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Solidarity Means All Of Us
As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we're reminded of its vision for a world where everyone is free and equal, united in solidarity.
Love makes a family!
All families are different. Some have a mum, dad and kids. Some have two mums…
Stand in solidarity with #ALLwomen
Gender equality can only be achieved if #AllWomen and girls are included. This means LGBTIQ+ women too. Your voice is your power – raise it! Together, we can create a truly free and equal world for all.
When #YouthLead anything is possible
With great courage and resilience, young LGBTIQ+ people are leading change and standing up for a future where each and every one of us is free to be who we are and love whom we choose. Will you stand with them?
UN Free & Equal and IOM: Stand Up for LGBTIQ+ Migrants!
Too many LGBTIQ+ people are forced to search for safer, more welcoming places to call home. Let’s create a future free from prejudice, where everyone truly belongs – LGBTIQ+ migrants included!
Everyone deserves a safe and loving home
Everyone deserves a safe and loving home. Take a stand for LGBTIQ+ youth without one!
Break The Silence
Let’s create a world where it is safe to yourself - no matter who you are or whom you love.
Voices for Equality
Of the 69 countries around the world that still criminalize same sex relationships, 32 are in Africa. In many countries, violence and discrimination is a part of the every-day life of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people and LGBT activism is banned.
SPIRIT DAY
This Spirit Day, the United Nations is calling for everyone to take a stand against LGBTI bullying.
Justice and Protection for All
Fair treatment and protection from violence and abuse are things that many of us take for granted. Yet for millions of lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people, justice is far from guaranteed. Globally, too many countries retain outdated or repressive laws, either lagging behind or willfully rejecting progress towards LGBTI equality.
CELEBRATE TRANS VISIBILITY
Everyone has a deep-rooted sense of their own gender. For most people, their gender identity will match the sex recorded on their birth certificate when they were born. But for some, their assigned sex isn’t true to who they really are...
A Free & Equal World Is Possible
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” So says Article…
Bi Visibility
Bisexual people, often referred to as ‘bi’, are emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to people…
Trans activism saves lives
For trans people in Brazil, discrimination, violence and murder is an all too common part of life. In this video, we meet Tathiane, Taya, Ludymilla, Melissa, Ana Carolina, Christopher and Saulo – activists who are standing up for the human rights of their communities and friends, and inspiring allies to do the same.


Be There
Being an ally is about more than silent acceptance. It’s about being there for your lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex (LGBTI) family members, friends, colleagues, and neighbours.
It’s about striving to understand their experiences, and helping them to understand yours. It’s about supporting one another in times of need. It’s about setting a positive example for others. And most importantly, it’s about creating a more inclusive and loving society where everyone is valued, no matter who they are or whom they love.
Being a trans ally is easier than you think!
Being a trans ally is easier than you think! A little empathy and bravery can make a big difference.


Tatiane
Tatiane de Campobello, a trans women and health worker, talks about how she turned her life around – with help from the trans support center Casa Florescer in Sao Paolo, Brazil.


IT’S TIME
The UN is calling for equal rights and fair treatment for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex people worldwide.


Global Business Standards
Violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people cannot be ended by governments alone. Businesses can foster diversity and promote a culture of respect and equality both in the workplace and in the communities where they and their business partners operate.
The United Nations is calling on companies all over the world – big and small, local and multinational – to help to help move the dial in the direction of greater equality for LGBTI people.


MEET THE BRAZILIAN DIVER WHO CAME OUT TO FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA
As one of Brazil’s most successful divers, Ian Matos will be representing Brazil at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest. In 2014, Ian decided to speak publicly about being gay. In this video, he speaks to UN Free & Equal about the political impact that everyone can have simply by coming out.


CULTURE OF LOVE
Culture and tradition are profound parts of our lives. They allow us to come together to mark life’s milestones, and celebrate our heritage and the people we love. For many, they provide a sense of home, of history and identity.


END BULLYING
Every day, lesbian, gay, bi, trans (LGBT) and intersex kids – and other children seen as defying gender stereotypes – are bullied at school, at home and in their community. Bullying can take many forms–from taunting and name-calling to brutal violence.


INTERSEX AWARENESS
Intersex people are born with sex characteristics that don’t fit typical definitions of male and female.
In many countries, intersex children are subjected to repeated surgery and treatment to try to change their sex characteristics and appearance, causing terrible physical, psychological and emotional pain – and violating their rights.


THE RIDDLE
In more than 70 countries it’s illegal to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. In some it can be punished by death. The UN is here to make it clear that LGBT rights are human rights. Together, we can build a world that is free and equal.


WHY WE FIGHT
The global movement for lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) equality encompasses millions of individuals, groups, organizations and campaigns all of whom are fighting for change in their own countries and communities.


THE HISTORY OF THE RIGHT TO LOVE (IF YOU’RE GAY)
This interactive map shows how different countries have criminalized, decriminalized (and in a few cases recriminalized), being gay throughout modern history. Starting in 1799, the map tells a poignant tale of how colonization spread homophobic legislation to many parts of the world. Use the slide at the bottom to speed through history and watch as successive waves of change affect country after country.


THE PRICE OF EXCLUSION
Do you know how much discrimination really costs?
Rates of poverty, homelessness, depression and suicide have been found to be far higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people than in the general population.


“I SEE THAT BETTER DAYS ARE COMING”
Lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex people cannot fight on their own. They need the support of their families, relatives, co-workers and friends. Iana Mallmann is a fierce lesbian activist living in Brasília, Brazil. Here, she shares with us her story of coming out, finding acceptance and discovering activism. “I will always be proud of who I am”, she says. “This is why I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I see that better days are coming. I truly think, feel and believe that we will go far."


