LGBT refugees who were spared Chechnya’s anti-LGBT crackdown have found that they’re not even safe in the West. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Boris Dittrich
Moldova might adopt a ‘gay propaganda’ ban after all
Human Rights Watch issued this update on the latest proposal for a Russian-style “gay propaganda” law. HRW urged Moldova, a former Soviet republic, to reject the bill, much as it did in 2013: Moldova: Reject ‘Gay Propaganda’ Law Bill to ‘Protect’ Children Would Violate Their Rights (Berlin, June 21, 2016) – The Moldovan parliament should … Continue reading
Russian activists: Resilience in the face of repression
Human Rights Watch commentary: Russian Activists Provide Antidote Against Government By Boris Dittrich “Could you please give me your phone? We don’t allow cell phones in our office.” Stupefied, I handed over my phone. This wasn’t some confidential high-level ministerial meeting – I was visiting a grass-roots human rights organization in St. Petersburg. “We need … Continue reading
Global LGBTI activists will meet, seek support in Berlin
Twenty LGBTI activists from around the world are scheduled to gather in Berlin, Germany, next week to develop strategies and seek support from 100 mostly Western business leaders and from each other. The activists were selected to appear June 11 at the First Mile Conference, organized by Uhlala GmbH, a technology company that has sponsored … Continue reading
New lesbian supporters at work in Cameroon, Europe
Cameroon’s new association of activist women and their supporters has been busy in Cameroon and in Europe, seeking greater opportunities, improved health care, and basic human rights for lesbians and transgender women. The organization AVAF (Association for the Promotion of Women) has been active in Cameroon, led by its local board of directors, all of … Continue reading
Singapore court rejects appeal of anti-gay law
Channel NewsAsia reports: SINGAPORE — The nation’s highest court on Wednesday Oct 29 ruled that a law that criminalises sex between men is constitutional. The ruling covers both cases contesting the law, one brought by two graphic designers who have been in a relationship for 16 years, and the other by an artistic therapist who … Continue reading
Praise for police, organizers of first Kiev Pride Parade
This encouraging account of the first Pride Parade in Kiev, Ukraine, comes from Boris O. Dittrich, advocacy director of the LGBT program at Human Rights Watch: On Saturday May 25, 2013 the first Kiev Pride Parade took place. Some 75 demonstrators marched for about 20 minutes, while massively protected by police. The location of the … Continue reading
Our world today: Jail for love notes, but death threats are OK?
“You can end up behind bars for sending a message of love, but the authorities look the other way when someone threatens to kill children.” Boris O. Dittrich, the advocacy director for the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch, makes that heart-wrenching observation in his commentary today, on the occasion of the International Day … Continue reading
Ukraine might ban talking about homosexuality
The parliament in Ukraine is moving forward with consideration of bills that would ban public discussions of homosexuality. The Kyiv Post reported that the proposals, Bills 8711 and 10290, were recently accepted for a first reading in the Ukraine parliament. In a commentary in the Kyiv Post, Jed Sunden said about the bills: They enshrine … Continue reading
Cameroun, Berlin: Nouveaux travaux pour des lesbiennes
Publié le 19 mai 2015 Une nouvelle association camerounaise des femmes activistes et leurs partisans se sont mis en marche, occupés au Cameroun et en Europe, à la recherche des meilleures opportunités pour l’amélioration de la santé, des droits fondamentaux des lesbiennes et des transgenres. L’organisation AVAF (Association pour la Valorisation de la Femme) est … Continue reading
