Lgbt Essay
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“All people, including lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, are entitled to enjoy the protections provided for by international human rights law, including in respect to rights to life, security of person and privacy, the right to be free from torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, the right to be free from discrimination and the right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.” According to article one of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity rights.” Therefore under no circumstance should the rights of LGBT people be violated. LGBT people deserve the same equal treatment, protection and rights as everyone else, but unfortunately that has not been the case. Throughout the years LGBT people have been deprived of many rights and has been ultimately subjected to sexual discrimination. LGBT people have been through much adversity throughout their life. Some of the major problems for homosexuals arose in the 1960s and early 70s when homosexuals were deemed as pathological. The notion of homosexuals being mentally ill ultimately caused them to be denied many jobs such a teaching and practicing psychiatry. Fortunately, despite some of the international objections and limitations of the LGBT people, the international norms supporting LGBT rights have substantially developed.
In contrast to before the Twentieth and Twenty-First Century, LGBT rights have greatly developed. For example, when South Africa introduced a resolution on human rights, sexual orientation, and gender identity to the United Nations human Rights Council, there was 23 in favor, 19 against, and 3 abstentions. The greater number of people in favor, supporting sexual orientation and gender identity essentially illustrates great development. Centuries ago, the number of people against sexual orientation and gender identity would of been substantially higher than the number of people in favor. The resolution was also an important moment in history because it marked the first UN resolution to bring specific focus to human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. There was an interesting notion that the “Liberal West” imposed their LGBT lifestyle and ideas on Africa. However, that notion proves false since South Africa received support on the resolution by Brazil and was co-sponsored by 39 nations around the world. The support of the 39 nations around the world also illustrates the growing support of LGBT rights and it signifies great development. The General Assembly of the Organization of American states has also taken great strides in eliminating discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation and general identity. “Ten days earlier the General Assembly of the Organization of American States had adopted a resolution condemning “discrimination against persons by reason of their sexual orientation and gender identity.”(
Many other countries has taken strides in improving LGBT rights, such as Ecuador, Mexico, and Argentina. “In 1998, Ecuador emulated aspects of the South African constitution by including express protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in its constitution. In 2009, lawmakers in Mexico City ruled in favor of same-sex marriage and adoption. Argentina passed the “Law of Egalitarian Marriage” in 2010.”(
Articles 17 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ultimately supports the legitimacy for the assertion of LGBT rights as human rights. According to article 17 “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.”(
According to Article 26 “All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law. In this respect, the law shall prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origins, property, birth, or other statues.”(