LGBT rights panel at Davos: ‘We still have a huge struggle’ for equality

A panel at the 2014 Davos Annual Meeting convened to discuss LGBT issues around the world concluded that “we still have a huge struggle”, for equality.

The panel was moderated by CNN and Time Magazine’s Fareed Zakaria, and was hosted by Microsoft and the Huffington Post. The forum took place at the beginning of the second day at Davos.

On the panel was Dane Lewis, J-FLAG Executive Director, Masha Gessen, a Russian and American journalist, Chad Griffin – President of the Human Rights Campaign, Paul Singer – Elliott Management Corporation founder, Dan Loeb – Third Point founder and Alice Nkom – a Cameroonian LGBT activist and lawyer.

“The whole purpose of this morning is to give you a sense of what’s going on around the world with this issue,” Zakaria said at the start of the panel.

“We still have a huge struggle,” said Lewis said.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations, Navi Pillay, said the panel was convened at a relevant time given the moves away from equality in Nigeria, where an anti-gay law was recently signed by President Goodluck Jonathan, who is at Davos, and India’s Supreme Court upholding a law which criminalises gay sex.

There has been worldwide condemnation of Nigeria after the country’s President, Goodluck Jonathan, signed into law a draconian anti-gay bill.

Anyone who enters into a same-sex marriage or civil union may be jailed for up to 14 years. The law also bans people who register, operate or participate in gay clubs, societies or organisations, or who publicly show that they are in a same-sex relationship.

Gay sex was re-banned in India after the December reinstatement of Section 377 of the Penal Code which was overturned by the Delhi High Court in 2009. It reinstated the 153-year old law which makes gay sex punishable with up to ten years in jail.

The decision was made on World Human Rights Day and makes India the 42nd Commonwealth nation to make same-sex activity illegal.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/01/23/lgbt-rights-panel-at-davos-we-still-have-a-huge-struggle-for-equality/

Exactly.

The fight is far from over.

I must confess that I wasn't aware that a fight was even taking place.

Warren Moon wrote:I must confess that I wasn't aware that a fight was even taking place.

Glad to bring the facts to your attention then.  :D 

only in there own minds mate,only in there own minds.

nicko wrote:only in there own minds mate,only in there own minds.

Please expand on that.   

well cat,what is it you want now? I thought you had all you were asking for. it makes no difference to me what you want. but whatever it is you are allways shouting about it. when will you homosexuals get it into your heads that the majority of people,including me DONT CARE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. if you want to be a homosexual carry on.but don't keep shouting about it.

nicko wrote:well cat,what is it you want now? I thought you had all you were asking for. it makes no difference to me what you want. but whatever it is you are allways shouting about it. when will you homosexuals get it into your heads that the majority of people,including me DONT CARE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. if you want to be a homosexual carry on.but don't keep shouting about it.

  

If some of us homosexuals, hadn't, and still continue, to shout out about civil rights abuses....Nothing would have ever been changed.

You think that homosexuals should shut up about the human rights abuses, just put up with them, don't you.

  

please explain what abuses you have to put up with,the should not have to put up with any.

Those arguing their case at Davos are talking about the world situation, where people are still abused and killed for being gay.   Just as woman have associations with other women all over the world to fight for their rights, so do the LGBT community.

is it not right that they have all they wanted in this country?

nicko wrote:well cat,what is it you want now? I thought you had all you were asking for. it makes no difference to me what you want. but whatever it is you are allways shouting about it. when will you homosexuals get it into your heads that the majority of people,including me DONT CARE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. if you want to be a homosexual carry on.but don't keep shouting about it.

No one is shouting about being homosexual nicko- where exactly in the world do you live where they do? San Francisco?   

It may have escaped your notice in the darkest recesses of little England, that there are (get this) other countries out there where gay people actually ARE being persecuted day in day out. Where some people care enough about people being gay that they force the government to make laws against homosexuality; where gay people are murdered all too regularly. So yes there is still a long way to go- YOU might not care that gay people are actually being brutally persecuted in many parts of the world (not like Christians in the UK, where being told not to wear a cross apparently amounts to persecution ffs); but decent people do.

nicko wrote:is it not right that they have all they wanted in this country?

People are still being attacked and murdered in this country, for nothing more than being gay, black etc...

nicko wrote:is it not right that they have all they wanted in this country?

