On the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), the United Nations Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity joined fellow UN and regional human rights experts

For ten days in May, the United Nations Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity visited Mongolia.

The UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Graeme Reid, is grateful for the many submissions received from all regions,

Together with fellow UN experts, I called on the United Kingdom to ensure that its review of statutory guidance under the Equality Act fully complies with international human rights law and guarantees equal protection for transgender people and all women and girls. #IESOGI #UN #UNCHR

🌍 In accordance with resolution A/HRC/32/2, the Independent Expert is mandated to undertake official country visits. As the mandate approaches a decade of work, we reflect on the progress achieved and look forward to continued, meaningful engagement with States and stakeholders. #IESOGI #UN #UNCHR

Humanitarian systems are designed to protect the most vulnerable. But what happens when some people remain invisible within those systems? If you work in humanitarian, human rights, policy, or have lived experience, your voice can help shape what comes next: 👇 🔗 www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for...

🇨🇴 I’ve concluded my visit to Colombia, where I met 130+ stakeholders across 5 cities. ENG:https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/lgbt/20250530-ie-sogi-stm-colombia-en.pdf SPA:https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/lgbt/20250530-ie-sogi-stm-colombia-es.pdf

🌐🌈I thoroughly enjoyed the powerful conversations with civil society organisations hosted at GAAT and academics and researchers in Bogotá on #SOGI. 📚🧠Their knowledge and critical analysis offer essential perspectives to guide policy and deepen social understanding.

#Colombia has taken important steps to protect #LGBTIQ+ persons, but efforts must be made to effectively address discrimination & violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity - says UN expert @iesogi.bsky.social I concluding his visit to the country. www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

🏳️‍🌈🇨🇴Colombia has made notable progress, including constitutional & legal protections for #LGBT persons & has played a leadership role globally. Yet challenges remain. 📄 Read my preliminary observations:https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/lgbt/20250530-ie-sogi-stm-colombia-en

🤝In #Barranquilla, I had the opportunity to meet with 🇨🇴regional and 🇨🇴municipal authorities, as well as 🇨🇴civil society representatives, to discuss local challenges and progress in protecting the rights of 🌈#LGBT people.

❓⁉️Did you know that...❓⁉️ “In many regions of the world, states have enforced existing laws and policies, or imposed new and sometimes extreme measures, to restrict freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, specifically targeting individuals based on SOGI.”

🌿What a privilege to meet with civil society -the bridge between citizens and the state- 🇨🇴from the Antioquia region in Medellín. 🙏I came away with a deeper understanding of the local context and a renewed sense of urgency to support and amplify their voices at the global level.

📢❌Structural inequality, criminalisation, and stigma continue to expose individuals to exclusion, violence, hate crimes, and even State-sanctioned persecution. 👉✅States and the private sector must partner with communities, not police them.

🌎In many parts of the world, #LGBT individuals 🌈 continue to face challenges to full participation in civic and political life 🗳️ including in electoral processes as 👉voters ✌️candidates or ✊activists. 📢This is contrary to democratic principles.

🙌We are strongest together, #LGBT people and those working with them to secure their rights have proved time and again ✌️the value of communities in providing support and driving change.

🌈I was honoured to join an #IDAHOBIT event hosted by 🇨🇴 Colombia and 🇪🇸 Spain—co-chairs of the Equal Rights Coalition. ✌️A moment to reflect on both the hard-won progress and the challenges that lie ahead. I spoke about the urgent need for continued collaboration.🏳️‍🌈 Rights are not negotiable.

Choose 💚empathy over exclusion, 💙love over hate, 🧡unity over division.

In Bogotá, I met with 🇨🇴 Ministries of Defence, 🇨🇴 Justice and 🇨🇴 Interior to better understand how Colombia is addressing violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 🤝 Protecting rights requires coordinated action and transparent dialogue. #IESOGI

Trans women are women. Full stop.

At the beginning of my 🇺🇳🏳️‍🌈#IESOGI country visit to 🇨🇴 Colombia, I met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gaining an 🙌 overview of human rights, including those of #LGBT people in the country. 🙏I am grateful to the presenters for their thoughtful approach and insights shared with the mandate.

Everyone deserves equal rights, freedom from violence, persecution, discrimination, harassment, and stigma – including LGBTIQ+ individuals. ❤️🩷💛🧡💙💚💜🤎🖤🤍

📢I will conduct a country visit to Colombia 19-30 May 2025. The #IESOGI mandate 🏳️‍🌈🇺🇳 will assess how national & international human rights standards⚖️ are being implemented to better the lives of 🌈#LGBT persons in 🇨🇴 #Colombia. www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

This International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia #IDAHOBIT, a group of 🇺🇳@UN and regional human rights experts, including the 🏳️‍🌈#IESOGI, highlights the resilience and strength of 🌈communities in confronting violence and discrimination based on SOGI.

💬At the World Forum on Democracy, I spoke about how gender & sexuality are being weaponised for political gain. 🌍 We must push back against scapegoating & stand up for human rights for all, including for 🌈#LGBT people. #IESOGI

The 🇺🇳 @UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights is calling on governments and 👩‍💼businesses to take stronger action to tackle the unfair and harmful impacts #LGBT 🌈individuals often face in the workplace and through business practices. It’s time to prioritise equality and inclusion!

