Everyone is welcome!

Whether you identify as an Ally or a member of the LGBT+ community, A&M’s EMEA LGBT+ employee resource group is an opportunity to connect with colleagues in celebration of inclusive diversity. The group was founded in 2019 by two employees as a grassroots initiative, and continues today as a vehicle to promote acceptance, both in attitude and in action, and to encourage all employees to proudly be their authentic selves at work. During this year’s LGBT+ history month, we have highlighted a few of the pioneering activists who paved a path for positive change and recognized some of the pivotal historical events instrumental in the campaign for equality.

This week we take a whistle-stop tour of global living LGBT+ histories:

Angola

Angola has a rich and mixed LGBT+ history. Anthropological research in the 1920s revealed that many communities accepted homosexuality, bisexuality and non-binary identities. Nonetheless, colonial-era laws criminalised homosexuality. 

In 2021, a new penal code came into effect, which no longer criminalises homosexuality, and contains anti-discrimination protection on the basis of sexual and gender identity.

Chile

In 2012, Chile experienced a historical election season with a number of prominent LGBT+ achievements:

Jaime Parada Hoyl, Chilean gay rights activist, became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in Chile.

Zuliana Araya, became Chile’s first trans city council member after election in the coastal city of Valparaíso. Ms. Araya was a long-standing trans rights activist.

Malta

Every year, ILGA-Europe ranks 49 countries in Europe on their LGBT+ equality laws and policies, in their Rainbow Europe benchmarking tool.

In 2021, Malta ranked the highest country in Europe with respect to LGBT+ human rights and full equality. This is the sixth year that Malta has topped the rankings.  ​​​

Nigeria

Discrimination against LGBT+ people remains commonplace in Nigeria. Nonetheless, an LGBT+ community is fighting for legal and cultural recognition. In 2019, Nigeria saw the premier of the country’s first lesbian-focused documentary film, Under the Rainbow. The film is directed by Pamela Adie, a Nigerian lesbian and activist who has spoken in multiple public forums about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Russia

Pride celebrations in Russia have a tumultuous history. In the capital city, Moscow, the first Pride was held in 2006. In 2012, Moscow’s court banned the Pride parade for 100 years. Nonetheless, activists have been working to host Pride events across the country.

In 2020 and 2021, the city of Ekaterinburg in Ural (the border between Russia’s European and Asian territories) held an Ural Pride Week. This included:

• an LGBT+ history tour of the city; and
• a discussion about the ways painful histories can become a source of pride.

Singapore

Jean Chong is a Singaporean LGBT+ rights activist. She co-founded an inclusive church, the Free (First Realise Everyone is Equal) Community Church. Jean’s activism focusses on addressing the intersectional discrimination that lesbian women face, such as lack of affordable housing and lack of societal visibility.

Taiwan

In 2019, Taiwan became the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. This would not have been possible without the courage and tireless campaigning of LGBT+ rights leader Chi Chai-wei. In 1986, he filed a petition so the issue would be discussed by Taiwan’s legislative authority. Chi’s initial courage and defiance of the country’s previous laws in Taiwan were subsequently supported by civic groups, such as the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights and the Marriage Equality Platform.

Uganda

Frank Mugisha founded the organisation, Icebreakers Uganda, while at university, to provide support, advice and housing to LGBT+ young people.

Frank currently serves as the Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), the largest and leading organisation of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) movement in Uganda.

USA

Cecilia Chung was born in Hong Kong, later emigrating to Los Angeles. She was the first trans and first Asian elected to lead the board of directors for San Francisco Pride.

In 2013, the mayor of San Francisco appointed Cecilia to the city’s Health Commission, where she made San Francisco the first U.S. city to cover the costs of gender reassignment surgery for uninsured patients.

Looking forward

As you can see, some countries have made great strides in their LGBT+ journey. There are plenty more encouraging stories that can be found, but there is still some way to go, with too many countries still able to inflict prison sentences and even capital punishment upon their LGBT+ community.

An inclusive workplace is integral to success, and while many strides toward equality have been made, progress is an ongoing team sport. Interested colleagues can leverage EMEA’s LGBT+ employee resource group as a forum to meet and connect with members, have cross-collaboration with other employee resource groups, and uplift our LGBT+ colleagues year-round.