Though I wasn’t able to join The Atlantic‘s conference this week on the future of the LGBT civil rights fight, I took to Twitter earlier today to make that case that the future of the LGBT rights fights is largely international in character.
Without prejudice to the ongoing fights, legal and political, across the United States, I would argue the LGBT outlook should be much more global in 2015 — and as we look to the future and the kind of world we want to see in 2025 for both LGBT rights and human rights more generally.
1/20 Kudos to @Atlantic_LIVE and @SCClemons for hosting this week’s wonderful #AtlanticLGBT forum.
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
2/20 Without a doubt, greatest LGBT civil rights battles in decade ahead are international. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
3/20 Vital to get global orgs resources; @tywesleycobb leading nascent @hrc efforts, which should be encouraged @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
4/20 Top of global LGBT list should be repealing #India‘s discriminatory #Section377, props to @ShashiTharoor. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
5/20 Greater tolerance in sub-Saharan Africa very important, countering US evangelical push to persecute LGBT. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
6/20 Voices like @BishopSenyonjo in #Uganda doing amazing work countering intolerance: https://t.co/3znDK1pj3d @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
7/20 Growing intolerance in the Caribbean, especially Jamaica, is much too close to home for US to ignore. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
8/20 We should also work to take “LGBT rights” out of 21st century Cold War pissing match b/w US and Russia @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
9/20 Growing use of anti-LGBT “propaganda laws” not only in Russia but Central Asia increasingly troubling. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
10/20 #Slovenia holds marriage ref 12/20; fight for marriage equality still not over in Europe (or #Australia). @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
11/20 Sadly, successful Irish vote set precedent that fund’l rights can be voted away: https://t.co/wrrjiCCM2i @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
12/20 N. Ireland, Italy and Germany STILL do not have marriage equality, and eastern Europe’s record is abysmal @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
13/20 #Malaysia, whose gov’t increasingly anti-gay, used “sodomy” charges to imprison opp leader @anwaribrahim. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
14/20 Horrific ISIS beheadings show that the Middle East still has a long way to go on LGBT and human rights. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
15/20 Central America still difficult place for LGBT rights, especially transphobic and femme-phobic violence. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
16/20 #Honduras still troubled by LGBT murders; @martinezerick21 leading fight vs. it. https://t.co/ekhwU9nbSA @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
17/20 Massively disappointing that AIDS still kills — @BarackObama & successor should double-down on @PEPFAR. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
18/20 Scandal #PrEP still not widespread & low-cost. Kudos to outspoken @peterstaley for waging health fight. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
19/20 World politics so important because 2016 elections provide several opportunities to press LGBT issues. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015
20/20 2016 elections include #Uganda (2/18), #Jamaica (Dec.), #Ghana (12/17), #Australia, UN SecGen selection. @Atlantic_LIVE #AtlanticLGBT
— Kevin Lees (@Suffragio) December 9, 2015