I'll give you an example Nicko, from my own life. My friend is transgender. A couple of years ago we were in a pub having a drink with a lot of friends. No bother, nice evening. Then in walks this big, muscley guy, weightlifter who I had spoken to many times. He saw my friend, who is obviously transgender because of her build, she can't disguise that, ran at her, lifted her up bodily, and threw her across the room. She landed with the edge of a bench across her back, cracked her spine and was lucky not to be paralysed. I had to go to court to be a witness. I was the only one that would, the others were too frightened because he intimidated them. That was the third time she had been attacked, just for being her. Don't tell me they have everything they want.

Rough pub.

Warren Moon wrote:Rough pub.

Nope, extremely upmarket pub. Stupid dick of a man.

Me or the chump who attacked your friend?

Warren Moon wrote:Me or the chump who attacked your friend?

Giggle, sorry, the chump who attacked by friend   :D 

There are still a lot of people here in the U.S. who go "fag-bashing" for sport. Anybody who thinks this problem is solved has their head up their ass to the neck.

Ben_Reilly wrote:There are still a lot of people here in the U.S. who go "fag-bashing" for sport. Anybody who thinks this problem is solved has their head up their ass to the neck.

...So you approve of the 'N' word as well?

No, that's why I put it in quotes -- because it's their term and shows what nasty people they are.

Ben_Reilly wrote:No, that's why I put it in quotes -- because it's their term and shows what nasty people they are.

So put abuse in quotes then?  :\\:[: 

Catman wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:No, that's why I put it in quotes -- because it's their term and shows what nasty people they are.

So put abuse in quotes then?  :\\:[: 

That's not what I'm saying at all. I am citing the fact that these people use a hate-filled, crude phrase, and I'm repeating it in order for others to see how ugly and hateful they are.

If I were to have censored myself by saying something like "physically assaulting gay people," I feel it would have had less of an impact than to call it by the ugly and hateful name that they use.

I think you're missing the forest for the trees on this one.

Knock it off, Phil. Ben is not your problem...you've got bigger fish around here.

Ben_Reilly wrote:

Catman wrote:

So put abuse in quotes then?  :\\:[: 

That's not what I'm saying at all. I am citing the fact that these people use a hate-filled, crude phrase, and I'm repeating it in order for others to see how ugly and hateful they are.

If I were to have censored myself by saying something like "physically assaulting gay people," I feel it would have had less of an impact than to call it by the ugly and hateful name that they use.

I think you're missing the forest for the trees on this one.

I am...i think....So let them post homophobic and racist comments...and just ignore those comments?

Original Quill wrote:Knock it off, Phil.  Ben is not your problem...you've got bigger fish around here.

I was just asking a question, i would admit, that's it's all gone over my head a bit.

...Well fair enough then, but they won't complain, when i call them Nazi scum etc?

So is that allowed?

No, I'm not saying to ignore anything. Highlight what they say. Good people know what ignorance and hatred look like -- it's why we post about it when Republicans or BNP or whoever bash on gay people, minorities or really anybody else.

I feel like you're determined to make me into the bad guy here, even though my intent was only to illustrate the degree of hatred these people feel by quoting the name of their ugly, hate-filled sport.

Please remember that I have always taken up for the human rights of gay people and everyone else, and that I never wish to see any group oppressed.

Edit: Just saw your latest post. You call them Nazi scum and I'll call them troglodyte bastards or anything else that might spring to mind when inspiration strikes. They'll call us gormless lefty comrade whatevers. I hope that we can move past name-calling -- and that you can understand why I would use the name of a homophobic practice in order to further shame the homophobes.

Ben_Reilly wrote:No, I'm not saying to ignore anything. Highlight what they say. Good people know what ignorance and hatred look like -- it's why we post about it when Republicans or BNP or whoever bash on gay people, minorities or really anybody else.

I feel like you're determined to make me into the bad guy here, even though my intent was only to illustrate the degree of hatred these people feel by quoting the name of their ugly, hate-filled sport.

Please remember that I have always taken up for the human rights of gay people and everyone else, and that I never wish to see any group oppressed.

Edit: Just saw your latest post. You call them Nazi scum and I'll call them troglodyte bastards or anything else that might spring to mind when inspiration strikes. They'll call us gormless lefty comrade whatevers. I hope that we can move past name-calling -- and that you can understand why I would use the name of a homophobic practice in order to further shame the homophobes.

Nope.

Just a bit confused about the rules, that is all!

This sites rules have changed, they were a bit different from when i joined last year.   :\\:[:

I thought the rule against slurs implied their use against other users, or against a group of people.

