OutRight Action International (OutRight) is a LGBTIQ human rights non-governmental organization that addresses human rights violations and abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, and transgender people. OutRight Action International documents human rights discrimination and abuses based on their sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in partnership with activists, advocates, media, NGOs and allies on a local, regional, national and international level. OutRight Action International holds consultative status with ECOSOC.[1]
History and work[]
OutRight Action International, formerly known as International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission,[2] was founded by Julie Dorf[3] in 1990, and incorporated as a non-profit organization on November 7, 1990. Though initially focused on LGBT human rights abuses in Russia, the organization is now active in many parts of the world, including the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. OutRight Action International is headquartered in New York City with satellite offices on the West Coast and in Spain, and Manila.[4] OutRight Action International has a digital archive of their LGBT human rights documentation and education materials for research.
On July 19, 2010, the United Nations Economic and Social Council voted to accredit IGLHRC, (OutRight Action International) as one of the NGOs granted consultative status with the international organization. This allows IGLHRC to attend U.N meetings, contribute statements, and collaborate with United Nations agencies.[5][6]
In 2010, IGLHRC contributed in forming "An Activist's Guide" of the Yogyakarta Principles.[7]
In 2015, on the 25th anniversary of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) changed its name to OutRight Action International[2] to make it more inclusive.
In 2015, OutRight's executive director Jessica Stern presented the first United Nations Security Council briefing on LGBTI human rights violations.[8][9]
In 2015, OutRight in partnership with CUNY Law School[10] started a one-day conference on Human Rights Day called OutSummit.[11]
In 2016, as a member of the United Nations LGBTI Core Group (LGBT rights at the United Nations), OutRight took part in a high level UN event that included the 8th Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, 47th United States Vice President Joe Biden, President of Chile and Norway's Prime Minister.[12]
In 2017, OutRight challenged the inclusion of C-Fam to the US delegation at the UN CSW 2017.[13][14]
In 2018, Neish McLean, Executive Director of TransWave and OutRight Caribbean Program Officer, presented the intervention statement on behalf of the Major Groups and Other Stakeholders in response to Jamaica’s Voluntary National Reviews at the United Nations.[15][16]
Programs[]
OutRight’s work is organized in four regional programs (Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean), and cross-regional programs focused on the United Nations, global research and safety and security for LGBTIQ activists.
Work in the Asia region promotes acceptance of sexual and gender diversity at all levels of society. The 2014 Report “Violence: Through The Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women And Trans People In Asia”[17] collected and reviewed data from five countries in the region. Recent projects focused on domestic violence protections for LGBT in the Philippines[18] and Sri Lanka.[19]
Work in the Middle East and North Africa region has focused on Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. The 2018 report “Activism and Resilience: LGBTQ Progress in the Middle East and North Africa”[20] explains how activism in the region leads to progress on LGBTQ issues, and how challenges are met with the resilience by the movement.
Work in the Caribbean region supports organizations to achieve legal registration and provides support in establishing and building the capacity of newly founded organizations as well as combating gender-based violence.
Research in 2018 focused on legal registration for LGBT organizations globally and findings were published in the report, "The Global State of LGBTIQ Organising: The Right to Register".[21]
United Nations Program[]
OutRight is the first and only U.S.-based LGBTIQ human rights organization to obtain consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). OutRight uses its status to work as an organizer[22] convening of groups and activists coming to New York to conduct advocacy on LGBTIQ issues at the United Nations. OutRight does direct advocacy work across the United Nations with a focus on the General Assembly, Commission on the Status of Women, and High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Two OutRight events bridge UN direct advocacy work with global LGBTIQ activists and advocates: Advocacy Week[23] and the UN Religious Fellowship.[24] OutRight engages relevant national, regional and international stakeholders, including UN member State missions, UN special mechanisms, UN agencies and the UN Secretariat to support LGBTIQ rights at UN headquarters, including the United Nations LGBTI Core Group.[25]Template:Circular reference
Awards[]
Felipa de Souza Award[]
Since 1994, OutRight confers an annual award, the Felipa de Souza Award, to honour a human rights activist or organization.[26]
| Year | Award | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Juan Pablo Ordonez ABIGALE Lepa Mladjenovic |
Colombia South Africa Serbia |
| 1995 | Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Group (TGLRG) Anjaree Luiz Mott |
Australia Thailand Brazil |
| 1996 | No award | |
| 1997 | Demet Demir Genc Xhelaj The Sister Namibia Collective Wilfredo Valencia Palacios (honourable mention) |
Turkey Albania Namibia El Salvador |
| 1998 | Circulo Cultural Gay (CCG) Dr. Tal Jarus-Hakak Dede Oetomo Nancy Cardenas (1934–1994, posthum) Carlos Jauregui (1958–1996, posthumous) |
Mexico Israel Indonesia Mexico Argentina |
| 1999 | Aung Myo Min Prudence Mabele Kiri Kiri and Chingu Sai Simon Nkoli (1957–1998, posthumous) |
Burma South Africa South Korea South Africa |
