[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 29887-29888]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL--USA FOR ITS LEADERSHIP IN PROMOTING 
   THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE 
                            AROUND THE WORLD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 16, 1999

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Amnesty 
International--USA for its foresight in establishing the Amnesty 
OUTFRONT Program this past year. OUTFRONT is Amnesty's program and 
membership network which is focused on promoting the human rights of 
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people around the world.
  The human rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender 
people are violated daily, Mr. Speaker. Not only are people beaten, 
imprisoned, and killed by their own governments for engaging in 
homosexual acts,

[[Page 29888]]

but those suspected of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender are 
routinely the victims of harassment, discrimination, intimidation, and 
violence. Many of those who speak up for lesbian and gay rights--
regardless of their sexual orientation--are themselves persecuted with 
impunity and thus pressured to remain silent.
  Mr. Speaker, the OUTFRONT Program will work with similar programs 
being developed in Amnesty divisions throughout the world and with 
Amnesty's research department to insure that human rights violations 
committed against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are 
documented and actions are taken to combat these violations. The effort 
will promote human rights standards at the international and national 
level that recognize the basic human rights of all people. In the 
United States, Amnesty OUTFRONT will launch a public campaign to raise 
awareness of the human rights violations faced by lesbian, gay, 
bisexual and transgender people around the world and will work to build 
an activist membership committed to combating these violations wherever 
they occur.
  As Co-Chair of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, Mr. Speaker, I 
have long admired the human rights activity of Amnesty International 
and am proud to work with the organization in combating human rights 
violations. I welcome Amnesty's special concern for the human rights 
concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. This 
important aspect of human rights has not been given adequate attention, 
given the dimensions of the problem. I welcome the fact that a renowned 
human rights organization like Amnesty is taking a lead in this area.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to work with me and with Amnesty 
International in promoting awareness of human rights violations on the 
basis of sexual orientation and mounting a forceful campaign against 
such injustices. I look forward to working closely with Amnesty and its 
OUTFRONT Program in the coming years, and I wish them great success in 
developing this important program.

                          ____________________