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LAST SATURDAY EVENING, after the resounding success of the same-sex marriage referendum, Taoiseach Enda Kenny was asked whether Ireland was “the best small country in which to be gay.”
“Well certainly for those who are gay and lesbian, it’s much better than yesterday,” was his response.
After we became the first country to legalise gay marriage by popular vote, Health Minister Leo Varadkar said Ireland was now a global “beacon of light.”
But where are the world’s darkest corners for LGBT people? And, metaphors aside, how can Ireland actually help them?
The darkest corners
(To view this map as a larger image, click here).
There are still 76 countries in the world where homosexual acts are illegal, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA).
Their annual report on state-sponsored homophobia, released a few days before Ireland’s referendum vote, offers a detailed overview of gay rights throughout the world.
It found seven countries where homosexuality is punished by execution, including Mauritania, parts of Sudan, parts of Somalia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
The legal situation is uncertain in Iraq, but it’s horrifyingly clear from recent events that the dominance of ISIS there and in parts of Syria, means there is a de facto death penalty in place.
Legislation on homosexuality doesn’t tell the full story, however. Even in countries where homosexuality is legal, or punishable by a prison sentence, the number of deaths of LGBT people is shockingly high.
The high-profile murders of activists like David Kato in Uganda, and Eric Lembebe in Cameroon, were poorly investigated by police, and Lembebe’s killer or killers still haven’t been brought to trial.
Late last year, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights counted 594 murders of LGBT people in the previous 15 months, in North, South and Central America alone.
Nearly half of the victims were trans women.
Equally, the spectrum of gay rights is a wide one, with many points of progress between full marriage equality and adoption rights on the one hand, and court-ordered execution, on the other.
ILGA’s 2015 report goes into great detail about employment discrimination, incitement to hatred, and equality of the age of consent, among other issues.
An analysis of figures by TheJournal.ie, however, reveals Ireland has an enormous amount of work to do, if we want to achieve greater LGBT equality throughout the world.
Against the law in 40% of the entire world
Using data from ILGA’s recent report, and cross-referencing it with population statistics from the CIA World Factbook, the conclusions are startling.
Assuming the prevalence of same-sex attraction is roughly the same across the world, this means:
Of course, many still do, and in some states, legislation banning homosexual acts is not enforced.
It’s also worth noting, however, that even in countries that don’t expressly forbid homosexuality, gay people face pervasive intolerance, discrimination and persecution.
Russia, for example, has drawn fierce international condemnation for laws banning “the promotion of non-traditional values to minors” – which is widely perceived and used as a tool to oppress gatherings and demonstrations by LGBT activists.
Attitudes within Russian society are also overwhelmingly hostile to LGBT rights, despite the legality of homosexual acts, as well as laws allowing for adoption by gay individuals, and recognition of change of gender.
As an interesting point of comparison, Russia decriminalised homosexuality in 1993 – the same year as Ireland.
A further breakdown of the figures shows that while some gay men and women have reached the heights of equality and acceptance that Ireland did last Saturday, similar numbers are languishing.
As shown in the graph above:
According to ILGA, such laws are currently in place in four countries: Russia, Nigeria, Algeria, and Lithuania.
Here’s another statistic that puts Ireland’s referendum vote in a global context.
While the number of people living in countries that allow marriage equality is 384 million, the number living in places where homosexual acts are illegal is 2.9 billion.
This means:
What role can Ireland play?
After Uganda introduced a harsh new anti-gay law in December 2013, the country and its president Yoweri Museveni faced a strong backlash from the international community.
The legislation brought in life sentences for certain homosexual intimacy, and made it a crime to not report suspected gay men and women.
American President Barack Obama called it “odious,” and the US later cut development aid to Uganda, and cancelled military training exercises.
Sweden cut funding to Uganda in response to the law, as did Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Ireland, however, did not.
In 2013, the most recent year where figures are available, Ireland spent close to €24 million on Bilateral Overseas Development Aid to Uganda, which is one Irish Aid’s nine “key partner” countries.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs told TheJournal.ie:
Ireland has not provided funding support through government systems in Uganda since 2013, preceding the introduction of the Anti-homosexuality Act. Support is provided to NGOs [non-governmental organisations].
