SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Gay social network Hornet announced today the launch of the “Know Your Rights” campaign, an effort to educate gay men of their rights as brutal violence against the LGBTQ community is on the rise worldwide. Hornet worked closely with the United Nations’ “Free & Equal” campaign, a public education campaign created to protect human rights globally, to provide its 18 million-plus users the resources to stay safe while traveling abroad.
“The instrument developed by Hornet is very relevant in a context where LGBTQ people worldwide remain at high risk for severe human rights abuses including abduction, unlawful detention or extrajudicial killing. Our priority is to do everything in our power to protect LGBTQ community members from such abuses. But efforts are also needed to ensure those responsible for such abuses are prosecuted and held accountable, and that victims are able to obtain remedy for the abuses they have suffered. The first step must be to report these abuses which too often remain invisible,” said Hornet President Sean Howell.
In the midst of the imprisonment, torture and murder of gay men in Chechnya, Russia, Hornet created an in-app system to update users of anti-LGBTQ policies in countries where laws target the LGBTQ community. As users travel across international borders, Hornet and United Nations’ “Free & Equal” have developed helpful tips to ensure safety for both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. Tips include disabling Touch ID on electronic devices, uninstalling apps from your phone that could reveal sexuality identity or personal information and more. The campaign will also provide a map of the various countries where homosexuality is criminalized and information on where and how to report human rights violations from around the world.
“Hornet represents 20 million gay men who do not have full equality, and while our community is threatened, we will stand up and work in smart ways to be counted and not allow attempts to make us invisible. It is equally important we take proactive steps and not merely promote feel good petitions but actually work with institutions that have protocols in place to handle these kinds of bullies and tyrants. We have to do more to support users in the region,” said Fabrice Houdart, Human Rights Officer OHCHR of the United Nations and former Senior Country Officer at World Bank.
As protests around the world continue in opposition to the mistreatment of LGBTQ and other marginalized people, Hornet is committed to being a leader in the resistance. Hornet’s mission is to build the digital home for the gay community, providing information to the users of its app and being the ultimate platform for connecting gay men globally.
