US President Joe Biden don keep to im campaign promise and release one memorandum wey return di United States back to when dem bin support ” LGBTI+” rights on di international stage.
LGBTQI+ stand for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and odas.
With dis latest memorandum, Biden dey direct American agencies and dia embassies abroad to make sure say di “United States diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect di human rights of LGBTQI+ persons.”
Di US go use everytin within dia power – and dis one include sanctions – to force di hand or punish goments worldwide wey no support dis community of pipo.
Many of di kontris wey get laws against LGBTQI+ dey Africa, including Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana.
E dey important to know say memorandum no be law but e dey expected say those wey di president instruction concern, suppose follow am.
Make we torchlight di three key tins wey oga Biden put inside dis new memorandum as message to di world.
Biden reverse all Trump LGBTQI+ policy
Di memo order do u-turn on policy wey comot between 20 January 2017 and 20 January 2021 wey dey against LGBTQI+.
Although, di memorandum no mention former US president Donald Trump by name, dat period na when oga Trump dey lead di land of di free.
Oga Biden also give US agencies 100 days to report to di president on dia progress and recommend additional actions.
US go favour LGBTQI+ with re-settlement visa
Di US recognize say some LGBTQI+ pipo fit dey face discrimination or threats for dia home kontri and because of dis, dem ready to accept such pipo wey desire to re-settle for America.
“Di Federal Government go take all appropriate steps, such as to increase Embassy Priority-1 referrals, to identify and sharpaly process resettlement of highly vulnerable pipo wey need protection needs”.
Dis one mean say US embassies across di world must torchlight cases of asylum seekers wey come from di LGBTQI+ community and give dem all di epp dem need to “escape”.
US go block money to goments wey no support LGBTQI+
Many kontries depend of one form of aid and support from di biggest economy for di world – US. But now di US don put condition wey dem fit end dat support.
Kontries wey get laws to prosecute LGBTQI+ pipo go see say US fit begin comot hand for dia mata, no borrow/dash dem money, no allow dia companies to trade wit US companies.
For instance, small businesses for kontries like Ghana, wey don enjoy benefit from USAID fit see say support no come again.
US go nack ban ontop goment officials, ministries
Dis one also target foreign goment officials or ministries wey dey clear say dem no protect dia own pipo wey be LGBTQI+ .
Make such pipo or agency ready to see pepper for US embassy anytime dem want visa
Kontries wey e go affect?
According to di latest Human Rights Watch report, about 70 kontris worldwide get laws wey criminalise or no favour LGBTQI+ and many of dis kontris dey for Africa.
Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Togo, Senegal, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kenya, Guinea and many odas.
Oga Biden release di memorandum on 4 February 2021 and di orders take effect immediately.