This shift from funding government to funding organisations, however, was unrelated to Uganda’s anti-gay law, and was prompted instead by “a substantial fraud at the Office of the Prime Minister.”
The largest part of that year’s funding went on health programmes, especially in the area of HIV/Aids, followed by governance.
Eamon Gilmore, then Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, condemned the legislation, and said he had personally told President Museveni:
The enactment of this draconian legislation would affect our valued relationship with Uganda.
He added that:
Ireland is committed to ensuring that the people of Uganda do not suffer violence or discrimination on the grounds of their sexual orientation.
There was no cut to aid, however, with then Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs saying it would not be “appropriate” to do so.
Whatever about the action of the government, we do not feel that it would be appropriate to cut off our assistance that is going to directly to [the Ugandan] people.
We have come a long way in this country over a short period. It’s a matter of education and bringing people along…I don’t think our reaction should be that we would cease aid.
The law was annulled in 2014, following a court ruling that not enough MPs were present in the Ugandan parliament when it was passed, but an almost identical bill, supported by 261 of 375 MPs, is under consideration.
To put things in perspective, Irish Aid spent €323 million in 2013 on Bilateral ODA to 34 different countries, including Palestine.
Of those, 19 are listed by ILGA as outlawing homosexuality, albeit in 2015.
In Sudan, where Irish Aid spent just over €5 million, homosexual acts have, since 1991, been punishable by anything between 40 lashes and execution.
Nigeria also banned making a “public show of same-sex amorous relationships” in 2013, the same year Ireland spent €1 million on development aid there.
Responding to queries from TheJournal.ie, the Department of Foreign Affairs said:
Good governance and human rights are key elements of our overseas development programme, Irish Aid.
In addition to providing assistance to organisations promoting human rights, our Embassies in our nine key partner countries work directly, and in cooperation with other EU member states, to engage with Governments on a range of governance and human rights issues, including the rights of LGBTI people.
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in March, Minister Charlie Flanagan said:
It is one of the greatest shames of the modern world that States continue to deny individuals their human rights because of who they are or whom they love.
Our own national experience illustrates the breadth and pace of change that is possible, where there is political will.
There are other ways, of course, for Ireland to help LGBT people in the rest of the world.
One is the sheer example set by last week’s resounding, democratic endorsement of same-sex marriage.
On Monday, Brian Sheehan from the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), said representatives from ILGA-Europe had come to Dublin for the vote, and been “inspired” by what they saw.
The association’s director, Evelyn Paradis, told TheJournal.ie:
Ireland is sending a real signal that change is possible. I think [the referendum] is going to be a real game changer for many countries in Europe.
On voting day, hashtags related to the referendum were trending across the world on Twitter, including Russia.
Compared to the strategic deployment and withdrawal of development aid, culture might seem trivial. But it can’t be dismissed.
A fortnight ago, Oxfam Ireland produced this powerful video of two gay rights activists in Zimbabwe watching and reflecting on Panti’s Noble Call speech about homophobia.
This is the kind of cultural exchange that could provide courage and solidarity to oppressed and brutalised LGBT people around the globe.
One moment, however, offers a sobering perspective. After Panti describes being the target of homophobic verbal abuse on the street, Carol responds:
Sometimes if someone shouts at me, I’m kind of grateful. At least they just talked, and didn’t beat me up…
If Irish people and political leaders are really serious about building on last week’s historic achievement, and becoming “a beacon of light”, there’s an awful lot of darkness to be filled.
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If these allegations were made by anyone but Dunphy maybe we`d take them serious, but Dunphy is a serial attention seeker and he leaves every job he has like this in a blaze of media publicity. I am very worried by Denis O Briens behaviour in recent times but i wouldn`t believe Dunphy if he told me todays date. O Brien may well sue Dunphy over his comments and has the money to hire top lawyers and outspend his opponent. I really hope Sam Smyth wins his case v O Brien and gets back on radio soon, maybe Willie O Reilly will find a slot on rte radio for him
Eamon is a bit of a mouth piece. Loves the sound of his own voice.
dunphy has a history of leaving enemies behind him every time he quits. His softball handling of McGuinnes during the election after he came out so strongly in support of him was hardly the act of someone who took journalism and objectivity seriously.
