Afghanistan: Taliban Target LGBT Afghans
(New York, January 26, 2022) – Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Afghans and people who do not conform to rigid gender norms in Afghanistan have faced an increasingly desperate situation and grave threats to their safety and lives under the Taliban, Human Rights Watch and OutRight Action International said in a report released today.
The 43-page report, “‘Even If You Go to the Skies, We’ll Find You’: LGBT People in Afghanistan After the Taliban Takeover,” is based on 60 interviews with LGBT Afghans. Many reported that Taliban members attacked or threatened them because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Others reported abuse from family members, neighbors, and romantic partners who now support the Taliban or believed they had to act against LGBT people close to them to ensure their own safety. Some fled their homes from attacks by Taliban members or supporters pursuing them. Others watched lives they had carefully built over the years disappear overnight and found themselves at risk of being targeted at any time because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The 43-page report, “‘Even If You Go to the Skies, We’ll Find You’: LGBT People in Afghanistan After the Taliban Takeover,” is based on 60 interviews with LGBT Afghans. Many reported that Taliban members attacked or threatened them because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Others reported abuse from family members, neighbors, and romantic partners who now support the Taliban or believed they had to act against LGBT people close to them to ensure their own safety. Some fled their homes from attacks by Taliban members or supporters pursuing them. Others watched lives they had carefully built over the years disappear overnight and found themselves at risk of being targeted at any time because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Related News
ENG
Monday, 12 October 2026
Philippines: Flood Control Project Disregards Rights
Pampanga Residents Face Flooding, Lack of Livelihoods at Relocation Site
ENG
KO
Tuesday, 8 September 2026
South Korea: Systemic Gender, Age Discrimination at Work
Widen Opportunities, Close Pay and Pension Gaps for Women
ENG
Monday, 18 May 2026
Myanmar: No Redress for Rohingya Muslims in Arakan Army Massacre
At Least 170 Killed at Hoyyar Siri in 2024 Amid Military Indifference; Survivors Denied Return