LGBTQ Breaking News Service

Ali Fazeli Monfared, a 20-year-old gay Iranian man, was allegedly killed in an “honor killing” by some of his male family members after they found out he was gay, according to an LGBTQ rights group in Iran and Turkey.

Fazeli Monfared, who was known as Alireza by friends and family, lived in a city in southwest Iran. He had applied for an exemption from compulsory military service so he could leave the country and move to Turkey to live with his close friend, Aghil Bayat, according to 6Rang, the Iranian Lesbian and Transgender Network.

Though homosexual conduct is criminalized in Iran, part of the military exemption law allows gay and transgender people to receive a medical exemption from service for their identity. The law states, in part, “a person can be freed from his military service duties, if he is ‘mentally ill’ (homosexual).”

Fazeli Monfared received an exemption card in the mail from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after disclosing his homosexuality, but one of his male relatives found it and discovered he was gay, according to 6Rang. The organization reported the relative had previously told Fazeli Monfared’s father that the young man had dishonored the family due to the way he dressed.

BBC Persian reported Friday that it received audio recordings of Fazeli Monfared saying his family had threatened his life.

After finding the exemption card, a group of male relatives took Fazeli Monfared to a rural village near Ahvaz on May 4 and killed him, Shadi Amin, executive director of 6Rang, told NBC News. The card, and the exemption for homosexuality as a disease, put Fazeli Monfared in danger, she said.

“We think that because of his gender expression and his behaviors, they knew that he is homosexual, but it was proof that shows he wants to leave the country, and he is a gay man,” Amin said. “We are trying to use this story to challenge the Iranian government … to remove this paragraph [in the exemption law] and the reason on the exemption cards.”

Bayat told 6Rang the alleged killers had called Fazeli Monfared’s mother and told her where to find her only son’s beheaded body.

Though 6Rang first reported that police arrested the three men involved in Fazeli Monfared’s death, Amin said that isn’t accurate and no arrests have been made. She said police told Fazeli Monfared’s mother they made arrests in the case to calm her down.

But Amin said she thinks arrests will be made in the case because Fazeli Monfared comes from a wealthy family, and his father is angry about his death. She added that though Iran criminalizes homosexual conduct, it isn’t illegal to be gay. If Fazeli Monfared’s alleged killers had caught him having sex with a man, then they might receive lesser punishments for his death.

Iran is one of an estimated 11 countries where same-sex sexual acts are punishable by death, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, and one of almost 70 countries where it is criminalized, according to Human Rights Watch, an international human rights group based in New York. In Iran, punishments for homosexual conduct range from 31 to 100 lashes to death, according to Human Rights Watch.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif defended the country’s death penalty punishment for homosexual conduct during a press conference in June 2019. “These are moral principles regarding the behavior of people in general,” he said at the time, according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

There are no statistics or records of the number of anti-LGBTQ “honor killings” — which are perpetrated by relatives who feel the LGBTQ person has brought “dishonor” to the family — that happen in Iran or other countries that criminalize homosexuality, Tara Sepehri Far, who investigates human rights abuses in Iran and Kuwait for Human Rights Watch, told NBC News.

She said Fazeli Monfared’s case highlights the importance of the role of the family in LGBTQ people’s lives when the state criminalizes who they are.

“In the context that the LGBT community is not protected by law — and there’s actually a serious threat to their rights and even safety — the role of the family is becoming even more important,” Sepehri Far said, adding that if you’re coming from a family that accepts you, you can have access to safer spaces and communities.

According to a 2020 survey from 6Rang, nearly 63 percent of Iranian LGBTQ people reported experiencing violence perpetrated by their nuclear family.

The military exemption cards increase that risk of violence and discrimination from family, employers, law enforcement or anyone else who could find the person’s exemption card, Amin said.

“When they have it in their pocket, it is like a ticking bomb for them,” she said.

The process of receiving an exemption is also itself dangerous, Sepehri Far said, because it forces someone to come out as LGBTQ to the government.

