FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Cub Barrett, Program, Communications Manager
212) 806-1602
NEW YORK, December 6, 2011—President Barack Obama and
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping declaration of
rights for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people around the
world, announcing that all U.S. diplomatic agencies must promote and protect the
human rights of all LGBT people.
Secretary Clinton spoke at the U.S.
Mission to the United Nations in Geneva Tuesday afternoon, shortly after the
White House issued a memo directing “all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that
U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of
LGBT persons.”
In her speech, Secretary Clinton recognized the intrinsic
rights of all people and stressed how homophobia and discrimination have
affected the lives and well-being of LGBT people everywhere, particularly in
countries most hostile to them. The Secretary also cited the impact of
discrimination against men who have sex with men (MSM) and LGBT people as an
impediment to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“This is an important step
forward in American leadership in the area of human rights and global health,”
said Kevin Robert Frost, CEO of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. “We
know that MSM, gay men, and transgender people are at much higher risk of
acquiring HIV, particularly in countries that criminalize their behavior. We
can’t end the AIDS epidemic without doing a better job of addressing the health
and rights of LGBT and MSM people. We hope these new guidelines will strongly
encourage governments to treat their LGBT citizens with respect and afford them
equal status in law and society.”
“President Obama and Secretary Clinton
have now forcefully recognized how discrimination undermines our international
assistance efforts,” said amfAR Vice President and Director of Public Policy
Chris Collins. “Now we need to work with governments, NGOs, and community-based
groups to change discriminatory laws, promote tolerance, and stress the
importance of human rights in our battle against HIV/AIDS.”
amfAR has
long highlighted the link between human rights abuses and the AIDS epidemic,
particularly concerning MSM and LGBT people. In 2007 the Foundation started the
MSM Initiative, which works with grassroots groups to advance HIV prevention,
education, and outreach efforts targeting MSM in countries where same-sex sexual
behavior is often criminalized or highly stigmatized.
On Thursday,
December 15, amfAR’s Public Policy Office will release a report providing new,
in-depth analysis of HIV-related financing and programming for MSM
worldwide.
About amfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for
AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated
to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the
advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested
nearly $325 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000
research teams worldwide.