A/HRC/29/23
of such laws, employers may fire or refuse to hire or promote people simply because they
are seen as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.97 Where laws do exist, they may be poorly
applied. Workplace benefits available to heterosexual employees may be denied to their
LGBT counterparts. Surveys indicate that discrimination and verbal and other forms of
harassment in the workplace are commonplace. 98
4.
Housing
59.
LGBT persons may experience discrimination in access to housing as a result of
unfair treatment by public and private landlords. Concerns include LGBT individuals and
same-sex couples denied leases and evicted from public housing, 99 harassed by neighbours
and forced out of their homes. 100 Many LGBT-identifying adolescents and young adults are
thrown out of home by disapproving parents and end up on the streets, resulting in
disproportionately high rates of homelessness among this group. A recent survey of 354
homeless support agencies in the United States suggested that some 40 per cent of homeless
youth identify as LGBT, with family rejection the leading cause of homelessness among
this group.101
5.
Freedom of expression, association and assembly
60.
United Nations human rights experts continue to highlight discriminatory
restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly of LGBT
persons and those defending their rights.102 Concerns include direct censorship, bans on
dissemination of information and restrictions on advocacy. 103
61.
LGBT organizations continue to have registration applications rejected, reviews
delayed and legal registration revoked on discriminatory grounds.104 Permission to hold
meetings, workshops and cultural events may be denied in an attempt to suppress political
and artistic expression.105 Police officers have raided the offices of LGBT groups, arrested
and harassed staff and volunteers, and confiscated materials, sometimes putting the privacy
and safety of staff and supporters at risk.106 The offices of LGBT organizations have been
targets of vandalism, burglary and arson,107 and such incidents are seldom investigated
promptly.108
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
16
See A/69/318, para.17; and “Discrimination at work on the basis of sexual orientation and gender
identity: Results of pilot research” (GB.319/LILS/INF/1), International Labour Office, October 2013,
pp. 2-3.
EU LGBT Survey, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (see footnote 50), p.17; April Guasp, “Gay in
Britain: Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People’s Experiences and Expectations of Discrimination”,
Stonewall, 2012, pp.3, 19.
See A/69/274, para. 12.
See A/HRC/19/53, paras. 50, 51, 63.
See “Serving Our Youth”, Williams Institute, True Colors Fund and the Palette Fund, 2012, p. 3.
See CCPR/C/GEO/CO/4, para. 8, A/HRC/26/30/Add.2, para. 77.
See A/HRC/20/22/Add.2, para. 55, A/64/211, paras. 21-27.
See A/69/307, para. 30.
See A/HRC/23/34/Add.1, paras. 101-103.
See A/HRC/22/53/Add.4, para. 162.
A/HRC/25/74, MKD 2/2013; A/HRC/23/51, CRI 2/2012.
See A/69/307, para. 86, A/HRC/22/53/Add. 4, para. 162, A/HRC/25/71, para. 55, A/HRC/26/52, para.
33.
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