The Push for LGBT Rights

A recent panel discussion highlighted the "best and worst of times" here and around the world Even as marriage equality continues to advance in the United States, in many other parts of the world LGBT men and women are under attack. Recent news out of Jamaica, Singapore, Kazakhstan and several countries in Africa, highlight violence, unequal treatment and discrimination against lesbians and gaysAt a recent CCNY panel discussion called “LGBT Rights as Human Rights,” Charles Radcliffe described the situation as “the best of times and the worst of times.”“We have seen huge changes, such as in Eastern Europe, North America, and Latin America and huge advances when it comes to marriage equality,” said Radcliffe, chief of the global issues section of the UN human rights office in New York. “[But] just as we see huge advances in many countries, we are also unfortunately seeing some setbacks in some countries at the same time.”Radcliffe joined several other LGBT human rights experts at the discussion held in Shepard Hall and sponsored by The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. MCA professor Andrea Weiss moderated the talk.Another panelist, Val Kalende talked about what it was like coming out in 2002 Uganda where homosexual acts between consenting adults remain illegal and stigmatized. “Coming out was my choice,” said Kalende. “Stepping up and claiming my right to come out was the starting point of my activism.”Looking back at the movement that started a few years ago, Kalende sees a lot of progress coming out, adding, “That is hope. My own story is also someone else’s story. I know I made the right choice.”When asked about the marriage equality, Daniel O’Donnell, the first openly gay New York State assemblyman and prime sponsor of the Marriage Equality Act in New York, believes it’s not about assimilation, but about operating under society rules. “Society chooses to assign rights and responsibilities to people who are legally married,” said O’Donnell, the brother of talk show host Rosie O’Donnell. “It gives you privileges and other things [and] it’s about how our society acknowledges and accepts relationships. Is it for everyone? No, it is not. Is it requirement to be in the LGBT community to get married? No it is not. People within in our community have a wide range of set of rules, morals and values for them.”The panel all agreed that LGBT rights are important for humanity and stressed the need for education. “Human sexuality is a human right which should be understood,” said Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, who served as grand marshal of the LGBT Pride March in San Francisco and is a recipient of the Clinton Global Initiative award for LGBT rights. “If people understand, we shall be more compassionate and shall be more in just. We need to be open to new values and revelations.”