I did listen to his show but more often than not someone would be standing in for him. I wonder if the pay cut hadn’t been a factor would he have walked away. Man of the people … Mouth of the people hmmmm I wonder
So OK Dunphy does not speak for Fionn Davenport. However I’d imagine he speaks for a fair few in there and at least it has flushed Cronin out to admit he wanted a positive spin put on the Economic and Political outlook. So he doesn’t want the issues as they stand but “a positive outlook” to allow the Country to recover.
If that is not Management interference I don’t know what is
No one is much happy in their jobs nowadays and management normally get the brunt of it. Dunphy thought he was above being treated like an employee….the overpaid tosser!
I submitted this to the journal the other day but the only comments being allowed were the pro-dunphy comments!!!!
Who does Eamon Dunphy think he is kidding? In all his ranting against Denis O’Brien and Newstalk, he failed to mention that his salary had been cut from €100,000 to €50,000! I could not tolerate his overbearing arrogance on his Sunday morning programmme. He had a coterie of pals, eg, Constantin Gurdgiev, who were regularly invited onto the panel. While many people seem to like Constantin, his hysterical screeching re the economy was OTT for a Sunday morning programme!! I had to change stations once I heard he was on!!! My poor head!!! :( Concerning the allegation that Newstalk gave instructions to put a more positive spin on the news, I commend them for this. Eamon and co. are making plenty of money out of terrifying the populace – I don’t want this on a Sunday morning, thank you! On a recent programme, his testosterone fuelled panel consisted of four men trying to out-shout one another about the state of the economy!! :( I quickly switched over to Sam!!! :) I regularly listen to Newstalk, especially in the morning. They do not hold back from imparting the bad news – however, dwelling on it and depressing the nation, ala ED, is something we can do without!!
Always believed Newstalk ha a pro business bias but that was obvious as its a profit making business. Dunphy was always going to be finished after discussing the Sam Smyth incident on his show.
down with profit making business’
I blame Giovanni Trapattoni
Myxomatosis
The journalists in Newstalk are treated badly and paid badly. Newstalk has had it day for me. It has become parody, app deleted. Fionn and his mates are a bit pathetic chasing the invitation to the big house.
Is O Brien turning into his good friend Dr Tony.Lets see how much new spin comes from the replacements of Dunphy and Smyth.Would Denis really manipulate the MEDIA.
What about The link between Dennis O’Brien and Michael Lowry being such good buddies and even I do listen to Offtheball
As far as I could see(hear) Eamonn dumphy was away more Sunday mornings than he was on air. Maybe I just tuned in on the days he was off, but it seemed a lot to me, for a man who only had two hours air time per week. A lot of money for not a lot of work.
I believe that is is not beyond the bounds of possibility that Dunphy had a point. Love him or hate him, he is not afraid to speak his mind. He was a refreshing change from the usual drivel. I dont feel sorry for Smyth, he got his comeuppance for his part in destroying the career of the investigative journalist Frank Connolly, but I dont think that smyth should have been fired for his comments re Lowry. I will not be tuning into newstalk again, as i had initially thought it was different to the rte pro government drivel kowtowing to the fianna fail government , but since its buddies in fine gael got into government, newstalk are just as bad. There is nobody left but vincent browne to speak his mind, and maybe he too will come under pressure. I am sad to see dunphy go. His parting has been a blow for free speech in this banana republic.
You mean Frank Colombia Connolly, I wouldn`t use him as a moral benchmark for journalism.
Ken, i am just making the point, that free speech is free speech, and who is in a position to judge the morals of anybody else.
Its All about the cash, end of
After he left newstalk the first time in 2006,after hosting the breakfast show,why did he return?it couldn’t have been that bad.
