Joint Statement read by the ERC Co-Chairs, Colombia and Spain, during the Interactive Dialogue with the IE on SOGI on Friday, June 20th, 2025. This statement welcomes his report on the protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in relation to forced displacement, and also calls for the renewal of the mandate of the IE on SOGI.

The governments of Colombia and Spain as co-chairs of the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC), a global coalition of 45 member states, intergovernmental organisations and more than 100 civil society organisations, welcome the 2025 theme of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) emphasising the power of communities.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of IDAHOBIT, a grassroots initiative for equality that commemorates the depathologisation of homosexuality in 1990 by the World Health Organisation, followed by the depathologisation of transsexuality in 2018. This day commemorates the fight against hate, violence, and physical, verbal and symbolic aggressions against LGBTI people, as well as all kinds of exclusion, discrimination and harassment, whether social or institutional, suffered by sexually and gender diverse people in the world. Today we particularly highlight the importance of communities to confront all forms of hate committed against LGBTI people.

Colombia and Spain, as co-chairs of the ERC, express their concern about the increase in hate speech and retrogressive policies that have been advanced globally in recent years and draw attention to the increase in murders, criminalisation and penalisation against LGBTI people and especially trans men and women who are suffering from the attacks of anti-gender, anti-trans and anti-democratic forces that oppose their equality and rights.

In our daily work leading the ERC, we express our concern about the rise of hate speech, especially through new forms of communication and in different settings that are exacerbating violence and deepening inequality against LGBTI individuals and, in particular, against trans and non-binary people.

As attacks on LGBTI communities skyrocket, the resources available for the defence of their rights have drastically and suddenly dropped to levels where many LGBTI grassroots organisations will no longer be able to meet even their most basic needs.

Despite this, there is hope in the power of LGBTI communities. We salute and accompany the social mobilisation and collective action of LGBTI people, who are the driving force behind the advances in rights recently achieved in several countries around the world and who courageously stand up to the wave of setbacks in equality.

We also highlight how countries, within the framework of the ERC and other intergovernmental and multilateral initiatives, strengthen their commitment to the LGBTI community and the protection and promotion of their rights, through the exchange of good practices and cooperation. LGBTI communities are not alone.

We call on all States to make life with dignity for LGBTI people a reality, to reject and combat hate speech and to eliminate the structural causes that allow this violence to persist.

We reiterate our commitment and support for the equal rights of LGBTI people and the consolidation of the recognition of the diversity of sexual orientations, identities, gender expressions and diverse body types. It is more necessary than ever that State institutions work decisively to eradicate the violence suffered by LGBTI people and to advance as an international community towards the ultimate goal: real and effective equality of rights for LGBTI people.

The Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) expresses deep concerns about a legislative package on “family values and protection of minors” that was passed in third and final reading by the Georgian parliament on 17 September and assented into law on December 2, 2024. The law contains provisions that present risks to a broad range of human rights, undermining the fundamental rights of Georgian people and risking further stigmatization and discrimination of Georgian persons.

The ERC is deeply concerned that this law may encourage hate speech, lead to more incidents of violence, and reinforce stigma, intolerance and misinformation.

This law imposes discriminatory restrictions on education, public discussion and gatherings related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The law furthermore contains vague formulations and perpetuates negative stereotypes about LGBTIQ+ persons. It also hinders their access to healthcare and may negatively affect efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in Georgia.

In doing so, the law undermines Georgians’ rights to equality, non-discrimination, education, health, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, as well as privacy, liberty and security. More broadly, this law may contribute to a climate of fear and persecution which will also have a negative impact on Georgia’s efforts to attract foreign investment, encourage trade, and improve public health and development.

We encourage Georgia to uphold the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Georgians, and its international obligations and commitments, including the recommendations Georgia accepted as part of the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council.

The ERC remains committed to safeguarding the equal rights of LGBTIQ+ communities around the world as well as in Georgia and the wider region.

Equal Rights Coalition members who are co-signatories,

• Albania
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Canada
• Chile
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Montenegro
• The Netherlands
• New Zealand
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Portugal
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• United States

The cochairs of the Equal Rights Coalition celebrate the passing of the Marriage Equality Act in Thailand, paving the way for the recognition of same-sex marriages in the country.

