan. 2019, www.huffingtonpost.ca/2019/01/16/trans-kids-gender-identity-study_a_23644416/.
94
Kaeser, Fred, “Teaching Your Young Child about Homosexuality and Transgenderism.” Psychology Today,
Publishers, Sussex, 14 Dec. 2011
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-your-child-needs-know-about-sex-and-when/201112/teaching-your-young
-child-about.
 Pikulik 38

for what homosexuality is and to instill in your young child a sense of tolerance and acceptance
for being lesbian or gay”.95 Teaching tolerance and acceptance at a young age is needed and the
Doug Ford government is reversing progress. Nearly 1,800 health care professionals have signed
a petition calling on Ontario Premier Doug Ford to stop his plan to revert to an old sex-education
curriculum.96 Canada should push for creating a tolerant and accepting society, and the changing
of the sex-ed curriculum not going to help create this future.

Even with the problems Canada has, they are still at the forefront of LGBT rights. Other
countries should model their federal laws regarding LGBT issues after Canada and should strive
to create a safer environment for sexual and gender minorities like this nation has.

95
​Kaeser, 2011
96
Draaisma, Muriel. “Rollback of Sex-Ed Curriculum Could Harm Students, Horwath and Health Professionals Say
| CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 7 Aug. 2018,
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-sex-education-ndp-andrea-horwath-health-professionals-petition-1.477607
9.
 Pikulik 39

Logic Of Evil
It is crucial to understand how homophobia is justifiable to governments and people who
hold anti-LGBT views in order to help create a more accepting and safe world for LGBT people;
one must understand their logic of evil.

Religious people often gain their beliefs from how they interpret, or are taught to
interpret, the sacred texts within the religion. Christianity and Islam are two of the most
influential religions in the world since an estimated thirty-two percent of the world’s population
is Christian and twenty-three percent is Muslim.97 Both have sacred texts that can be interpreted
as condemning homosexuality and many people have done so.98

The set of religious text that Christians follow is called the Bible, which is a compilation
of 66 books and letters written by more than 40 authors. Within the bible, there are many
different sections, such as Genesis 19, Leviticus 18 & 20, Romans 1:18-32 and 1 Corinthians
6:9-10, to name a few, that allude to being LGBT is a sin.99 Sin means “to miss the mark” as
defined in the bible and, sinful acts are associated as being temptations made by the Devil.100 As
with any other acts and behaviors that they believe to be a sins, Christians do not want to commit
or associate with people that commit sin for fear of going to hell. This has lead to the thinking
among some Christians that it is their duty to fulfill the will of god and save those that have
strayed from his light and condemn those who do not wish to change.101 “One of the many evils
this world has to offer is the sin of homosexuality. Satan, the enemy is using people to further his
agenda to destroy the Kingdom of God and as many souls as he can” says Alan Chambers, a

97
​Fairchild, Mary. “Essential Stats and Facts About Christianity Today.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 24 Sept. 2018,
www.thoughtco.com/christianity-statistics-700533.
98
Huda. “How Many Muslims Are There in the World?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 24 Oct. 2018,
www.thoughtco.com/worlds-muslim-population-2004480.
99
​ Allberry, Sam. “What Does the Bible Say about Homosexuality?” Living Out, © Living Out,
www.livingout.org/the-bible-and-ssa.
100
“What Is Sin.” AllAboutGOD.com, www.allaboutgod.com/what-is-sin.htm​.
101
Allberry, Sam “What Does the Bible Say about Homosexuality?”
 Pikulik 40

Christian and Executive Director of Exodus North America.102 ​Also, wanting to save those who
are LGBT from the Devil has lead Christians to embrace conversion therapy as a way of healing.
They do not view conversion therapy as torture or abuse, but rather a last resort to save someone
from the Satan103. Not all Christians hate the LGBT community but for those who do, their hate
mostly comes from the fear of Satan and going to hell.

Like Christians follow the Bible, Muslims follow the Quran. In the Quran it specifically
states that sodomy should be punished, but it does not say what the punishment should be.
Another sacred text that many Muslims follow is the Hadith, or accounts of the sayings of the
Prophet Muhammad the founder of Islam. In the Hadith, it details the punishments that should be
dealt for homosexual activity in the Sharia Laws. The blatantly anti-LGBT teaching by the
Prophet Muhammed has lead many Muslims to adopt his beliefs since he is expressing what they
believe to be the word of God.104 Muslims who hate LGBT people believe that what they are
doing is right because that is what God is telling them to do. Other religions that express hatred
toward the LGBT community follow similar logic to that of Christians and Muslims; that their
higher power(s) are telling them being LGBT is wrong and for those who participate or associate
with LGBT people there will be punishment.

