Publication
Statement from the ERC Co-chairs on the wave of criminalization
10 October 2025
Colombia and Spain, in their capacity as co-Chairs of the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC), express their deep concern about the adoption of legal frameworks that penalize consensual sexual relationships between people of the same sex in several states over the last two years. Such provisions, recently adopted, contravene international human rights that are universally applicable in all regions of the world.
The criminalization of sexual orientation or gender identity not only violates the principle of equality and non-discrimination, as well as the right to be protected against unreasonable interference with privacy and arbitrary detention, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, but also exposes entire communities to greater persecution, violence, and social exclusion. These measures erode the rule of law and weaken respect for the inherent dignity of every human being.
From the Equal Rights Coalition, we make an emphatic call to all States to refrain from advancing criminalizing legislation and, on the contrary, to redouble efforts towards decriminalization and full protection of the rights of LGBTI+ individuals. The universality and indivisibility of human rights demand that these standards be respected without exception, in all regions, as an indispensable condition for more just, peaceful, and inclusive societies.