“Exposing that to the very same authorities who, in theory, have the authority to arrest and prosecute you is very risky,” she said.

Amin said other countries should pressure Iran to remove the law criminalizing homosexuality and the death penalty “because this is the reason why the families, they allow themselves to have the right to violate their children.”

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His name was Alireza Fazeli Monfared and he was only 20 years old.

Fazeli Monfared was homosexual and due to the difficulties he faced because of his sexual orientation, was about to flee his native Iran for Turkey.

But he was reportedly killed by his family members before he could leave the southwestern province of Khuzestan after they accused him of dishonoring the family.

Fazeli Monfared’s killing has put the plight of Iran’s LGBT community in the spotlight amid concerns that this will not be the last suspected case of so-called honor killings of homosexuals in the Islamic republic.

“There’s no guarantee that this won’t happen again until our society becomes educated and informed,” Arsham Parsi, a Toronto-based, Iranian gay-rights activist and head of the International Railroad for Queer Refugees, told RFE/RL.

Killed For Being Gay

Fazeli Monfared was reportedly killed on May 4 by his half-brother and cousins who, according to some reports, beheaded him and dumped his body under a tree near the provincial capital of Ahvaz. They reportedly called his mother to tell her where to find him.

The Iranian Lesbian and Transgender Network 6rang said in a May 7 statement that Fazeli Monfared’s half-brother learned about his sexual orientation after seeing his military service exemption card. In Iran, homosexuals are allowed to skip military duty due to “mental disorders.”

Even before he was killed, Fazeli Monfared had complained to friends about threats from his relatives due to his sexual orientation.

In an audio recording obtained by the BBC, Fazeli Monfared said that his family had threatened to kill him and that he was planning to flee Iran to seek asylum in Norway or Sweden.

Fazeli Monfared’s partner, activist Aghil Abyat, told RFE/RL that he was due to travel to Turkey on May 8 to join him.

“He had told me that he had been threatened by his half-brother,” he said.

‘Lively’ And ‘Very Happy’ Man

Abyat described Fazeli Monfared as a “lively” and “very happy” young man who liked to travel, listen to music, and post videos on TikTok. His Instagram posts also suggest an interest in fashion.

Parsi, who had in recent weeks interacted with Fazeli Monfared on Clubhouse, said the young man had complained about family pressure and intolerance in society.

“He didn’t clearly say that he had been threatened with murder because if he had done so I would have contacted him privately since we take these issues very seriously, but he spoke about his family not accepting him and the pressure families put on homosexuals,” Parsi told RFE/RL.

Members of Iran’s gay community are forced to hide their sexual orientation, often leading double lives due to fear of persecution by the state, which criminalizes homosexual acts, while society views homosexuality as a disease.

Many in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community are shunned by their families who view them as a stain on the family’s honor.

Homosexuality is punishable by death in Iran but proving that a sexual act has taken place is not easy and requires the testimony of four adult men.

Horrific Punishments, Abuse

Parsi said the LGBT community is “extremely vulnerable” while being exposed to horrific punishment and harassment.

“On the one hand, the establishment has laws that includes the death penalty and stoning for homosexuals, on the other hand their families do not accept them, neither does the society,” he said. “If something happens to them at work or school, if they get abused or raped, they don’t have anywhere to turn to.”

Fazeli Monfared’s murder has sent a chilling message to Iran’s gay community, reminding them of the dire threats they face.

“Today, I received the 86th message from [a homosexual inside Iran] who said this could have been us,” said Parsi, adding that “the fear homosexuals experience is real and must be taken seriously.”

Berlin-based human rights activist Kaveh Kermanshahi said the killing has shocked many.

“Whoever has gone through similar problems can relate and go through the trauma again, they have been reminded of their hardships,” said Kermanshahi, who came out only after leaving Iran several years ago.

“The reasons for not coming out are many more than those in favor of coming out,” he said.

“I was politically active, I was active in the human rights sphere, I was also a journalist faced with the risk of arrest, which happened. Due to of all these issues I had decided that [my sexuality] should not be revealed,” Kermanshahi added.

