The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) lists 82 countries that have criminal laws against sexual activity between homosexual individuals. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; world’s leading refugee agency who provide international relief for displaced people, those who self-identify as lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual often become victims of discrimination, exploitation, imprisonment, extortion, and torture. Moreover, there still remain seven countries in the world that punish same sex relationships or same sex intercourse with the death penalty (ILGA, 2015). Other nations, in spite of not considering homosexuality as an illegal act, still persist in their cultural stereotypes …show more content…
Canada is one of the only countries that accept refugee claims on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. However, queer asylum seekers in Canada are commonly probed deeply about their gender presentation and sexual practices in rulings over their refugee entitlements (Kouri-Towe,2015). Finances allocated to this group of refugees are also decreasing. Moreover, many people in need of protection don’t have the resources to flee their persecutors, let alone bring themselves to Canada and navigate Canada’s all-too-complex refugee system. One way to continue providing support for LGBT refugees is through private sponsorship. An organization that is dedicated to advocating and helping resettle LGBTQI refugees is The Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova …show more content…
During our conversation, I was explained that the founder of the North Star Triangle Project, David Pepper had been travelling to several provinces in Canada conducting community education tours on issues dealing with the LGBTQI refugee population. After his seminar at Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, a gathering of people emerged and decided to discuss the formation of a private refugee sponsorship program. Although the story so far seems to go along smoothly and tactically, this group of volunteers faced their share of hurdles. Having interest from the community to assemble this project didn’t equate to people signing up for the task. Their lack of structure and leadership prevented others from showing up to meetings. Delightedly after three years of hard work and continued support from ISANS, RRANS has become a registered non-profit program that raised funds to support several refugees from Iran and is continuing to work towards advocating and resettling more LGBTQI refugees. Throughout our conversation, two key points stood out to me the most. Firstly, the board member acknowledged the level of privilege and level of human rights our country has compared to many others around the world. Secondly, it was clear to me that they took their mission to illuminate and be allies for discrimination against LGBTQI
In certain countries such as the U.S, people discriminate against others to a certain extent based off their gender, race, and sexuality. Butler states that “to be a body is to be given over to others even as a body is “one own,” which we must claim right of autonomy” (242). Gays and Lesbians have to be exposed to the world because some of them try to hide their identity of who they truly are because they are afraid of how others are going to look at them. There are some who just let their sexuality out in the open because they feel comfortable with whom they are as human beings and they don’t feel any different than the next person. The gender or sexuality of a human being doesn’t matter because our bodies’ will never be autonomous because it is affected by others around us. This is where humans are vulnerability to violence and aggression. In countries across the globe, violence and attack are drawn towards tran...
Historically, Canada has held a world renowned reputation as nation with a magnanimous ideological approach to providing asylum to those individuals subjected to marginalization and persecution in their homeland – regardless of their nation of origin (Ismaili, 2011, p.89 & 92). Indeed, providing sanctuary to refugees who would otherwise experience significant hardships ranging from blatant discrimination and racism to torture and genocide, has very much become an institutionalized aspect of Canadian society. However, recent changes to Canada’s immigration policy delineated in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Bill C-31 may have perhaps put this ideology in peril (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, 2001).
The first step toward Liberalism consists of the respect of human rights. Although the declaration of human rights does not explicitly express gay’s rights, its core objective is to protect individuals rights to live free and away from physical harm regardless from their sex, origin, race or gender. Therefore, violence against any individual is a disrespect of human rights that cannot be warranted by any religious or cultural assertion. Unfortunately, physical abuses against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) are still practiced in Lebanon leaving the victims with long lasting physical and psychological damages. Kotecha (2013), in her article “Lebanon’s gay-friendly reputation challenged by abuses”, stated that in 2012, the police broke into a Beirut cinema and detained more than 30 individuals supposed to be homosexuals. These individuals were exposed to physical abuses in terms of anal inspection in order to reveal whether they have been exposed to any unnatural sexual intercourse. The reporter continues in an interview with one t...
