Politics – Page 2 – David Mariner

LGBTQ+ Community Falling Behind on Financial Security

June 1, 2022 by Guest Columnist

LGBTQ+ Americans are less likely to be on track to meet their financial goals, have the capacity to absorb unexpected expenses, or feel confident in their ability to save for retirement compared to the general population, according to a new Nationwide Retirement Institute survey. Almost two-thirds of LGBTQ+ Americans report living paycheck to paycheck most of the time. That figure jumps to 72% for Black LGBTQ+ members.

LGBTQ+ survey respondents indicated they were less knowledgeable than the general population about important financial topics, including retirement planning (by 13%), estate planning (12%), and investing in the stock market (8%).

“As consumers face rising inflation, ballooning gas prices, soaring housing costs, and more, accessing sound and personalized financial advice becomes more important,” said Rona Guymon, Senior Vice President of Annuity Distribution at Nationwide Financial. “That’s especially true for LBGTQ+ individuals, who may face additional challenges that take a toll on their finances.”

Meeting the needs of the LGBTQ+ community

Two-thirds of LGBTQ+ Americans report they face unique financial challenges that most non-LGBTQ+ people do not.

More than a third (37%) report that their career has been negatively impacted due to gender identity or sexual orientation and nearly half (46%) say that their opportunities for career advancement have been negatively impacted due to gender identity or sexual orientation. These challenges negatively impact LGBTQ+ individuals earnings potential, a problem that then compounds as they age.
More than half (56%) believe that LGBTQ+ people experience higher healthcare and health insurance costs than non-LGBTQ+ people.
Roughly half of LGBTQ+ Americans feel saving to start a family (52%) and finding housing (47%) are more difficult for them compared to non-LGBTQ+ people.

How the financial services industry can better serve the LGBTQ+ community

Seven out of 10 LGBTQ+ Americans report they would feel more comfortable with an advisor or financial professional who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community (or a vocal ally). Fewer than four in ten (37%) feel that financial advisors understand their unique challenges, highlighting a major opportunity for advisors to better meet their needs.

To better support them in their personal finances and financial planning, LGBTQ+ members want to see:

Improved benefits for unmarried partners (41%).
Boomers are most likely to report that improved benefits for unmarried partners would be most beneficial (52%).
Increased representation of their community in the financial services profession (34%)
More awareness of bias and discrimination impacting the LGBTQ+ community in the financial services industry (34%).

The top financial goals for the LGBTQ+ community are saving for experiences such as travel and hobbies, paying off debt, and saving for retirement, in that order.

“The first step and most important way advisors and financial professionals can better serve the LGBTQ+ community is to understand their unique challenges and concerns,” said Guymon. “There are lessons we can all draw from this survey to better meet the needs of this community and many others.”

Nationwide created this resource to help advisors and financial professionals understand the needs of LGBTQ+ clients.

“Members of the LGBTQ+ community should seek out self-identified LGBTQ+ advisors or financial professionals or those who are vocal and visible allies,” Guymon added. “Look for financial professionals participating in the local Pride Parade or festival – or ask for referrals from others in the community to identify those who have a strong track record serving LGBTQ+ clients. You can also visit letsmakeaplan.org to search for an advisor with an LGBTQ+ client focus in your area.”

Methodology
Edelman Data and Intelligence (DxI) conducted an online survey of 1,000 nationally representative adult U.S. consumers and 1,000 members of the LGBTQ+ community on behalf of Nationwide. The survey was fielded from April 22 through April 28, 2022 and has an overall margin of error of ±3% at the 95% confidence level.

Measure to Establish Human Rights Sanctuary in District Introduced

May 30, 2022 by David Mariner

In anticipation of a Supreme Court ruling that would criminalize rights long held by women and our LGBTQ community, today, Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau, along Chairman Phil Mendelson, Councilmembers Anita Bonds, Charles Allen, Vincent Gray, Christina Henderson, Janeese Lewis George, Elissa Silverman, Robert White, and Kenyan McDuffie, introduced the Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act of 2022.

