The Obama Administration and Brazil have announced they will promote LGBT rights among member nations of the Organization of American States. This is the second foreign policy initiative in as many days regarding global LGBT issues from the White House.
In a joint statement released by President Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, the leaders announced mutual commitments between the U.S. and Brazil. In the section on "Democracy, Human Rights, Racial Equality and Social Inclusion," the presidents noted the "need to promote respect for the human rights of LGBT people" and announced plans to establish a "special rapporteur" at OAS.
They agreed to cooperate in advancing democracy, human rights and freedom for all people bilaterally and through the United Nations and other multilateral fora, including ensuring respect for human rights in the context of the democratic movements and transitions; strengthening the UN Human Rights Council as recently demonstrated in the case of the creation of the Commission of Inquiry on Libya; promoting respect for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals through the establishment of a Special Rapporteur at the OAS; and improving the conduct of free and fair elections regionally and globally, including through the promotion of human rights in the context of elections and increasing their accessibility to disabled persons. rapporteur" at OAS.
Brazil's twenty-six states and Distrito Federal have made progress on LGBT rights in recent years. In December 2010, the federal government decreed that members of same-sex couples are entitled to social security survivor’s benefits in the event of the partner’s death.