SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘International Human 
Rights Defense Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives. 
(2) GENDER
IDENTITY.—The term ‘‘gender 
identity’’ means the gender-related identity, appear-
ance, or mannerisms or other gender-related charac-
teristics of an individual, with or without regard to 
the individual’s designated sex at birth. 
(3) LGBT.—The term ‘‘LGBT’’ means lesbian, 
gay, bisexual, or transgender. 
(4) SEXUAL ORIENTATION.—The term ‘‘sexual 
orientation’’ means homosexuality, heterosexuality, 
or bisexuality. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Eighty-two countries prohibit the public 
support 
of 
the 
LGBT 
community, 
promote 
homophobia across society, or criminalize homosex-
uality. That is equal to more than 40 percent of 
United Nations Member States. 
(2) In seven countries, homosexuality is a crime 
that is punishable by death. 
(3) Around the world, LGBT people face dis-
crimination, hatred, violence, and bigotry. 
(4) Violence and discrimination based on sexual 
orientation and gender identity are documented in 
the Department of State’s annual Human Rights 
Report to Congress. The 2013 report continues to 
show a clear pattern of increased human rights vio-
lations in every region of the world based on sexual 
orientation and gender identity. These violations in-
clude murder, rape, torture, death threats, extortion, 
imprisonment, as well as loss of employment, hous-
ing, access to health care, and other forms of soci-
etal stigma and discrimination. The report further 
documents growing LGBT-specific restrictions on 
basic freedoms of assembly, press, and speech in 
every region of the world. 
(5) In Jamaica and other countries, discrimina-
tion against LGBT people, including ‘‘corrective 
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rape’’ of lesbian women, occurs all too frequently 
and with relative impunity. 
(6) In 2013, the Government of the Russian 
Federation passed a law banning ‘‘Homosexual 
Propaganda’’, which effectively makes it a crime to 
publically support LGBT equality. The Russian law 
is the basis for similar anti-propaganda legislation 
threatened or introduced in countries across Eastern 
Europe and Central Asia, including Lithuania, 
Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus. 
(7) In February 2014, the Government of 
Uganda adopted a law that makes ‘‘aggravated ho-
mosexuality’’ a crime punishable with life imprison-
ment and endangers any individual arbitrarily found 
to support LGBT people. Concurrently, the Govern-
ment of Uganda also passed laws severely limiting 
the basic freedoms of speech and assembly for 
LGBT citizens. While the Constitutional Court over-
turned this law on a technicality in August 2014, 
leaders in Uganda have pledged to pursue similar 
legislation, and LGBT persons continue to be sub-
jected to discrimination and violence. 
(8) The Government of Gambia passed an ‘‘ag-
gravated homosexuality’’ law in October 2014. The 
conditions in Gambia for LGBT persons have been 
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deteriorating, and there have been troubling reports 
of LGBT individuals having been arrested and 
threatened with torture for their sexual orientation 
and gender identity. 
(9) In December 2013, the Government of Ni-
geria adopted a law further criminalizing homosex-
uality. The law also criminalizes supporting LGBT 
people in any way, endangering the neighbors, 
friends, doctors, and landlords of LGBT people. 
(10) The anti-homosexuality laws in Gambia, 
Nigeria, and elsewhere not only endanger all LGBT 
individuals in those countries, but also pose serious 
risks for those associated with or caring for LGBT 
people. In addition, international HIV workers could 
be at risk since the treatment of at-risk populations 
may constitute support for LGBT people. Studies 
have shown that when LGBT people, especially 
LGBT youth, face discrimination, they are less likely 
to seek HIV testing, prevention, and treatment serv-
ices. 
(11) On December 6, 2011, President Barack 
Obama released the Presidential Memorandum— 
International Initiatives to Advance the Human 
Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender 
Persons. The memorandum directed all Federal 
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agencies engaged abroad to ensure that United 
States diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and 
protect the human rights of LGBT persons. 
