Mandela Washington Fellowship

at the University of Delaware

Freedom and Inclusion for All

To deny people their human rights is to challenge their humanity. LGBT+ people in most countries still remain the subject of abuse and are unfairly treated by their societies. This has caused them not to enjoy their own fundamental rights as any other person. In most countries, religion has played a role in discriminating people and considering LGBT+ people as sinners and has promoted the use of hate speech which, has accelerated discrimination and stigma.

In most African countries, same sex relations are criminalized and if people are found to be part of the LGBT+ community, they are likely to face imprisonment of up to 14 years. The issue is, even though same sex relationships are criminalized, it does not necessarily mean that people abscond. However, people are doing it in the closet and unsafely. This is highly likely to affect the whole nation, including high spreads of HIV. Many countries do not have laws that protect LGBT+ people. Many of them face dismissal from work, drop out from school and are excluded from society, which affects their standard of living and quality of life.

One thing that stood out for me is that, if governments will not protect people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, people will do it unsafely and it will affect the whole nation. During todays session, I have learnt that all human beings deserve to be protected, respected and should equally enjoy their fundamental rights for a better development of a nation.

 

UD Mandela Washington Fellows in a class session at ISE Lab. UD Mandela Washington Fellows during a class session in ISE Lab.

 

 

A Photo of UD Mandela Washington Fellow, Lawrence Chipili Lawrence Chipili is a promising young influencer in Malawi with eight years’ experience in the community development sector. Currently, he is the founder and director for LITE, a lesbian, intersex, and transgender-focused organization. Lawrence holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Social Work. He is passionate about the wellbeing of the LGBTI+ community in Malawi and one day hopes to witness a Malawi where LGBTI+ people are protected, respected, and enjoy their human rights as any other citizen in the country. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Lawrence intends to continue advocating for the rights of the LGBTI+ community.

 

 


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