In response to the introduction of the Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality (GLOBE) Act of 2019 in the U.S. House, AJWS Director of Government Affairs Rori Kramer released this statement:
“This bill sets the gold standard for the United States to restore its leadership on human rights, including the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) persons abroad. The GLOBE Act puts forth a vision for justice for people who have been marginalized and criminalized by their governments, and whose rights have been subjugated as the Trump Administration recklessly disregards human rights norms.
This bill comes at a time when the State Department has announced efforts to narrow the rights of vulnerable people with its Commission on Unalienable Rights. The new legislation weaves together all elements of U.S. foreign policy—including global health, immigration and asylum claims, foreign aid, and multilateral diplomacy—to more broadly promote global equality. It presents new ways for the U.S. government to champion human rights abroad, while repealing both recent and longstanding statutes that undermine LGBTQI people’s lives.
The Jewish community, including LGBTQI Jews, stands in solidarity with people abroad whose rights have been disregarded by their governments and who are demeaned by their societies. This stems from our community’s own history and communal conscience. We call on members of the House, the American Jewish community and supporters of human rights to champion the GLOBE Act and endorse its vision for LGBTQI rights in U.S. foreign policy.
Specifically, the GLOBE Act:
- repeals the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Policy, also known as the “Global Gag Rule,” which prohibits global health funding for foreign NGOs that provide or advocate for abortion access, even with their own, independently raised, resources.
- expedites asylum claims for those fleeing violence on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or sex characteristics.
- supports some of the core foreign assistance tools that the U.S. government uses to support LGBTQI human rights groups abroad, including the Global Equality Fund.
- repeals the anti-prostitution loyalty oath, which restricts U.S. HIV funding for service providers abroad that advocate for the decriminalization of sex work.
- ensures that all providers of U.S.-funded global health assistance take a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention, including best practices in condom usage, comprehensive sexuality education and non-discriminatory service delivery.
This year, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, we applaud Congresswoman Dina Titus and her colleagues’ brave work demanding a return to a U.S. foreign policy agenda that respects the dignity of vulnerable people at home and abroad.”
About the human rights work of American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
AJWS funds LGBTQI human rights groups in 9 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa, and mobilizes the American Jewish community to advocate for U.S. policies that support human rights abroad. With Jewish values and a global reach, AJWS is making a difference in millions of lives and bringing a more just and equitable world closer for all.
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If you are a member of the press and wish to obtain information about our work or speak to a member of our global team on deadline, please contact Tanyanika Davis, Director of Media Relations, at tdavis@ajws.org.
