This report documents the climate of intolerance and the homophobic speech and violence experienced by LGBT human rights defenders. It also gives examples of attempts to deny fundamental rights, including freedom of association, assembly, and expression, and of failure by state actors to provide support.

Extract from ILGA submission to Council of Europe

Posted 14/10/2007 The specific difficulties faced by LGBT human rights defenders were emphasised by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in a recent report. Since the establishment of the mandate, the Special Representative has acted on 36 cases of alleged attacks and threats against defenders of LGBTI1 rights in all regions.

Defenders have been threatened, had their houses and offices raided, they have been attacked, tormented by regular death threats. A major concern in this regard is an almost complete lack of seriousness with which such cases are treated by the concerned authorities.

In numerous cases from all regions, police or government officials are the alleged perpetrators of violence and threats against defenders of LGBTI rights. In several of these cases, the authorities have prohibited demonstrations, conferences and meetings, denied registration of organizations working for LGBTI rights. The authorities have generally attempted to justify action against these defenders by arguing that “the public” does not want these demonstrations to take place, or these organizations to be registered, or that “the people” do not want LGBTI people in their community.”

In many countries in Europe LGBT human rights defenders work in the face of a high degree of intolerance. This intolerance is not confined to extremist groups, but is expressed in public homophobic language and actions by mainstream politicians and faith leaders, and reflected in the attitudes and actions of many agents of the state, and indeed, throughout society more generally.