New York – Summit of the Future

23 September 2024

Excellencies,

Distinguished participants,

The Nazis arrested an estimated 100,000 gay men.

Between 5,000 and 15,000 of them were sent to concentration camps.

Forced to wear an inverted pink triangle to mark and dehumanise, many were subjected to gruesome torture, and a majority were killed or died.

Transgender people and lesbian women were not spared horrific abuses under Nazi rule either.

For decades afterwards, survivors were still subjected to discrimination – criminal records were maintained, and some were sent to prison to continue their sentences.

The LGBTIQ+ community has since reclaimed the pink triangle, in honour of the victims of the persecution at the hands of the Nazis. From one of the darkest periods of history has emerged a symbol of resilience and a reminder to remain vigilant about the danger of dehumanising others based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Because threats to the rights of LGBTIQ+ people are, alarmingly, once again on the rise today.

While there has been a significant global shift towards decriminalization, new laws are being adopted or considered to establish or expand criminal sanctions for consensual same-sex relations in many countries.

And to place discriminatory limits on the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, by banning organisations that advocate for equal rights, shutting down discussions on sexual and gender diversity in schools, and censoring media content. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, among many others, has clearly emphasized the harm that all such laws inflict on children and families – in stark contradiction with what their proponents falsely claim.

Derogatory labels are being used to exclude, mistreat, and divide. Unscrupulous politicians, amplified by some media outlets, spew hatred, dehumanise and scapegoat LGBTIQ+ people to distract, win votes and avoid addressing the real issues.

We are gathered here because we all agree that everyone deserves equal rights, freedom from violence and discrimination.

Earlier this year, we adopted and launched the UN Secretariat Strategy on protection from violence and discrimination of LGBTIQ+ persons. Many UN entities outside the UN Secretariat have also opted in. This sends a clear and unequivocal message of the United Nations commitment to end violence, discrimination, and harmful practices against LGBTIQ+ communities.

Because discriminatory policies leave people behind.

So, we must join forces.

To deliver on the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human rights - that we are all born free and equal.

To ensure that Pact for the Future has real impact on the ground for everyone and for all the generations to come.

Led by the brave LGBTIQ+ activists, and I really want to pay tribute to them, among those who have faced a lot of discrimination over the years, we could not have done this path without you, and I know this from experience.

It took building broad alliances, meaningful engagement, having difficult conversations and keeping the dialogue open, especially in the face of disagreement.

But also speaking from a place of humility, recognising that no State, including the ones in this room, has a perfect human rights record, also on the rights of LGBTIQ+ people.

I wish to thank the UN LGBTI Core Group for the incredibly important work that you are doing, and I look forward to working together.

Thank you.