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Date and Location
Erin Norris
Pride and Power: Global LGBTQI+ Issues in Perilous Times
Facilitators: Jessica Stern and Timothy Patrick McCarthy
Carr-Ryan Center Study Group | Spring 2026
Description
The rights and lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex peoples stand at a critical crossroads. Across the globe, we see a complex and contested patchwork of ideologies and belief systems, legal protections and discriminations, social and political practices, movement tactics and strategies, progress and backlash. In an attempt to make sense of some of these confounding dynamics, this study group will explore the origin and evolution of “queering human rights” in modern times, examine the forces and stakeholders involved in the advancement of and attack on LGBTQI+ human rights globally, map the current state of the movement by highlighting specific “bad spots” and “bright spots,” and consider where we go from here. Our work will be guided by this central question: How can queer people have pride and build power in the face of the very real challenges and opportunities before us in this perilous time?
Schedule & Syllabus
“Pride and Power” is a 4-session spring semester study group offered on select dates from mid-February through late April 2026.
Session Two: Queering/Gendering Human Rights: Origin, Evolution & Backlash
Wednesday March 25th | 12:00 - 1:15 PM | Virtual
This session will examine the modern history of efforts to “queer” human rights through a reading of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and examination of historical legacies, human rights documents, grassroots activism, and governmental and intergovernmental practices.
Pre-readings:
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
- Human Rights Watch, This Alien Legacy: The Origins of ‘Sodomy Laws’ in British Colonialism (2008)
- Oral Amendments to be presented by the United States to the CSW70 draft agreed conclusions (United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 2026
- Protection of Women and Girls through appropriate terminology (Proposal by the United States of America, United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 2026)
- Vote on the Draft Agreed Conclusions (United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 2026)
- A Report by Civil Society (Outright, ISHR, ILGA, ARC International), Defending the Independent Expert: On Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (2025)
Facilitator Bios
Jessica Stern is the former U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, U.S. State Department, and a Carr-Ryan Center Senior Fellow. Full bio here.
Timothy Patrick McCarthy is Lecturer on Education and Public Policy, Harvard University, and Faculty Chair, Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program, Carr-Ryan Center. Full bio here.