LGBT refugees from Bermuda join London Pride march

By Paul Canning

A small group of Bermudians marched behind the banner 'LGBT refugees: Bermuda: No better time for full human rights and equality' at London Pride yesterday.

They were joined by a renowned Bermudian personality, the drag queen Mark Anderson – aka 'Sybil Barrington'.

Anderson told BerNews before leaving:

“My reason to do this, is because I’m fighting for every Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender person who was born yesterday, today and will be tomorrow here in Bermuda, that they will not grow up with the hateful prejudices, which I experienced most of my life. I am also fighting for those who live a clandestine gay lifestyle in our country.”

In 2006, the government attempted to ban Anderson from participating in a parade, stating that he contradicted local mores and sensitivities.

The group's organisers said that they were marching:

"In solidarity with those of us who are still on the island and still fighting for our inclusion in the Bermuda Human Rights Act."

25 May scores of LGBT supporters turned out to a human rights rally outside Parliament to oppose discrimination.

Homosexuality is legal in Bermuda, but the country has long held a reputation for being anti-gay and discrimination on the grounds of sexuality and gender identity is legal. The Bermuda's Human Rights Commission has repeatedly recommended that this be changed.

Bermudians have tried to appeal to the British Parliament regarding LGBT discrimination, prompting the Foreign Affairs Committee to recommend that the British government should take steps to extend human rights in the British overseas territories (BOT), for which the UK is ultimately responsible. Bermuda's human rights in general do not have a favourable reputation; In mid-2008, Bermuda was the only BOT to refuse to join a four-year human rights initiative organised by the Commonwealth Foundation.

In Bermuda, 'scores' rally for LGB rights

Source: Bermuda Sun

Updates below

Scores of supporters turned out to a human rights rally 25 May to oppose discrimination based on sexual orientation in Bermuda.

The event, ‘Home is where the hatred is’ was organized by Krystl Assan, a 23-year-old student who claims she was discriminated against because she is gay.

Supporters stood out in the heat at City Hall and listened intently to Miss Assan, who spoke about why the Human Rights Act should be amended to include sexual orientation.

She said:

“I thought about voicing the private frustrations of gay and straight people alike when it comes to this issue. Isn’t there something really wrong with politics or society when I have to present an argument for why it’s not okay to discriminate against me, or my friends or my loved ones on the basis of who they love?"

“Why do I need to prove to you that it is wrong and should be punishable by law to deny someone service at a restaurant on the basis of who they are or how they’ve chosen to live their life?"

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US State Dept human rights report picks up LGBT asylum issues in UK

Image via Wikipedia

By Paul Canning

The 35th annual human rights report of the US State Department has picked up on "significant disadvantages" experienced by LGBT asylum seekers in the UK.

In launching the report April 8 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton drew particular attention to the report’s identification of abuses against LGBT people internationally:

“Because I believe, and our government believes, that gay rights are human rights, we remain extremely concerned about state-sanctioned homophobia,” Clinton said.

She hoped that the reports which cover every country bar the US itself would "give comfort to the activists, will shine a spotlight on the abuses, and convince those in government that there are other and better ways.” They may also be used to bar aid to certain countries if the US Congress passes recently introduced legislation.

Mark Bromley, chair of the Council for Global Equality, told the Washington Blade that Clinton has made LGBT rights one of the State Department's top priorities. Expanded coverage of LGBT rights was begun last year but the 2010 reports show patchy coverage across Africa and the Middle East.

State Department interest in LGBT asylum

The UK report cited last year's Stonewall report 'No Going Back' and pulled out for mention its identification of the "fast tracking" of LGBT asylum claims, repeating Stonewall's finding that LGBT have complex cases and in "denying them quickly, UKBA staff did not give applicants time to talk openly about their sexual orientation."

Home Office Minister Damien Green told the House of Commons in February that the government did not accept that sexual orientation asylum claims are complex and therefore would not exclude them from 'fast track', as it does other types of cases.

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