This piece of legislation amends the marriage section of the Civil and Commercial Code of Thailand so as to introduce gender-neutral definitions of ‘spouse’, representing a victory for the Thai LGBTQI+ community, and a historic step in the pursuit of equal rights and freedoms for all.

We congratulate the Government of Thailand for the passing of this Act, which received overwhelming support in both houses of the National Assembly of Thailand before getting final approval by the Senate on June 18, 2024. By enacting this legislation, Thailand sends a clear message to the rest of the world that LGBTQI+ persons have the right to live and love freely and without fear, discrimination, persecution, nor criminalization.

The passing of the Marriage Equality Act makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and the second Asian country to do so in less than a year. Thailand also joins Estonia, Nepal, Greece, and Liechtenstein as the fifth country to legalize same-sex marriage in the past year.

This wave of positive rulings and legislation in favour of same-sex marriage and LGBTQI+ rights at large are a beacon of hope for the many individuals around the world who still face persecution and marginalization due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics.As cochairs of the Equal Rights Coalition, we remain committed in our advocacy for a more equal and fair world, and will continue working with LGBTQI+ civil society across the globe to make this vision a reality.

The co-chairs of the Equal Rights Coalition, on behalf of its Member States, join the global LGBTQI+ communities in observing this year’s International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

This day commemorates the depathologization of homosexuality by the World Health Organization in 1990, and has expanded its meaning through the years to raise awareness of, and call attention to, human rights abuses and violations against LGBTQI+ persons worldwide.

In this vein, we manifest our solidarity and support for the rights of LGBTQI+ persons in every corner of the globe, understanding that the rights of persons with diverse SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics) are fundamental to all conversations and debates about human rights.

However, we recognize the multiple and intersecting forms of violence and discrimination faced by LGBTQI+ persons who are also marginalized due to their age, race, ethnicity, religion, ability, class, caste, income level, nationality, migration status, and many other markers of identity and lived experience that render individuals vulnerable to increased stigma and discrimination.

We witness the compounded effects that multi-layered inequality, exacerbated by poverty, political instability, displacement, natural disasters, COVID-19 and other pandemics, epidemics, and emergencies, has on LGBTQI+ populations worldwide.

We observe with great concern the recent waves of criminalization (and re-criminalization) targeting LGBTQI+ persons in different countries, who now face increased persecution and violence, as well as imprisonment and even death due to draconian laws against people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics.

We lament the increased persecution of transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals around the world, who continue to be victims of harassment, violence, and marginalization due to stigma and misguided fears perpetuated by reactionary anti-rights political dogmas.

Nonetheless, and despite these challenges, we stand in solidarity with fierce and relentless LGBTQI+ communities worldwide who refuse to quiet down or to step back from the collective pursuit of their rights and liberation.

We applaud LGBTQI+ individuals and activists worldwide who stand proudly for who they are, while also extending our care, solidarity, and compassion to those who cannot do so due to the threat of violence, persecution, and criminalization.

We commit to ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to the pursuit of equality, freedom, and justice for all, including, but not limited to, raising awareness about the needs of LGBTQI+ persons in discussions about Sustainable Development Goals, the 2030 Agenda, and in the context of other multilateral conversations.

This IDAHOBIT, and forever and always, we envision a world free of homophobia, biphobia, lesbophobia, and transphobia, and where the rights, integrity, and dignity of those with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics are respected, honoured, and upheld.

(Geneva, 8 May 2024) – The Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) has opened its Secretariat to facilitate its work as an intergovernmental body of 43 member States and civil society worldwide dedicated to the protection of the human rights of LGBTI persons and the promotion of inclusive development.

Hosted by ILGA World — the international NGO representing more than 2,000 organisations in 170 countries and territories working to advance the human rights of LGBTI people — the Secretariat will be an independent body accountable to the Equal Rights Coalition. It will be tasked with connecting all parties coming together in the ERC, and ensuring good governance, communications, and continuity of the coalition.

“For Mexico and Germany, establishing the Secretariat has been a key objective of our joint ERC co-presidency, as this administrative unit will make the coalition stronger and more effective. Being the hosts of the Secretariat, ILGA World brings a unique representation of civil society to the work of the Equal Rights Coalition,” said Germany’s Special Envoy for Feminist Foreign Policy, Ambassador Gesa Bräutigam. “Its work will be fundamental to connect States, international and regional bodies, and grassroots communities as we collectively strive to advance inclusive development and equality for all”.

