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Annual Report 2018

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Annual Report 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 2018 The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Asso- ciation is grateful for the work and support of its member organisations, staff, interns and board members. A heartfelt shout-out and thank you goes to all the LGBTI activists around the world for the time and energy they commit to advancing LGBTI equality everywhere. Last but not least, our thanks to the following organisations who in particular have made our work financially possible in 2018: 2 “Our pride and love are greater than our grief and fear” Justice Edwin Cameron, Pan Africa ILGA conference, June 2018 3 ph. Robin Benzrihem on Unsplash ear friends, the public domain. As the year closed, (then named) International Gay Asso- D 2018: what a bittersweet year! reports arrived that women and men ciation. in Chechnya were targeted again in a Today, we are more than 1,500 We have significant reasons to resurgence of ‘purges’. organisations from over 150 coun- rejoice. In 2018, California became For every inch of protection and tries and territories, queerer and the first state in the USA to condemn recognition that our communities more diverse than ever. unnecessary surgeries on intersex gained, hate, disrespect and violence We have history. We have victo- children. Shameful parts of an endur- keep rearing their ugly heads. Political ries. We have a global family to stand ing colonial legacy are finally tumbling and other leaders continue to demon- with. down, as India and Trinidad and Toba- ise and scapegoat vulnerable minori- The 2019 World Conference in go decriminalised same-sex relations, ties. Aotearoa New Zealand will be a pow- and the World Health Organization It’s happening around the world: erful occasion to celebrate our past finally ruled that being a trans or gen- LGBTI people, women, migrants, sex and pave the way to liberate our fu- der diverse person does not mean you workers and indigenous persons are ture. We look forward to welcoming have a mental disorder. An historic de- painted as the great subverters of our you in Wellington. cision by the Inter-American Court of supposedly well-balanced societies Sadly, and with mixed emotions, Human Rights recognised the right to - subverters who, no less, still can’t it will also be the final days of our man- legal gender recognition and same-sex access basic rights, freedoms and op- date as Co-Secretaries General as we couples’ right to marriage, creating le- portunities. Concerted and deliberate are not seeking re-election. gal precedent for all those countries efforts to divide our communities and A huge thank you for having that recognise its jurisdiction. These pit one against each other are con- trusted us during these past four are just a few examples of the prog- stant, sometimes so successful that amazing years. It has been an absolute ress that we have seen happen! they usurp the struggles that united privilege to work with all of you as we At the same time, our commu- us. charted a course to strengthen the nities continued to witness horrific The fight continues. Resisting organisation. We will leave ILGA as a hostility, marginalisation and persecu- hatred - and slowly gaining wins - is strong, inclusive and respected leader tion. LGBTI persons in Tanzania were part of our deep history as a commu- for the LGBTI movement on the global singled-out in an already hate-fuelled nity. LGBTI groups from every corner stage, and we look forward to seeing rhetoric; there were threats to negate of the earth are collectively finding it growing even more in the years to protections for trans persons in the new, innovative and creative ways to come. USA, and divisive referenda rolled counter narratives of hate, shame, vi- back promises of equality in Taiwan; olence and oppression. In solidarity, the World Health Organization once In 2018, ILGA celebrated its first again missed the opportunity to stop 40 years of service and commitment pathologising people with variations to our global family. When we look of sex characteristics when it released back, it is truly remarkable to see the the ICD-11, and successive elections number of political, legal and social in Europe and Latin America saw pop- changes have occurred globally since ulist leaders take power with an un- those early days in August 1978, when Ruth Baldacchino - Helen Kennedy leashing of anti-LGBTI intolerance in a group of visionaries founded the Co-Secretaries General 4 In the face of so many challenges, international level, and how to help With the renewal of the UN I LGBTI activism continued to grow bring results back home. SOGI Independent Expert mandate, worldwide during 2018. Alongside factsheets, toolkits ILGA will also be working with part- and reports, we continued provid- ners to ensure that the rights of LGBT At ILGA, we saw 176 organisa- ing constant input to media and nu- persons are protected at the highest tions