About LGBTI people and human rights

Discrimination against LGBTI people undermines the human rights principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet discrimination and violence against people in the LGBTI community are all too common. Homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and discriminatory attitudes towards intersex people remain deeply embedded in many cultures around the world.

Multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination

In a human rights context, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people face both common and distinct challenges. Intersex people (those born with atypical sex characteristics) suffer some of the same kinds of human rights violations as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. They also face institutional violence within healthcare systems, with lifelong consequences to their physical and psychological health. Read more about Intersex people, Transgender people, and LGBTIQ+ women and the human rights violations they face.

All States are obligated under International human rights law to promote and protect the human rights of all persons without discrimination. Yet in many countries, laws against cross dressing are used to punish transgender people on the basis of their gender identity and expression. Additionally, in over 60 countries, discriminatory laws criminalize private, consensual same-sex relationships.

As a result, LGBT individuals are exposed to the risk of arrest, blackmail, extortion, stigma, discrimination, violence and, in at least six countries, the death penalty.

Discrimination against LGBTI people: a pressing concern

“Each assault on LGBTQI+ people is an assault on human rights and the values we hold dear. We cannot and will not move backwards.
The United Nations firmly stands with the LGBTQI+ community, and will continue working until human rights and dignity are a reality for all people." - António Guterres, UN Secretary General, 11 May 2023.

United Nations human rights mechanisms have expressed concerns about these violations since the early 1990s. These mechanisms include the treaty bodies established to monitor States’ compliance with international human rights treaties, Special Rapporteurs, and other Independent Experts appointed by the Human Rights Council. For decades, several High Commissioners for Human Rights, UN Secretaries-General and other senior UN officials have expressed similar concerns.

“The human rights of all LGBTIQ+ people, as equal members of the human family, must be respected.” - Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 17 May 2023.

Core legal obligations of States to protect LGBTI people

Protecting LGBTI people from violence and discrimination does not require a new set of human rights laws or standards. States are already legally required to safeguard the human rights of LGBTI people under international human rights law, in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights treaties.
The core legal obligations of States with respect to protecting the human rights of LGBTI people include obligations to:

• Protect LGBTI people from violence
• Prevent the torture and ill treatment of LGBTI people
• Repeal laws criminalizing consensual same sex relations and transgender people
• Prohibit and address discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics
• Safeguard freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly for LGBTI people

Learn more about the source and scope of the legal obligations of States in respect of the rights of LGBTI people

Advances towards LGBTI equality

In recent years, many States have strengthened human rights protection for LGBTI people including by:

• Decriminalizing consensual same sex relations and repealing laws criminalizing transgender persons
• Adopting laws banning discrimination that explicitly include sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics
• Penalizing hate crimes against LGBTI people
• Prohibiting harmful practices, including so-called “conversion therapy” as well as forced and coercive surgeries on intersex children, without consent.
• Granting recognition to same-sex relationships on an equal basis with others 
• Ensuring that transgender individuals can obtain identity documents that reflect their gender identity, based on self-determination and without abusive requirements
• Putting in place training programmes for police, prison staff, teachers, social workers and caregivers to ensure non-discriminatory treatment to the LGBTI community
• Introducing anti-bullying initiatives in many schools

Learn more about what States are doing to advance LGBTI equality