Honor Killings Often Unreported

Both Kermanshahi and Parsi believe that a large number of killings in Iran due to someone’s sexual orientation go unreported.

“Queers who have been in contact with these people fear reporting or investigating the cases because they can be outed in the society therefore these cases often happen in silence,” Kermanshahi said.

“When it comes to uxoricide, we have women’s rights activists who highlight these cases,” he said. “But in Iran we don’t have the possibility of queer activists working actively therefore it is possible that other cases — like [Fazeli Monfared’s] murder and [gay suicides] — are not being reported.”

In 2017, 6rang reported that a 23-year-old transsexual identified as Siavash was killed in Khorramabad in western Iran by his father who, according to the report, committed suicide afterward.

“Apparently the sexual identity of Siavash was not acceptable to the family at all,” 6rang said.

Parsi said in 2004 that a local newspaper reported the killing of a member of Iran’s gay community by his father in a northern Iranian village.

“It never became clear whether the father was arrested and punished,” he said.

According to a 2020 poll published by the 6rang advocacy group, 62 percent of LGBT members surveyed had said that they had experienced one or more forms of violence by their immediate family. Nearly 30 percent of them complained of sexual violence, while 77 percent said they had been subjected to physical violence.

The pressure and persecution force many members of Iran’s LGBT community to flee the country, while many others undergo gender-reassignment surgery.

This week read about Catholic schools in Canada standing up for LGBT students when the board voted to not fly Pride flags, and Erikas Malisauskas using homophobic tweets to raise money for LGBT groups in Lithuania.

Halton Catholic Schools Support LGBT Students After Board Denies Pride Flags

After the school board trustees voted on Monday not to fly the Pride banner at its schools in June, all nine high schools in the Halton Catholic School Board District wrote tweets of inclusion, equality, and diversity.

Kirsten Kelly, the Burlington student trustee on the board stated that the fight to fly the flag isn’t over yet.

According to CBC, Kelly started a petition to support flying the Pride flag that has gained over 18,000 signatures in a two-week span.

“They brought it up because many students don’t feel safe in their own school environments because of the homophobia and the transphobia from staff and students alike,” Kelly told CBC. “Having a Pride flag up would be a symbolic show of support from our Catholic community that shows that we care, we listen and we acknowledge you.”

Lithuanian Artist Uses Homophobic Tweets to Raise Funds for LGBT Groups

Photo of the project via www.neapykantosdebesis.It.

A Lithuanian artist has raised over $6,000 USD for LGBT groups by selling digital collages of homophobic messages that were sent to parliament members who campaign for gay rights.

According to Channel News Asia, these collages, created by Erikas Malisauskas, are made up of 400 offensive messages put together in the shape of a cloud.

The messages were intended for Tomas Raskevičius, a well-known figure in Lithuania and the first gay rights leader elected to parliament.

Though he isn’t a member of the LGBT community, Malisauskas was shocked by the degree of violence directed at Raskevičius and the LGBT community as a whole.

“My goal was to monetise the hate speech,” Malisauskas told Channel News Asia. “Now everyone who wrote the hateful messages to LGBT people has contributed money towards LGBT causes.”

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Gary opened up about his experience of conversion therapy. (Envato Elements)

I’ve been teaching at a New York City college for almost five years, and I’m still in touch with a number of my former students. Many reach out for career advice, or help on getting a job, or wanting a letter of recommendation, and I’m always happy to oblige.

However, I was caught off guard recently when a former student told me that he decided not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. This person reads my column and knows that I’ve written a lot about the pandemic during the last year, including speaking to a number of medical experts including Dr. Fauci, Dr. Mike Osterholm and science writer Laurie Garrett. The student assumed that I was the closest thing to an “expert” that they could find, and I sensed he was challenging me about his decision.

My immediate answer was, “Get the damn vaccine!” The student did not respond to my strong command, and I’m worried that I might have missed an opportunity to convince him otherwise?

I’m wondering if many of us have friends, relatives or even partners who are hesitant to get the vaccine, and when confronted with that uncertainty, are we left trying to figure out how to provide the right response?