foreign and domestic policies because they are built on discourses that separate marginalized groups and usually do not tackle the root of the problem. Queer activists need to address the absence of intersectionality in their approach. When queer organizers discovered that a Navy bomb had “Hijack This Fags” scrawled on it, they “objected to the homophobia but not to the broader racist war itself” (Puar and Rai 127). Queer organizers zeroed in on a slur rather than the real destruction of innocent Muslim lives and the violence of the war. There seems to be an “us vs. them” mentality in current activism turns a blind eye to other marginalized groups as long as “our own” people are advancing. Furthermore, many of the foreign policies do not focus on underlying problems. For instance, the U.S. decides to combat the lack of women’s rights in Afghan by flying RAWA, a relatively privileged organization, around the world instead of focusing on helping the majority of women in Afghan that are suffering real consequences of injustices (Puar and Rai 130). Although promoting these issues is important, an emphasis on helping real Afghan women should be the
Many times throughout our history, elected and future leaders will fight a war on poverty. Leaders like George W. Bush will run on his campaign trail saying, “The purpose of prosperity is to leave no one out-to leave no one behind”(2). His words were misleading to the public and the nation as a whole. The LGBT community was left out and left behind under his administration. “In fact, after controlling for a number of factors associated with poverty, rates for LGB adults are higher than for heterosexual adults.”(4). If receiving aid to be helped out of poverty, one had to meet a certain criteria, it should have been clearly stated in his speeches. His effectiveness of ending poverty cost the LGBT community their way of life.
Some of the biggest hurdles new refugees face coming to Canada can include culture shock and language barriers. Many people don’t take into consideration just how tough this would be, and although Canada’s population is considered to be very diverse, it can be difficult to fit in. Finding a job, a place to live and finding a doctor can be other obstacles they will face. Because many refugees are coming from a place or fear and terror, finding a doctor is extremely beneficial in their recovery (many refugees escape traumatic situations). I think Canada has done a great job with allowing refugees to come to Canada, and we should continue to be open with this opportunity. It is also, something that needs to be monitored as we are “opening our
The Refugee Women's Alliance fosters a welcoming atmosphere for the students and parents who have only been in the United States for a short period of time. The students that I have worked with are comfortable around the staffs and the volunteer. I noticed that despite the language barriers, the students were not afraid to joke around with the staffs. The students also have a platform for expressing concerns, fears, and opinions. Positive relationships between the faculty and the students prevent students from feeling alienated or ignored. The inclusive environment let the students know they are valued and do belong to the community. In addition, the Refugee Women's Alliance also engages the receiving communities' members to build broader support for immigrants among the mainstream American society. The organization utilizes arts, cultural celebration, refugees and immigrants stories to raise awareness as well as allowing individuals to develop a deeper understanding of the context from which people with different identities and values are coming from. For their last project, students were asked to complete a podcast on the issues or topics they care about. In one particular podcast, an immigrant youth and an American were discussing various social issues, such the social stigma surrounding refugees and immigrants. Besides
The Parliament has questioned the rise of transgender discrimination and plans to decrease the amount of discrimination against transgenders. Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau has decided to take
Homosexual activity has been around since the dawn of time. As far back as 9660-5000 BCE there has been evidence of homosexual encounters. Throughout history there have been numerous recordings of homosexual activity, from Roman art depicting homosexual acts during the 1st century, to Leonardo da Vinci who was charged with sodomy on multiple occasions in 1476, the acts of same sex encounters have been no stranger in the past (LGBT social movements, 2014). The LGBT movement however, is a more recent escapade. The LGBT movement is the attempt to change social and political attitudes towards homosexuality for the better. There have been multiple movements in the LGBT community as to date, along with the emergence of numerous LGBT organizations. There are well over fifty different LGBT organizations all over the world. Some are international, such as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), and some are country or region based, such as Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) in Uganda. Each organization has its own mission and goals which it wishes to accomplish in order to make the world a better and more equal place for LGBT communities. Two specific LGBT organizations are: the Gay & Lesbian Alliance against Defamation (GLAAD) in the United States, and the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL) in Sweden.
