International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT)

This Day highlights the importance of fighting against the ongoing persecution, discrimination and violence targeting the LGBT+ community all over the world.

From the 1960s to the mid-2010s, the trend was one of progress. In that period, almost 100 countries decriminalized homosexuality. One third of States adopted laws to protect against such discrimination, and a quarter recognized the possibility of same-sex unions.

But in the past ten years or so, the trend is reversing, with a surge in conservatism in most regions of the world. Repression is setting in and rights are being curtailed.

France at the forefront of defending the rights of LGBT+ people

Against this backdrop, France reiterates its call for the universal decriminalization of homosexuality and full compliance with the fundamental rights of all LGBT+ persons. Human rights, particularly the right to privacy and the right not to be discriminated against, are universal and must apply to everyone, in every country.

France is a trailblazer in defending LGBT+ rights, and in 2022 appointed an ambassador to spread these messages to governments, the European Union, international organizations and civil society. In 2023, it created a specific fund to support human rights defenders and assist LGBT+ persons in danger.

In an international environment in which they are all too often challenged, the rights of LGBT+ persons are more than ever a priority of France’s human rights diplomacy. Both within multilateral forums and in its bilateral relations, France is upholding these rights in the name of the universality of human rights.

Photo: Judith Litvine/MEAE