A report om Human Rights Watch lls on the ernment of St. Vcent to overturn lonial-era anti-gay laws that have led to a recent wave of vlence and genr discrimatn on the small Caribbean island.
Contents:
- HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: ANTI-GAY LAWS PROMOTE VLENCE, DISCRIMATN ST. VCENT
- OKLAHOMA HOE PASS 'DON'T SAY GAY OR TRANS' BILL
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: ANTI-GAY LAWS PROMOTE VLENCE, DISCRIMATN ST. VCENT
Led by MP Gee Peter Kaluma, a member of opposn polician Raila Odga's Orange Democratic Movement, the proposed bill would further crimalise same-sex acts wh penalti rangg om a suggted mimum of ten years prison to the ath penalty for "aggravated homosexualy", fed as "engagg homosexual acts wh a mor or disabled person and transmtg a termal disease through sexual means. The proposed Fay Protectn Act would also see a total ban on any activi "that promote homosexualy", such as wearg flags or emblems of the LGBTQ muny. Growg anti-LGBTQ sentimentThe proposed bill Kenya followg Uganda's new Anti-Homosexualy Bill passed to law May by Print Yoweri Meveni.
In Ghana, lawmakers are the procs of amendg the untry's own anti-LGBTQ legislatn wh proposns of a three-year prison sentence for anyone who intifi as LGBTQ and a 10-year sentence for anyone who promot homosexualy. In Kenya, the Nairobi-based Natnal Gay and Lbian Human Rights Commissn have reported a surge number of attacks agast the muny.
Passg the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Fay Valu bill would further rce eedoms a untry where gay sex is already punishable wh up to three years jail, crics and activists Odoi, an amic rearcher, filed a lawsu on July 7 challengg the bill's nstutnaly, sayg would impact donor aid and other forms of fancial support. Ghana's Supreme Court on Wednday led her arguments were not sufficiently nvcg to grant an lg cleared the way for the bill, one of the harsht towards the LGBTQ muny Ai, to go through a fal stage of parliamentary approval before beg signed to May, Uganda's Print Yoweri Meveni signed one of the world's tought anti-LGBTQ laws, which spelled out the ath penalty for "aggravated homosexualy"'s bill, backed by relig and tradnal lears, clus jail sentenc of up to 10 years for advotg for LGBTQ rights. Jt as stat followed Florida’s bill that opponents labeled “Don’t Say Gay” — which rtricts -school discsns about sexual orientatn or genr inty — several joed Tennsee proposg bills that would ban drag performanc.
OKLAHOMA HOE PASS 'DON'T SAY GAY OR TRANS' BILL
Edutn will be another ccial policy arena to watch after so-lled “Don’t Say Gay” laws, and other bills impactg LGBTQ+ stunts, went to effect across the untry last year. Followg the format of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the legislatn would also ban classroom stctn on sexual orientatn and genr inty om krgarten through sixth gra. Vcent to overturn anti-gay laws om the lonial era that have led to a recent wave of vlence and genr discrimatn on the small Caribbean island.
Homosexualy ntu to be crimalized the former Brish lony after many hundreds of years, leavg LGBTQ dividuals wh ltle if any legal protectns while vlent crim were beg mted wh impuny, the report said. Standg crimal s on the island put nsensual gay sex the same tegory as crim like rape, ct, and sexual asslt, although there have been no recent nvictns unr the law. Gay people have been targeted by fay members, neighbors, -workers, classmat and teachers -- as well as police officers, the report said.
In many of the episos, police allegedly refed to offer assistance, and some s beme openly discrimatory toward gay victims. Gay workers were also facg job discrimatn a natn already bet by high unemployment. Many of the terviewe said job hirgs and firgs were beg largely termed by sexual orientatn, while other gay people lucky to have jobs faced sexual harassment the workplace.