@Ger You talk about free speech and then go on to say Sam Smyth has no right to speak about Connolly, and now you mention Lowry, maybe you will defend Ray Burke, Liam Lawlor, Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Fingleton next. Sam Smyth deserves great credit for Lowry being on the take as Gov minister. Lowry sued and his case was thrown out. Connolly sued no one either- the truth is an absolute defence. I find Sam Smyth a bit arrogant at times but he is an excellent journalist and he is being bullied now by a billionaire because he reported stories that damaged the billionaire and the corrupt politician, and don`t take my word for it , Justice Moriarity has full report detailing
hey ken they say that sarcam is the lowest form of wit.. and by the way, the unnamed journalist who made an impression on me is …. kate adie….ever heard of her????????….you dare to question her opinions…in case you dont know who she is, she is the bbc war correspondent who exposed what happened at Tianamon Square, by having the guts to stay there and film what was happening when people were shot and rolled over by tanks for daring to speak out. ..she stayed there while all the other heros cleared off……and you dare to question her opinions……..she also spent time in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and many more places where she was in the thick of the fight, not on a rooftop in the next country…so you dare to question her opinions on the ownership of news media by private individuals…you must be joking….whats your CV buddy…. Also, english is obviously not your first language, as you seem to have a problem understanding it, as you struggle to understand where i am coming from obviously if you think that i think denis o brien is great.
i was at a talk by a highly respected journalist (not irish) not so long ago, and i asked her did she feel that the owning of news corporations by private individuals influenced reporting of facts as facts. She spoke for 40 minutes on the subject of the question in one of the strongest arguments i have ever heard that ownership of a reporting the news is to the detriment of the truth…not by lying…but by omission or angle they put on a story. There is nobody in this country who is even remotely qualified to comment on the opinion of the individual of whom i asked the question, and i believe gave me an answer built on many decades of experience in journalism.
The want to have a media company points to one thing CONTROL.
If i had the money Denis has i would have great fun advancing my own personal views.
Think about it,COULD YOU RESIST.
I am facinated by the folks who gave the thumbs down to the opinions of an international journalist who was working as a journalist long before most of them were probably born….i just told it as she found it…and some planks actually thought there was something wrong with that….believe me guys/gals….to borrow a phrase from jack nicholson…..you cant handle the truth.
Maybe you should name this hero journalist you keep speaking of, we have no idea who she is, she certainly made impression on you, i however rely on my own opinions, Frank Connolly is not in Sam Smyth`s league, and i don`t need some hero journalist (un-named) telling me Denis O Brien is great and is no problem with him owning everything. Same Journalist works for O Brien @newstalk you said. Please…….. You sound like Alan Shatter and Grey Mitchell re the red thumbs down, the people are wrong and you know everything, can you hear yourself
Great photo of Dunphy though. Very apt expression on his face!
ah ken you are finally getting the point…what happened to smyth was wrong…i said that already. What macdowell did by using the dail as he did re connolly, whatever your opinion of him (connolly) was wrong. You are very quick to judge connolly, i do believe it came out afterwards that there was no substance to what was said about connolly..am open to correction on that, but i believe that is the case as it turned out. I despise burke, i despise the people connolly exposed re planning, i despise the people he exposed as being corrupt amongst our guardians of the peace. I particularly despise Lowry, and i despise the person who thought it was fitting to sack smyth for his opinions on lowry. The journalist who gave me her opinion is internationally renowned and has exposed far bigger things than anything that could have happened on our little rock at the edge of europe…and when she tells me that individual ownership of media is detrimental to truth…I believe her. Dunphy is opinionated, but i respect him, and i think that he has a point when he said what he did. If you have any respect for wanting to hear the truth, you will find what happened smyth, connolly (I might add), and now dunphy, slightly uncomfortable, based on the experiences of one who has greater experience as a journalist than all of them put together.
My political views are not the reason i mentioned frank connolly, I just dont like to see any journalists, of any hue being shafted by wealthy individuals, that goes for sam smyth who was, and i did say this at the outset, was fired because of Lowry, by denis o brien, because smyth got at the truth. Dunphy does speak his mind, and love him or hate him, he is not afraid to speak out….and his position became untenable from pressure from a wealthy individual. The public are dependant on journalists to keep us informed of the facts, and if those journalists are afraid to speak out for fear of being shafted….then we have no access to the actual facts, but to the agenda of the wealthy individuals who control those media outlets.
That i am a woman is of no consequence really, I have a tough skin. I detest what they have done to my country, I detest that my children had to emigrate and will probably not return having formed careers in other countries, I detest that the elite are not accountable to anyone, and resent that anyone dares to question their sense of entitlement. I worked hard all my life, never broke the law apart from parking fines, taught my children to respect the law, themselves, and other people….but the lesson young people are getting now is that there are no consequences for the rich and powerful…..just for everybody else.
I am flattered that you took the trouble to look up my facebook page. Good luck to you too.
And Dunphy loved bombed Martin Mc Guinness for president on his radio show, wouldn`t do him any harm with SF die hards
With Dunphy gone there will be even less news talk on “Newstalk”
The name “Newstalk” appears to be a misleading description of the service provided by this radio station as there is very little actual news talk programming in its schedule.
Perhaps Generaltalk or Sportstalk would be a more accurate description for this radio station. I wonder if this is a breach of the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act as “Newstalk” would appear to have less actual news talk programming than RTE radio 1.
Perhaps “Newstalk” would like to justify and validate its use of the name.
Anyway guys/gals….you folks have been doing a fine job of it up to now…look at where we are at…pity more journalists in this godforsaken hole we call ireland hadn’t the guts to speak their minds when all the wheeling and dealing, and snorting and shaking was going on…the mess may have been averted, but then again…probably not, cos folks in this neck of the woods dont want to hear the truth. Got better things to do with my time.
You still havent read back through my comments Ken…I am the one who asked kate adie re private ownership of media…to ask the question in the first place, i obviously had an opinion of my own,. I never said at any stage that sam smyth had no right to expose lowry…i merely said that sam smyth took part in a campaign against another journalist…namely connolly, who was eventually shafted by mcdowell….it may be worth noting that apparently connolly was investigating the exorbitant price paid for thornton hall by the dept of justice (Mc dowell being the minister for justice at the time) when connolly was shafted with the help of smyth. If you read back over my comments you would also note that i said what happened to smyth at the hands of o brien was wrong…which was the point in the first place, and why i agreed with dunphys assessment….and dare i say it….adies….that private owneship is bad for news reporting. Also, for your information, I am quite opinionated, and do not need others to formulate my opinions….I have had letters published in the Irish Independant, the times on sunday, the belfast telegraph, a local newspaper seveal times….on a number of topics over the years from the jailing of the rossport 5, to health services, education services, womens issues, and many more. If you dont believe me, i will give you the list of papers and corresponding dates, and you can check them. You insult me by judging me as being a sheep who has no mind of her own. You will probably tell me now that i think i am wonderful….i certainly do not….but it really gets me going that people do not read the whole piece before commenting, just take a line from it. Also. i mentioned kate adie, as you insinuated that i was refusing to name her, and yes, i do think your comments re her were flippant and quite unnecessary. I had the privelege of hearing her speak at a book festival, and it was a public meeting….all i ever said was that i asked her opinion, in an open forum….and she spoke for quite a while on the subject of private ownership….so i never gave the impression that she was a friend of mine….you should go back on all my posts before you see fit to try and make me look foolish.
Ger i am not trying to make you look foolish, not at all. I enjoy vigourous debate and if i offended you i am sorry. I didn`t realize you were a woman, i just assumed (wrongly) you were male, my tone would be different had i known. I saw your Facebook page and see you are SF member or activist, that explains the defence of Frank Colombia Connolly. Did you see Elaine Byrnes tweet about Gavin O Reilly being followed by former MI5 agents, obviously hired by a very wealthy individual (can`t think who that might be),my email is mcfadden.ken@gmail.com . Anyway nice talking to you, good luck.
