The Human Rights Watch lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights program has fought for over a decade to end human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity worldwide. Some seventy-six countries have laws that are used to criminalize people on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and at least five countries make provision for the death penalty for such “crimes.” In this climate of hostility, Human Rights Watch plays a significant role in promoting the rights of LGBT people by documenting abuses against them and amplifying the voices of activists that governments are trying to silence.
We rigorously investigate abuses committed against LGBT people—including killings, torture, wrongful arrests, domestic violence, censorship, and discrimination in health, jobs, housing, and family rights. Our hard-hitting reports and news releases expose abuses and lay out clear recommendations for how national and international policy-makers can put an end to these abuses. In the halls of power around the world our strategic and targeted advocacy builds intense pressure for systemic change and raises the cost of committing abuse. From the United States to Uganda, Egypt to Jamaica, Human Rights Watch speaks out on issues that have been shrouded in silence for too long. With your support, we can advance the rights of LGBT people worldwide, pressing governments to respect the freedom and dignity of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.