Vaccine rates have started to fall precipitously, with the pace of daily inoculations falling 35 percent from their highest levels just a couple of weeks ago. Some still lack access to the vaccine, others have just not got around to getting one, and many are either still wavering or adamantly saying it’s not for me. And many are confused, afraid or feel slighted.

The New York Times reported this week about LGBTQ+ people feeling invisibile with regard to how COVID data is accrued.

The Times also said, “Communities of color and other marginalized groups have faced some of the most severe coronavirus outcomes, yet have received a smaller share of vaccines. L.G.B.T.Q. people could face similar problems but may be overlooked because they aren’t counted.”

The vaccine debate is likely to be raging for the next few months. President Biden is determined to have 70 percent of Americans vaccinated by July 4. The argument seems to be, unfortunately, a political one. Nearly 60 percent of U.S. adults have now received at least one shot, according to a recent poll, but a whopping 45 percent of Republicans say they did not plan to get vaccinated, while two-thirds of Democrats have already been vaccinated.

Why is there so much hesitancy and controversy around these life-saving and life-alerting vaccines? Is the Biden administration doing enough to convince wavering Americans to get vaccinated? And how do you go about changing the mind of someone you know who is opposed to getting the shot?

I reached out to out ABC News Medical Contributor Dr. Darien Sutton for some help getting answers to these questions. First, why all the debate and why all the waffling?

“Throughout the pandemic, there has been a consistent environment of fear and misinformation, instigated from the previous administration, and it all started at the beginning when people often felt there were too many mixed messages and too many signals. Eventually it became more and more difficult to make decisions about how to deal with the virus,” Dr. Sutton explained.

“With the change in administrations in January, we have been given more straightforward information and  more relevant data that has helped unionize the message. So, while things have changed, it doesn’t negate where we started. All the confusion created a lot of deliberation, and increased deliberation time periods, and this has resulted in a more elongated and difficult process about whether or not to get the vaccine.”

The Biden administration has been more honest and upfront, but will they be able to sell the vaccine across party lines across the country? Right now, it seems the message is that you can get back to normal sooner if you just get these shots?

“Yes, you can tell patients what they can do with the vaccine versus what they cannot do,” Sutton said. “However, I think patients want to hear answers to questions about what’s in it for them. Specifically, how does it benefit them in their personal lives? I think people don’t care as much about going to the movies again, for example, versus getting assurance that the vaccine is safe, effective and useful.”

Is that the answer then to the quandary about trying to convince someone to get the vaccine? Push its safety and effectiveness? “I think it’s important to listen and ‘ask’ the undecided first what is the basis of their concern,” Sutton believes. “Is it fear? Is it fear of reaction? Is it fear of getting sick and not having health care to get treatment.”

After you’ve heard out the person’s concerns, Dr. Sutton said the next thing you should do is “tell.” “You need to tell the person that the vaccine has been proven to be effective, protective, and it prevents person to person transmission, so there’s less chance to spread the virus, and as such it will keep you, and your loved ones, out of hospital and not cause financial burdens. After that, you need to just give the person space to think about their decision.”

I told Dr. Sutton about my former student, who is Black, and that it seems tricky to push him on something he seems sensitive about. “I’m having the same issue with my own family,” he revealed. “I come from a large Black family that remains hesitant and was raised in an environment where medicine is not trustworthy.”

“Historically, you have instances like the Tuskegee experiment for example, or in Puerto Rico with women and birth control, where minorities and poorer communities were used as guinea pigs. Many Black families and people of color feel they were used for research that benefited privileged white communities, so there’s a whole history there that has resulted in disinclination and unwillingness.”

On top of all this hesitation, understandable in some circumstances, comes the news that a booster shot might be required later this year or early next. Did Dr. Sutton feel that was the case? That we would all have to queue up again for another round of shots?

“It’s hard to say. We’re still closely following the efficacy rates and ranges of the first vaccines. What we’re seeing is that it has been effective in bolstering the immune system, and we’re hopeful that it will remain durable and long lasting and protect against other variants.”