REBECCA’S FIGHT
Some lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people are particularly vulnerable to exclusion and hate crimes because they also face discrimination due to their age, gender, ethnicity, disability or other factors. In this video, Rebecca Religare, a LGBTI activist from the Brazilian LGBTI organization Corpolítica, talks about how she fights the intersecting forms of discrimination she faces – as a woman, a person of color and a lesbian.


CELEBRATE LOVE
Free & Equal Brazil’s new campaign video is a celebration of love. The video features music from her upcoming album and never-before-seen footage from Daniela and Malu’s beautiful wedding.


I AM TRANS; I HAVE RIGHTS
The exhibition "I have rights" was first displayed in a public park in Lima in December 2015. It was organised by the UN country team in Peru, including UNAIDS, UNIC Lima, UNDP and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in cooperation with the photographer Danielle Villasana and local civil society organizations and academic institutions.

FOR A FREE & EQUAL CAPE VERDE
Cape Verdean musician and human rights champion Mayra Andrade calls on her compatriots to celebrate love and respect one another. In this first video created for the Free & Equal campaign in Cape Verde, the singer says that happiness depends upon the freedom to be ourselves without fear of discrimination.


BAN KI-MOON CALLS HER THE QUEEN OF EQUALITY
“Princess of Africa” and South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka knows we are all equal.
Photo credit: Platon.


MELISSA ETHERIDGE KNOWS BEING DIFFERENT ISN’T A BAD THING
Musician Melissa Etheridge shares her thoughts on building a Free & Equal world in the latest in our series of activists and celebrities speaking up for equality.


MARTINA NAVRATILOVA SPEAKS ABOUT HER LONG FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
Tennis legend Matina Navratilova speaks out in the latest in our series of activists and celebrities speaking out for a Free and Equal world from the United Nations.


JASON COLLINS WANTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, wants a freer and more equal world. The latest in the United Nations’ series of public service announcements by LGBT activists and celebrities, Collins talks about how “ridiculous” it is that people are discriminated against for their sexual orientation and gender identity.


INDIAN ACTOR IMRAN KHAN KNOWS WE WILL MOVE PAST HOMOPHOBIA
Indian actor Imran Khan speaks about how he believes the gay rights movement is the movement of our generation in the latest in our series of public service announcements.


SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY ARE NOTHING NEW
For the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, we worked with the IDAHOT Committee and the Burkle Center at UCLA to bring you this information on LGBT people through history.


DANIELA MERCURY INSPIRES US TO SPEAK UP FOR A FREE AND EQUAL WORLD
Our Free & Equal Equality Champion from Brazil, the celebrated pop star Daniela Mercury, shares inspiring words on why equality and freedom should be something everyone can take for granted. The video was launched at the same time as the campaign launch in Brazil on 28 April 2014.


THE HISTORY OF LGBT RIGHTS AT THE UN
This Human Rights Day marks the 65th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly in 1948. Watch this short infographic video to see how it all came to be and what has happened in LGBT rights since.


THIS SOUTH AFRICAN MOM’S STORY WILL BREAK YOUR HEART
Listen to a South African mother tell the story of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in her community, including her lesbian daughter, and the fight to live Free & Equal.


WITH LOVE, FROM DESMOND TUTU
In this video released by the Free & Equal campaign, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu calls for an end to punishing people because of who they are or whom they love, saying "I oppose such injustice with the same passion that I opposed apartheid." Free & Equal is the United Nations campaign for LGBT equality.


HUMAN RIGHTS LEADERS SPEAK OUT FOR LGBT EQUALITY
Archbishop Desmond Tutu says he "won't worship a homophobic god," UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay says "everyone is born free and equal… no exceptions, no one left behind," and Justice Edwin Cameron says "the biggest foes of gay and lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and intersex equality have been invisibility and silence." Watch their strong statements at Free & Equal's launch in Capetown, South Africa.


THIS MOTHER’S STORY WILL GIVE YOU HOPE
This beautiful story shows what it means to be a family. Together, we will create a world that is Free and Equal.


BAN KI-MOON HAS SOMETHING TO SAY
In a historic address to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon decries violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and tells LGBT people "you are not alone."


MEET AVELINO: THE INSPIRING DAD FIGHTING BACK AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA
Homophobia and transphobia don’t affect only lesbian, gay, bi and trans people. Avelino Mendes is a straight man and a loving father who lost his eldest son, Lucas, to homophobic violence in 2012. In this moving video, he talks about how his loss inspired him to take up activism.


THE HEINOUS HATE CRIME THAT CHANGED THIS WOMAN’S LIFE
Oyama Mbopa is a survivor of "curative" of "corrective" rape, a brutal and heinous crime that perpetrators believe will change their victim's sexual orientation. Watch here as Mbopa bravely shares her story, and learn more about how South Africa works to confront sexual violence and discrimination.


DOES THE NAME “NICHOLAS TOONEN” RING A BELL? IT SHOULD.
On March 31st, 1994, the United Nations was doing something extraordinary. Take a look.


THIS IS HOW MUCH DISCRIMINATION REALLY HURTS
Make a positive impact on the lives of LGBT people, spread the word.

A MESSAGE TO ALL COUNTRIES, FROM THE UNITED NATIONS
No country discriminating against its people based on sexual orientation or gender identity gets a pass. Spread the message now.

