LGBTQI-identified human rights defenders: courage in the face of adversity at the United Nations

ABSTRACT

The role of LGBTQI human rights defenders in the international arena at the United Nations (UN) is a particularly risky and insecure one, especially for those who themselves identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, two spirit, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI). This article focuses on the anecdotal experiences of LGBTQI-identified human rights defenders and their work at the UN, observed and noted during a research study examining the degree of recognition and legitimacy LGBTQIs have at the UN. Much courage is required on the part of LGBTQI-identified human rights defenders who, while defending others in their communities, themselves face opposition from those within the UN who hold traditional, religious, and culturally based values, as well as a result of state sovereignty and state-sanctioned criminalisation of their gender and sexual diversity.

Le rôle des défenseurs des droits de l’homme LGBTQI sur la scène internationale au sein de l’Organisation des Nations Unies (ONU) est tout particulièrement risqué et précaire, en particulier pour ceux qui s’auto-identifient comme lesbiennes, gays, bisexuels, transsexuels, transgenres, bispirituels, queer et intersexués (LGBTQI). Cet article se concentre sur les expériences anecdotiques des défenseurs des droits de l’homme s’auto-identifiant comme LGBTQI et sur leur travail au sein de l’ONU, expériences observées et consignées durant une étude de recherche examinant le degré de reconnaissance et de légitimité dont jouissent les personnes LGBTQI au sein de l’ONU. Il faut beaucoup de courage aux défenseurs des droits de l’homme s’auto-identifiant comme LGBTQI qui, alors qu’ils défendent les autres au sein de leurs propres communautés, se heurtent eux-même à l’opposition des membres de l’ONU qui ont des valeurs traditionnelles, religieuses et de base culturelle, ainsi qu’aux effets de la souveraineté de l’État et de la criminalisation sanctionnée par l’État de leur diversité de genre et sexuelle.

El rol desempeñado por los defensores de los derechos humanos de las personas lgbtqi en un foro internacional como es el de las Naciones Unidas (onu) es particularmente arriesgado e inseguro, en especial cuando los defensores se autoidentifican como lesbianas, gais, bisexuales, transexuales, transgéneros, dos espíritus, queer o intersexuales (lgbtqi). El presente artículo se centra en las vivencias anecdóticas de defensores autoidentificados como lgbtqi y en su trabajo al interior de la onu. Lo anterior se pudo observar y documentar durante un estudio investigativo que examinó el grado de reconocimiento y legitimidad obtenido por las personas lgbtqi en la onu. Los defensores de derechos humanos que se identifican como lgbtqi deben ser bastante valientes, ya que mientras defienden a personas de su misma condición, enfrentan la oposición de quienes en la onu ostentan valores tradicionales, religiosos y basados en su cultura, además de la criminalización —sancionada por ciertos Estados— de su diversidad sexual y de género.

KEYWORDS:

• Human rights defenders
• international development
• LGBTQI
• United Nations

Notes on contributor

Nick J. Mulé is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at York University in Toronto, Canada. Postal address: 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3. Email: [email protected]

Notes

1 The interviews were conducted in person by myself and two graduate assistants, with most taking place at the UN in Geneva in March 2012, and with an additional interview with an asylum seeker in Toronto that took place in July 2014. This study was ethically approved by the York University Human Research Participant Committee (HPRC). The participants consented to the interview by means of Informed Consent Forms and on condition of maintaining anonymity. All data gathered were codified so that no identifiable information was recorded, and the data were kept in password-protected electronic files at the host university.

2 Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen (Carroll and Ramon Mendos 2017).

3 Additionally, maximum sentencing can be generated by any of the following activities: promotion of ‘propaganda’ laws, such as publicising LGBTQI groups (three nation states); sexual act (15 nation states); sodomy (11 nation states); ‘against nature’ – a moral definition based on unquestioned norms (30 nation states); buggery or anal sex (13 nation states); and morality laws that prohibit LGB expression (19 countries and some provinces) (ILGA 2017).