"Too many victims go without recognition, remedy or justice. Too many perpetrators are free to strike again, undeterred by the prospect of rule of law."

~ UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on the need for rigorous data collection on hate crimes

"The veil of social morality cannot be used to violate fundamental rights of even a single individual."

~ India's Supreme Court Justices striking down Section 377 of the Penal Code that criminalized being gay.

"You don’t have to approve of their lifestyle. There is no compulsion for this, but you cannot deny the fact that they are humans entitled to the same dignity stipulated in every religion, Islam included. They are human beings."

~ Malaysian AIDS and human rights activist, Marina Mahathir

"We need open mindedness about sexuality, about sex and about sexual health. Only then we can empower young people and give them confidence." ~ Reina Buijs of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaking on sex rights and education at #AIDS2018. 

"When it comes to promoting and protecting LGBT rights worldwide, I believe no battle matters more right now than the demand for judicial independence and the rule of law." 

~  Emily Thornberry, UK Member of Parliament 

"Today, a shameful history of pathologization, institutionalization, “conversion” and sterilization begins to come to a close."

Statement on the WHO update to the ICD-11 from GATE, AKAHATA, TGEU, APTN, ILGA, Post-Soviet Trans* Coalition, Iranti.org, STP International Campaign Stop Trans Pathologization

"This idea that men are not allowed to show vulnerability, be soft, intimate, etc. is toxic for everyone, including the men who try to uphold it and suppress their emotions – which results in unhealthy expressions of uncontrollable anger. Homophobia and misogyny can be expressions of toxic masculinity."

~ By Lou Constant-Desportes, AfroPunk Editor-in-Chief

"Despite our achievements and contributions to India in various fields, we are being denied the right to sexuality, the most basic and inherent of fundamental rights."

~ Businesswoman Ayesha Kapur, dancer Navtej Singh Johar, journalist Sunil Mehra, restaurateur and TV personality Ritu Dalmia, and historian Aman Nathin in their joint petition against India's Section 377 criminalizing homosexuality.

“We should remember that there is the LGBTI community. As we provide services, we should remember that they are part of the nation. Like everybody else, they have rights.” 

~ Lesotho's Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Correctional Services, Hon Mokhele Moletsane

“In 1960, black people were killed for peacefully protesting the fact that they were treated differently because they were black. That was the atrocious event that created the day we commemorate today. 

We are commemorating this day at a time where people are still being stigmatised, discriminated against, ostracised, and even killed for being of a different sexual orientation, gender identity or expression in the African continent.” 

– Anthony Oluoch, Program Manager, Pan Africa ILGA on South Africa's Human Right's Day

"We are all different, but we share the same human spirit."
~ World-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking passed away at age 76.

“We are all born the way we are. We need to support, embrace and respect each other. When we treat each other with dignity, we are all more dignified. When we treat each other with respect, we are all more respected.

I wish you affirm yourselves and your identities as well as your various diversities and celebrate your wonderful, beautiful, outstanding humanity.”

~ South African President Cyril Ramaphosa 

Frankly, I don’t even care about acceptance, but how dare you label me a criminal?

The truth is that I live in New Delhi, am financially independent and fairly well-known. 
All these help protect me but one only has to visit smaller cities, or go to villages to find out more about discrimination. I’ll also say that it’s not only about class and money; it is also about the environment. Imagine a mindset in which girls are raped in the belief that they’ll become straight.

  ~ Celebrity chef Ritu Dalmia on the Indian law, Section 377, that criminalizes her sexuality.

"Nuestra ciudadanía hoy es más libre. Hoy estamos más cerca de hacer realidad la aspiración de cualquier pareja a ser feliz, quererse, respetarse y protegerse en igualdad de condiciones, sin importar su orientación sexual. Como sociedad debemos sentir satisfacción al haber colocado un eslabón más en la extensa historia costarricense de respeto a los derechos humanos." ~ Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera

"Our citizens today are freer. Today we are closer to making reality the aspiration of any couple to be happy, to love, to respect themselves and protect themselves in conditions of equality, regardless of their sexual orientation. As a society, we must feel satisfaction at having placed one more link in the extensive Costa Rican history of respect for human rights."

“It is my freedom, my self-expression. If I don’t fight for that, then why am I living here?”

~ Sasha, Lebanese fashion model and transgender activist 

"I was extremely angry that I hadn’t been able to do anything to save my boyfriend’s life. I was still grieving. So I turned my grief and anger into rage and action and got involved with the movement." 

~ Eric Sawyer, founding member of ACT UP NY, co-founder of Housing Works, and co-founder of HealthGAP

When I told my parents last year I was gay, my father beat me up. My mom took a plastic bag, stuffed it with food and clothes and then I was kicked out. I did not have anywhere to go, didn’t have any money.
 
I did not dare to go back to school because of all the bullying that was going on. I ended up doing sex work to survive. Through an acquaintance I learnt about this shelter.”

~ Rajan, 18-year-old Albanian, on being expelled from his family home and seeking refuge at the LGBTQ shelter STREHA

"I was treated different because I was Aboriginal. We’re going to go treat gay and lesbian people differently? For why?"

~ Aboriginal elder, Harold Hunt. Recipient of the Order of Australia Medal.

"It is sickening to think that all this hysteria has been generated over a couple of kids raising a piece of cloth that stands for love."

~ Lebanese rock band Mashrou’ Leila on the mass arrests following kids waving a rainbow flag at their concert in Egypt

“LGBTI people have the right to decide freely over their own body and sexuality, this is absolutely fundamental.

Because if just one person doesn’t have the right to be who they are, then how can we claim that human rights are for all and not just a privilege for some.”

~ Martin Bille Hermann, Denmark’s State secretary for Development Policy, to the UN LGBTI Core Group