Graeme Reid
Human Rights Watch
New York, NY, United States
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Past articles by Graeme:
Hong Kong Court Rejects Compulsory Surgery for Trans Men
The Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong ruled this week that the government’s requirement that transgender men undergo “full sex reassignment surgery” to change their legal gender is unconstitutional under the Bill of Rights. The ruling applies to two transgender men seeking to change their legal gender markers on their identification cards without undergoing a full surgical transition. → Read More
Progress and Setbacks on LGBT Rights in Africa — An Overview of the Last Year
When it comes to the rights of sexual and gender minorities in Africa, the past year has been a mixed bag. Of the 69 countries that criminalise same-sex relations, 33 are in Africa. Although the examples are few, there has been some progress. → Read More
A Year of Challenges and Some Successes for LGBT People
Two major geopolitical events during the past year—the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the full-scale Russian military invasion of Ukraine—have disrupted millions of lives. Both have resonated in specific ways for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. → Read More
On LGBTQ+ Rights, Ghana’s Bishops Choose to Ignore Pope
Pope Francis has repeatedly made news this fall, calling for a Catholic Church that is more welcoming toward LGBTQ+ people. In October, a newly released documentary on the Pope’s life aired earlier comments in support of same-sex civil unions. During a September visit to Hungary and Slovakia, the Pope commented on the need for the Church to “do pastoral work” with same-sex couples. At a press… → Read More
Political Homophobia Ramps Up
During Pride month in June, LGBT rights once again became a flashpoint in Europe, where the rights of LGBT people have become a wedge issue, deployed for political effect. This simmering conflict is coming to a head between Hungary and Poland and the EU. → Read More
Homophobic Ghanaian ‘Family Values’ Bill is Odious and Beggars Belief
A recently proposed bill on “sexual rights” and “family values” in Ghana is a case study in extreme cruelty. Ghanaian MPs are considering legislation that is so onerous it beggars belief. And I do not say this lightly. Russia, Nigeria, Uganda and Hungary have all passed odious laws in recent years that discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Ghana’s proposed… → Read More
Japan Hair Controversy Highlights Harmful School Policies
A recent case in Osaka, Japan about hair color highlights the risks of imposing social conformity. Pressure to conform is something the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students also know much about. → Read More
A New Film Brings Chechnya’s Horrific Anti-Gay Purge to the Screen
In 2017, Chechnya orchestrated a brutal anti-gay purge, destroying dozens of lives. With little accountability, it was repeated the next year. This new documentary tracks attempts to help people get out of the republic and into safety. → Read More
#LoveWins in Taiwan
Crowds waving rainbow flags broke into cheers – and tears of joy – as news spread that Taiwan’s lawmakers had passed a bill today allowing same-sex couples to marry. → Read More
Angola Decriminalizes Same-Sex Conduct
Angola has finally shed the divisive “vices against nature” provision in its law, widely interpreted to be a ban on homosexual conduct. Taking things one step further, the government has also prohibited discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation. → Read More
China’s Pornography Laws Are a Backdoor for Censorship
In an assault on freedom of expression, a court in China sentenced a successful novelist, Ms. Liu, to 10 years in prison on October 31 for including explicit homoerotic content in her work. The charge against her was making and selling “obscene material” for profit. Information about the case has just recently been circulated online, generating a widespread outcry on social → Read More
Mexico Ruling Backs Same-Sex Couple
A Mexican court ruled on October 19 that the federal government must grant a marriage license to a same-sex couple living in the United States. The authorities should embrace the decision, which is consistent with Mexico’s obligations under international law and its own stated commitment to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. → Read More
Taiwan Referendum Threatens Same-Sex Marriage
People’s human rights should not hinge on a popular vote. But that’s exactly what is happening in Taiwan, and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people are at risk. → Read More
Cynical Romanian Referendum Tries to Redefine ‘Family’
Romanian polls open this weekend for a referendum that will subject the rights of minorities to the whims of the majority. If approved, the referendum would change the constitution to define marriage as one between “a man and a woman,” replacing the existing gender-neutral reference to the union of ‘spouses.’ → Read More
Court Ruling Upholds Right of Same-Sex Couple to Live in Romania
Today, Adrian and Clai finally have a chance to celebrate. → Read More
Brazil Boosts Transgender Legal Recognition
Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled that the government can no longer require transgender people who want their name and gender marker on identification documents changed to undergo medical procedures or subject their decisions to judicial review. Last week’s decision is a major shift that reflects increasing global momentum to recognize transgender people’s rights to dignity and recognition before the… → Read More
The Olympics Have Left Sochi, But Don’t Forget LGBTQ Russians
In June 2013, just months before the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed what became known as the “gay propaganda law,” arguing that “nontraditional sexual relations” were a danger to children, the family and society. The law, Putin claimed, would uphold “traditional values.” → Read More
The Olympics Have Left Sochi, But Don't Forget LGBTQ Russians
The anti-gay discrimination that set off massive protests during Sochi has only gotten worse. → Read More
Can an EU Country Forbid You from Being with Your Spouse?
For most married European citizens it is simple: the European Union generally allows non-EU spouses of citizens to live and work anywhere in its jurisdiction if they accompany their EU citizen partner. All you need to do is register your marriage, and the wheels of bureaucracy should start turning. But one couple is only seeing hope after knocking on doors for five years. → Read More
"Traditional Values": A Potent Weapon Against LGBT Rights
In April, news broke of a widespread anti-gay purge in Chechnya; in September, gay men and transgender women were rounded up in Azerbaijan; and in October reports emerged of a registry of gay men and lesbians compiled by authorities in Tajikistan. → Read More