Remarks by Deputy Chief of Mission Sheila Gwaltney at a Roundtable in Defense of LGBT Rights

Sakharov Center, Moscow | May 17, 2012

Deputy Chief of Mission Sheila Gwaltney speaking at a Roundtable in Defense of LGBT Rights

It is a great pleasure to be here today to observe the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.  It is especially appropriate that we have this discussion in a center named after one of Russia ’s most famous human rights activists, Andrei Sahkarov, because we see the current struggle for gay rights today as a fundamental human rights issue.

I speak about this subject knowing that my own country's record on human rights for gay people is far from perfect.  Until 2003, it was still a crime in parts of our country.  Many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans have endured violence and harassment in their own lives, and for some, including many young people, bullying and exclusion are daily experiences.  So we, like all nations, have more work to do to protect human rights at home.

Now, raising this issue, I know, is sensitive for many people and the obstacles standing in the way of protecting the human rights of LGBT people rest on deeply held personal, political, cultural, and religious beliefs.  So I come here before you with respect, understanding, and humility. 

In some ways, the struggle of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals to secure their rights is similar to the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1960s.  At its heart, we are talking about the right of citizens to exercise their fundamental freedoms of speech, assembly, and privacy, without discrimination, hatred, or fear.

Our experience in the U.S. includes controversial debates and consensus that has sometimes come out of tragic moments, as Americans have been confronted by irrational hatred, bigotry, and intolerance leading to heinous crimes committed against LGBT individuals.  For example, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year old student at the University of Wyoming, was tortured and killed near Laramie, Wyoming in October 1998.  Shepard's death brought national and international attention to hate crime legislation at the state and federal levels. 

After more than 10 years of debate, on October 22, 2009, Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama six days later.  His mother is now a prime force behind the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which supports diversity and tolerance in youth organizations.

Because of our own history and experience, the United States government is a proponent of LGBT rights everywhere in the world.   We are concerned about existing and proposed legislation in Russia that we believe restricts freedoms of expression and assembly, especially for LGBT individuals. 

I understand that the Moscow City Duma is currently debating draft legislation that would prohibit so-called “gay propaganda” targeted to minors.  While we understand and appreciate the importance of child protection, and fully support efforts to combat child sexual exploitation working through a coalition of civil society and law enforcement, we are concerned by the implications of this law and others like it that could unfairly restrict the universal human rights of LGBT individuals. 

 A similar law has been proposed at the federal level.  Previously, the State Duma has four times rejected proposed legislation banning "homosexual propaganda," saying that homosexuality is not a criminal offence, and that therefore this cannot be illegal.  We hope the State Duma will view the recentlyproposed legislation in the same light, and moreover consider the international obligations the Russian Federation has undertaken to uphold fundamental human rights, including freedoms of assembly, speech and expression.

 Government protection of such rights should apply to all citizens without regard to race, gender or sexual preference.