Wyden, Merkley Reintroduce Legislation to Protect LGBTQI+ Communities from Global Violence

Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have introduced a bill to impose sanctions on foreign actors responsible for human rights violations against LGBTQI+ communities abroad.
“For far too long, the LGBTQI+ community has faced bigotry, hate, and violence all across the globe,”Wyden said.“We can’t let oppressive regimes get away with jailing or murdering individuals simply because of who they love and how they identify. This bill sends a clear message to bad actors overseas: there is no place for violence and discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community.”
“We are living in a time in which governments around the world continue to make dangerous threats against our LGBTQI+ family, friends, and neighbors,”said Merkley, author of the Equality Act.“Every person—regardless of who they are, whom they love, or where they live—has the right to be treated with decency and respect. We need legislation like theGlobal Respect Act to send a clear message to the world that the United States is committed to defending these critical human rights.”
Specifically, theGlobal Respect Actwould:
The legislation has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the Council for Global Equality, American Jewish World Service and Human Rights First.
The bill is led by Senators Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.
The text of the bill ishere.