Jessica Stern | |
|---|---|
 Stern in 2021 | |
| 2nd United States Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons | |
| Assumed office September 27, 2021 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Randy W. Berry |
| Personal details | |
| Education | London School of Economics |
Jessica Stern is an American diplomat serving as the second U.S. special envoy for the human rights of LGBTI persons since 2021. She was previously the executive director of Outright International for ten years.
Stern completed a master's degree in human rights at the London School of Economics. [1]
Stern worked in Philadelphia as a welfare rights community organizer. [1] With the Center for Constitutional Rights,she campaigned for electoral reform following the 2000 United States presidential election. [1] Stern was a researcher and advocate at Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. [2] She was a founding member of the United Nations (UN) LGBTI core group and of its secretariat. [2] Stern successfully campaigned for the first UN General Assembly resolution to include gender identity and for successive Human Rights Council resolutions on sexual orientation and gender identity,leading to the establishment of the independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity. [2] Stern provided the first LGBTQI+ rights expert testimony in an Arria formula meeting. [2]
Stern joined the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (later renamed OutRight International) as its director of programs. [1] After working in that role for two years,in late 2011,she became the acting executive director following departure of Cary Alan Johnson. [1] In 2012,she officially assumed the position,serving in the role for ten years. [1] [2] She helped the organization secure UN observer status,release human rights reports annually,built the world's largest COVID LGBTQI+ grant-making program,and quintupled the budget. [2]
During Pride Month in 2021,Stern was appointed by U.S. president Joe Biden as the second U.S. special envoy for the human rights of LGBTI persons. [3] [4] She assumed the role on September 27,2021. [2] She leads U.S. efforts to protect LGBTQI+ persons globally from violence and discrimination. [2] [5] [6] As an adjunct associate professor,Stern taught the first LGBTQI+ rights course at the School of International and Public Affairs,Columbia University. [2]
As of 2021,Stern has lived in the United States,Mexico,the United Kingdom,and Uruguay. [2]
The International Lesbian,Gay,Bisexual,Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) is a LGBTQ+ rights organization.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in Ghana face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Sexual acts between males have been illegal as "unnatural carnal knowledge" in Ghana since the colonial era. The majority of Ghana's population hold anti-LGBT sentiments. Physical and violent homophobic attacks against LGBT people are common,and are often encouraged by the media and religious and political leaders. At times,government officials,such as police,engage in such acts of violence. Reports of young gay people being disowned by their families and communities and evicted from their homes are common. Families often seek conversion therapy from religious groups when same-sex orientation or non-conforming gender identity is disclosed;such "therapy" is reported to be commonly administered in abusive and inhumane settings.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Afghan members of the LGBT community are forced to keep their gender identity and sexual orientation secret,in fear of violence and the death penalty. The religious nature of the country has limited any opportunity for public discussion,with any mention of homosexuality and related terms deemed taboo.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in the United States rank among the most advanced in the world,with public opinion and jurisprudence changing significantly since the late 1980s.
OutRight International (OutRight) is an LGBTIQ human rights non-governmental organization that addresses human rights violations and abuses against lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender and intersex people. OutRight International documents human rights discrimination and abuses based on their sexual orientation,gender identity,gender expression and sex characteristics in partnership with activists,advocates,media,NGOs and allies on a local,regional,national and international level. OutRight International holds consultative status with ECOSOC.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in Armenia face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents,due in part to the lack of laws prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity and in part to prevailing negative attitudes about LGBT persons throughout society.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in Azerbaijan face significant challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Azerbaijan since 1 September 2000. Nonetheless,discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity are not banned in the country and same-sex marriage is not recognized.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) rights in Nepal have expanded in the 21st century,though much of Nepal's advancements on LGBT rights have come from the judiciary and not the legislature. Homosexual intercourse was decriminalized in 2007.
Discussions of LGBT rights at the United Nations have included resolutions and joint statements in the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC),attention to the expert-led human rights mechanisms,as well as by the UN Agencies.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Laos go unreported and unnoticed. While homosexuality is legal in Laos,it is very difficult to assess the current state of acceptance and violence that LGBT people face because of government interference. Numerous claims have suggested that Laos is one of the most tolerant communist states. Despite such claims,discrimination still exists. Laos provides no anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people,nor does it prohibit hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for any of the rights that opposite-sex married couples enjoy,as neither same-sex marriage nor civil unions are legal.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in East Timor face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are legal in East Timor,but same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex married couples.
