UKGayNews.org.uk
New York ? As people in more than 50 countries today mark the International Day against Homophobia, Human Rights Watch named to a ?hall of shame? five public officials who have actively promoted prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in their countries.
Human Rights Watch also pointed to five recent advances that give hope for a future free of hatred and homophobia.
?This ?hall of shame? does not claim to include the worst offenders, but it highlights public officials who have failed in their basic duty to respect human rights for all,? said Scott Long, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Rights Program at Human Rights Watch
?The abuses these officials have caused or countenanced symbolize the daily, invidious forms of homophobia that countless people face around the world.?
The public officials named to the ?Hall of Shame? for their actions in 2005-2006 were: