Reviewing the United States' record on civil and political rights, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) condemned the country's record on LGBTQ+ rights, according to Human Rights Watch.
In 1992, the United States ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Every four years, the HRC reviews laws and policies in countries that have ratified the treaty to see where they are in compliance with the treaty—and where they fall short.
Because of the COVID pandemic, this was the country's first evaluation in almost a decade.
In advance of the review, released on Nov. 3, the LGBT Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, the University of Miami School of Law Human Rights Clinic and partner organizations submitted a report to the committee showing how several states have aggressively rolled back LGBTQ+ rights in recent years.
In its concluding observations, the committee expressed concern about laws limiting transgender people's access to healthcare, athletics and public accommodations, and those restricting discussions of race, slavery, sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
—Andrew Davis
