LGBTIQ+ Platform for Human Rights

« German version

Support and dialogue are crucial to the promotion and protection of human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons (LGBTIQ+). The LGBTIQ platform for human rights builds networks and provides information and resources. The platform has been working with activists, government officials, scholars, migrant organizations, faith-based organizations, development cooperation specialists and NGOs since 2011. You are warmly invited to contact us for informal dialogue as well as about lectures, workshops and other resources.

• The platform newsletter – networking with information: The LGBTIQ+-platform regularly alerts you to events, studies and reports on LGBTIQ+-international. To receive the newsletter, please send an email to Sarah Kohrt with the subject "Platform Newsletter".

  • Project 2024: Cultures and colonialism. What impact does the missionary and colonial history of European colonialism have on queer life situations in the once colonized countries? One legacy of colonialism is the criminalization of homosexual acts and intersexual lifestyles. The fight against these criminal laws is being waged in the once colonized countries. The desire for emancipation also comes from there. For local movements, decriminalization is seen as an act of decolonization and, paradoxically, it is precisely the commitment to the human rights of women and LGBTIQ+ that is being discredited as neo-colonial. Can there be a decolonial practice in development cooperation and international human rights work for LGBTIQ+ people? What should it look like? What consequences does missionary history have for gender roles today? We will discuss these topics, present research findings and collect approaches for decolonial project work with and for LGBTIQ+ people. All events, videos and articles are available here and in the blog, tag: CaC-2024.
  • Project 2023: We believe in change. “We believe in change: Human rights, freedom of religion or belief, and preventing anti-LGBTIQ+ violence and discrimination – a project to promote dialogue” was launched in January 2023. It provides information about the lives of LGBTIQ+ people and the views of different religions. Its goals are to raise awareness of the sometimes lethal threats facing LGBTIQ+ people, and to motivate people in general to take responsibility and act on the principle of “No violence!” All events, videos and articles are available here and in the blog, tag: WBIC-2023.
  • Project 2022: Do no harm. The HES project “Do no harm – How to minimize risks for LGBTI in international human rights work” ran from January to December 2022.. The “do no harm” general principle also applies to international efforts to promote and protect LGBTI human rights. Good intentions are not always put into practice successfully. This project spreads insights gained over many years in the field. We organize large and small-scale events to share expertise in international LGBTI work. Together with experts from the global South we develop questions and identify risks. All events, videos and articles are available hereand in the blog, tag: DNH-2022.
  • Project 2021: LGBTIQ+ human rights defenders. The Hirschfeld-Eddy Foundation’s “Human rights defenders: Education, inclusion and intersectional practice” is an intensive informational campaign on the situation of LGBTI human rights defenders in different parts of the world, which ran from January to December 2021. All the web talks, videos, audio material and articles are available here, and all the background information is also in the blog, tag: MRV-2021.
  • Project 2020: International debates on human rights. The HES project “International debates on human rights – Information and participation from an LGBTI perspective” ran from May to December 2020. Events, publications and a major conference highlighted the important debates being held on LGBTI human rights. Topics include raising LGBTI concerns at the United Nations Human Rights Council, the intersectionality of LGBTI human rights with anti-racism and women’s rights, and the Beijing+25 process. Complete project documentation is available here, and all background articles can also be found in the blog, tag: HR-2020.
  • The Yogyakarta Alliance: The LGBTIQ+ platform’s  focus is the Yogyakarta Alliance, an open network for integrating LGBTI rights into foreign policy and development cooperation. Click here for the website. All articles on our calls to include LGBTIQ perspectives in foreign policy are available here in the blog. Following years of advocacy on our part, the German federal government passed the LGBTI Inclusion Plan for Foreign Policy and Development Cooperation in 2021.
  • 2014-2018: Crossings & Alliances. This series of events organized by the Hirschfeld-Eddy Foundation about international LGBTI human rights included around 20 events held in numerous German cities from 2014 to 2018. An overview of the events is available here, and all background articles, recordings and talks are found here in the blog, tag: Crossings&Alliances.
  • Reports, interviews, studies and other documents on the current state of LGBTI rights in the global South and eastern Europe are available from our virtual library and under the Newsheading.
  • More forums and discussions are found in the Hirschfeld-Eddy Foundation’s blog and the respekt! magazine from the LSVD (Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany).

Sarah Kohrt

Sarah Kohrt, contact and project manager, LGBTIQ+ Platform for Human Rights

Email: sarah.kohrt(at)hirschfeld-eddy-stiftung.de

Address: Hirschfeld-Eddy Foundation c/o Lesben- und Schwulenverband (LSVD), Almstadtstr. 7, 10119 Berlin, Germany

Following a resolution by the German parliament, the Hirschfeld-Eddy Foundation (HES) has been receiving project funds from the Federal Ministry of Justice since 2020. This has enabled the HES to carry out three important projects on international human rights for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender and intersex persons.

Dreilinden Foundation

The LGBTIQ+ Platform for Human Rights was kindly supported by Dreilinden gGmbH from 2011 to 2020. We thank Dreilinden for the generous encouragement and material support that made the LGBTIQ+ Platform for Human Rights possible.