The ILGA Asia Conference 2025, held from 24–28 February 2025 in Kathmandu, Nepal, marked a significant milestone for regional LGBTIQ movement-building in Asia and the Pacific. Convened under the theme “Diversity Dynamics: Unifying for a Just, Inclusive, and Sustainable Asia,” the conference brought together over 600 participants—including activists, human rights defenders, community organisers, scholars, donors, artists, and allies—from across diverse national, cultural, and political contexts. At a time of shrinking civic spaces, rising backlash against gender and sexual rights, and escalating regional inequalities, the conference served as a vital space for collective reflection, learning, solidarity, and strategic action.
Over five days, the conference hosted a rich and dynamic programme that included plenary sessions, thematic panels, workshops, pre-conferences, community spaces, and arts and cultural programming. These spaces enabled participants to engage deeply with pressing issues facing LGBTIQ communities across the region, including criminalisation, digital repression, displacement, economic precarity, access to justice, and the intersections of gender, sexuality, climate justice, disability, and migration. Equally important were the informal exchanges and moments of connection that took place beyond formal sessions, reinforcing the conference’s role as a living, relational space for movement-building.
A central feature of the ILGA Asia Conference 2025 was its strong emphasis on centering local voices and lived experiences. For the first time in ILGA Asia’s history, the conference was hosted in Nepal, with local activists, organisations, and cultural practitioners playing a visible and meaningful role throughout the programme. This grounding in local context enriched regional conversations and set an important benchmark for future conferences—demonstrating how regional convenings can be rooted in place while remaining globally connected. The conference also prioritised intergenerational participation, bringing together emerging activists and long-time movement leaders, and fostering spaces for shared learning across generations.
Access and inclusion were key pillars of the conference. Through a robust scholarship programme, ILGA Asia supported the participation of activists from underrepresented, under-resourced, and high-risk contexts across Asia and the Pacific. Scholars represented a wide spectrum of gender identities, sexual orientations, age groups, and socio-political realities, ensuring that the conference reflected the diversity of the communities it seeks to serve. The report highlights how these scholarships were not only financial support mechanisms, but also tools for movement sustainability—enabling knowledge exchange, leadership development, and long-term regional solidarity.
This Conference Report documents both the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of the gathering. It presents participation data and demographic insights alongside narratives, reflections, and key moments that shaped the conference experience. Beyond capturing what happened, the report reflects on what was learned—from strategies to counter anti-gender movements, to practices of collective care, digital safety, and community resilience. It also records the emotional and cultural dimensions of the conference, recognising that movement-building is sustained not only through policy and advocacy, but also through joy, creativity, and shared humanity.
Importantly, the report outlines community-driven recommendations that emerged from sessions and discussions, offering guidance for ILGA Asia’s future programming, advocacy priorities, and conference design. These recommendations reflect a shared call for deeper regional collaboration, stronger protection for activists, more accessible and inclusive spaces, and sustained investment in local leadership. As such, the Conference Report is not only a record of past activities, but a forward-looking document that informs ILGA Asia’s ongoing work and collective vision.
Ultimately, the ILGA Asia Conference 2025 Report stands as a testament to the strength, diversity, and resilience of LGBTIQ movements across Asia and the Pacific. It captures a moment in time when communities came together—across borders, identities, and struggles—to reaffirm shared commitments to justice, dignity, and equality. In documenting these collective efforts, the report honours the people, stories, and solidarities that continue to shape the future of LGBTIQ rights in the region.
