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The fifth chapter of our new publication Building a Global Community addresses the global advances and local backlashes in the face of LGBT rights advances and the international alliances needed to push progress forward

 “I came here alone, but I am back to Korea with global networks of LGBT organizations/individuals. I was very inspired by the participants’ stories, energy, idea and intellectual discourse. I will work to keep these connections alive and use them, so that Korean LGBT rights organizations can communicate with the world, embrace global movements that are suitable for our society, let global networks know the situation of Korea, and share our progress with them.”

—    Hyun Kyung Kim, Researcher, Korean Society of Law and Policy on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Korea

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At our fifth session in Salzburg in 2017, we celebrated the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT), together with the president of IDAHOT, trans activist Tamara Adrián from Venezuela. Through video, the World Bank and the Salzburg Global LGBT Forum joined forces to call for inclusion and equality for families and their LGBT children – uniting both behind IDAHOT’s message of family inclusion.

The Salzburg Global LGBT Forum deeply believes in making these connections, in extending our network and creating new lines of communication and cooperation. Within the ongoing global, yet strongly Western-dominated discourse on LGBT equality, Asian voices and perspectives are underrepresented. Convening the 2016 session of the Forum in Chiang Rai, Thailand, we came to listen and learn, using the gathering as a platform to amplify the voices of Asian leaders. With its booming demographics and economies, and resultant growing international importance, much global progress on equality for LGBT people will depend on advancements in Asia. As of 2017, the largest proportion of our Fellows come from Asia.

The discourse on LGBT rights might be becoming increasingly global, but progress and subsequent backlash are felt locally. By bringing together so many global voices to learn about each other’s local contexts, we hope to mitigate these negative responses.

To multiply its impact, the Forum regularly attracts the participation of leading human rights defenders including many transnational human rights organizations such as the Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality, the Asia-Pacific Transgender Network, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, Front Line Defenders, HIVOS International, the Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights Watch, Open Society Foundations, Transgender Europe and the World Association for Sexual Health.

READ MORE:

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Global Advances, Local Backlashes

Profile: M.V Lee Badgett

Fellows' International Connections

IDAHOT - A Landmark Day to Raise Global Awareness