joining our network, the latest merous publications, while using our levels. marker of the diversity, range, creativ- website and social media to amplify From the most remote areas to ity and resilience of this truly global voices from the community. Exposing international fora, we know that the movement. ILGA members are now millions of potential readerships to struggle towards equality is far from from 152 countries and territories ILGA data, information and insights: over. And yet, we are ready to face worldwide, and the six ILGA regions this is one part of how we do our part the challenges that this new year will – four with established offices in to change people’s hearts and minds! bring. Together, as one family: one Bangkok, Brussels, Buenos Aires and beautiful, diverse global movement. Johannesburg – support the mem- As our activities kept growing, bership in their regional context. Both so did our team of staff. In early 2018, ILGA Asia and ILGALAC saw their ILGA concluded its search for a new non-profit status legally recognised in Executive Director, and it’s been a 2018, allowing them to operate with wonderful exciting first year in post. greater stability, and ILGA Oceania, Later in the year we welcomed a new ILGA-Europe and Pan Africa ILGA Director of Programmes, Senior Re- each held regional conferences in search Officer and an Administrative 2018. Support Officer. Eleven full-time staff are now are Meanwhile, the Secretariat of at ILGA World, supported in 2018 by ILGA World continued to provide eight amazing interns across five con- assistance to our members and the tinents. Together, we remain strongly broader LGBTI community at the in- committed to bring visibility to groups ternational level. Through the year, often seen as at the margins even we supported more than 400 defend- within our communities. ers in engaging with the human rights mechanisms at the United Nations, An exciting 2019 awaits us all. and we also helped bring our commu- Our global family will meet at the nities together to learn, strategise and ILGA World Conference in Aotearoa grow at conferences, advocacy weeks, New Zealand, where new leadership trainings and national consultations. will be elected and our next five year Our staff increasingly connect strategic plan will be approved: our with grassroots communities around entire membership was engaged in the world, providing advice, support shaping it, and we look forward to tak- and technical resources to decide ing the direction they have indicated. André du Plessis first if, and then how, to engage at the Executive Director 5 A YEAR IN ADVANCING EQUALITY WORLDWIDE We join the LBTI and Women’s Rights Caucuses at the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women at the United Na- tions in New York, focused on achieving For IDAHOBIT, we launch the gender equality and the empowerment #TurnItOff campaign to cast a ILGA data and information are of rural women and girls. featured in the public discourse light on how LGBTI-phobia im- pacts on people’s lives, and to on advancing LGBTI equality Concluding a 4-month search for a new during the 2018 World Economic share practical tips for allies ILGA Executive Director, the Board ap- to support our communities. Forum, where also the Global points André du Plessis to the role. LGBTI Standards of Conduct for Business are presented. MAY MARCH JANUARY 2018 APRIL JUNE FEBRUARY To better support our members, we Pan Africa ILGA hosts its largest continue collecting information on conference to date, welcoming more The firstHuman Rights Council ses- good practices for follow-up and than 300 defenders to Gaborone, sion of the year begins. implementation activities of civil Botswana. With 34 statements and 8 LGBTI society organisations engaging with events throughout 2018 – including the Universal Periodic Review and 23 trans and gender diverse human the first ever dedicated to bisexual Treaty Bodies. rights defenders from 19 countries persons’ rights - we made sure to join the second UN Trans Advocacy keep raising queer voices from We kick off the year-long process Week that we co-organise in Gene- across the world at the United Na- to engage the entire ILGA member- va together with APTN, GATE, RFSL tions. ship to help build our new strategic and TGEU, and have their say in a plan that will be adopted at the ground-breaking consultation by World Conference. the UN Independent Expert on SOGI on legal recognition of gender iden- tity and depathologisation. 6 We work with Akahatà, GATE and TGEU to en- sure the presence of intersex, trans and gen- der diverse activists at the WPATH Symposium Organisations working on SOGIESC in Buenos Aires. issues from across Latin America In a historic joint statement at the and the Caribbean participate in United Nations, we cast a light on We head to Jamaica to organise the first na- our training on digital security, sup- the negative impact of colonisation tional consultation for follow-up and imple- ported by ProtectDefenders.eu.
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