Worrying rise in discrimination highlights importance of Pride events: Anne-Kirsti Karlsen
Pride continues to be an important annual event that celebrates LGBTIQ people and highlights the challenges they continue to face on the realisation of human rights and equality.
All states, regardless of their political, economic, and cultural systems, have a legal obligation under international law to protect the human rights of all persons without discrimination.
Protection should include tackling a deeply concerning rise in anti-LGBTIQ sentiment across the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) region, often fuelled by mis- and disinformation.
Some governments instrumentalise anti-LGBTIQ sentiments for domestic policy gains. Russia’s efforts in this area are particularly alarming.
Such anti-LGBTIQ sentiment has already led to a rise in reported hate crime, including violent attacks.
In my own country Norway two people were killed and twenty-one wounded in a mass shooting attack in 2022 that the police believe could have been motivated by anti-LGBTIQ hate and intended to target Oslo Pride. The suspect is currently on trial.
Let me mention two issues of special concern.
Firstly, we know that LGBTIQ persons face specific risks during armed conflict, and Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion is endangering LGBTIQ persons in Ukraine.
We encourage the OSCE Support Program Ukraine to strengthen LGBTIQ aspects within its ongoing activities.
Secondly, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association is in its 2024 Annual Review concerned about the backsliding in the promotion of rights for LGBTIQ people in the OSCE region.
Cases of criminalisation, lack of anti-discrimination legislation, and a rise in the introduction of legislation restricting the human rights and freedoms of LGBTIQ people are all deeply worrying.
These undermine the robust, pluralistic democracies that allow for safe civic engagement from all persons.
We call on governments around the world to repeal discriminatory legislation, take action to tackle and eliminate hate crimes and hate speech, prevent all forms of violence against LGBTIQ persons, and tackle structural and institutional barriers and biases that still limit the participation of LGBTIQ persons in all parts of the society.
The OSCE participating states agree on the importance of combating intolerance and discrimination against Jews, Muslims, Christians, and members of other religions and national minorities.
In April we stood united at the Malta Conference in the fight against antisemitism. Recommendations from the conference included the need for action plans, national coordinators responsible for implementation, police registration of hate crime, education, dialogue, and the need to tackle hate crime on the internet.
These recommendations could work as a source of inspiration for the next step in the fight against intolerance and antidiscrimination against LGBTIQ persons in the OSCE area.
It’s time to take our fight one step further.
Sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics should never be used as bases for discrimination or abuse. It is not about special rights, and celebrating pride is not an ideology. It is about having the same rights as others.
We must work together to create a world where everyone can live freely, without fear or discrimination, and have the freedom to love who they love and be who they are.
This is an edited version of a recent speech given by Anne-Kirsti Karlsen, Permanent Representative of Norway to the OSCE, which includes the UK.