The joint submission by ILGA Asia and One Future Collective (India) to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) highlights the persistent and worsening discrimination, violence, and criminalization faced by LGBTIQ people across Asia. The report emphasizes that despite some legal advancements, such as the recognition of gender identity and same-sex partnerships in a few countries, the region still suffers from widespread human rights violations. These include arbitrary arrests, hate crimes, and exclusion from healthcare, education, and employment. The submission underlines the urgent need for comprehensive anti-discrimination laws and protective mechanisms to ensure safety and equality for all sexual and gender minorities.
The report further discusses systemic barriers exacerbated by state and non-state actors. Many governments continue to uphold colonial-era penal codes that criminalize same-sex relations, while others have introduced new restrictive laws under the guise of morality, religion, or national security. Transgender and intersex individuals remain particularly vulnerable to violence, medical abuse, and forced sterilization. The report also points to the digital and civic space shrinking in Asia, where activists face censorship, online harassment, and threats for advocating LGBTIQ rights, especially in authoritarian and conflict-affected states.
Finally, ILGA Asia calls for stronger engagement from the United Nations and international partners to pressure governments to uphold their human rights commitments. The submission urges the OHCHR to prioritize LGBTIQ inclusion in all humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding frameworks. It recommends sustained funding for grassroots organizations, data collection on SOGIESC-related abuses, and mechanisms to hold states accountable. The report concludes by reaffirming that equality and protection for LGBTIQ people are integral to achieving justice, democracy, and sustainable development across the region.