“With its diversity of voices, the Equal Rights Coalition is well placed to take action against human rights violations and encourage inclusive development,” said ILGA World Executive Director Julia Ehrt. “This is a space for progress and multilateral dialogue, and we will be honoured to serve it with our convening power in the coming years.”

To best manage the coordination body, ILGA World hired an Equal Rights Coalition Secretariat Manager and is proud to welcome Leanne MacMillan to the team. Leanne brings to the role many years of experience in international advocacy and a steadfast commitment to advancing the rights of everyone in our communities most recently as the Director of Global Programmes at Stonewall and for over a decade leading international programmes at Amnesty International. For 3 years she served as a civil society co-chair from the United Kingdom to the ERC.

“I am excited to join the ILGA World team and to be entrusted with the responsibility of managing the Secretariat of the Equal Rights Coalition,” MacMillan said. “Now more than ever, multilateral mechanisms are essential to progress the human rights of LGBTI people. To commit to truly leaving no one behind is to believe in the opportunity of these collaborative spaces, and to work every day to strengthen them.”

The Equal Rights Coalition was founded in 2016 at the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference in Montevideo, Uruguay. Since then, member States, civil society organisations, and multilateral organisations have worked together to take action against human rights violations through public statements and diplomatic intervention. They have also engaged in ongoing dialogues with its members and beyond to encourage the development of progressive legislation and policies, improve the level of sustainable funding for civil society, and ensure that the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development is used as a tool to include LGBTI communities across the globe.

Over the past seven years, the number of States joining the Coalition has increased significantly, and now includes members from across Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and the Pacific. The governments of Germany and Mexico currently co-chair the ERC. The State co-chairs are supported by civil society co-chairs, who for this term are LSVD for Germany and Fundación Arcoíris for Mexico.

On March 11th, 2024, the Equal Rights Coalition held a webinar titled “Banning So-Called ‘Conversion Therapy’”, as part of the programmatic agenda of the Coalition’s National Laws and Policies Thematic Group. This webinar, held in partnership by the ERC co-chairs and the Thematic Group’s co-chairs (Rainbow Railroad and the Republic of Malta), brought together a series of experts to discuss the development of public policies, criminal law reform and advocacy strategies in order to eliminate harmful practices known as “conversion therapy”.

This webinar is meant to serve as a comprehensive and practical resource for state legislators hoping to introduce and implement bans on conversion therapy at national and sub-national levels. Panelists explored best practices and shared their country experiences navigating conflicting rights and interests, and developing policies from survivor-centered approaches.

The webinar featured government representatives from Canada, the United States, Chile, and Norway, as well as civil society representatives including the Community Based Research Centre (Canada), and ILGA World as moderators. Its aim was to engage line ministers from ERC Member States with relevant responsibilities for criminal law reform, health, justice, and LGBTQI+ matters in a 90-minute-long panel discussion on the subject of conversion therapy.

Background

This event took place in line with the Equal Rights Coalition’s Strategic Plan 2021-2026, specifically Strategic Objective 2 on ending violence and discrimination based on SOGIESC. The ERC is committed to sharing good practices on outlawing and ending harmful practices that seek to change the sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and/or sex characteristics of a person, and thus, encourages its members and other States to adopt laws and policies to end so-called “conversion therapies”.

Conversion therapy describes different types of interventions that claim to achieve a change in a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, and thus claim to aim at changing people from gay, lesbian or bisexual to heterosexual, and from trans or gender diverse to cisgender. According to the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, LGBTQI+ persons endure severe pain and long-lasting psychological and physical damage as a result of conversion therapy practices.

In his 2020 report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Independent Expert discussed the impact of conversion therapy on victims, their human rights implications and their connection with violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as measures adopted to prevent them and to penalize or prosecute those who perform them and remedies provided to victims. According to the Independent Expert, these practices are “inherently discriminatory… cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and that depending on the severity or physical or mental pain and suffering inflicted to the victim, they may amount to torture.”

