To our members, partners, and global LGBTIQ+ communities,
We issue this statement to clarify ILGA Asia’s position regarding the ILGA World Board’s recent decision to lift the suspension of its Israeli member organisation, The Aguda, effective 27 October 2025. This comes exactly one year after their suspension was imposed in response to the harm caused by their bid to host the next ILGA World Conference in Tel Aviv. This proposal was later withdrawn in response to widespread concern and opposition across our membership, communities, and broader movement.
ILGA Asia did not support this decision.
While we acknowledge the decision of the ILGA World Board, we note that the motion to lift the suspension was not adopted unanimously. Following consultations with the ILGA Asia Executive Board, our representatives on the ILGA World Board did not support the motion. Our decision was guided by deep conscience, regional accountability, and unyielding commitment to justice, dignity, and solidarity.
- We fully recognise the process undertaken by ILGA World’s Disputes Resolution Committee. However, we believe that the following factors were not adequately addressed:
- The significant harm and internal division caused by The Aguda’s 2024 bid to host the World Conference in Israel, at a time of escalating genocide and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza;
- The lack of a public stance from The Aguda on war crimes and human rights violations in Gaza, which we view as inconsistent with the universality of human rights espoused by ILGA;
- The presence of content glorifying militarism on their public platforms raises concerns about alignment with ILGA’s principles of peace and nonviolence;
- And the unresolved harm and trauma experienced by many within the ILGA family—particularly Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim members—warranted a longer and more restorative process before reinstatement.
We acknowledge that the majority of the ILGA World Board justified the decision on the grounds that civil society organisations should not be automatically held accountable for the actions of their governments. While this argument holds relevance in many repressive contexts, we respectfully diverge from this rationale in this case, where silence amid atrocity has direct and harmful consequences.
As we have consistently affirmed in previous statements 1, 2, 3, 4, ILGA Asia stands firmly in solidarity with the people of Palestine, and with all communities enduring state-sanctioned violence, colonialism, and genocide.
Silence in the face of atrocity is not neutrality—it is complicity.
We therefore affirm:
- Our commitment to decolonial, intersectional, and justice-centred movement-building;
- Our solidarity with the Palestinian people and all victims of genocide, occupation, war, and systemic oppression;
- Our belief that ILGA regions have the right to dissent from global decisions that do not reflect their values or lived realities.
- As The Aguda’s suspension is lifted a year later, inviting the organisation to engage in global contexts under the “do no harm” principle, we acknowledge that harm has already been done, and we will not overlook the gravity of that impact. We will continue to closely monitor the human rights violations in Gaza with the support of our members.
We share this statement not in opposition to ILGA World as an institution, but in moral and political alignment with the communities we serve. We remain committed to the global ILGA movement and will continue engaging constructively to ensure it reflects the full diversity, dignity, and accountability our movement requires.
We welcome dialogue with our members, partners, and allies, and are preparing a broader engagement plan to ensure transparency and collective reflection in the days ahead.
In solidarity and resistance,
ILGA Asia Executive Board (2025-2027 Term)