“It is rare that we get a sneak peek into a court decision that will have such a devastating impact to our residents, and it’s clear from the draft opinion that even more than the right to abortion is at stake,” said Nadeau. “Under Samuel Alito’s regressive, political, results-oriented reading of the Constitution, all substantive due process and equal protection rights, such as the rights to marriage, non-procreative sexual conduct, and the use of contraception are under threat. With this legislation I am hoping we can solidify the rights of our own residents as well as those who may now be forced to travel here to preserve their own.”

Earlier this week, Politico circulated a draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization suggesting that the Supreme Court will eliminate the constitutional right to abortion later this year. At a press conference with other government representatives on Tuesday, Nadeau promised District residents that she would take legislative action to defend the rights protected by Roe v. Wade.

Nadeau has been involved with Planned Parenthood since high school, and recounted in the press conference Tuesday that it was the March for Women’s Lives of 2004 that inspired her to change her career focus to government and political work.

The proposed legislation would prevent the District from cooperating with investigations in furtherance of proceedings that seek to impose civil or criminal liability for the protected conduct identified in the statute. It also creates a private right of action against parties who successfully bring Texas-style bounty claims against others for engaging in protected conduct.

The bill is modeled, in part, on Connecticut’s recently passed Reproductive Freedom Defense Act. It protects the rights of District residents to live with whom they please, love whom they love, and control their reproductive destinies. It makes the District a safe haven for trans youth who need gender-affirming care, LGBTQ+ individuals who need to preserve their families, and all people who need reproductive freedom to flourish as meaningful participants in American life.

“While I am hurt and horrified by the assault on human rights perpetrated by the Supreme Court,” Nadeau added, “I am resolved to do all that I can to protect women and other District residents whose liberties are endangered.”

Rainbow Railroad Calls on the Government of Canada to provide a Safe Way Out for LGBTQI+ Refugees

May 23, 2022 by Guest Columnist

TORONTO, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ – Rainbow Railroad — an international organization that helps LGBTQI+ people escape violence and persecution to find a path to safety — is signaling the urgent need to provide a pathway to safety for LGBTQI+ people around the world, especially in Afghanistan, in partnership with the Canadian government.

Last year, 7,096 LGBTQI+ individuals reached out to Rainbow Railroad from around the world. This included over 3,300 LGBTQI+ Afghans who have reached out to Rainbow Railroad since August 15, 2021. Right now, 300 LGBTQI+ Afghans are ready for imminent travel and resettlement in a safer country. But they’re stuck, and waiting for a way out.

“The Canadian government and Prime Minister Trudeau have the opportunity, authority, and historical precedence needed to expedite the resettlement and support of vulnerable LGBTQI+ individuals,” said Rainbow Railroad’s Executive Director, Kimahli Powell. “It has already implemented an emergency program to support at-risk Ukrainian civilians feeling conflict. A similar program would provide urgent help to the LGBTQI+ Afghans in contact with Rainbow Railroad.”

After the fall of Kabul last year, Canada made a commitment to resettle 40,000 people and keep LGBTQI+ Afghans safe. While Canada has made strides towards this commitment, Rainbow Railroad continues to see an ever-increasing number of LGBTQI+ Afghans who need safety and support.

LGBTQI+ people in Afghanistan face a high risk of lethal violence from the Taliban and their supporters. LGBTQI+ Afghans who make it across the border to neighbouring countries are not safe either – many of these countries criminalize same-sex intimacy and gender diversity. For LGBTQI+ Afghans, resettlement to a country like Canada is their only option.

Rainbow Railroad asks the Government of Canada for a direct referral partnership to create additional targeted and expedited resettlement pathways for high-risk LGBTQI+ Afghan refugees, and more broadly, for LGBTQI+ refugees from around the world.

Without proactive crisis response plans for LGBTQI+ refugees, government responses remain reactive, and ultimately risk leaving vulnerable people behind.

“This is a real opportunity for the Canadian government to step up and be a leader in the global fight for LGBTQI+ rights, and in the ongoing global migrant crisis,” says Powell. “We stand ready to work together to make this happen, and call on Mr. Trudeau to implement this partnership right away.”

