A new report has found that nearly half of the world’s countries are actively stopping LGBTQ people from fighting for equality.
OutRight Action International have released new research which shows that 85 of the world’s 194 countries to not allow the formation of LGBTQ organisations.
These groups would help organise Pride marches, mobilise protests against anti-LGBTQ laws, and aid in the fight for decriminalising homosexuality in countries where it’s still illegal.
The report – titled The Global State of LGBTI Organizing: The Right to Register – highlights an increased effort by some countries trying to suppress a growing LGBTQ movement.
“History shows that progress on LGBTIQ rights have come through activism and visibility,” said Maria Sjodin, Deputy Executive Director, OutRight Action International.
“When states suppress LGBTIQ organizations, they are really trying to stop LGBTIQ people from gaining basic human rights and equality.”
The past few years has seen a surge in crackdowns on LGBTQ people, notably in Egypt, Indonesia, Tanzania, and Russia.
OutRight’s report highlights the fact that without LGBTQ organisations being able to get registered, it makes it harder for them to meet with government officials.
What’s more, it forces LGBTQ groups to operate underground, prevents them from public activism, and stops them lobbying for change.
The paper also found that many governments often denying LGBTQ organisations from being registered on the ground of religious or moral beliefs.
In some extreme cases, authorities have branded LGBTQ groups a threat to national security.
This report comes days after Russian police detained LGBTQ activists in St. Petersburg after they held a Pride march in the city.
Sixty people had assembled in the city’s Palace Square after their initial request for the march was denied.
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