(12) Secretary of State John Kerry announced 
that the United States Government would review 
United States diplomatic relationships with Nigeria 
and Uganda in light of their recent anti-LGBT ac-
tions. Announcements by the Obama Administration 
on March 23, 2014, and June 19, 2014, indicated 
the United States Government would emphasize the 
importance of human rights in Uganda by cutting 
$6,400,000 in funding for the Interreligious Council 
of Uganda because of its support for the Anti-Ho-
mosexuality Act, halting a survey designed to mini-
mize the spread of HIV/AIDS because of potential 
harm to respondents, imposing short-term travel 
bans on Ugandan military officials, halting some 
joint military exercises with the Ugandan military, 
relocating funds for a public health institute, and re-
stricting entry into the United States of those spe-
cific individuals who have committed human rights 
violations against LGBT persons. Despite the recent 
anti-LGBT actions by the Government of Nigeria, 
President Obama has not conducted a similar review 
of the United States diplomatic relationship with 
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that country or taken steps to emphasize the impor-
tance of human rights for LGBT persons there. 
(13) In December 2013, the Supreme Court of 
India reversed a lower court ruling and reinstated 
the criminalization of homosexuality in the second 
most populous nation on Earth. In April 2014, In-
dia’s Supreme Court recognized transgender people 
as a third gender, improving the legal rights of 
transgender people in that country. Given these two 
court decisions, the degree of human rights protec-
tions for LGBT persons in India is uncertain. 
(14) Removing institutionalized discrimination 
and targeted persecution against LGBT people 
around the world is a critical step in the promotion 
of human rights and global health internationally. 
(15) According to the Trans Murder Monitoring 
Project, which monitors homicides of transgender in-
dividuals, 226 transgender persons were killed be-
tween November 2013 and November 2014 world-
wide. Violence against transgender individuals is 
particularly 
alarming 
in 
Brazil, 
where 
113 
transgender individuals were murdered in the one- 
year period from October 1, 2013, to September 30, 
2014. 
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(16) According to the International Guidelines 
on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, as published by 
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human 
Rights, countries should review and reform criminal 
laws and correctional systems to ensure that they 
are consistent with international human rights obli-
gations and are not misused in the context of HIV 
or targeted against vulnerable groups. 
(17) For the world’s 1,800,000,000 youth, anti- 
homosexuality laws and discrimination against 
LGBT persons poses significant risks. LGBT youth 
who come out to their family or community often 
face rejection, homelessness, and limited educational 
and economic opportunities. These factors contribute 
to increased risks of substance abuse, suicide, and 
HIV infection among LGBT youth. 
(18) On September 26, 2014, the United Na-
tions Human Rights Council passed a resolution co-
sponsored by the United States that expressed con-
cern about discrimination and violence experienced 
by LGBT persons around the world. Fourteen coun-
tries opposed the resolution, including Algeria, Bot-
swana, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Indonesia, 
Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi 
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Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Russian 
Federation. 
