Christian Aid and LGBTI rights: breaking the silence

ABSTRACT

In recent years Christian Aid has begun to explicitly recognise and respond to discrimination faced by LGBTI people globally. A catalyst for this shift was the re-criminalisation of homosexuality in Uganda, Nigeria, and India in 2014, as well as partner reports of rising violence towards LGBTI people in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, breaking the silence on LGBTI issues within the organisation came predominantly through the emergence of an informal staff sexuality network. This article offers a critique of Christian Aid’s journey from being initially hesitant to engage with issues of LGBTI discrimination to recognising that as a faith-based development agency it can no longer remain silent. Taking such steps, however, has not been without challenges or risks.

Ces dernières années Christian Aid a commencé à reconnaître expressément et à réagir à la discrimination subie par les personnes LGBTI à l’échelle mondiale. Un catalyseur de cette évolution a été la recriminalisation de l’homosexualité en Ouganda, au Nigéria et en Inde en 2014, ainsi que les rapports émanant de partenaires concernant l’augmentation du nombre de cas de violence à l’encontre des personnes LGBTI en Amérique latine et aux Caraïbes. Cependant, ce qui a surtout permis de briser le silence autour des questions LGBTI au sein de l’organisation a été l’apparition d’un réseau informel autour de la sexualité parmi les membres du personnel. Cet article propose une critique du parcours de Christian Aid, qui a hésité dans un premier temps à intervenir autour des questions de discrimination à l’encontre des personnes LGBTI, pour ensuite reconnaître qu’en tant qu’organisation de développement confessionnelle, elle ne peut plus garder le silence. La décision de prendre ces mesures n’a cependant pas été sans défis ou risques.

En años recientes, Christian Aid ha comenzado a reconocer explícitamente la discriminación de que son objeto las personas lgbti a nivel global, y a responder en consecuencia. El impulso que generó este cambio tiene su raíz en la recriminalización de la homosexualidad en Uganda, Nigeria e India en 2014, así como en los informes de sus contrapartes sobre la creciente violencia ejercida contra personas lgbti en América Latina y el Caribe. Sin embargo, el proceso que implicó romper el silencio respecto a la temática lgbti en la organización respondió principalmente a la creación de una red informal sobre sexualidad por parte del personal. El presente artículo analiza el proceso experimentado por Christian Aid, desde su renuencia inicial hasta su involucramiento en cuestiones vinculadas a la discriminación de personas lgbti, a partir del reconocimiento de que, como agencia de desarrollo basada en la fe, no podía seguir sin pronunciarse. No obstante, dar estos pasos conlleva retos y riesgos.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexualities
• gender
• LGBTI
• faith
• Christianity
• organisational change

Notes on contributor

Clare Paine is the Corporate Gender Champion at Christian Aid and coordinator of the staff sexuality network. Postal address: Christian Aid, 35–45 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, London SE1 7RL, UK. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @ClareRPaine

Notes

1 Christian Aid works with over 700 local organisations in over 45 countries to carry out relief, development, and advocacy work, with the view to eradicate poverty. The organisation is the official relief, development, and advocacy agency of 41 sponsoring churches in Britain and Ireland, working as part of a worldwide church community and a founding member of the ACT Alliance, a coalition of 146 churches and faith-based organisations. Christian Aid is an active member of 30 networks promoting excellence in the delivery of humanitarian and development programmes, including the Disasters Emergency Committee, BOND, Dochas, Sphere, CONCORD, and VOICE, and regularly runs projects on behalf of governmental and other major donors, including UK Aid and the European Commission. See www.christian-aid.org.uk.

2 Given the multitude of ways individuals identify their sexualities and genders across different cultures, I use the acronym LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) in this article as a reference to all those who do not identify as heterosexual or align to the sex they were assigned at birth. I acknowledge that this is a diverse population that cannot be described in general, homogenous terms.

3 Interviewees: Chief Executive; Content Editor (Supporter and Community Partnerships Department); Gender Policy Advisor (Policy and Public Affairs Department); Humanitarian Inclusion Specialist (International Department); Programme Development Advisor, Gender and Inequality (International Department); Programme Performance Manager (International Department); Programme Manager (International Department, Africa Division); Programme Manager (International Department); Research, Evidence and Learning Advisor (Strategy and People Management Department); Senior Policy Advisor, Poverty and Inequality (Policy and Public Affairs Department); Theology Advisor (Policy and Public Affairs Department).

4 The first survey was an email survey issued to participants of a series of CASENET discussions on sexuality, faith, and development, to which five staff responded. The second survey was the result of a semi-structured discussion facilitated by an external mediator to gather views on people’s experiences of the emerging CASENET, in which 14 staff participated. While I did not take part in this discussion, I was in the room observing and taking notes. The notes were circulated and verified by participants as being accurate.

5 International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV or AIDS (INERELA+) currently has 19 networks across Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, with a global membership of over 10,000. The network seeks to challenge societal and religious norms and gaps which put people at risk of contracting HIV, and advocate for effective HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support. More information can be found at www.inerela.org (last checked by the author 10 January 2018). The Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy (EHAIA) promotes HIV competence among churches and works with theological institutions across Africa, and more recently in Jamaica, Philippines, and Ukraine, to integrate and mainstream HIV into theological curricula as well as addressing the root causes of the pandemic. For more information, see www.oikoumene.org/en/what-we-do/ehaia (last checked by the author 10 January 2018).

6 The SAVE prevention methodology systematically tackles the stigma, shame, denial, discrimination, inaction, and misaction around HIV and AIDS, and comprehensively gives information related to HIV and methods of HIV transmission and how to mitigate these. More information can be found at http://inerela.org/resources/save-toolkit/ (last checked by the author 18 November 2017).

7 Current policies in relation to Sexual Orientation and Religion and Belief are aligned with the Employment Equality Regulations Act 2003, while the Age policy aligns to the Employment Equality Regulations 2006. Christian Aid’s Diversity and Inclusion policy states a commitment to: ‘promoting equality, valuing diversity, creating an inclusive environment and combating unfair treatment. Equality of opportunity and freedom from discrimination is a fundamental human right and we will exercise leadership and commitment in promoting this right’ (Christian Aid 2016, 1).