Roundtable discussion: Implications of Transnational Far-right Activity for global LGBTQI+ rights

Organised by the PHRG and Protection Approaches.

Guest Speakers:

Frank Mugisha - Executive Director, Sexual Minorities Uganda

Erick Mundia- Policy & Advocacy Manager, Ipas Africa Alliance

Farida Mostafa - Queering Atrocity Prevention Programme Manager, Protection Approaches

Klara Wertheim - Head of Global Programmes, Stonewall

Chair: Minister Dame Nia Griffiths MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities

Summary:

The guest speakers highlighted the alarming pushback on global LGBTQI+ and gender-based rights by reactionary political, social and religious organisations and individuals, after which participants explored what could be done in response by the international community, including by the UK Government and through considered and coordinated CSO action.

Main Points:

• A growing and powerful traditionalist family values movement, backed by Christian Evangelicals, including from the US, has gained considerable social and political traction in Africa, including in Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana, and has sought to abolish LGBTQI+ language, inclusivity, and rights, and in many instances, to criminalise related activities. Gender-based and reproductive rights have also been attacked.

• The movement is well-funded and strategic, able to promote a consistent narrative portraying the LGBTQI+ community as a threat to the family and children, and to use multiple forums, processes and situations to further their objectives, including at the UN, through legislative processes, and during election campaigns. 

• The rise of reactionaries and their growing influence on policy debate and development is seen not only in Africa but in many other parts of the world, such as in Brazil, Hungary, Russia and most recently the US, by their leaders and political affiliates, and in other countries where far-right political parties are becoming popular, as in France and even the UK.  What was considered fringe has now become much more mainstream, and even normalised.

• With anti LGBTQI+ rights disinformation and hate speech growing, LGBTQI+ individuals, organisations and their supporters feel increasingly targeted and vulnerable, in person and online. In some cases, their liberty and their lives are at serious risk.

• The international community is being called on to do more to demonstrate its support, including by:

  • improving data collection and monitoring;

  • strengthening protection mechanisms;

  • resourcing networks focused on countering this phenomenon and developing clearer and more compelling counter-narratives; and,

  • building coalitions across sectors, uniting, e.g., church leaders, health care professionals, lawyers, academics, journalists, businesses.

• Locally driven and globally networked responses are needed, as well as the formulation and application of early warning signs for violence escalators.

• The LGBTQI+ rights backlash is likely to extend to rights more generally, so it is important to re-legitimise the international human rights framework, and refresh and

  re-energise related messaging.

• Progressive political leadership must step up, across political parties, to plug growing funding gaps, particularly with the contraction of USAID, and to more actively counter disinformation and stigmatisation.

The PHRG will continue to demonstrate its solidarity with vulnerable and marginalised communities and individuals, including the LGBTQI+ community, which is coming under increasing threat, and encourage progressive political leadership to publicly challenge hate speech, and discriminatory and reactionary policies and legislation, as well as to provide more tangible support to these communities.