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States— 
(1) to take effective action to prevent and re-
spond to discrimination and violence against all peo-
ple on any basis internationally, including sexual ori-
entation and gender identity, and that human rights 
policy include attention to hate crimes and other dis-
crimination against LGBT people; 
(2) to systematically integrate and coordinate 
efforts to prevent and respond to discrimination and 
violence against LGBT people internationally into 
United States foreign policy; 
(3) to support and build local capacity in coun-
tries around the world, including of governments at 
all levels and nongovernmental organizations, to pre-
vent and respond to discrimination and violence 
against LGBT people internationally; 
(4) to consult, cooperate, coordinate, and col-
laborate with a wide variety of nongovernmental 
partners with demonstrated experience in preventing 
and responding to discrimination and violence 
against LGBT people internationally, including 
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faith-based organizations and LGBT-led organiza-
tions; 
(5) to employ a multisectoral approach to pre-
venting and responding to discrimination and vio-
lence against LGBT people internationally, including 
activities in the economic, education, health, nutri-
tion, legal, and judicial sectors; 
(6) to work at all levels, from the individual to 
the family, community, local, national, and inter-
national levels, to prevent and respond to discrimina-
tion and violence against LGBT people internation-
ally; 
(7) to enhance training by United States per-
sonnel of professional foreign military and police 
forces and judicial officials to include appropriate 
and thorough LGBT-specific instruction on pre-
venting and responding to discrimination and vio-
lence based on sexual orientation and gender iden-
tity; 
(8) to engage non-LGBT people as allies and 
partners, as an essential element of making sus-
tained reductions in discrimination and violence 
against LGBT people; 
(9) to require that all Federal contractors and 
grant recipients in the United States Government’s 
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international programs establish appropriate policies 
and take effective measures to ensure the protection 
and safety of their staff and workplace, including 
from discrimination and violence directed against 
LGBT people and those who provide services to 
them; 
(10) to exert sustained international leadership 
to prevent and respond to discrimination and vio-
lence against LGBT persons, including in bilateral 
and multilateral fora; 
(11) to fully implement and expand upon the 
policies outlined in the Presidential Memorandum— 
International Initiatives to Advance the Human 
Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender 
Persons; 
(12) to ensure that international efforts to com-
bat HIV/AIDS take all appropriate measures to sup-
port at-risk communities, including LGBT persons, 
and to create enabling legal environments for these 
communities; 
(13) to work with governments and nongovern-
mental partners around the world to develop and im-
plement regional strategies to decriminalize homo-
sexuality and to counteract the prohibition of public 
support of the LGBT community; and 
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(14) to ensure that those who have a well- 
founded fear of persecution on account of being 
LGBT or supporting LGBT rights have the oppor-
tunity to seek protection in the United States. 
SEC. 5. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF LGBT 
PEOPLE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of State shall 
establish in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, 
and Labor (DRL) of the Department of State a Special 
Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Peoples (in this 
section referred to as the ‘‘Special Envoy’’), who shall be 
appointed by the President. The Special Envoy shall re-
port directly to the Assistant Secretary for DRL. 
(b) PURPOSE.—In addition to the duties described in 
subsection (c) and those duties determined by the Sec-
retary of State, the Special Envoy shall direct efforts of 
the United States Government as directed by the Sec-
retary regarding human rights abuses against the LGBT 
community internationally and the advancement of human 
rights for LGBT people in United States foreign policy, 
and shall represent the United States internationally in 
bilateral and multilateral engagement on these matters. 
(c) DUTIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Special Envoy— 
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sponse to discrimination and violence against 
LGBT people internationally; 
(E) shall lead interagency coordination be-
tween the foreign policy priorities related to the 
human rights of LGBT people and the develop-
ment assistance priorities of the LGBT Coordi-
nator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development; 
(F) shall conduct regular consultation with 
civil society organizations working to prevent 
and respond to discrimination and violence 
against LGBT people internationally; 
(G) shall ensure that programs, projects, 
and activities designed to prevent and respond 
to discrimination and violence against LGBT 
people are subject to rigorous monitoring and 
evaluation, and that there is a uniform set of 
indicators and standards for such monitoring 
and evaluation that is used across international 
programs in Federal agencies; 
(H) shall serve as the principal advisor to 
the Secretary of State regarding human rights 
for LGBT people internationally; and 
(I) is authorized to represent the United 
States in diplomatic and multilateral situations 
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on matters relevant to the human rights of 
LGBT people, including discrimination and vio-
lence against LGBT people internationally. 
(2) DATA
REPOSITORY.—The Bureau of De-
mocracy, Human Rights, and Labor shall— 
(A) be the central repository of data on all 
United States programs, projects, and activities 
that relate to prevention and response to dis-
crimination and violence against LGBT people; 
and 
(B) produce— 
(i) a full accounting of United States 
Government spending on such programs, 
projects, and activities; and 
(ii) evaluations of the effectiveness of 
implemented programs. 
