the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights

“ Preamble "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." This famous first sentence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted almost sixty years ago by the General Assembly of the United Nations, still contains in a nutshell our political agenda, as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, transitioned and intersexual persons. ”

“ We must work as hard as we can to make it possible for LGBT activists from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe to participate in the global LGBT human rights movement on an equal footing. Our long-term goal, as resources permit, should be much more proportionate representation of the Global South at international LGBT conferences. We must remember that 88% of LGBT people live in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
The unequal position of women inside the our movement reflects the still unequal power relations between women and men in the world as a whole. ”

“ Progress in realizing LGBT human rights demands multi-layered change in all parts of the world: rights must be secured, laws changed, new policies designed and implemented, and institutional practices adapted. LGBT individuals and groups are the prime agents of change. But we will only win if we enlist others as allies in our struggle. ”

“ We must also work to build an LGBT community that is open to all, and offers fair chances to everyone, regardless of their sex, race, religion, disability, age, economic status or other similar characteristic. We must fight discrimination within our own ranks. We cannot tolerate sexism and racism inside our movement. ”

“ Our primary goal is to work for a safe environment in every country, so that LGBT people do not need to leave their countries because of fear for their lives. But every nation has an obligation to grant asylum to persons persecuted on the basis of their race, religion, political opinion and the like. LGBT persons who have a well-founded fear of persecution, by state or non-state actors, based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, must find similar protection within the framework of the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention. ”

“ Freedom to engage in (private, consensual, adult) same-sex sexual activity Seventy-five countries – over one third of the countries in the world – still have laws in place criminalizing same-sex sexual acts between consenting adults. Acts that harm nobody. Under international human rights standards, this violates the right to privacy, as recognised by the UN Human Rights Committee in its Toonen decision in 1994, and is also discrimination: a refusal to recognise the equal dignity and worth of LGBT individuals. ”

“ GLOBAL ISSUES A world where LGBT human rights are systematically violated, is a world where nobody can feel safe and free. "All human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated" (World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 1993) . ”

“ In many parts of the world, LGBT individuals are still forced to marry a person of the opposite sex against their will, and risk heavy penalties (including violence and death at the hands of members of their families) if they try to escape such arrangements. Forced marriages are indisputably a human rights violation that must be combated. Intersexual individuals experience a particular form of violence, in the form of genital mutilation resulting from unnecessary post-birth surgery designed to make them conform to a rigid binary model of physical sex characteristics. ”

“ Protection against state and private violence Nine countries punish homosexuality with the death penalty – a human rights violation in itself, regardless of the reason for imposing the sentence. Extrajudicially, we witness in many countries torture and other violence against – and sometimes killings of - LGBT individuals simply because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. ”

“ Much work still needs to be done. Over time, all sectors of society must be scrutinized for existing rules and practices that still hinder the free, open and equal participation of LGBT individuals. Among these sectors, specific priorities for action must be decided by the LGBT human rights movement in each country, depending on their local circumstances.
- We demand that all governments develop and implement a comprehensive policy against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in all sectors of society. ”

“ We will continue knocking on the door of the United Nations. We do not accept that a world organisation can be closed to a specific part of the Earth's population, and can decide that it does not want to deal with their issues. ”

“ Even where such laws are not enforced in practice, they stigmatise, perpetuate prejudices, encourage blackmail and intimidation, and serve as justifications for other forms of discrimination. - We urge the international community to put pressure on the governments of countries that keep violating the essential human rights of LGBT people. - We demand an immediate end to use of the death penalty worldwide – especially for the so-called "crime" of same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults. ”

“ LGBT people do not live on an island, but form part of all societies, and rightly expect that their situations and their demands will be taken into account in formulating all public policies. Accordingly, LGBT human rights must be mainstreamed into global debates about social and political issues. ”

“ The United Nations has so far been unwilling or unable to recognize that LGBT rights are human rights, and fully incorporate LGBT issues into its human rights work. Some specific UN treaty bodies and special rapporteurs have taken LGBT rights into account. But in 2005, the UN Commission on Human Rights refused for the third time to decide on a general resolution on ‘Human Rights and Sexual Orientation’, first tabled by Brazil in 2003. ”

“ Without the essential right of LGBT non-governmental organisations to carry on their work, free of repressive and discriminatory restrictions, it can become impossible to campaign for the reform of discriminatory laws LGBT activists are entitled to protection and support, and to express themselves without fear of recrimination, just like other human rights defenders. ”

“ LGBT identities or practices have existed and continue to exist in every culture and corner of the world; they are simply part of the human condition. Fighting ignorance and prejudice remains our first priority. ”

“ This can only be achieved if the international LGBT human rights movement takes part in wider struggles, such as the fight for development and fair trade, worldwide social and economic rights, and international peace and stability. ”

“ Freedom of expression, assembly and association In a number of countries, LGBT human rights groups and courageous LGBT individuals see their rights to free expression, assembly and association blocked by hostile public authorities. ”

“ General In many countries, the fight against discriminatory rules and practices, started more than fifty years ago, has brought success. We are proud of the victories of the international LGBT human rights movement. ”

“ We are Muslims, Christians, Jews, non-believers, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and humanists. Among us, we have every form of disability, members of every age group, and members of every social and economic class. ”

“ This should preferably be done within the framework of an overall anti-discrimination policy designed to tackle all forms of discrimination in all spheres of life on all grounds - but without sweeping LGBT issues under the carpet. - We demand that such an anti-discrimination policy focus on both legal equality, ending second-class treatment by the state, as well as on social equality, fighting discrimination and prejudice throughout society, including on the part of private parties. - We demand that national parliaments hold their respective governments accountable ”

“ This means that, before decisions are taken, the effects of policy proposals on the situation of LGBT individuals must be identified and taken into account. - We urge international LGBT organisations to: - continue to monitor national policy-making on LGBT issues, - design comparable indicators of progress and improve their databases documenting legislation and practices in different countries around the world, - distribute information on best practices. ”