Rainbow Railroad is asking the public to fill out a petition, found at safewayout.ca to signal their support for this effort with a goal of getting 50,000 signatures before the start of Pride Month.

About Rainbow Railroad:

Rainbow Railroad is an international charitable organization with headquarters in New York and Toronto that helps LGBTQI+ people seeking safe haven from state-enabled violence and persecution in countries where same-sex intimacy and diverse gender expressions and sex characteristics are criminalized. Rainbow Railroad is a registered Canadian charity and 501(c)3 organization in the USA. For more on Rainbow Railroad, visit www.rainbowrailroad.org.

SOURCE Rainbow Railroad

In Conversation with KyivPride

April 28, 2022 by Guest Columnist

What LGBTQ+ people need to know right now about the Russian invasion of Ukraine
By Ellen Shanna Knoppow

Right now, in Ukraine, transgender people are forced to go without their prescribed hormones. “Pharmacies are out of stock of pretty much everything,” said Lenny Emson, executive director of KyivPride, a non-governmental organization in Ukraine’s capital city.

Emson is bigender and uses she/he and him/his pronouns. On Saturday, March 6, day 10 of the Russian invasion, this reporter spoke with Emson via Zoom. For security reasons, Emson did not disclose his location. “I’m in a safe place,” s_he said.

The following interview has been condensed and edited.

What do LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine fear most about the Russian invasion?

First of all, we are in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, so we feel about [the] Russian invasion that it never should happen, and we will fight to the last drop of our blood. We will not ever live under Russian laws. We will never obey Russia. We will never be occupied and live as Russians do, without human rights, without any rights, and standing on [our] knees, literally.

Conditions for LGBTQ+ people in Russia are much harsher than in Ukraine. Do you see that as a coming threat right now?

I think it’s not right for us. It’s a big threat that they will really introduce some repressions towards LGBTQI people and human rights activists. That is our fear.

For now, as LGBTQI activists, we’re not thinking of “What are we going to do when Russia is going to occupy us?” Our line of thinking is different: What can we do to prevent this from happening? So our work is kind of divided in two directions. One is to evacuate the most vulnerable population. We evacuate trans people, we have evacuated people with children from [the] LGBTQI community. And those who can fight, those who can be in territorial defense or in the Army, they join…and they fight. I know, personally, trans people who are joining the military to fight against Russia, and queer people now who are joining territorial defense units to help. I just want the world to understand that LGBT people in Ukraine [are] joining the fight. We’re not running from Russia.

How can we help? There is a post on the KyivPride Facebook page with a list of organizations providing direct aid.

I would be very grateful if you could spread it and you can spread the word. These organizations right now, they are concentrating their efforts in different parts of Ukraine. So KyivPride, we work nationally. We help all people all over Ukraine. We help people with money for food and relocation, and we have transportation means organized by different organizations. [See links to additional organizations below.]

What are the conditions like for LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine right now? For example, I understand transgender people are finding that hormones are impossible to come by.

Pharmacies are out of stock of pretty much everything. We are working with our partners from abroad, and we are trying to get some medications from there and to get them to Kyiv and to other cities where people need them. It’s kind of at the very beginning; this happened within a week.

What would you like LGBTQ+ people outside Ukraine to know about the LGBTQ+ community there?

We would like you to know that we have like 30 years of fight for LGBTQ rights behind our backs. We’re fighting for these rights and freedoms for [the] LGBTQI community, and we’re not going to just let it go. Last year, in 2021, KyivPride gathered 7,000 people on the streets of Kyiv. We were marching together for LGBTQI rights, for human rights. So unlike Russia, we are really big and we really value our freedom. We are very different from Russia, and we are not going to obey Russian laws and Russian oppression towards human rights, [like] we see right now happening in Russia for the last many, many years.

Many of us here feel helpless. What can individuals do? How can our government help?

How can government help and how can individuals help, this is very much connected, ’cause we would like individuals to go to the government and to ask people that have power to use this power for good.

We need our sky closed. “Close the sky,” this is a narrative that has been around from the very beginning of the war. So “close the sky ” is literally to ban all [Russian forces] from flying above the Ukrainian territory. That means that Russia would stop bombing. And this is what we need right now…because we need to live. In order to fight for human rights, we need to be alive. This is number one. That’s why “close the sky” is a very broad LGBT demand to the American government. We need to be alive in order to be LGBT and be a community.

