The UN charter is clear: all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Today, on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia #IDAHOBIT, we express our full support for members of the LGBTQI+ community. Human rights are universal, and LGBTQI+ persons have the same human rights as everyone else. The struggle to end violence, discrimination, criminalization, and stigma against LGBTQI+ persons is a global challenge that remains central to our commitment to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Full transcript:
Today, we observe IDAHOBIT: the international day against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.
On IDAHOBIT, we raise awareness on violations of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people around the world.
Our countries are part of the Equal Rights Coalition, which works for a world where every nation recognizes, promotes and protects the human rights of LGBTIQ+ people.
We are bringing communities and governments together to strengthen LGBTIQ+ rights and freedoms.
We want to bring more voices to the table, particularly LGBTIQ+ organizations in the Global South to ensure our work is inclusive, diverse and representative of local contexts.
An increasing part of the world is committed to progress in the protection of LGBTIQ+ people.
However, as much progress as we have achieved in the last decades, we are not there yet.
Around the world, LGBTIQ+ people still face criminalization, discrimination and violence just for being who they are and loving who they love.
Also in our own countries, LGBTIQ+ people face stigmatization in public spaces, such as schools, work spaces and in the media, online and offline.
This has to stop.
The UN charter is clear: all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
We reject and condemn all acts of violence, harassment, stigmatization and discrimination in all regions of the world committed against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics.
We express our full support for members of the LGBTIQ+ community and their rights to equality and non-discrimination, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and freedom from violence.
We support the fight against hate speech, violence, and discrimination targeting LGBTIQ+ individuals and communities.
We also note the important advocacy of LGBTIQ+ civil society organizations which are working to ensure that LGBTIQ+ people receive equal treatment and the full protection of the law.
We encourage steps in every country to ensure the equality and dignity of all human beings and stress the need for leaders and governments to show respect for and protect the rights of LGBTIQ+ people.
More needs to be done, in every part of the world, to help ensure LGBTIQ+ people feel safe and are treated equally throughout society.
Our countries are proud to stand alongside our partners in trying to achieve this goal.
