News Article
May Their Voices Be Heard Beyond Diplomatic Corridors
The standing ovation that induced tears from Ugandan human rights defender Gloriah Dhel* has been described by some members of the audience as the golden moment at this year’s UN LGBTI Core Group meeting on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly. Beside her was Venus Aves, transgender activist from the Philippines who offered an embrace, capturing a moment of shared struggles and resilience in a context marked by heightened repression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) people around the world.
Ugandan queer people have been increasingly under siege since the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023, which includes the death penalty for so-called "aggravated homosexuality,” was signed into law. In her address to UN representatives, Dhel shared the dire repercussions of this legislation, including violent attacks, denial of basic services, evictions, homelessness, joblessness, and the constant threat of arrest. While it’s impossible to exist as an openly queer individual in Uganda, she said, hope was all she had.
“Despite this hostility, I refuse to let despair consume me. Hope remains my anchor, urging me to envision a different future,” she told diplomats and advocates who had gathered for the high-level UN meeting.
On the other side of the world, in the Philippines, LGBTQ people are not criminalized, yet Aves explained that LGBTIQ people lack protections under the law and that stigma and discrimination, even in the absence of criminalization, persist. “I wish we hadn’t been fighting for 24 years just for an anti-discrimination law,” she said.
Other keynote speakers included Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland, and Dr. Jill Biden, first lady of the United States. Both emphasized their personal commitment to supporting the rights of LGBTIQ individuals and their respective countries’ efforts to bring about change.
The U.S. First Lady called for respect for human dignity and global solidarity in combating hate and discrimination. She celebrated progress in LGBTIQ rights, such as legalizing same-sex marriage in other countries, but stressed that continued advocacy and collective action are essential for lasting change.
“We’re not going to stand for hate, discrimination, and violence in our own country. We won’t stand for it anywhere in the world because, yes, being human is enough. It’s what we share across time and place, across borders and oceans,” Dr. Biden said.
The UN LGBTI Core Group, which hosted the event, was founded in 2008 and has grown from fewer than 10 countries to 42 member states. The Core Group has played a key role in bringing attention to human rights for LGBTI people within the United Nations. The members come from all regions, with the strongest representation in Europe, North, and South America. One of the strengths of the group is its diversity.
The overall commitment from member states present at the event gives activists like Venus and Gloriah hope in the wake of the politicization of the human rights of LGBTIQ people and vitriolic language from legislators and elected leaders, which affects their ability to engage in political and democratic processes.
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