2020 Business Action Horizon Scan
PRIORITISING BUSINESS ACTION ON LGBT+ INCLUSION
Businesses across the world understand that operating in LGBT+ inclusive environments is essential for business performance and economic growth. However, LGBT+ rights are constantly under threat. This poses a risk for businesses, especially as employees and consumers expect them to take a stronger stand in support of LGBT+ inclusion.
Open For Business exists to help companies take action for LGBT+ inclusion around the world. We have prepared the 2020 Business Action Horizon Scan with a number of our global civil society partners to provide businesses with a long-term view of where developments on LGBT+ rights might occur in 2021. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to info@open-for-business.org with questions about how your company can respond to these developments.
Thank you to our civil society partners for their valuable input!
We received input from the Human Dignity Trust, Freedom to Marry Global and OutRight Action International.
| Africa | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kenya | Criminalization & Freedom of Association | An appeal has been filed to challenge Kenya's laws that criminalize same-sex acts. It is expected to be heard in 2021 and will set a precedent for the region. An appeal is also underway at the Supreme Court to defend LGBT+ organizations' freedom of association. |
| Mauritius | Criminalization | Constitutional challenge to the laws criminalizing same-sex acts expected to be heard by the Supreme Court in mid-2021. |
| Other | Various | There are other developments expected across Africa that have been deemed too sensitive to share publicly. We will discuss these on the next Open for Business coalition partner webinar. |
| Americas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Caribbean | Criminalization | Challenges to laws that criminalize same-sex acts have been filed in Dominica and St. Vincent and will be filed in Barbados, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Lucia, Grenada and Guyana in 2021. A successful judgment in Trinidad and Tobago is currently being appealed by the government. |
| Chile | Marriage Equality | A bill to legalize marriage equality passed Chile's Senate in January. While the bill faces additional votes on the proposed amendments, there is hope that it will pass in 2021. |
| Argentina | Transgender Workplace Opportunities | Argentina established 1% quota for transgender workers in government service jobs in April. There is potential for quota expansion to the private sector, and Banco Nation (largest Argentinian bank) is already piloting the quota program. |
| Belize | Hate Crime Prevention & Equal Opportunities | LGBT+ hate crime prevention and equal opportunities bills were withdrawn prior to the November election. There is an opportunity to push for the bills adoption in 2021 with the new political regime |
| Asia-Pacific | ||
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Marriage Equality, Non-Discrimination & Gender Identity | All three policies will be under scrutiny in Japan leading up to the Summer Olympics (postponed to August 2021 due to Covid-19). There will be a public campaign to focus on all three issues that will launch during the Olympics in Tokyo. |
| The Philippines | Non-Discrimination | Various iterations of the SOGIE Equality Bill, which will make it unlawful to discriminate on basis on sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, being reviewed by Congress. |
| Thailand | Civil Partnership & Gender Identity | The Thailand Cabinet approved draft bill legalizing civil partnerships for same-sex couples in July. Additionally, a gender identify bill that would make it legal for people to change their legal gender was tabled in August. Both will face various consultations and votes in 2021. |
| Singapore | Criminalization | The Singapore High Court dismissed the initial challenge to same-sex relations criminalization in March 2020. The appeal is expected to be heard in early 2021. |
| Europe | ||
|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | Marriage Equality | The Equal Marriage Bill to legalize marriage equality has been stalled in Parliament for two years, but support continues to grow with 67% of Czechs supporting the rule. |
| Hungary | Constitutional Amendments to Gender Identity and Adoption | Anti-LGBT rhetoric has increased during the pandemic and the LGBT+ community has become a political target ahead of the 2022 election. Recently the government has introduced same-sex adoption bans, approved a law banning gender affirming surgery, and proposed a constitutional amendment requiring children to be raised with a traditional interpretation of gender roles. |
| Poland | Hate Speech | Anti-LGBT+ rhetoric continues to grow in Poland, including the introduction of "LGBT+ free zones" across the country. This is expected to continue unless organizations supportive of LGBT+ inclusion counteract with positive messages of inclusion. |