LGBT Rights in Asia and the Pacific Islands
OutRight's work in Asia promotes acceptance of sexual and gender diversity at all levels of society. Several Asian countries— Myanmar, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore and Sri Lanka, among these—have laws criminalizing intimacy between same-sex couples. Even in countries without such laws, those who challenge sexual or gender norms confront state and community discrimination and violence. Through research that we coordinated in several countries, we have found that LGBTIQ people also face high levels of violence within their families. Many people cannot report violations and are forced to lead double lives and suffer in silence. We work to increase the visibility of Asian activists, respond to human rights emergencies, and actively bridge local, regional and international activism to achieve equality and justice.