SEC. 6. BRIEFINGS AND ASSESSMENTS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Special 
Envoy shall brief the appropriate congressional commit-
tees on the status of the human rights of LGBT people 
internationally, as well as the status of programs and re-
sponse strategies to address LGBT discrimination and vi-
olence against LGBT people internationally, and shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees an as-
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sessment of human and financial resources necessary to 
fulfill the purposes and duties of this Act. 
SEC. 7. UNITED STATES POLICY TO PREVENT AND RE-
SPOND TO DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE 
AGAINST LGBT PEOPLE GLOBALLY. 
(a) GLOBAL STRATEGY REQUIREMENT.—Not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter for five years, the Special Envoy 
shall develop or update a United States global strategy 
to prevent and respond to discrimination and violence 
against LGBT people globally. The strategy shall be 
transmitted to the appropriate congressional committees 
and, if practicable, made available to the public. 
(b) INITIAL STRATEGY.—For the purposes of this 
section, the Presidential Memorandum—International Ini-
tiatives to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, 
Bisexual, and Transgender Persons, issued December 6, 
2011, shall be deemed to fulfill the initial requirement of 
subsection (a). 
(c) REPORTING.—In accordance with paragraph (13) 
of section 116(d) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
(22 U.S.C. 2151n(d)), as added by section 9(b), the An-
nual Report on Human Rights Practices shall include de-
tailed descriptions of nations that have adopted laws or 
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constitutional provisions that discriminate against LGBT 
people. 
(d) COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION.—In devel-
oping the strategy under subsection (a), the Special Envoy 
shall consult with— 
(1) mid- and high-level officials of relevant Fed-
eral agencies; and 
(2) representatives of civil society, multilateral, 
and private sector organizations with demonstrated 
experience in addressing discrimination and violence 
against LGBT people or promoting equal rights for 
LGBT people internationally. 
SEC. 8. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNITED STATES STRAT-
EGY TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO LGBT 
DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE AGAINST 
THE LGBT COMMUNITY GLOBALLY. 
The Secretary of State and the Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development are 
authorized to provide assistance to prevent and respond 
to discrimination and violence against LGBT people inter-
nationally, including the following activities: 
(1) Development and implementation of pro-
grams, such as the Global Equality Fund, that re-
spond to human rights abuses and economic exclu-
sion of LGBT people in the workplace and in public. 
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(2) Development and enforcement of civil and 
criminal legal and judicial sanctions, protection, 
training, and capacity. 
(3) Enhancement of the health sector capacity 
to detect, prevent, and respond to violence against 
the LGBT community and to combat HIV/AIDS in 
the LGBT community internationally, in close co-
ordination with the Office of the Global AIDS Coor-
dinator. 
(4) Development of a leadership program for 
international LGBT activists that will foster collabo-
ration and knowledge sharing across the world. 
SEC. 9. MONITORING THE UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO 
PREVENT AND RESPOND TO DISCRIMINA-
TION AND VIOLENCE AGAINST THE LGBT 
COMMUNITY GLOBALLY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In each strategy submitted under 
section 7(a), the Special Envoy shall include an analysis 
of best practices for preventing and addressing discrimina-
tion and violence against LGBT people internationally, 
which shall include— 
(1) a description of successful efforts by foreign 
governments, multilateral institutions, nongovern-
mental organizations, educational organizations, and 
faith-based organizations in preventing and respond-
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ing to discrimination and violence against LGBT 
people; 
(2) recommendations related to best practices, 
effective strategies, and improvements to enhance 
the impact of prevention and response efforts; and 
(3) the impact of activities funded by the strat-
egy in preventing and reducing discrimination and 
violence against LGBT people internationally. 
(b) INFORMATION REQUIRED TO BE INCLUDED IN 
HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES REPORT.—Section 116(d) 
(22 U.S.C. 2151n(d)) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
1961 is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (11)(C), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting a semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (12)(C)(ii), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(13) wherever applicable, the nature and ex-
tent of discrimination and violence based on sexual 
orientation and gender identity.’’. 
Æ 
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