Countries with large religious populations that oppose homosexuality will have laws that
reflect these beliefs. These laws can be as harsh as the death penalty for homosexuals to the
allowance of discrimination based on gender identity and sexuality. This can be seen in countries
in all across Africa. Africa is a very religious continent, with fifty-seven percent of people stating
that religion is important to them in 2011.105 Africa also has the most countries that enforce the
death penalty for being homosexual (Appendix H). Some countries like Pakistan and Saudi

102
​“'Ex-Gay' Quotes.” Truth Wins Out, truthwinsout.org/ex-gay-quotes/.
103
“Joseph Nicolosi - Reparative Therapy®.” Joseph Nicolosi - Reparative Therapy®, www.josephnicolosi.com/.
104
​ Islamicity.org. “Life and Beyond According to the Quran.” IslamiCity,
www.islamicity.org/5813/life-and-beyond-according-to-the-quran/.
105
​“Survey Finds Africa Is Most Religious Part Of World.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 25 May 2011,
www.huffpost.com/entry/survey-finds-africa-is-mo_n_539704.
 Pikulik 41

Arabia even enforce Sharia law as the principal laws of the country.106 These countries deem
these laws acceptable because most of their population agrees and supports them, and these
people believe in them due to fear their religion instills in them. Religion influences people and
people influence government.

​Kiprop, Victor. “Countries That Follow Sharia Law.” WorldAtlas, 23 Nov. 2018,
106

www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-that-follow-sharia-law.html.
 Pikulik 42

Solutions
Solutions for ending discrimination based on sexuality and gender identity are complex
since, in order to truly create a world that is fully accepting, everyone would have to regard
LGBT people as equals. It is human nature to dislike people who are different and with the
minority of the world’s population being LGBT, getting everyone to accept LGBT people
contradicts human nature. However, there are ways to improve the world to make it a more
accepting place and safer for sexual and gender minorities.

Countries must end laws that promote the discrimination of LGBT people. Death
penalties, prison time, flogging, forcefully being sent to conversion therapy, any sort law that
penalizes someone due to their gender identity or sexuality must end. Also, any laws that
prohibit freedom of expression or access to information, like the Russian gay propaganda law,
need to be abolished. These laws promote the idea that it is okay to hate LGBT people, and
prevent LGBT from speaking openly about who they are or educating others about what being
LGBT truly means.

This would also mean that countries where religion dictates government policy need to
change to become secular. There must be a seperation of government and religion in order for
there to be equal rights for all. Religion creates an unfair bias towards members of the LGBT
community and basic human rights are jeopardized for religious freedom. Countries in Africa,
like Nigeria, need to separate religion from politics, otherwise people will continue to be
oppressed. These laws must then be replaced by laws that protect LGBT from discrimination and
promote equal right. This includes laws that prevent LGBT people from being fired from their
jobs due to their identity, prevention of hate speech and allowing them the right to marry. By
doing this, countries will create a safe environment where people will be safe to be open about
their identity.107 This is an idealistic solution and will be hard to achieve. Even though it may be

107
Unaids.org. “Ending Violence and Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex
People.” UNAIDS, UNAIDS, 29 Sept. 2015,
www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/pressreleaseandstatementarchive/2015/september/20150929_LGBTI​.
 Pikulik 43

tough to reach, by continuing support for organizations like the UN, ILGA and All Out who are
fighting for this idealistic future, it may be achievable.

After creating these laws, people must be educated from a young age about gender
identity and sexuality. As seen with Doug Ford's plan to revert to the 1998 sex-ed curriculum,
less education hurts and does not help. Expert Vitit Muntarbhorn, stresses this point for he
believes that education is the ‘entry point’ to teach children the right values. The younger people
are educated on these subjects, the more accepting and tolerant they will be, for education fights
intolerance. A study done by GLAAD found that there is a direct correlation between education
on LGBT issues and level of discomfort towards the community. When people are more
educated about what it means to be a gender or sexual minority, the less likely they are to be
uncomfortable or dislike the subject. Being less uncomfortable, in turn, translates into less
homophobic attitudes. School children who have an LGBT curriculum are also less likely to
bully not only LGBT students, but all students in general (Appendix J).108 Educating children on
different kinds of people makes children more accepting and open minded all kinds of people.

