I’m surprised I haven’t seem more about this today, because in my opinion, this is a really big deal. The linked Washington Blade story describes Obama’s proclamation very well, so I encourage you to read it there.
Specific language in the proclamation explicitly states that those who persecute people based on their “sexual orientation and gender identity” are among the categories of those who won’t be able to enter the United States.
Additionally, the proclamation prevents not only those who perpetuated human rights abuses overseas from entering the United States, but also those who have “attempted or conspired to do so.”
“The proclamation also bans admission to the United States for those who are complicit in organizing these abuses — not just those who carry them out,” a White House fact sheet states. “As such, it allows the United States to act before planned abuses and atrocities metastasize into actual ones.”
The treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer individuals varies across the globe, and even where people are relatively free and equal abuses and crimes can exist. But the very bottom level starting place has to be to end government sanctioned or institutional/structural violence and abuse . The elimination of this type of issue doesn’t create equality, fairness, and freedom in and of itself, but without it no further progress can exist.
The Blade article talked specifically how this may impact individuals associated with Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” bill, but in reality Uganda is far from the only trouble spot across the globe. Ghana is an equally frightening situation as is Iran (although fewer Iranians may be seeking to visit the US at this point.)