House Democrats Call on President Obama to Expand LGBT Protections in the Trans-Pacific Partnership
WASHINGTON, DC (June 9, 2016) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today joined a group of 26 House Democrats in calling on President Obama to consider renegotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to include explicit protections for the LGBT community and further demand that countries treat all of their citizens as equal under the law, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
"As we have expressed in the past, we deeply appreciate that your Administration has been a champion for LGBT individuals in the United States and across the globe. By speaking out in favor of equality for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, you have made the United States an example for the world. However, we believe more can and must be done to protect LGBT people abroad, and the TPP offers a clear opportunity to leverage changes in countries persecuting these individuals," Members wrote in the letter.
"We urge you to use the opportunity presented by the United States' inclusion in the Trans-Pacific Partnership to explicitly protect LGBT individuals in the agreement's participating countries. This agreement encompasses nearly forty percent of the global economy and the United States has the largest economy of the twelve participating countries. The United States should use this position of strength to advocate for the fair treatment of the LGBT community in Malaysia and Brunei," Members continued. "Unfortunately, while the Administration attempted to address other human rights issues in our partner countries, the agreement and side letters as negotiated do not include protections for LGBT individuals."
While negotiators attempted to make progress on various human rights issues through the TPP, the agreement does not include protections for LGBT individuals. A number of participating countries have detailed histories of oppressing their citizens on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Specifically, Malaysia and Brunei have penal codes criminalizing LGBT individuals and authorities continue to persecute members ofthis community.
The full letter is available here.
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