As well, we’re asking all individuals not only just to donate to us…but be on our side. When you go on social media, and when you see posts in support of Russian propaganda, for example, posts denying that there is a war in Ukraine, posts denying that people are dying, posts supporting Putin or supporting Russia, please report. Please complain. There must be no place for Russian propaganda in social media; there must be no place for Russian lies on the Internet. Please. You can do this. This could be your big input in the fight against Russia.

Any final thoughts?

It’s hard to say anything because nobody has expected this. I know all the warnings from [the] American government…all these reports from the intelligence services…but who could believe this could happen in the 21st century — a ground war, really? Who could believe that this man would go and bomb Ukrainian cities? Who could believe? This is not real. When you look at all this footage from bombed cities, your brain does not want to recognize it as a reality, your brain tries to switch it off. It’s such a big stress to realize that this is happening in real time, so that’s why… no words here. What can we say?

KyivPride is a Ukrainian non-governmental organization that aims at contributing to full respect for human rights for LGBT+ people in Ukraine, at encouraging an appreciation for these rights by raising LGBT+ visibility and participation in social processes. In addition to its activities throughout the year, KyivPride organizes an annual event called the KyivPride-week. KyivPride accepts donations via 24 Pay, Google Pay and credit card.

Air Force Offers to Relocate Families Impacted by Anti-Trans Legislation

April 22, 2022 by David Mariner

Various laws and legislation are being proposed and passed in states across America that may affect LGBTQ Airmen, Guardians, and/or their LGBTQ dependents in different ways.

The Department of the Air Force has assignment, medical, legal and other resources available to support Airmen, Guardians and their families.

“The health, care and resilience of our DAF personnel and their families is not just our top priority – it’s essential to our ability to accomplish the mission,” said Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones. “We are closely tracking state laws and legislation to ensure we prepare for and mitigate effects to our Airmen, Guardians and their families. Medical, legal resources, and various assistance are available for those who need them.”

If service members or their families need help with screening, treatment, or mental health support for medical concerns, they should start with DAF medical treatment facilities, according to DAF officials. The MTFs can also assist with navigating challenging life circumstances.

The Exceptional Family Member Program is another resource available for all active component Airmen and Guardians to assist families with special needs during the PCS process to include navigating medical, legal, and educational support for dependents during relocation.

“As is the case with all of our family members, if the support a family member needs becomes unavailable, commanders can work to get the service member to an assignment where their loved ones can receive the care they need,” Jones added.

Installation legal offices are another free source of information for personnel who need assistance navigating new and existing local laws. While installation legal personnel cannot represent Airmen, Guardians or their families in court, they can provide vital advice and counsel.

Service members and their families can also seek additional support through their local Airman and Family Readiness Center, the Military and Family Life Counseling Program, or Military OneSource, which can be contacted 24/7 at 800-342-9647.

Equality Caucus Welcomes Jordan Dashow as New Executive Director

April 21, 2022 by Guest Columnist

Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) and the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus have announced Jordan Dashow as its new Executive Director. Dashow brings to this role a wealth of knowledge on the legislative process and a proven track record of advancing LGBTQ+ rights. As Executive Director, Dashow will help steer the Caucus’s work promoting LGBTQ+ equality, supporting members of Congress, and coordinating outreach to outside organizations.

Dashow most recently served as a professional staff member for the House Committee on the Judiciary where he worked on a range of topics including LGBTQ+ rights and equality, disability rights, voting rights, reproductive rights, racial justice, unlawful evictions, campaign finance, and church-state issues. Dashow worked closely with Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) on the successful committee consideration of the Equality Act in both the 116th and 117th Congresses. Before his tenure with the House Judiciary Committee, Dashow worked for multiple years in advocacy at the Human Rights Campaign as a Policy Assistant, Policy Coordinator, and Federal Policy Manager.

“I am excited to welcome Jordan Dashow as the next Executive Director of the Equality Caucus. I have had the pleasure of working with Jordan in his previous role with the House Judiciary Committee where he was instrumental in the successful House passage of the Equality Act in both the 116th and 117th Congresses. Jordan’s experience both on the Hill and in advocacy make him the perfect fit to guide the Equality Caucus as we confront the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation from conservative state legislatures across the country. I am looking forward to working with him in this new role to advance LGBTQ+ equality here in the United States and abroad,” said Congressman David N. Cicilline, Chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus.

“I also want to acknowledge our outgoing Executive Director, Shawn Gaylord, for his dedicated service to the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus over the last 3 years. We thank Shawn for bringing his expertise on LGBTQ+ issues and advocacy to the Hill while navigating the Caucus through the peak of the COVID pandemic. With Shawn’s leadership, we welcomed the largest-ever class of membership and advanced some of the most pro-LGBTQ+ legislation in history, including the Pulse Nightclub Memorial Bill, which was signed into law by President Biden last year. We wish him all the best in his new role off the Hill.”

Founded in 2008, the mission of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus is to promote equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Caucus, which is led by the nine openly LGBTQ+ members of the House of Representatives, is strongly committed to achieving the full enjoyment of human rights for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. and around the world.

190 Organizations Call for LGBTQ Data Collection as National Academies of Sciences Releases Historic Report

March 12, 2022 by Guest Columnist

On March 9th, an ad hoc panel of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine issued a groundbreaking consensus report focused on advancing data collection on sexual orientation, gender identity (SOGI), and sex, including variations in sex characteristics. The report synthesizes existing research, provides detailed recommendations about how to ask these questions, outlines key principles for advancing inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTQI) people, and articulates areas for further research. The report emphasizes that improved and standardized data collection is vital for understanding the challenges LGBTQI people face.

In response to this report, 190 LGBTQI and allied organizations today released an open letter calling for renewed efforts to advance SOGI and intersex data inclusion on surveys, in administrative data, and in clinical settings. The letter can be accessed here.

Data collected by private research firms suggest that there are over 13 million LGBTQ people in the United States, and the population is growing notably. Scientific estimates suggest as many as 2-5 million Americans were born with intersex traits.

Said Liz Seaton, Policy Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force: ““Far too few surveys allow people to identify themselves as LGBTQI+ simply because they do not include sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics questions. The lack of these questions stands in the way of addressing key disparities that LGBTQI+ people experience. We know that data inclusion is a cornerstone of equity, especially for LGBTQI+ people of color, low-income LGBTQI+ people, and transgender and intersex people. It’s important to note that transgender people may identify as male, female or gender nonbinary, and also some gender nonbinary folx do not identify as transgender.”

To speak with LGBTQI+ experts about data equity and this report, please contact:

Cathy Renna, National LGBTQ Task Force, crenna@thetaskforce.org
Sharita Gruberg, Center for American Progress, sgruberg@americanprogress.org
Naomi Goldberg, Movement Advancement Project, naomi@lgbtmap.org
Alesdair Ittelson, interACT, ittelson@interactadvocates.org
Aaron Ridings, GLSEN, aaron.ridings@glsen.org
Scout, National LGBT Cancer Network, scout@cancer-network.org

The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice, and equity for LGBTQ people. We are building a future where everyone can be free to be their entire selves in every aspect of their lives. Today, despite all the progress we’ve made to end discrimination, millions of LGBTQ people face barriers in every aspect of their lives: in housing, employment, healthcare, retirement, and basic human rights. For more information go to https://www.thetaskforce.org

Mama Bears Launch Giving Circle to Fund LGBTQ Non-Profits

February 26, 2022 by David Mariner

Real Mama Bears, an online community dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community and their families, has launched a giving circle in partnership with Legacy Collective. The giving circle monthly donors will collectively issue grants to nonprofits dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ individuals. Members of the Mama Bears Giving Circle will have the opportunity to actively participate by nominating and voting for nonprofits that directly benefit LGBTQ+ causes.

Founder of Mama Bears, Liz Dyer, leads an online community of 40,000+ moms who come together to love, support, and empower parents of LGBTQ+ youth and the LGBTQ+ community. The community encourages every parent with a LGBTQ+ child to fully affirm and celebrate their child as they are.

