website birth_place nationality birth_date known_for image article_title name alma_mater
http://paper-bird.net radford , virginia -lrb- usa -rrb- american 05 june 1963 human rights/lgbt rights activism thumb scott long
 scott long radford university harvard university
scott long

scott long -lrb- born june 5 , 1963 in radford , virginia -rrb- is a us-born activist for international human rights , primarily focusing on the rights of lesbian , gay , bisexual , and transgender -lrb- lgbt -rrb- people .
he founded the lesbian , gay , bisexual , and transgender rights program at human rights watch , the first-ever program on lgbt rights at a major `` mainstream '' human rights organization , and served as its executive director from may 2004 - august 2010 .
he later was a visiting fellow in the human rights program of harvard law school from 2011 - 2012 .
long has investigated and advocated against human rights abuses in countries including albania , egypt , jamaica , iraq , romania , russia , south africa , the united states , zambia , and zimbabwe .
he also helped achieve some of the earliest victories for lgbt rights at the united nations .
he is known for his innovative strategies for human rights in difficult environments ; his support for grassroots lgbt activism on several continents ; his incisive analyses of moral panics and backlash politics ; and his criticisms of western hegemony , including western dominance of the global human rights movement .
journalist rex wockner called long `` arguably the most knowledgeable person on the planet about international lgbt issues . ''
david mixner called him `` one of the unsung heroes of the lgbt community . ''
long 's blog , `` a paper bird '' , which focuses on global politics and sexuality , has been acclaimed as `` must-read , '' `` indispensable , '' and `` brilliant . ''
hadi ghaemi , executive director of the international campaign for human rights in iran , praised long 's `` exemplary dedication and diligence , '' saying that `` his articulate and relentless defense of lgbt rights everywhere is unparalleled , and his tremendous efforts on this front have been a guiding voice for justice and equality . ''