I didn't say, "Death to all f____ts." I said, or at least meant, "There are people who engage in what they call f__-bashing for sport, so please don't tell me that homophobia is dead and that there isn't still a lot of work to be done."

Christ, Catman, you're wearing me out! I am sorry if I offended you by spelling out the word, but the reason I did so is to show that these hateful people have no compunction about not only using it but about beating people up for being gay.

Let me just give you this example. What strikes you at a more emotional level, out of these two sentences:

"A group of young men assaulted a young African-American for sport last night."

or:

"A group of young men engaged in what they call 'nigger-bashing' last night."

To me, the first instance is far softer and doesn't actually illustrate that the theoretical bigots described in the sentence have a name for their crime, that they have incorporated it into their culture, and that they're really that indoctrinated into a mindset of hate. In short, it doesn't show them for the monsters they are the way the second sentence does.

But hey -- if you want to call me a bigot for quoting a bigot, that's your deal, not mine.

Sassy wrote:

nicko wrote:is it not right that they have all they wanted in this country?

I'll give you an example Nicko, from my own life.   My friend is transgender.   A couple of years ago we were in a pub having a drink with a lot of friends.   No bother, nice evening.   Then in walks this big, muscley guy, weightlifter who I had spoken to many times.   He saw my friend, who is obviously transgender because of her build, she can't disguise that, ran at her, lifted her up bodily, and threw her across the room.   She landed with the edge of a bench across her back, cracked her spine and was lucky not to be paralysed.   I had to go to court to be a witness.   I was the only one that would, the others were too frightened because he intimidated them.   That was the third time she had been attacked, just for being her.   Don't tell me they have everything they want.

Good evening Sassy.

Standard routine in a British pub if you ask me.Where is this pub & what's it called because I want to go there & buy the big bloke a pint?

Ben_Reilly wrote:I thought the rule against slurs implied their use against other users, or against a group of people.

I didn't say, "Death to all f____ts." I said, or at least meant, "There are people who engage in what they call f__-bashing for sport, so please don't tell me that homophobia is dead and that there isn't still a lot of work to be done."

Christ, Catman, you're wearing me out! I am sorry if I offended you by spelling out the word, but the reason I did so is to show that these hateful people have no compunction about not only using it but about beating people up for being gay.

Let me just give you this example. What strikes you at a more emotional level, out of these two sentences:

"A group of young men assaulted a young African-American for sport last night."

or:

"A group of young men engaged in what they call 'nigger-bashing' last night."

To me, the first instance is far softer and doesn't actually illustrate that the theoretical bigots described in the sentence have a name for their crime, that they have incorporated it into their culture, and that they're really that indoctrinated into a mindset of hate. In short, it doesn't show them for the monsters they are the way the second sentence does.

But hey -- if you want to call me a bigot for quoting a bigot, that's your deal, not mine.

Good evening Ben.

Ben don't you ever get the feeling that you're banging your head against a brick wall when it comes to Catty?

We've all been there with him & all he does is get worse.

Shady wrote:

Sassy wrote:

I'll give you an example Nicko, from my own life.   My friend is transgender.   A couple of years ago we were in a pub having a drink with a lot of friends.   No bother, nice evening.   Then in walks this big, muscley guy, weightlifter who I had spoken to many times.   He saw my friend, who is obviously transgender because of her build, she can't disguise that, ran at her, lifted her up bodily, and threw her across the room.   She landed with the edge of a bench across her back, cracked her spine and was lucky not to be paralysed.   I had to go to court to be a witness.   I was the only one that would, the others were too frightened because he intimidated them.   That was the third time she had been attacked, just for being her.   Don't tell me they have everything they want.

Good evening Sassy.

Standard routine in a British pub if you ask me.Where is this pub & what's it called because I want to go there & buy the big bloke a pint?

I'm sure if it happened it would be at least been in the Local news papers.

ALLAKAKA wrote:

Shady wrote:

Good evening Sassy.

Standard routine in a British pub if you ask me.Where is this pub & what's it called because I want to go there & buy the big bloke a pint?

I'm sure if it happened it would be at least been in the Local news papers.

Are you suggesting that my best mate Sassy is a fibber liar sir?

By Geebus       
Am I glad I live in Australia where 'slur bashing' is only ever in historical context.

@catman
maybe try a to mix it up a bit..... (Nazi is getting a bit over used  ::dedhrs:: )
Like I am Sure Allakaka would be far more at home in Uganda (if it wasn't for all the black people  :\\:[:  )