WHO 24 Years On

Today marks the 24th anniversary of WHO removing homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.

The UK's Shadow Foreign and Commonwealth Minister for Human Rights, Kerry McCarthy, explores what this means, whilst London welcomes Musseveni and the Commonwealth celebrates Rebecca Kadaga.

#DoubleStandards ?

From Uganda to Brunei, LGBT lives remain under threat

May 17th is significant because it marks the anniversary of the World Health Organisation’s decision in 1990 to remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders. To many of us, it will seem shocking that such a decision was made so recently but in many countries today, while homosexuality may not be classed as a mental disorder, it is very much considered to be a crime.

Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) has just published its report, “From Torment to Tyranny”, documenting 162 reported incidents of persecution between 20th December 2013 and 1st May this year. This represents a 750% and 1900% increase on previous years but, as SMUG warns, it is likely to only be the tip of the iceberg.

Thank you World Health Organisation (WHO) for reclassifying LGBT people as 'not mental'.