“I’m excited and honored to partner with Legacy Collective to create the Mama Bears Giving Circle,” states Dyer. “The best thing about the Mama Bears Giving Circle is the opportunity it offers those of us who love and support LGBTQ+ people to collectively invest in making the world a kinder, safer, more loving place for all LGBTQ+ people to live and thrive. Together our impact will be greater! Together we can change the world!”

The Mama Bears Giving Circle aligns with Legacy Collective through common values of commitment to diversity and inclusion. Legacy Collective not only has a strong LGBTQ+ presence on their Boards, but they also vet all grant recipients and partners to ensure there are DEI policies in place protecting the LGBTQ+ community before any funds are distributed and partnerships are formed.

“Legacy cares deeply about the LGBTQ+ community. We are excited for this partnership with Liz Dyer and the over 40,000 Mama Bears where we can come together to collectively support nonprofits across the country addressing a variety of LGBTQ+ community needs,” says Erin Arnheim, CEO of Legacy Collective.

The first round of donations collected from the Mama Bears Giving Circle will be allocated to the following organizations:

The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people.
Gender Spectrum: Gender Spectrum works to create gender sensitive and inclusive environments for all children and teens.
Tyler Clementi Foundation: The Tyler Clementi Foundation works to address bullying challenges facing vulnerable populations, especially LGBTQ communities.
GLSEN: GLSEN believes that every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education.

To learn more about the Mama Bears Giving Circle, visit https://legacycollective.org/mamabears/

Prisoner Survey Underscores How We Are Failing LGBTQ Youth in America

February 8, 2022February 7, 2022 by David Mariner

A report by Black and Pink gives us a better picture of the lived experiences of LGBTQ people in prison. Close to 1,200 prisoners were surveyed in 2014.

Download the Executive Summary and Recommendations

Download the Entire Report Her e

While some of the recommendations in the report stretch the limits of imagination (such as eliminating the criminal justice system entirely), the experiences reported by LGBTQ prisoners are disturbing and demand attention.

One of the most striking pieces of information is just how young many of these individuals were when they were first incarcerated. Approximately 2/3 or respondents were arrested before their eighteenth birthday.

When you look more closely at the factors that may have contributed to their imprisonment, you’ll discover the challenges many LGBT Youth in America face.

Unsafe Schools: Less than a third of respondents completed high school outside of prison.

Homelessness: Close to 20% of respondents reported being homeless prior to arrest, while only 52% reported stable housing.

Unemployment and Criminalized Economies: Over a third of respondents reported being unemployed prior to their incarceration, nearly 7 times the 2014 national unemployment rate in 2014. Many reported engaging in sex work or selling drugs for their survival.

Given the very real challenges young people faced (again, the majority of whom were teenagers at their first arrest) the fact that they ended up in the criminal justice system is not surprising. Deeply troubling, of course, but not surprising.

Once incarcerated LGBTQ Prisoners face many injustices which are documented in this report. Of course, young or old, all LGBTQ prisoners facing these injustices deserve our attention, our support, and our advocacy. Please read the entire report and consider what you can do to make a difference.

Afghanistan: Taliban Target LGBT Afghans

February 6, 2022 by Guest Columnist

Surge in Threats, Rape, Assault, Wrongful Detention
OutRight International

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Afghans and people who do not conform to rigid gender norms in Afghanistan have faced an increasingly desperate situation and grave threats to their safety and lives under the Taliban, OutRight Action International and Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

The 43-page report, “’Even If You Go to the Skies, We’ll Find You’: LGBT People in Afghanistan After the Taliban Takeover” is based on 60 interviews with LGBT Afghans. Many reported that Taliban members attacked or threatened them because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Others reported abuse from family members, neighbors, and romantic partners who now support the Taliban or believed they had to act against LGBT people close to them to ensure their own safety. Some fled their homes from attacks by Taliban members or supporters pursuing them. Others watched lives they had carefully built over the years disappear overnight and found themselves at risk of being targeted at any time because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“We spoke with LGBT Afghans who have survived gang rape, mob attacks, or have been hunted by their own family members who joined the Taliban, and they have no hope that state institutions will protect them,” said J. Lester Feder, senior fellow for emergency research at OutRight Action International. “For those LGBT people who want to flee the country, there are few good options; most of Afghanistan’s neighbors also criminalize same-sex relations. It is difficult to overstate how devastating – and terrifying – the return of Taliban rule has been for LGBT Afghans.”