Sutton theorized that the COVID-19 vaccine might be what’s referred to as a repetitive vaccine, similar to the annual flu shot that most of us get each fall and winter.

Finally, the CDC has said that Americans could be almost back to normal by this summer, July specifically. Did Sutton concur with that optimistic outlook? “Yes,” he quickly agreed. “People ask me all the time if we will have to go into lockdown again, and I don’t think that will happen.”

“We have done a great job of vaccinating those 65 and over, and others who were more susceptible to the disease. And we’ll ramp up vaccinations for teens and children in the next few weeks. As we know, young people were commonly asymptomatic transmitters of the virus, so as they get vaccinated, we’ll see further reductions in transmissions. All of this means that we will decrease the chances of our hospitals being overrun again, and that most of us will start to resume a normal way of life.”

John Casey is editor at large for The Advocate.

Introduction

1. Human Rights Watch submits the following information regarding Singapore’s implementation of recommendations received and accepted following its second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2016. The major human rights issues raised in this submission are a continuation of many of the concerns raised during the last review.  While Singapore agreed to improve its legal instruments in the field of human rights and social protection[1] and to further include international human rights norms into its national legislation,[2] there has been very little progress in this regard. The government continues to use overly broad laws restricting freedom of speech to prosecute critical speech or to label it as false or “fake,” and the right to peaceful assembly remains severely restricted.
2. Capital punishment remains mandatory for certain drug offenses and is still in effect for a wide range of other crimes. Use of corporal punishment, such as caning, continues to be standard practice within the criminal justice system, and in many instances is mandatory.
3. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights remain under threat in Singapore due to criminal code section 377A, despite a growing trend globally to decriminalise consensual same-sex conduct.

Freedom of Expression and Peaceful Assembly

4. At its 2016 review, Singapore accepted recommendations to “adopt legislative measures to permit the realization of peaceful demonstrations and promote freedom of expression” and “ensure that freedom of opinion and expression are encouraged and protected, including for individuals and organizations communicating via online public platforms.”[3] It has clearly not done so.  Not only has the government continued to use existing laws to imprison or fine those speaking critically of the government,[4] it has enacted new laws further restricting online speech. 
5. In 2019, Singapore enacted the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), which allows a minister to declare that online content is “false” and order a “correction notice” be placed on the relevant pages.[5] Failure to comply can be punished with blocking the social media pages in Singapore, and up to 12 months in prison and a S$14,000 fine (US$10,192)[6] for the author of the falsehood. As of July 1, 2020, POFMA had been invoked at least 50 times, primarily against content critical of the government and its policies. Correction notices have been issued to independent media outlets such as The Online Citizen and New Naratif, as well as opposition politicians and activists.
6. Those speaking critically of the judiciary face charges of contempt.  A lawyer who posted a critical poem on his Facebook page after the execution of a client was fined S$6000 (US $4,368) for contempt and costs of S$6000 ($US 4,368).  In August 2020, Li Shengwu, a relative of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, was ordered to pay a fine of S$15,000 (US$10,920) or serve a week in jail for a private Facebook post to the judiciary as “pliant.”
7. The Administration of Justice (Protection) Act, which came into force in October 2017, provides penalties of up to S$100,000 ($US72,800) and three years in prison for several forms of contempt of court, including the archaic offense of “scandalizing the court,” a form of contempt that has been repeatedly used against those alleged to have criticized Singapore’s judiciary.  Moreover, contempt is made an “arrestable” offense – an offense that permits suspects to be subjected to warrantless searches and arrests.  In March 2020, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of activist Jolovan Wham[7] under that law for stating on Facebook that “Malaysia’s judges are more independent than Singapore’s for cases with political implications.” The court also upheld the conviction of John Tan, vice-chairman of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party, for posting on social media that Wham’s prosecution “only confirms that what [Wham] said is true.”
8. Government officials also use civil defamation law to sue their critics. Singapore defamation law, in contrast to defamation laws in many other countries, does not provide a qualified privilege for criticism of government officials and other public figures, and the damages plus legal costs awarded in cases involving public figures are often cripplingly high. In December 2018, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong filed defamation charges against blogger Leong Sze Hian after he shared an article on his Facebook page alleging that Prime Minister Lee had links to the Malaysian 1MDB financial scandal. In September 2019, Prime Minister Lee sued editor Terry Xu for civil defamation after The Online Citizen published claims made against Lee by his siblings about the disposition of the home of Lee Kwan Yew.
9. The government maintains strict restrictions on the right to peaceful assembly through the Public Order Act, requiring a police permit for any “cause-related” assembly held in a public place, or in a private venue if members of the general public are invited.  The definition of what is treated as an “assembly” is extremely broad.  Persons who fail to obtain the required permits face criminal charges. On August 20, 2020, the Court of Appeal upheld the constitutionality of the Public Order Act’s licensing requirement for a permit to hold public assemblies.  Under tightened restrictions put in place in October 2016, the government now considers the mere presence of a foreigner during an assembly to be unlawful participation that can result in criminal penalties for both the foreigner and the event organizer.
10. Activist Jolovan Wham was convicted of organizing a public assembly without a permit for allowing Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong to speak at an indoor event without obtaining a permit for a foreigner to speak.[8] Wham is also facing charges under the Public Order Act for holding a vigil outside Changi Prison in July 2019 for a death row inmate, and for co-organizing a silent protest on the Singapore subway to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the arrest and detention of 22 activists and volunteers under the Internal Security Act in 1987. 
11. Even solo protests are treated as assemblies under the Public Order Act. In October 2018, artist Seelan Palay was convicted of conducting an “illegal assembly” for standing alone outside Parliament in October 2017 with a piece of art commemorating former political prisoner Chia Thye Poh.[9]
12. Singapore should:

