14 Activists Demand LGBTQ+ Rights in North Africa & Middle East During 70-Day Germany Visit
Fourteen human rights defenders from North Africa and the Middle East are visiting Germany for seventy days. The trip aims to facilitate exchange and networking, particularly focusing on LGBTQ+ rights, which gained hope following the Arab Spring. The activists, involved in their countries' democratic movements, demand recognition of the right to sexual self-determination.
The visit kicked off with a conference at the German Foreign Office on November 3, 2015. Activists shared experiences and challenges, highlighting the severe legal and social discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in the region. Despite varying degrees of state restrictions or criminalization, LGBTQ+ people often face violence and social rejection. In Egypt, for instance, LGBTQ+ organizations are not officially recognized, while in Lebanon, many struggle to find work, leading some to prostitution.
A discussion round brought together representatives from different sectors to exchange experiences and strategies. Christoph Strässer, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy, emphasized the universal right to sexual self-determination in his welcoming speech. Opportunities for improvement arise from international advocacy and strategic partnerships with human rights organizations.
The seventy-day visit provides a platform for activists to share their experiences and challenges, fostering a dialogue on improving the situation of LGBTQ+ people in North Africa and the Middle East. The visit underscores Germany's commitment to supporting human rights defenders and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in the region.
Read also:
- Postpartum Period and Gestational Diabetes: Does it Persist?
- Controlled spree of Legionnaires' disease among Harlem residents ceased, city health authorities confirm; however, locals push for increased openness and information disclosure
- Transform City for the Better
- Prostate Cancer Examination Guidelines, Outcomes, and Financial Aspects