Nice pun Ken :)
ken by your comment re sinn fein die hards….i guess you are referring to me, and once more are assuming you know me. I never said whether or not i was a sinn fein member….but i was a labour supporter until recently, if you must know. The reason i initially read the article and was unfortunate enough to comment on it….and leave myself open to presumption by people who know nothing about me….was that i felt it was wrong that a person who says what they think in this country is liable to be pressurised into shutting up….whether that is dunphy, or smyth, or connolly, or even whilstle blowers of all kinds….isnt it ironic in a so called democracy, that we need legislation ot protect people who speak out when something is wrong….or is that legislation passed yet…hmmmm
This is the never ending conversation. I will leave you with the last word.
ken, as is said earlier, this journalist is kate adie….you obviously havent heard of her, which disappoints me. Maybe you should take the time to re-read my earlier comments re denis o brien…he is a private owner of a media organisation. I asked kate adie did she think that private ownership of reporting of the news was detrimental to the truth…in other words, for your benefit….did she think that we get facts when news is reported by privately owned media organisations, and her reply, and her opinion…..and believe me….she was the best in her field…..you should look her up….i am actually angry that you seem to think i admire the likes of o brien, when my earlier comments would say otherwise. I detest Alan shatter…he is the man who justified the slaughter of palestinian children on a huge scale by the israelis in an interview a few years back. Ivan yates is a former fine gael minister and a bookie….he is not a journalist…he just poses as one. Denis o brien and newstalk promote a right wing agenda….which is why dunphy was persona non grata to them, and had to be silenced. You are the one who insulted me first, and criticised my opinon when i mentioned free speech. Kate Adie is a wonderful person who has shown courage and bravery in her reporting of the facts….for decades….she is not owned by any private organisation, and yes, she does have an interest in Ireland, and yes, I do admire her….the people who call themselves journalists in this country, with few exceptions are not fit to lick her boots. I suggest you take time to read all my posts, and look up Kate Adie into the bargain….you have some cheek poking fun at such a person. Also, i do not think i am wonderful…you are the person who said i was wonderful :) . I am an unemployed person who worked all my life to pay taxes, also in the 1980′s when we paid 60p in the pound tax….i paid my mortgage, educated my kids to third level, and now am a mature science student…..so dont you dare to judge me.
Ger your all over the place, i didn`t make fun of Kate Adie, i said i don`t respect people like you who can`t formulate their own opinions and rely on people like Kate to shape their opinions. I also pointed out in an earlier message you were the one who said sam smyth had no right to report on Lowry & O Brien then in the same breath you lectured me on free speech. You seem very very angry with people who have different views to you. I totally respect journalists like Kate Adie, but she is not the issue and you keep lobbing her name in and putting accusations about her supposedly from me into every argument you make. This conversation started about Denis O Briens media domination and treatment of Journalists etc, you were determined to name drop that you met Kate Adie. I never mentioned Ivan Yates, i said Ivor, it was reference to some of the types of people you defended in an earlier message.
To ken mcFadden…is english your first language….you seem to have a problem understanding it….and hero journalist as you call her….is a bbc war correspondent long retired…who, believe me knows exactly what she is talking about when she says that prive ownership of news media is not the best option when reporting facts…and where you got the notion that i think denis o brien is great…from my previous comments…you must be an idiot.
Well Ger this war reporter certainly made an impression on you, your obviously obsessed. She sounds like a very busy girl with that very impressive list of countries she has reported from, makes you wonder were she finds the time to know so much about little old ireland. But maybe she really is as super fantastic as you say she is, maybe. I questioned your lack of opinion and full acceptance of this super fantastic reporters opinion. You still appear to be screaming at people because we can`t see how intelligent and wonderful you are, the red thumbs down seems to get on your wick and you now pulling an alan shatter the idiots dont understand defence. As for the insults about my first or second language etc, you again let yourself down and resorted to more insults, ask your famous reporter i`m sure she would explain how petty it is,Give her all my best. And say hello to Denis, and Colombia Frank and Ivor….
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