The Pros And Cons Of The Decriminalization Of Gay Marriage

There are few places in the world where it is truly safe to be gay and there are even fewer places where it is safe to be a transgender or gender non-conforming person. And while some of the world's most powerful countries "urge" the global decriminalization of homosexuality or the repeal of discriminatory laws that affect the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LBGT) community, we are still a long way off from a future whereeveryoneissafebeingwhotheyare. Somecountrieswilltoutthefact that they have decriminalized homosexuality as proof of their progressive attitudes and that they treat all their citizens equally. It is clear, however, that just because a country no longer explicitly arrests and jails individuals for being lesbian, gay,

Unfortunately, not all states show the same deference toward international law. Whether it is a distrust of international law or entrenched homophobia, some governments ignore international (and sometimes domestic) law that requires equal treatment of all people.

Nevertheless, there are numerous opportunities for individuals whose basic human rights have been violated to utilize international legal bodies to file an individual complaint. Using international law to assist individuals seeking justice is a natural progression from the other human rights work in which international bodies engage. Moreover, an individual compliant is helpñil to hold one's own country accountable to the larger international

Thefirstand foremost legal commitments the Russian Federation has are to its own laws, and, as discussed above, it is necessary to exhaust domestic remedies in order to access international remedies.

Laws at the national, subnational and local levels all play a role in how LGBTQ peoples are treated, protected and discriminated against. Though there are no constitutional provisions or national laws explicitly protecting LGBTQ people, there are several laws that can be used by LGBTQ people to exercise the rights every Russian citizen is supposedly given.

Russia has inherited the Soviet Union's place in many of the international bodies it sat on and has taken on the responsibilities and obligations its prede- cessor agreed to in various treaties. In the multitude of different international communities to which Russia now belongs, there are several declarations of individual rights that, like domestic law, can be invoked by LGBTQ people seeking enforcement of basic