SOUTH AFRICA / LGBT RIGHTS

“Free and equal,” a new OHCHR campaign to combat violence and discrimination against LGBT people, is launched in Capetown, South Africawith Navi Pillay and Desmond Tutu. OHCHR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:43
• Production Date: 26 July 2013
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - OHCHR
• Subject Topical: HUMAN RIGHTS; LESBIAN; GAY; BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER; HUMAN RIGHTS
• Geographic Subject: SOUTH AFRICA
• MAMS Id: U130726f

Description

STORY: SOUTH AFRICA / LGBT RIGHTS
TRT: 1.43
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS; NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 26 JULY 2013, CAPETOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, Capetwon
2. Med shot, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay arrive at conference venue
3. Wide shot, panel with High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Justice Edwin Cameron of the SA Constitutional Court
4. Cutaway, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR:
“A campaign like this is critical right now because of the enormous Human Rights violations suffered by LGBT people. My office at the United Nations regularly receives reports of individuals who have been attacked, sexually assaulted, kidnapped, tortured, even murdered simply because of their sexual orientation or their gender identity.”
6. Cutaway, journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR:
“And in more than a third of the worlds countries consensual same sex conduct remains a criminal offense.”
8. Cutaway, journalists
9. Cutaway, Justice Edwin Cameron looking ahead
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Archbishop Desmond Tutu, rights activist and former Anglican bishop:
“I cannot worship a homophobic God.”
11. Cutaway, hands holding a Free & Equal program
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Justice Edwin Cameron, South Africa Constitutional Court:
“This campaign is timely, it is essential may become a source of light; may become a source of rejoicing; may become a source of self identification and of claiming of humanity by people who are LGBTI, but also the claiming of humanity by people who are not LGBTI because in denying our humanity you deny your own.”
13. Cutaway, journalists listening
14. Various shots, gathering after press conference with journalists and hosts

Storyline

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) TODAY (24 July) launched Free & Equal, an unprecedented global public education campaign for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.

At a press conference held in Cape Town, South Africa, High Commissioner Navi Pillay was joined by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Justice Edwin Cameron of the South African Constitutional Court to announce the year-long project.

Pillay said that a campaign like Free & Equal was “critical right now because of the enormous Human Rights violations suffered by LGBT people.”

She also noted that “in more than a third of the world’s countries” consensual same sex remained a criminal offense.

Meanwhile Archbishop Desmond Tutu said “I cannot worship a homophobic God.”

And Justice Edwin Cameron of South Africa’s Constitutional Court noted that
The campaign was timely, “it is essential may become a source of light; may become a source of rejoicing; may become a source of self identification and of claiming of humanity by people who are LGBTI, but also the claiming of humanity by people who are not LGBTI because in denying our humanity you deny your own.”

The Free & Equal campaign aims to raise awareness of homophobic and transphobic violence and discrimination, and encourage greater respect for the rights of LGBT people.

The campaign follows an OHCHR report published in December 2011, which was the first ever official UN report on violence and discrimination against LGBT persons. The report documented widespread human rights abuses.

Today, more than 76 countries still criminalize consensual, same-sex relationships, while in many more discrimination against LGBT people is widespread – including in the workplace as well as in the education and health sectors. Hate-motivated violence against LGBT people, including physical assault, sexual violence, and targeted killings, has been recorded in all regions of the world.

The campaign will focus on the need for both legal reforms and public education to counter homophobia and transphobia.