Global LGBT Activists Summit

On International Human Rights Day LGBTIQ activists from Iraq, Lebanon, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, Sweden, Thailand & USA gathered at the office of OutRight Action International, formerly the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission in NYC to discuss the impact of the incoming Trump Administration & urge the President-elect & his administration to maintain US commitment to protecting the human rights of LGBTIQ people globally. Amir Ashour, Founder of Iraq’s only LGBT+ organization, IraQueer, stated, “In a country like Iraq where the State Department has provided help to LGBTIQ people, there is virtually nowhere else to turn for support. The US must sustain efforts on the international level & at the UN because it is often the only platform to advocate for country level change since it is almost impossible to do any advocacy inside Iraq.” Paisarn Likhitpreechakul, Board Member of FORSOGI organization, Thailand added, “The US has played a paramount role in shaping positive human rights developments at the UN. We, as a society, cannot afford to backtrack from this & continued US commitment at the UN is key to sustaining this positive momentum.” Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight Action International concluded, “I have hope & confidence in the American people to continue elevating and responding to the struggles of people beyond US borders & investing in protecting the lives of activists around the world. There is a framework of international solidarity in place, one that cannot be easily broken. We have stepped up into this brilliant, strong & resilient global LGBTIQ movement & we will not move backwards.”
For More Info: OutRight Action International
Listen: Stern Talks Advancing LGBT Equality Nationally & Globally