• Repeal the Protection from Online Falsehood and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
• Amend the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act to enable full discussion of matters of public interest as follows:

  -Repeal section 3(1)(a) of the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act to abolish the offense of “scandalizing the judiciary.”

  -Amend section 3(1)(b) of the act to narrow the restriction on statements that “prejudge” a pending proceeding to those that create a substantial risk that the course of justice in the proceedings in question will be seriously impeded or prejudiced, and to make the rule equally applicable to the government and to private citizens.

  -Repeal section 3(4) of the act to eliminate the government’s discretion to make even prejudicial statements about ongoing proceedings when the government determines it is “in the public interest” to do so.

  -Amend section 13 of the act to give the author of allegedly contemptuous content notice and an opportunity to be heard before the court makes a determination whether such content must be removed.

• Revise Singapore’s civil defamation law to require public figures to prove that the defendant knew the allegedly defamatory information was false, give preference to the use of non-pecuniary remedies such as apology, rectification, and clarification, and ensure that any pecuniary awards are strictly proportionate to the actual harm caused.
• Amend the Public Order Act to specifically recognize the government’s obligation to facilitate peaceful assemblies as follows:

  -Amend the definition of “public assembly” and “public place” to exclude gatherings held indoors.

  -Amend section 5 and repeal section 7 of the POA to eliminate the requirement for a permit for an assembly or procession.

  -Amend section 5 to require advance notice of an assembly only if it will involve, for instance, more than 50 people and of a procession only if it will involve, for instance, more than 10 people. The purpose of the notice requirement should be to allow the authorities to take steps to facilitate the assembly and should not function as a de facto request for authorization.

  -Amend section 5 of the act to provide an explicit exception to the notice requirement for spontaneous assemblies where it is not practicable to give advance notice.

Criminal Justice

13. Singapore did not accept recommendations that it establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, end the use of mandatory death penalty sentences, or abolish the death penalty.[10] The death penalty remains mandated for many drug offenses and certain other crimes. There is little transparency on the timing of executions, which often take place with short notice.[11]  Since 2016, Singapore has executed at least 25 people, most for drug offenses.  In 2017, Singapore executed Malaysian national S. Prabagaran for drug offenses despite a pending application to refer the case to the International Court of Justice. In May 2020, a court sentenced a man to the death penalty in a proceeding using Zoom video conferencing.
14. At the 2016 UPR, Singapore further did not accept recommendations to abolish the punishment of caning, which amounts to torture under international law.[12] Corporal punishment remains common in Singapore, and for medically fit males ages 16 to 50, caning is mandatory as an additional punishment for a range of crimes, including drug trafficking, violent crimes (such as armed robbery), and even some immigration offenses.
15. Singapore should:

• Impose an immediate moratorium on implementation of the death penalty, with a view to complete abolition of the death penalty.
• Abolish the use of all forms of corporal punishment as a legal penalty.

Migrant Rights 

16. During its last UPR, Singapore accepted a number of recommendations to adopt comprehensive legislation protecting the rights of migrant workers.[13] However, foreign migrant workers remain subject to labor rights abuses and exploitation through debts owed to recruitment agents, non-payment of wages, restrictions on movement, confiscation of passports, and sometimes physical and sexual abuse. Foreign women employed as domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to abuse.  In March 2019, a couple were sentenced to three years in prison and made to pay S$10,000 ($US7,280 in compensation to their former domestic worker for mentally and physically abusing her during her employment.
17. Work permits of migrant workers in Singapore are tied to a particular employer, leaving them extremely vulnerable to retaliation if they complain about wages or working conditions. Foreign domestic workers, which are covered by the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act rather than the Employment Act, are effectively excluded from many key labor law protections, such as limits on daily work hours and mandatory days off. In June 2019, Singapore was one of only six governments voting to abstain from new International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 190 against violence and discrimination in the workplace.[14]
18. Many migrant workers in Singapore are housed in crowded dormitories, with up to 20 people sharing a room and communal bathrooms. While Singapore had initial success in controlling Covid-19 infections in the country, a surge of cases among foreign migrant workers in early April led the government to put all dormitories on lockdown, restricting the movements of almost 300,000 workers. While some “essential” workers were moved, the bulk of the migrants were confined to hot, overcrowded rooms with little ventilation, leaving them at risk of infection. As of August 13, 52,516 dormitory residents had tested positive for the coronavirus, making up more than 90 percent of all cases in Singapore. 
19. Singapore should:

• Amend the Employment Act to include domestic workers to ensure that they have adequate legal protection.
• Ratify ILO Convention No. 190: Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.
• Ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity 

20. During its last UPR, many countries recommended that Singapore decriminalize consensual same-sex relations, but Singapore rejected them all[15] and continues to criminalize consensual sexual relations between men under criminal code section 377A.  In March 2020, the Singapore High Court upheld the legality of section 377A, ruling that the law is “not so patently unreasonable” that it cannot stand.  The criminalization of same-sex activity continues to have serious negative impact on the lives of Singapore’s LGBT population.
21. The Media Development Authority effectively prohibits all positive depictions of LGBT lives on television or radio. In June 2017, the Advertising Standards Agency asked a shopping center to remove the phrase “Supporting the Freedom to Love” from a promotional ad for the 2017 annual Pink Dot festival on the grounds it “may affect public sensitivities.”
22. Associations of more than 10 people are required to register with the government, and the Registrar of Societies has broad authority to deny registration if he determines the group could be “prejudicial to public peace, welfare or good order.” The Societies Act makes express reference to “gender,” “sexual orientation,” and “human rights” as grounds for denying the registration of a group. The Registrar of Societies has refused to allow any LGBT organization to register as a society on the ground that “it is contrary to the public interest to grant legitimacy to the promotion of homosexual activities or viewpoints.”  The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority has refused to allow T Project, which supports the transgender community in Singapore, to register as a not-for-profit company on grounds that doing so would be “against national security or interest.” The group’s appeal against the Registrar of Companies’ rejection of their application was turned down in November 2017.
23. Singapore should:

• Abolish section 377A of the Penal Code.
• Amend or repeal all rules and regulations that restrict positive depictions of LGBT lives, including section 11(d) of the film classification guidelines, which prohibits films that “promote or justify a homosexual lifestyle.”
• Amend or repeal all laws and regulations governing registration of societies, companies and charities to make clear that working for the rights of the LGBT community should not be considered against national security” or “contrary to the public interest.”

