The Executive Director of East African Visual Artists Mr. Vincent Kyabayinze has lauded the U.S President Joe Biden for prioritizing the prevention and protection of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) persons around the world.
On February 4th 2021, President Biden signed a Presidential Memorandum directing all U.S. government departments and agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ people.
Kyabayinze said that as a human rights defender who works in a country where the LGBTQI+ community is criminalized, targeted, discriminated and stigmatized, he feels energized to have an LGBTQI+ ally in the White House.
According to an article published in November 2019 by the Forbes Magazine, Uganda is 13th on the list of 20 most dangerous countries for LGBTQI+ travelers.
It is also one of the 72 countries across the world where LGBTQI+ people are still criminalized and their human rights violated.
“With this development, I am hopeful that the civil society in Uganda will be supported to further prove to Ugandans and the government of Uganda that LGBTQI+ rights are human rights that are protected by the Uganda constitution and the international law” Kyabayinze said.
He also welcomed the announcement of $10 million in Fiscal Year 2021 by the Biden-Harris administration for the Global Equality Fund (GEF). The GEF provides emergency assistance to human rights defenders and human rights programming support to grassroots LGBTQI+ organizations to catalyze positive change and draws its strength from the support and partnership of an international coalition of like-minded governments, businesses, and foundations.
According to Kyabayinze, the struggle to end violence, discrimination, criminalization, and stigma against LGBTQI+ persons is a global challenge and calls for a global response.
“I am glad that once again, there is a global response initiated and led by the U.S government”.
In a statement issued by the U.S State Department, the Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken stated that the United States will strengthen civil society advocacy to fully support and advance the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons.
“Our international partners can be assured that advancing human rights for all individuals, with no exception or caveat, is a U.S. foreign policy priority” Secretary Blinken noted.
He added that pursuant to President Biden’s memorandum, the Department of State in coordination with relevant federal agencies will use a broad range of diplomatic and programmatic tools and resources to protect vulnerable LGBTQI+ refugees and asylum seekers; combat criminalization of individuals on the basis of LGBTQI+ status or conduct; ensure that U.S diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons and advance nondiscrimination; and allow swift U.S. responses to human rights violations and abuses of LGBTQI+ persons.
