The U.S. House on Tuesday approved a
bill in support of LGBTQ rights overseas.
Passage of the Global Respect Act was
bipartisan, the Washington Blade reported.
Rhode Island Representative David
Cicilline, a Democrat, introduced the measure with Pennsylvania
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican. Cicilline is gay and
chairs the LGBTQ Equality Caucus.
The measure cleared the House with a
227-206 vote.
Cicilline said in a statement that the
legislation would codify existing policies such as denying visas to
people who commit human rights abuses against LGBTQ people abroad.
“In the past few years, we have seen
a dangerous trend of increasing violence targeting lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and intersex people and their families,”
Cicilline said. “In too many places, violence against LGBTQI+
communities is pervasive, and even sanctioned or directed by
government officials.”
“With today’s vote, the House sent
a strong message around the world that every member of the LGBTQI+
community deserves to live with dignity and free from violence,
unlawful detention, torture, and other forms of brutality,” he
added.
A companion bill in the Senate also has
bipartisan support. Its sponsors are Senators Jeanne Shaheen, a
Democrat from New Hampshire, and Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio.