Bruce Knotts, Director of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, and OutCaster Lucas
Part 1 — October 1, 2019
Part 2 — November 1, 2019
Part 3 — December 1, 2019
Being LGBTQ in the United States can be difficult enough. We have marriage equality but still no protection in much of the country from discrimination in employment, housing, credit, and other areas. The Canadian Supreme Court recently ruled that protecting LGBT people from discrimination overrides religious beliefs. The U.S. seems poised to take an opposite approach.
But it can be much worse in other parts of the world. Russia, never known for tolerance, has its notorious “gay propaganda” laws that increase antipathy toward LGBTQ people. In Chechnya, gay men have been subject to police beatings and thrown off buildings. OutCaster Dante commented on these atrocities in the September 2017 edition of OutCasting Overtime.
And it gets worse. So what are LGBTQ people to do when faced with these conditions in their home countries? Get out of the country, one would say, and that’s what many do. But exactly how? How do they get the paperwork to travel to a different country? Where do they go, and how do they gain admittance to a new country they hope will be safer? Where do they settle? Is there an “Underground Railroad” to assist them? What additional challenges and dangers do they face because they’re LGBTQ?
In this three part series — OutCasting’s first international coverage — OutCaster Lucas talks these issues with Bruce Knotts, a longtime international LGBTQ advocate. Bruce was a U.S. diplomat for more than 20 years before retiring from the State Department. Shortly thereafter, he accepted his current position of Director of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office.
LISTEN NOW
LGBTQ+ issues seen from the rarely heard perspectives of LGBTQ youth and straight allies — not by and for LGBTQ youth, but by LGBTQ youth and straight allies and for anyone who wants to better understand LGBTQ issues — parents, grandparents, kids, relatives, straight, LGBTQ, everyone!
OutCasting »
In-depth coverage of LGBTQ issues, featuring discussions with highly authoritative experts and people with compelling stories
OutCasting Overtime »
Working extra hard to bring you commentaries, discussions, and perspectives from our youth participants
OutCasting Off the Clock »
Having fun with the Ga[y]me Show, extra commentaries, and other behind-the scenes stuff
Podcasts »
Find OutCasting wherever you get your podcasts
Our groundbreaking LGBTQ youth program, nationally distributed on the Pacifica Radio Network, all major podcast sites, and here at MFPG.org.
As a nonprofit, we rely on individual donations and foundation and corporate grants.