US envoy advances LGBTQ rights in a world of 'mind-boggling' violence, discrimination

WASHINGTON – Jessica Stern is on a mission to advance the cause of LGBTQ people in a world where violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation know no geographical boundaries.

Gays and lesbians in Afghanistan are hiding in fear for their lives after the Taliban's terrifying return to power. A new law in Hungary makes it illegal to display or share with minors any materials that depict homosexuality or gender issues. Lawmakers in Ghana and Senegal are pushing bills to lengthen jail sentences for people convicted of same-sex relations.

In the United States, conservative state legislatures introduced more than 100 pieces of legislation in the past year alone to restrict the rights of transgender Americans.