Acceptance of International Norms

24. Singapore ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination on November 27, 2017, which is only the fourth core human rights convention it has ratified.  However, Singapore has not ratified other key human rights conventions.
25. Singapore should:

• Accede to all core human rights conventions. It should also ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Warsaw will open an intervention hostel for LGBT+ people who have become homeless.

The establishment of the hostel comes at a time when the Polish state has been accused of fostering an environment of intolerance towards sexual minorities.

The United Right coalition, which holds power in Poland, has faced accusations of scapegoating LGBT people, and sexual and reproductive health activists for political ends, under the rubric of attacks on “gender ideology.”

Posting on social media, Warsaw’s deputy mayor Aldona Machnowska-Góra said: “The Capital City of Warsaw is a place open to everyone. We want everyone to have equal rights and opportunities, feel good and, above all, to be safe.”Aldona Machnowska-Góra/Facebook

The new hostel in the Polish capital will be run by the Lambda Warsaw Association, an organisation which for over 20 years has been supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

“The Capital City of Warsaw is a place open to everyone. We want everyone to have equal rights and opportunities, feel good and, above all, to be safe,” Warsaw’s Deputy Mayor Aldona Machnowska-Góra wrote on social media announcing the result of the tender.

“The facility will provide not only safe shelter for LGBT+ people who have lost their homes, but also the necessary psychological, legal and social support to enable them to stand on their own two feet,” she added.

The Lambda Warsaw Association, together with the Trans-Fuzja Foundation, ran the first intervention hostel for LGBT+ people in Poland in 2025-2016

Machnowska-Góra added: “The facility will provide not only safe shelter for LGBT+ people who have lost their homes, but also the necessary psychological, legal and social support to enable them to stand on their own two feet.”Aldona Machnowska-Góra/Facebook

“We have sheltered dozens of people who found themselves in a difficult life situations. We are happy that we will be able to help again in this way, because we know how much such a place is needed in Warsaw and how many people are waiting for it,” Lambda wrote on its website.

The establishment of the facility will fulfil one of the provisions of the so-called “Warsaw LGBT+ Declaration” signed in 2019 by Rafał Trzaskowski, Warsaw’s mayor. The document envisages a fast-track aid mechanism for LGBT+ and anti-discrimination education. It also covers such areas as: safety, education, culture and sport, administration, as well as work.

The declaration is in contrast to controversial local authority resolutions against sexual minorities. In Poland, dozens of small towns have declared themselves “LGBT free zones.”

Queen Elizabeth II has announced that the government will outlaw “ex-gay” conversion therapy, the dangerous psychological technique meant to “cure” a person of homosexuality.

While the practice has been discredited by every major medical association, the religious right continues to promote the technique despite the increased risk of suicide and depression by participants.

Related: The man behind ex-gay “conversion therapy” started out trying to make autistic children “normal”

“Measures will be brought forward to address racial and ethnic disparities and ban conversion therapy,” the Queen said during her nine-minute speech to Parliament.

“As a global leader on LGBT+ rights, this government has always been committed to stamping out the practice of conversion therapy,” Liz Truss, Minister for Women and Equalities, added after the speech. Truss confirmed the government would move forward on the measure.

“We want to make sure that people in this country are protected, and these proposals mean nobody will be subjected to coercive and abhorrent conversion therapy. Alongside this legislation, we will make new funding available to ensure that victims have better access to the support they need.”

Earlier this year, the American Psychological Association issued a statement condemning a variant of the technique meant to “cure” transgender people.

“There is a growing body of research that shows that transgender or nonbinary gender identities are normal variations in human expression of gender,” said APA President Jennifer F. Kelly in a statement. “Attempts to force people to conform with rigid gender identities can be harmful to their mental health and well-being.”

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