The author of the publication The Guardian Emine Saner analyzed the legal position of LGBT people in the world: the most favorable conditions – in Latin America, and the worst – in the Middle East.
The most favorable legal environment for LGBT provide countries in South America. Argentina's Gender Identity Law 2012 allows the change of gender on birth certificates as well as on the other official documents along with the name and the picture for transgender people. In 2010 Argentina also legalized same-sex marriage, giving same-sex couples the same rights as opposite-sex couples, including the right to adopt children. Uruguay and Mexico City also allow marriage and adoption for same-sex couples, and last week Colombia recognized its first legal same-sex civil union.
Saner notes that the number of countries legalizing same-sex marriage continues to grow, with Denmark, Brazil, France and New Zealand joining more countries that had legalized it earlier. In June in USA, where President Barack Obama publicly supports marriage for same-sex couples and it is legal in several states, the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (which prevented the federal government from recognizing marriages between gay couples) as unconstitutional.
The least rights LGBT people have in the Middle East countries. It could not get worse for LGBT legal situation than in Iran, a place where homosexuality is punishable by death, believes Saner. Of course, gay rights are no better in many other Middle Eastern countries.
The death penalty, tortures or imprisonment threaten LGBT in African countries. Nigeria's anti-gay laws are becoming ever more draconian. It recently passed a bill outlawing same-sex marriage, punishable with a 14-year prison term. Остается Politicians in Uganda are attempting to pass a similar bill, at one point seeking to punish homosexual relationships with the death penalty. According to it, the punishment is also provided for those who "covers crime" – suspected the existence of a homosexual relationship, but did not report it to the authorities. In total there are 38 African countries where homosexuality is considered to be a crime.
Regarding the rights of LGBT Russia goes back to the Stalin era writes The Guardian. In a relatively short period of time Russian President Vladimir Putin has passed a number of anti-gay laws. The country has imposed a ban on so-called "propaganda of homosexuality". There is a significant increase of violence against LGBT people. There are more and more cases of hate crimes. There are a number of uncontrolled neo-Nazi groups that impunity bullying gay teens, putting the videos of their "feats" on the Internet.
Автор: The Guardian