👏#Trans women🏳️‍⚧️ like all women⚖️are entitled to live free from violence and discrimination.

👏#Trans women🏳️‍⚧️ like all women⚖️are entitled to live free from violence and discrimination.

⛪ "Who am I to judge?", Pope Francis set the tone for a more inclusive, compassionate church.

📅New Deadline: 27 April 2025! 🌈📚Share your insights on laws, policies, and practices affecting inclusivity in schools. 🔗 Submit here:https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input/2025/call-input-report-human-right-education-and-protection-against-violence-and

🌍 Every year on #WorldHealthDay, we’re reminded that health is a fundamental human right. For 75 years, this day has spotlighted urgent challenges — from 🧠 mental health to 🍼 parental care to 🌱 climate change as a health crisis.

Me preocupa que el Congreso de Perú haya aprobado una ley que, bajo el pretexto de proteger a la niñez, restringe a las personas trans el uso de baños según su identidad de género. Refuerza estereotipos dañinos. Insto al gobierno a bloquearla con sus facultades.

I’m concerned Peru’s Congress passed a law that, under the guise of protecting children, limits trans people's access to bathrooms based on their gender identity. This law reinforces harmful stereotypes. I urge the Peruvian government to block it.

This moment calls for innovative strategies 💡 and urgent action to protect 🏳️‍🌈 #LGBT communities and uphold human rights worldwide. But we also need a long-term plan 📈not just to weather this crisis but to build something stronger, more resilient, and less vulnerable.

These appeals reveal a broader crisis: drastic cuts in funding 💸—especially via USAID and PEPFAR—have set off a cascade of challenges, putting essential supplies and services at risk ⚠️.

🌎I’ve been inundated with urgent appeals from across the globe: stories from a Latin American network providing humanitarian support, courageous ⚖️ lawyers in Uganda defending human rights, teams in 🇿🇦 South Africa delivering HIV services, and a small org in 🇲🇼 Malawi fighting for access to ARVs 💊.

🚨UN experts express grave concerns about recent U.S. Exec. Orders targeting #LGBT individuals. ❌These measures undermine rights protected under international law. ✅The experts call for a reevaluation. 📱https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=29799

In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Myanmar and the ongoing military operations the #IESOGI stands with all affected communities, including #LGBT individuals facing unique challenges. Read ASEAN SOGIE Caucus’ call for an inclusive emergency response: aseansogiecaucus.org/latest/asc-s...

👌✌️A pleasure to meet with 🌈Rainbow Action, Marriage for All Korea & QNA from 🇰🇷 South Korea to discuss grassroots mobilization and #LGBT discrimination. ✨The exchanges gave me food for thought and important ideas to advocate for further policy reform and community empowerment on the ground.

⚠️ Funding cuts & restrictive policies are reshaping our fight for human rights. On this UN Human Rights Podcast 🎙️, I share insights on building resilience in global #LGBT movements. 🎧 Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/3u8z...

Today, on Trans Day of Visibility 🌍✨, we celebrate the lives, resilience, and contributions of transgender people around the world 🏳️‍⚧️💜—to whom the LGBT movement owes so much. #TDOV

🙌Honored to have joined HRDs from J-ALL, Marriage for All Japan, Niji-zu and Pride House Tokyo in 🇯🇵Japan. Our dialogue on advancing #SOGI rights reaffirmed my belief in the power of solidarity to build more inclusive human rights frameworks for all.

“As a South African, March 21st holds particular significance, but the legacy of Sharpeville also resonates globally,” said Graeme Reid, the UN Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity. www.unfe.org/en/updates/t...

President Trump’s recent actions against 🏳️‍⚧️ trans individuals reflect a troubling trend seen in authoritarian regimes worldwide. This political manoeuvring targets vulnerable communities but also threatens the very fabric of democracy itself. Read my oped: www.usnews.com/opinion/arti...

✍️The report stressed that 🌏States must revise their policies and legal frameworks to remove ❌discriminatory and ❌non-inclusive provisions, improve data collection, and explicitly include protections for 🌈#LGBTI persons in their 👩‍💼👨‍💼business and human rights frameworks.

Contribute to my next report on the right to education for 🌈📚SOGI-diverse students. Share your insights on laws, policies, and practices affecting inclusivity in schools. 🔗 www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for... 📅 Deadline: 21 April 2025

Staying relentless in the fight for equality! Last week, I joined @APCOM in launching its “Relentless” strategic plan. Despite funding cuts, we discussed how to keep pushing forward in human rights activism reaffirming our commitment to LGBTI rights 🙌

Yet, these milestones exist alongside harsh realities. Change does not happen without you. I am here to listen, learn, and better understand your successes, ongoing challenges, and aspirations for the future. 📢 Get involved!

Attending my first @ilgaasia.bsky.social regional convening has been an insightful and humbling experience. From Nepal’s constitutional protections to ongoing struggles across the region, this gathering served as a powerful reminder of how far we have come—and how much further we need to go.

🇺🇳 @UN Experts called for full respect of 🇸🇾 Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty, emphasising that the lawlessness, violence, and persistent violations of international law, in particular ⚖️ international human rights and humanitarian law, must come to an end.