The Yogyakarta Principles is a document about human rights in the areas of sexual orientation and gender identity that was published as the outcome of an international meeting of human rights groups in Yogyakarta,Indonesia,in November 2006. The principles were supplemented and expanded in 2017 to include new grounds of gender expression and sex characteristics and a number of new principles. However,the Principles have never been accepted by the United Nations (UN) and the attempt to make gender identity and sexual orientation new categories of non-discrimination has been repeatedly rejected by the General Assembly,the UN Human Rights Council and other UN bodies.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in North Macedonia face discrimination and some legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity have been legal in North Macedonia since 1996,but same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex married couples.
LGBT migration is the movement of lesbian,gay,bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people around the world or within one country. LGBT individuals choose to migrate so as to escape discrimination,bad treatment and negative attitudes due to their sexuality,including homophobia and transphobia. These people are inclined to be marginalized and face socio-economic challenges in their home countries. Globally and domestically,many LGBT people attempt to leave discriminatory regions in search of more tolerant ones.
Randy William Berry is an American diplomat and the United States ambassador to Namibia since February 9,2023. He has previously served as the United States ambassador to Nepal and the first U.S. special envoy for the human rights of LGBTI persons.
Intersex people are born with sex characteristics that "do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies". They are substantially more likely to identify as lesbian,gay,bisexual,or transgender (LGBT) than endosex people,an estimated 52% identifying as non-heterosexual and 8.5% to 20% experiencing gender dysphoria. Although many intersex people are heterosexual and cisgender,this overlap and "shared experiences of harm arising from dominant societal sex and gender norms" has led to intersex people often being included under the LGBT umbrella,with the acronym sometimes expanded to LGBTI. Some intersex activists and organisations have criticised this inclusion as distracting from intersex-specific issues such as involuntary medical interventions.
Victor Madrigal-Borloz is a Costa Rican lawyer. Since 2018,he has served as the United Nations Independent Experton protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. During his tenure at the U.N.,Madrigal-Borloz has been noted for focusing his Human Rights Council mandate on investigating a broad and intersectional range of issues facing LGBT communities around the world,including conversion therapy,criminalization,socio-cultural exclusion,anti-trans rhetoric,and the outsized impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable LGBT and gender-diverse populations.
The Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons is a position at the United States Department of State within the Bureau of Democracy,Human Rights and Labor. The office oversees the United States government’s efforts to support the human rights of LGBTQI+ people around the world.
The health access and health vulnerabilities experienced by the lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,queer or questioning,intersex,asexual (LGBTQIA) community in South Korea are influenced by the state's continuous failure to pass anti-discrimination laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The construction and reinforcement of the South Korean national subject,"kungmin," and the basis of Confucianism and Christian churches perpetuates heteronormativity,homophobia,discrimination,and harassment towards the LGBTQI community. The minority stress model can be used to explain the consequences of daily social stressors,like prejudice and discrimination,that sexual minorities face that result in a hostile social environment. Exposure to a hostile environment can lead to health disparities within the LGBTQI community,like higher rates of depression,suicide,suicide ideation,and health risk behavior. Korean public opinion and acceptance of the LGBTQI community have improved over the past two decades,but change has been slow,considering the increased opposition from Christian activist groups. In South Korea,obstacles to LGBTQI healthcare are characterized by discrimination,a lack of medical professionals and medical facilities trained to care for LGBTQI individuals,a lack of legal protection and regulation from governmental entities,and the lack of medical care coverage to provide for the health care needs of LGBTQI individuals. The presence of Korean LGBTQI organizations is a response to the lack of access to healthcare and human rights protection in South Korea. It is also important to note that research that focuses on Korean LGBTQI health access and vulnerabilities is limited in quantity and quality as pushback from the public and government continues.
Liesl Theron is a South African trans activist and the co-founder of Gender DynamiX organisation.
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