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IDAHO Day Post: Why the Pacific islands are no gay paradise
The world celebrates the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia on 17 May. To mark the day, Paula Gerber reflects on the ongoing criminalisation of homosexual conduct in the Pacific. The United Nations recently invited people to imagine what it would be like if you were not free to be you. If the only…
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2014 Castan Human Rights Report: LGBTI rights around the world, A rollercoaster ride!
By Paula Gerber In 2014, one can barely read the news without coming across a story about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. These stories range from celebrations that yet another jurisdiction has legalised marriage for same-sex couples, to despair at the violence, discrimination and persecution inflicted on individuals because of their sexual…
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Should the west be held accountable for gay persecution?
By Paula Gerber Media coverage of gays and lesbians in 2014 has followed a very different trend to previous years. Rather than good news stories about love and weddings, the majority of reports relate to violence, persecution and discrimination of LGBTI people. What is behind this apparent increase in hostilities towards gays and lesbians? The…
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LGBTI Rights and the UN – where to from here?
By Paula Gerber In 2014, one can barely read the news without coming across a story concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) persons. Invariably these stories relate to violence, discrimination or other human rights violations inflicted on individuals because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. Occasionally, a good news story creeps in,…
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We should act on Uganda’s oppression of gays
By Paula Gerber Since 2009, Uganda has been threatening to pass legislation further criminalising homosexuality and imposing even harsher penalties. The threat has finally become a reality with President Yoweri Museveni announcing, on Valentine’s Day, that he is now ready to sign the Bill into law, after initially expressing some reservations about it. Although the death…
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Children and human rights abuses: coming to an international stage?
By Paula Gerber For the first time, children will soon be able to bring complaints of human rights violations to the United Nations. Although the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child has been in operation since 1990, there has not been a mechanism for children to bring a complaint that a government is…
Castan Centre for Human Rights Law 