ABSTRACT
Globally, activism on behalf of alternative genders and sexualities ranges from preventing violence against nonheterosexual people to lobbying for marriage equality. About thirty countries have decriminalized homosexuality since the 1990s. In June 2011 the UNHRC passed Resolution 17/19 on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,” introduced by South Africa, the first nation to include gay rights in its constitution, calling for a global report on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The votes in the Human Rights Council were deeply divided, however, with twenty-three approving the resolution and nineteen opposing it. While the United States strongly supported the resolution, Russia and the Eastern European bloc insist that there is no basis in international law for nondiscrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. Russia’s bill to criminalize pro-gay propaganda caused much controversy in the lead-up to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
