Editing Richard Gere (section)

==Political views and activism==
[[Image:Richard gere2.jpg|upright|thumb|Gere visiting the [[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]] "Operation Lighthouse" Project in Mumbai]]

Gere regularly visits [[Dharamshala]], the headquarters of the [[Central Tibetan Administration|Tibetan government-in-exile]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_richard-gere-in-bodh-gaya-to-attend-dalai-lama-s-discourse_1632465|title=Richard Gere in Bodh Gaya to attend Dalai Lama's discourse|access-date=May 27, 2012|work=[[Daily News and Analysis]]|archive-date=October 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028160120/http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_richard-gere-in-bodh-gaya-to-attend-dalai-lama-s-discourse_1632465|url-status=live}}</ref> He is an advocate for [[human rights in Tibet]] and is a co-founder of the [[Tibet House US]], creator of the Gere Foundation, and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the [[International Campaign for Tibet]]. Because he supports the [[International Tibet Independence Movement|Tibetan Independence Movement]], Gere is [[Persona non grata|permanently banned]] from entering [[China]].<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/1997/11/09/can-you-go-home-again.html Yahlin Chang, 'Red Corner,'] ''[[Newsweek]]'' (New York) November 10, 1997: Gere has already been banned from entering China for his pro-Tibet activities.</ref><ref>Laurence Caracalla, ''Harrison Ford,'' Silverback Books, 2007, pg. 93. ISBN 978-2-7528-0247-7</ref> In 2017, Gere stated he believed his advocacy had resulted in him no longer being cast in Hollywood blockbusters so as not to offend the growing Chinese audience for blockbuster films, with China now the second-largest film market in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 20, 2017 |title=Richard Gere says he's been dropped from big Hollywood movies because China doesn't like him |url=https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/richard-gere-big-hollywood-movies-china-tibet-buddhist-dalia-lama-chinese-audience-blockbusters-a7693256.html |work=[[The Independent]] |archive-date=December 31, 2024 |access-date=December 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241231013436/https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/richard-gere-big-hollywood-movies-china-tibet-buddhist-dalia-lama-chinese-audience-blockbusters-a7693256.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1993, Gere was banned from being an [[Academy Award]] presenter after he denounced the [[Chinese government]] while announcing the nominees.<ref>{{cite web|title=Richard Gere profile|url=http://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/richard-gere|work=[[Hello (magazine)|Hello]]|date=October 8, 2009|access-date=February 24, 2015|archive-date=November 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141125102650/http://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/richard-gere/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/richard-gere-man-of-masks-761587.html|title=Richard Gere: Man of masks|date=December 1, 2007|work=The Independent|location=London, UK|archive-date=August 8, 2011|access-date=September 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808045650/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/richard-gere-man-of-masks-761587.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2007, Gere called for the boycott of the [[2008 Beijing Olympic Games]] to put pressure on China to make Tibet independent.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Siegel |first1=Tatiana |title=Richard Gere's Studio Exile: Why His Hollywood Career Took an Indie Turn |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/richard-geres-studio-exile-why-his-hollywood-career-took-an-indie-turn-992258 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=18 April 2017 |language=en |archive-date=September 25, 2019 |access-date=November 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925092241/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/richard-geres-studio-exile-why-his-hollywood-career-took-an-indie-turn-992258 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Steger |first1=Isabella |title=Why it's so hard to keep the world focused on Tibet |url=https://qz.com/1565178/how-china-has-shrunk-global-attention-for-tibet-and-the-dalai-lama/ |work=Quartz |date=28 March 2019 |language=en |archive-date=October 23, 2019 |access-date=November 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023114021/https://qz.com/1565178/how-china-has-shrunk-global-attention-for-tibet-and-the-dalai-lama/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He starred in a Free Tibet-themed [[Lancia]] commercial featuring the [[Lancia Delta]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://paultan.org/2008/07/06/lancia-delta-richard-gere-tv-commercial|title=Lancia Delta "Richard Gere" TV Commercial|work=paultan.org}}</ref> On June 27, 2011, Gere meditated in [[Borobudur]] Temple<ref>[http://www.mediaindonesia.com/read/2011/06/27/237640/65/10/Richard-Gere-Ingin-Kembali-ke-Candi-Borobudur Richard Gere Ingin Kembali ke Candi Borobudur] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110630155216/http://www.mediaindonesia.com/read/2011/06/27/237640/65/10/Richard-Gere-Ingin-Kembali-ke-Candi-Borobudur|date=June 30, 2011}}</ref> in [[Indonesia]]. He actively supports [[Survival International]], an organization dedicated to protecting the rights and lands of tribal peoples throughout the world.<ref name="biochannel"/>