Allowing children to ask questions to teachers will also lead to less false information and
stereotypes about the LGBT community from spreading as they get older. Not allowing children
to ask questions to educated teachers about a concept they may not understand, such as what it
means to be a sexual minority, can lead to the child thinking it is not allowed to be talked about.
Children must be able to obtain clarification and correct information to prevent harmful
conclusions that could have been prevented.109 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says,
“Genuine tolerance is about openness, curiosity and communication. It goes hand in hand with
knowledge and understanding. Education is one of the best ways to prevent intolerance, by
revealing similarities between people and spreading a healthy respect for differences”.110 LGBT

108
Damante, Rebecca. “Can Education Reduce Prejudice against LGBT People?” The Century Foundation, 30 Sept.
2016, tcf.org/content/commentary/can-education-reduce-prejudice-lgbt-people/?session=1.
109
Finley, Todd. “How to Deal with Hate and Intolerance in the Classroom.” Education in Chemistry, 8 Sept. 2017,
eic.rsc.org/ideas/how-to-deal-with-hate-and-intolerance-in-the-classroom/3007954.article.
110
Ki-moon, Ban. “EDUCATION AMONG BEST WAYS TO PREVENT INTOLERANCE.” International Day for
Tolerance. 9 Nov. 2008.
 Pikulik 44

curriculum needs to be put into school systems to create a more accepting and open minded
future generation.

Even everyday citizens everywhere have the power to help create a more accepting world
for LGBT people. When one hears an homophobic slurs being used, they can speak up and stand
up for LGBT people. By signing petitions like the All Out petition ‘stop gay cures’ that was able
to bring light to conversion therapy in China, or attending protests in support of LGBT rights,
everyday citizens can help solve the problem of discrimination based on gender identity and
sexuality. Everyone has the ability to help create a future where no matter what gender or
sexuality one is, they are not discriminated against for being who they are.
 Pikulik 45

Appendix
Appendix A
 Pikulik 46

Appendix B

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and
should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such
as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other
status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status
of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under
any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are
entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to
such discrimination.

Article 8.
 Pikulik 47

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental
rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the
determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.

(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to
law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.

(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a
penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty
be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks
upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or
attacks.

Article 13.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
 Pikulik 48

(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from
acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry
and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the
State.

Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his
religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his
religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without
interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.
 Pikulik 49

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen
representatives.

(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.

(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic
and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by
equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national
effort and international cooperation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the
economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to
protection against unemployment.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an
existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays
with pay.

Article 25.
 Pikulik 50

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family,
including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the
event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond
his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of
wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages.
Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available
and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect
for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all
nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of
peace.

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in
scientific advancement and its benefits.

(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary
or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration
can be fully realized.

Article 29.
 Pikulik 51

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by
law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of
meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United
Nations.

Article 30.

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in
any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
 Pikulik 52

Appendix C

Appendix D

Map of If Gender Can Be Federally Changed

 Pikulik 53

Appendix E

Police chief of North Aceh, Ahmad Untung Surianata (centre), posing with Acehnese transgender women wearing
male clothing following a raid in North Aceh.

Appendix F
One of the two young men being publicly flogged
 Pikulik 54

Appendix G

Photo of the unidentified crossdresser

 Pikulik 55

Appendix H

PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

Whereas: 

● The Government of Canada is strongly committed to supporting the equality and human 
rights of the LGBTQ2+ community and all residents; 
● “Sex”, “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” are prohibited grounds of 
discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code; 
● The practice of “conversion therapy” or “reparative therapy”, is seriously harmful to 
individuals and is opposed by the Canadian Psychological Association, the World Health 
Organization, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Medical Association 
and others; and 
● The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child indicates that children should 
not be discriminated against based on what gender they identify with. 

We, the undersigned, ​citizens and residents of Canada​, call upon the G
​ overnment of Canada ​to : 
(a) enact legislation banning conversion therapy to minors in Canada; 
(b) enact legislation prohibiting transporting minors outside of the country for such purposes; and 
(c) have conversion therapy included in the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code, to 
protect children from abuse. 
 Pikulik 56

Appendix I
Laws Regarding the LGBT community as of March 31, 2019
 Pikulik 57

Appendix J
 Pikulik 58

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