| 2000 | Dejan Nebrigic (1970–1999, posthumous) Ditshwanelo - The Botswana Center for Human Rights Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) William Hernandez |
Serbia Botswana United States El Salvador |
| 2001 | Companions on a Journey and Women's Support Group Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-Flag) Luis Gauthier (1950–2000, posthumous) |
Sri Lanka Jamaica Chile |
| 2002 | Elizabeth Calvet (posthumous) Marta Lucia Alvarez Giraldo, Marta Lucia Tamayo Rincon and Alba Nelly Montoya Cui Zi En Maher Sabry |
Brazil Colombia China Egypt |
| 2003 | Lohana Berkins | Argentina |
| 2004 | Gender/Sexuality Rights Association Taiwan (G/STRAT) | Taiwan |
| 2005 | Gay and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) | Zimbabwe |
| 2006 | Rauda Morcos (ASWAT) | Palestinian Activist from Haifa, Israel |
| 2007 | Blue Diamond Society | Nepal |
| 2008 | Iranian Queer Organization Andrés Ignacio Rivera Duarte |
Canada / Iranian Diaspora Chile |
| 2009 | Helem Lebanese Protection for LGBT LGBT Centre |
Lebanon Mongolia |
| 2010 | Colombia Diversa | Colombia |
| 2011 | Mongolian LGBT Centre | Mongolia |
| 2012 | Karen Atala | Chile |
| 2013 | Yasemin Öz, Esq. | Turkey |
| 2014 | Gay Japan News; KRYSS; O; Rainbow Rights Project (R-Rights); Women’s Support Group | Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka |
| 2015 | Chesterfield Samba, Gays & Lesbians of Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe |
| 2016 | Arus Pelangi, National Federation of LGBTI Communities in Indonesia | Indonesia |
| 2017 | Caleb Orozco | Belize |
| 2018 | Georges Azzi | Executive Director of The Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality |
| 2019 | Rikki Nathanson | HIV Prevention and Outreach Manager, Casa Ruby [27] |
Outspoken Award[]
OutRight occasionally presents the Outspoken Award to special honorees. The Outspoken Award "recognizes the leadership of a global ally to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community whose outspokenness has contributed substantially to advancing the rights and understanding of LGBTI people everywhere."[28]
| Year Presented | Award |
|---|---|
| 2005-2011 | The first Outspoken Award was presented in 2005 to the Honorable Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In 2008, IGLHRC presented its second Outspoken Award to Archbishop Desmond Tutu.[29] The 2010 Outspoken awardee was Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. The 2011 Outspoken awardee was journalist and author Jeff Sharlet.[30] |
| 2016 | United Nations Free and Equal Campaign,[31] Randy Barry, US Special Envoy for the human rights of LGBTI people,[32] and Dan Bross, Microsoft executive, and LGBT rights advocate.[33] |
| 2017 | Logo TV was accepted by Pamela Post, Vice President of original programming and series development, and OutStanding Awardee Blanche Wiesen Cook, prize-winning biographer of Eleanor Roosevelt.[34] |
| 2018 | Lois Whitman, a children's human rights activist.[35] |
| 2019 | Cast of the Transparent (TV series).[36] |
See also[]
Template:Portal
- LGBT rights organizations
- List of LGBT rights organizations
- International Lesbian and Gay Association
- International Lesbian and Gay Law Association
- Intersex civil society organizations
- Intersex human rights
- Intersex rights by country
- World Pride
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- List of LGBT-related organizations and conferences
- Sexual Orientation
- Gender Identity
- LGBTIQ rights
- IDAHOT
- International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
- International Human Rights Day
- International Transgender Day of Visibility
- Intersex Awareness Day
- Intersex Day of Remembrance
- Transgender Day of Remembrance
- History of violence against LGBT people in the United States
- Violence against LGBT people
- List of unlawfully killed transgender people
- Human Rights Commission
References[]
- ↑ From list of NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Template:Cite news
- ↑ Founder of IGLHRC
- ↑ Charity Navigator
- ↑ Edih M. Lederer, "US gay rights group gets UN accreditation", July 19, 2010
- ↑ U.S. Gay Rights Group Gets U.N. Accreditation
- ↑ Original document with IGLHRC listed as contributor
- ↑ "Gay and Marked for Death" NY Times Article about briefing
- ↑ Islamic State focus of U.N. Security Council’s first LGBT meeting
- ↑ First Annual OutSummit Conference
- ↑ OutSummit One Day Conference
- ↑ Biden made the comment during an event that the U.N. LGBT Core Group
- ↑ Reuters Foundation Exposes An Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group Representing America At UN Women’s Rights Event
- ↑ Trump Sends Anti-trans Pro-lifer Bethany Kozma to Women's Rights Conference at the U.N.
- ↑ Jamaica presents national statement on SDGs to UN this week
- ↑ Response to Jamaica's voluntary national review statement
- ↑ LGBTQ Intimate Partner Violence
- ↑ Fuel for Your Fire: LGBTIQ Activists From Around the World Share Their Stories
- ↑ Enhancing Domestic Violence Protections for LGBT in Philippines and Sri Lanka
- ↑ Middle Eastern LGBTQ Activism Produces Progress, Inspiration
- ↑ LGBT Groups Banned From Organising Around The World, Says Report
- ↑ UN New Yorker 7th Edition
- ↑ Global LGBTIQ Voices From 36 Countries Heard at the United Nations
- ↑ Meet OutRight’s 2018 Religion Fellows
- ↑ The United Nations LGBTI Core Group
- ↑ The Felipa de Souza Award ~ OutRightInternational.org
- ↑ Activists in Focus Ricky "Rikki" Nathanson of Trans Research, Education & Training (TREAT) Zimbabwe
- ↑ OutRight Honors LGBTIQ Human Rights Defenders
- ↑ Tutu Condemns Gay Persecution
- ↑ International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission Honors Dartmouth Professor
- ↑ United Nations Free and Equal Campaign OHCHR Receives OutSpoken Award
- ↑ Special Recognition Awardees Randy Barry
- ↑ Dan Bross, Microsoft executive, and LGBT rights Advocate
- ↑ OutRight Honors LGBTIQ Human Rights Defenders at United Nations
- ↑ OutRight Action International Honors the Fight for LGBTQ Equality in the Middle East
- ↑ OutRight Action Gala Highlights Trans Lives