Gere campaigns for ecological causes and [[HIV/AIDS|AIDS]] awareness. He currently serves on the board of directors for Healing the Divide, an organization that supports global initiatives to promote peace, justice and understanding.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.healingthedivide.org/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629164738/http://www.healingthedivide.org/|url-status=dead|title=healingthedivide.org|archivedate=June 29, 2012}}</ref> Gere helped to establish the AIDS Care Home, a residential facility in India for women and children with AIDS, and also supports campaigns for AIDS awareness and education in that country. In 1999, he created the Gere Foundation India Trust to support a variety of humanitarian programs in India.<ref>[http://www.gerefoundation.org/bio.html The Gere Foundation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090819085139/http://www.gerefoundation.org/bio.html |date=August 19, 2009 }}; retrieved May 12, 2007.</ref>
[[File:Richard Gere with PM Modi.jpg|left|thumb|Gere with [[Narendra Modi]] in 2015]]

On April 15, 2007, Gere appeared at an AIDS awareness rally in [[Jaipur]]. During a live news conference to promote condom use among truck drivers, he embraced [[Bollywood]] superstar [[Shilpa Shetty]], [[Dip (dance move)|dipped]] her, and kissed her several times on the cheek. As a result of that gesture, a local court ordered the arrest of Gere and Shetty, finding them in violation of public [[obscenity]] laws. Gere has said the controversy was "manufactured by a small hard-line political party". About a month later, a two-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, [[K. G. Balakrishnan]], described the case as "frivolous" and believed that such complaints against celebrities were filed for "cheap publicity" and have brought a bad name to the country. They ruled that Gere would remain free to enter the country.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7295797.stm|work=BBC News|title=Richard Gere cleared of obscenity|date=March 14, 2008|access-date=May 22, 2010|archive-date=June 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608045633/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7295797.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Gere contributed some of his writing for the book ''We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples'', released in October 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.survivalinternational.org/weareone|title=We Are One|work=survivalinternational.org|access-date=November 26, 2009|archive-date=January 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118020312/http://www.survivalinternational.org/weareone|url-status=live}}</ref> Gere discussed the persecution and loss of land of the [[Jumma people]] as an example of a tragic story that repeats itself in different continents of the world, calling attention to the crime against their peaceful culture and how it reflects on humanity's relationship with nature and capacity to survive.<ref>{{cite book|title=We are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples|last=Eede|first=Joanna|publisher=Quadrille Publishing|year=2009|isbn=978-1-84400-729-5}}</ref> The royalties from the book's sale go to the [[indigenous rights]] organization [[Survival International]].

In 2010, Gere stated that the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|war in Iraq]] was not supported by the American people and that the [[presidency of George W. Bush]] had "bullied" Americans into the decision.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-09-04|title=Richard Gere, Charlize Theron join in the Bush bashing|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2007/09/04/richard-gere-charlize-theron-join-in-the-bush-bashing/|access-date=2020-11-21|website=Orange County Register|language=en-US}}</ref> He called [[George W. Bush]] a "very poor president".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/juliette-binoche-and-richard-gere-greet-press|title=Juliette Binoche and Richard Gere greet the press|work=Al-Masry Al-Youm|date=December 1, 2010|archive-date=December 24, 2010|access-date=December 27, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224174457/http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/juliette-binoche-and-richard-gere-greet-press|url-status=live}}</ref> In a press conference held on the sidelines of the [[34th Cairo International Film Festival]], Gere said, "I'm very sorry about what the U.S. has done in Iraq. This war has been a tragedy for everyone. I hope that the people of Iraq can rebuild their country."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://213.158.162.45/~egyptian/index.php?action=news&id=13433&title=Seeing%20the%20stars%20in%20Cairo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704184256/http://213.158.162.45/~egyptian/index.php?action=news&id=13433&title=Seeing%20the%20stars%20in%20Cairo|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 4, 2011|title=Seeing the stars in Cairo|work=Egyptian Gazette|date=December 27, 2010}}</ref>

In 2016, Gere endorsed [[Hillary Clinton]] for president and donated $2,700 to [[Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign|her campaign]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/celebrities-favorite-presidential-candidates/55|work=CBS News|title=Celebs endorsing presidential candidates|date=October 18, 2016|access-date=July 15, 2018}}</ref>

In 2017, Gere criticized [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]'s policies on the Palestinians and [[Israel]]'s expansion of [[Israeli settlement|settlements]] in the occupied [[West Bank]], stating, "Settlements are such an absurd provocation and, certainly in the international sense, completely illegal—and they are certainly not part of the program of someone who wants a genuine peace process."<ref>{{cite news |title=Richard Gere: There Is 'No Defense' of Israel's Occupation or 'Illegal' Settlements |url=https://www.newsweek.com/richard-gere-there-no-defense-israels-occupation-illegal-settlements-567095 |work=Newsweek |date=March 13, 2017 |archive-date=November 15, 2019 |access-date=November 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115124653/https://www.newsweek.com/richard-gere-there-no-defense-israels-occupation-illegal-settlements-567095 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In February 2023, Gere was one of the 480 global figures who signed a statement from [[Freedom House]] expressing support for [[Mahsa Amini protests|Mahsa Amini protesters]], urging sanctions on Iranian officials, and calling for the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] to be proscribed as a terror group.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-01 |title=Global figures urge support for Iran protesters |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230201-global-figures-urge-support-for-iran-protesters |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=[[France 24]] |language=en}}</ref>