Most interviewees were in Afghanistan, while others had fled to nearby countries. In addition to worrying about these countries’ laws against same-sex relations, interviewees outside Afghanistan lacked proper immigration status, so were at risk of being summarily deported.

Afghanistan was a dangerous place for LGBT people well before the Taliban retook full control of the country on August 15, 2021. In 2018, the government of then-President Ashraf Ghani passed a law that explicitly criminalized same-sex sexual relations, and the previous penal code included vague language widely interpreted as making same-sex relations a criminal offense. LGBT people interviewed had experienced many abuses because of their sexual orientation or gender identity prior to the Taliban’s return to power, including sexual violence, child and forced marriage, physical violence from their families and others, expulsion from schools, blackmail, and being outed. Many were forced to conceal key aspects of their identity from society and from family, friends, and colleagues.

However, when the Taliban, who had been in power from 1996 to late 2001, regained control of the country, the situation dramatically worsened. The Taliban reaffirmed the previous government’s criminalization of same-sex relations, and some of its leaders vowed to take a hard line against the rights of LGBT people. A Taliban spokesperson told Reuters in October, “LGBT… That’s against our Sharia [Islamic] law.”

A Taliban judge told the German tabloid Bild shortly before the fall of Kabul, “For homosexuals, there can only be two punishments: either stoning, or he must stand behind a wall that will fall down on him.” A manual issued by the Taliban Ministry of Vice and Virtue in 2020 states that religious leaders shall prohibit same-sex relations and that “strong allegations” of homosexuality shall be referred to the ministry’s district manager for adjudication and punishment.

Despite making repeated pledges to respect human rights, the Taliban have engaged in widespread rights abuses since retaking control of the country, including revenge killings, systematic discrimination against women and girls, severe restrictions on freedom of expression and the media, and land grabbing. In this context, marked by systematic abuse of power combined with virulent anti-LGBT sentiment, Taliban officials and their supporters have carried out acts of violence against LGBT people with impunity.

A gay man said that Taliban members detained him at a checkpoint, beat him, and gang-raped him, telling him, “From now on anytime we want to be able to find you, we will. And we will do whatever we want with you.” A lesbian said that after the Taliban takeover, her male relatives joined the Taliban and threatened to kill her because of her sexual orientation.

Most people interviewed believed their only path to safety was asylum in a country with greater protections for LGBT people, but very few LGBT Afghans escaping Afghanistan are known to have reached a safe country. Only the United Kingdom has publicly announced that it has resettled a small number of LGBT Afghans. Organizations assisting LGBT Afghans say that hundreds of people have contacted them, seeking international protection and resettlement.

“The Taliban have explicitly pledged not to respect LGBT Afghans rights,” said Heather Barr, associate women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch. “It’s critically important for concerned governments to urgently put pressure on the Taliban to respect the rights of LGBT people, ensure that assistance they provide Afghanistan reaches LGBT people, and recognize that LGBT Afghans seeking asylum face a special risk of persecution in Afghanistan and neighboring countries.”

For more information, please contact:

For OutRight Action International, in Michigan, J. Lester Feder (English, Spanish): +1-703-785-1747 (mobile); or jlfeder@OutRightInternational.org. Twitter: @jlfeder
For OutRight Action International, in Washington, DC, Neela Ghoshal (English, French): +1-917-935-9087 (mobile); or nghoshal@outrightinternational.org. Twitter: @NeelaGhoshal

For Human Rights Watch, in Islamabad, Heather Barr (English): +1-646-479-2703 (mobile); or barrh@hrw.org. Twitter: @heatherbarr1
For Human Rights Watch, in New York, Graeme Reid (English): +1-203-606-5847 (mobile); or reidg@hrw.org. Twitter: @Graemecreid

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