On October 17, 2009, seventy-six Tamil refugees arrived off the cost of Victoria, British Columbia in a rusty boat followed by another four hundred ninety two exhausted Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers in August 2010 (CBC News, 2010). Their migration stemmed from the civil war that had been ongoing in their homeland for over two decades. Human rights agencies and media around the world raised concerns over human rights violations, and death of tens of thousands of innocent civilians in Sri Lanka. Canadians, those of Tamil ethnicity and otherwise, were concerned, many of whom took to the streets of Toronto in protest between January and May in 2009. However, despite the street protest throughout the summer of 2009 and Canada’s reputation as one of the most generous nation in the world toward refugees, the Tamil boat migrants received a cold welcome as they arrived in Victoria (Bauder & Bradimore, 2011). The Canadian media was particularly critical, expressing concerns over the migrants’ identity and the validity of their refugee claims (Bauder & Bradimore, 2011). Based on Cynthia Bogard’s (2011) writing, this paper will describe the framework for understanding the social construction based on claimsmaking activities and the context to explain how and why the Tamil refugees were typified in an overall negative representation in Canadian society.
The Human Dignity Trust filed a suit at the European court of human rights against the Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus,which is the only place in Europe where homosexuality is still illegal, and it is likely for them to win. In a note sent to Gay right activists, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago expressed her wish to be able repeal the laws that have banned homosexuality. The prime minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson Miller, has voiced many similar wishes. In June, Javed Jaghai was the latest activist to launch legal actions to challenge the anti-sodomy laws. However, violence against gay people is increasing, and a 17-year-old was stabbed to death last week at a party in Trinidad for being gay. In Malawi, their president Joyce Banda announced in 2012 that laws criminalising homosexuality would be repealed , she has since then separated herself from that, although there has been a little bit of change and have been any prosecutions. Therefore, it's not just the globally north where things are moving forward. It’s in some parts of the world where you'd least expect them, things are getting better for
Throughout Western civilization, culturally hegemonic views on gender and sexuality have upheld a rigid and monolithic societal structure, resulting in the marginalization and dehumanization of millions of individuals who differ from the expected norm. Whether they are ridiculed as freaks, persecuted as blasphemers, or discriminated as sub-human, these individuals have been historically treated as invisible and pushed into vulnerable positions, resulting in cycles of poverty and oppression that remain prevalent even in modern times. Today, while many of these individuals are not publicly displayed as freaks or persecuted under Western law, women, queer, and intersexed persons within our society still nonetheless find themselves under constant
There are different gender identities such as male, female, gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual that exist all around the world. There is inequality in gender identities and dominance of males regardless of which sexuality they fall under. The males are superior over the females and gays superior over the lesbians, however it is different depending on the place and circumstances. This paper will look at the gender roles and stereotypes, social policy, and homosexuality from a modern and traditional society perspective. The three different areas will be compared by the two different societies to understand how much change has occurred and whether or not anything has really changed.
People with disability who are lesbian or gay are searching for mainstream lesbian and gay organization which can give them support ant treat them without differences. But they are confronting access issues which lead to a lack of outreach services provision for lesbian, gay or bisexual, disabled people. This results in a lack of capacity building for these individuals, many are socially excluded and isolated from mainstream disability/ lesbian, gay or bisexual
When one hears the words “LGBT” and “Homosexuality” it often conjures up a mental picture of people fighting for their rights, which were unjustly taken away or even the social emergence of gay culture in the world in the1980s and the discovery of AIDS. However, many people do not know that the history of LGBT people stretches as far back in humanity’s history, and continues in this day and age. Nevertheless, the LGBT community today faces much discrimination and adversity. Many think the problem lies within society itself, and often enough that may be the case. Society holds preconceptions and prejudice of the LGBT community, though not always due to actual hatred of the LGBT community, but rather through lack of knowledge and poor media portrayal.