About the webinar

In this context, the webinar held by the ERC’s National Laws and Policies Thematic Group engaged representatives from several of its Member States, namely:

• Nathalie Levman – Senior Counsel, Department of Justice, Canada
• Kenneth Kero-Mentz – Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, United States
• Bjørk Gudmundsdottir Jonassen – Advisor, Department of Equality, Non-discrimination and International Affairs, Norway
• Felipe Peña – Mental Health Department, Ministry of Health, Chile

From civil society, the webinar also featured:

• Michael Kwag – Executive Director, Community Based Research Centre, Canada
• Lucas Ramón Mendos – Research Manager, ILGA World (moderator)

Altogether, the panelists offered reflections on the importance of approaching the issue of banning conversion therapies and practices from a holistic perspective, in light of the complexity of the subject matter. The webinar offered a space for ERC Member States to learn from each other based on case studies from countries with effective legislation on the topic, showcasing important legislative victories as well as numerous challenges from social, political, and legal perspectives. As such, most interventions highlighted the unnecessary harm caused to LGBTQI+ individuals who have been subjected to these practices, which often take place against the advice and recommendations of medical professionals and are informed by biases and stigmas that erroneously posit that homosexuality and gender variance can be corrected.

Therefore, the examples shared by panelists focused on the need to safeguard the safety and integrity of LGBTQI+ persons in all aspects of the law, fostering collaboration and partnerships with civil society along the way in order to put an end to violent attempts at ‘conversion’ that are not based in scientific rigor nor human dignity. As well, panelists shared the importance of educational campaigns on the subject matter, in addition to comprehensive support and access to justice for those affected by these practices. Altogether, the wealth of knowledge based on real-life evidence and experience shared in this webinar serves as a starting point for ERC Member States and those beyond to put an end to patterns of violence plaguing LGBTQI+ individuals worldwide.

To learn more about banning so-called conversion therapies and practices, access the webinar through the link below.

Webinar report by Doug A. Graffeo, Equal Rights Coalition Officer at LSVD

The Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) is delighted to announce that Greece, a Member State of the ERC, has officially legalized same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption. This historic decision marks a significant step towards equal rights and inclusion.

We congratulate the Government of Greece for this landmark legislation in the fight for human rights and equality. This watershed moment reflects a substantial commitment to the principles of justice, freedom and dignity for all citizens. By recognizing and protecting the right to marriage and adoption for same-sex couples, Greece continues to build a more inclusive, respectful and equitable society.

This step also sends a powerful message of support and solidarity to the LGBTQ+ community not only in Greece but around the world, reaffirming their fundamental right to live and love freely, without discrimination or fear.

At a time when the world faces challenges and divisions, we celebrate Greece’s leadership in promoting these rights for all its citizens, without distinction.

This achievement reminds us that progress is possible when we unite in defense of human rights and dignity of each individual.

Once again, the Coalition extends its heartfelt congratulations to Greece on this historic milestone and renews its commitment to continue working together to build a more inclusive and fair future for each and everyone.

Statement on behalf of the Equal Rights Coalition by its co-chairs, Mexico and Germany.

The Equal Rights Coalition strongly condemns the Russian Supreme Court designating the so-called ‘international public LGBT movement’ as extremist on 30 November 2023. The coalition also recalls its previous statements on the legal situation of LGBTIQ+ people in the Russian Federation.

This Supreme Court ruling, issued behind closed doors, contributes to the further infringement of the constitutional rights of the already stigmatised lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons. It effectively criminalises any activity perceived as supporting LGBTIQ+ persons. Anyone living as part of this group is acutely vulnerable to persecution. It is a further attempt by the Russian authorities to marginalise LGBTIQ+ citizens. The Russian authorities have already banned any discussion and sharing of information about LGBTIQ+ persons, and outlawed gender confirming procedures. Classifying potentially all organisations and persons involved in exercising the human rights of LGBTIQ+ persons as ‘extremist’ serves to further erode their ability to live with dignity in Russia. This decision became yet another example of systemic human rights violations and promotion of hate speech, cultivated in the Russian state.

The legal uncertainty created by labelling a group as ‘extremist’ without proof of criminal activity or proof of an organisational structure, as required by Russian law, contributes to a climate of fear and intimidation and paves way for further political persecutions. This Supreme Court decision impacts the human rights of all individuals living in Russia. It has a corrosive effect on society as a whole and infringes on the freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial.

The Equal Rights Coalition aligns itself with the statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Equal Rights Coalition stands shoulder to shoulder with civil society, activists and local communities in the Russian Federation and the wider region and urges the Russian Supreme Court to reconsider the decision.

Co-signatories:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay