Press release: LGBTQIA+ people face serious human rights abuses worldwide 

Visit the Rights Tracker now

People of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, expressions, and sex characteristics in countries worldwide are suffering serious human rights abuses, according to new research from an independent NGO, the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI). Data released today gives scores for a range of human rights for 203 countries and territories, and includes specific data on the treatment of LGBTQIA+ people for a sample of 36 diverse countries. 

In all 36 countries in that sample, LGBTQIA+ people were at extra risk of a range of serious rights violations. 

There were reports from human rights monitors of LGBTQIA+ people being killed or risking death because of their identity in countries as diverse as Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Papua New Guinea. 

The state itself is a perpetrator of violence and human rights violations in many countries. Police are reported to be violent and discriminatory towards LGBTQIA+ people in Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Mexico, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. The governments in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan engaged in hate speech against the rainbow community and openly encouraged violence against LGBTQIA+ people. 

‘It should go without saying that no one should be killed, assaulted or oppressed because of who they are,’ said Thalia Kehoe Rowden, Co-Executive Director of HRMI. ‘It is absolutely vital that governments worldwide do better at protecting LGBTQIA+ people, respecting their rights, and treating them with dignity.’ 

LGBTQIA+ people also face difficulties accessing employment, education, and other basic necessities in Indonesia, Vanuatu, the Maldives, Mexico, Singapore, the United States, and people are not free to express their identities publicly, or engage in free assembly in Malaysia, the United States, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, the Maldives, Liberia, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Governments persecute or fail to protect transgender people in particular in many countries including Sri Lanka, Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan, Bangladesh, and the United States. 

All HRMI’s data are freely available to the public on RightsTracker.org and are updated annually. Since 2017, HRMI has used a range of award-winning, peer-reviewed, robust methodologies to produce human rights data for the common good. HRMI is an independent, non-profit NGO headquartered in New Zealand. HRMI’s data are used by a wide range of people and organisations, including Amnesty International, the World Bank, and the United Nations.  

ENDS 

Notes to editors 

A full media kit is available here: https://humanrightsmeasurement.org/media-kit-2024/ 

HRMI experts are available for comment.