Kyrgyzstan, Making Progress Towards Women's Rights, Ignores Violence Against non-Heterosexuals
John Johnston
10/17/2008
10:45am
The "Human Rights Watch" website provides a plethora of articles and information about human's rights, and breaks down that general category into nation by nation, subject by subject, and much, much more.
Kyrgyzstan, a country located between China and Kazakhstan, has just recently (in 2003) passed a law that would protect all men and women from gender violence and domestic violence, however, this country cannot grasp the fact that lesbians, trans genders, and bisexuals should be given a voice and respected. The fact is, women (and men) that practice these lifestyles face brutality and violence and uncertainty living in the day to day life. A 49 page document, “These Everyday Humiliations: Violence Against Lesbians, Bisexual Women, and Transgender Men in Kyrgyzstan,"calls for the government to recognize the violations that these groups of people are suffering. One of the startling pieces of the document entails an interview in which the "normal" people of the country are trying to cure the "non-conformists" by raping and punishing the people who do not live their lifestyle according to the social norm. Police and government officials have frequently been known to raid homes and abuse those of lesbian, bisexual, or transgender lifestyles. One government official, who worked in the Ministry of Interior, said that he, too, would beat or kill a gay couple if he saw them on the street. Attention is trying to be called to educate government officials and police officers and state officials in the areas of gender identity and sexual orientation. Human Rights Watch is also calling for the equal treatment of lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender men.
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This article, although not by the writer but by the content that he discusses, is full of hatred and discrimination to those who are not of the heterosexual orientation. This is a disgusting, ignorant mind-set that completely limits the progress of the country by oppression and "turning a blind eye" to real problems. The country of Kyrgyzstan has a policy in place to protect those suffering of domestic violence and abuse, however, women and men who practice lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lifestyles are constantly ignored and then abused. Rape and domestic violence on the accounts that one could "cure" another of their "problem" is the most heinous thing I have heard in a long time, and is something that needs global attention and global reform.
However, I find it interested that such a strong reaction is being invoked by myself and others on the account of this situation, when in our home country of America, homosexuals are constantly oppressed if for nothing more than equal rights. Civil unions and marriage is debated on Capital Hill over and over again, and nothing more comes of it. However, rape and violence may not occur as much in the United States as in Kyrgyzstan, the inequality still exists, and needs to be called to attention. It takes a leader to stand up and change things, and without anyone wanting to stand up, nothing will ever be changed.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/10/06/kyrgyz19901.htm
1 comment:
I think it is sad that discrimination like this is taking place in the United States, not only in places like Kyrgyzstan.
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