LGBT Rights in the Developing World: What Can Washington Do?

President Obama’s trip to Kenya earlier this year elicited charges from within the country that the United States was seeking to impose LGBT rights on unwilling Kenyans. This sentiment has found support among political leaders in many developing countries, who have sanctioned the persecution of sexual minorities for political gain while raising the specter of a new colonialism that would seek to impose Western values on their traditional cultures.

But beyond media reports highlighting cases of abuse and persecution in various countries, what do we know about the state of LBGT rights in the developing world more generally? And in the face of abuse, what can Washington do about it?

Following featured remarks from former US Representative Barney Frank, an expert panel will address these issues from the perspective of policymakers, researchers, and development practitioners.