WATCH UN FREE & EQUAL VIDEOS
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 Globally, too many countries retain outdated or repressive laws, either lagging behind or willfully rejecting progress towards LGBTI equality.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.
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.
THE WELCOME
We created the first ever Bollywood music video for gay rights with our Equality Champion Celina Jaitly to promote a Free and Equal world. It’s a beautiful reminder that everyone should be warmly welcomed by family, no matter who they are or whom they love.
FACES
Let’s celebrate the contributions that millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people make to families and local communities around the world! There are no actors in this video, only real people filmed in their workplaces and homes - among them, a firefighter, a police officer, a teacher, an electrician, a doctor, and a volunteer, as well as prominent straight ally UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
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.
UN FREE & EQUAL: BEHIND THE SCENES
On 20 November 2015, Brazilian super couple Daniela Mercury and Malu Verçosa Mercury travelled to the United Nations headquarters in New York to launch the Free & Equal campaign video ‘Celebrate Love’ . This video – produced by the International Labour Organization and directed by Ju Bacelar – gives you a behind-the-scenes glimpse of UN Equality Champions advocating for LGBTI equality.
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.
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.
THE UN AND THE FIGHT AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA & TRANSPHOBIA
Latest video from UNTV follows UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to San Francisco, where he receives the Harvey Milk Award for the UN Free & Equal campaign. Watch to learn more about the UN's global campaign to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. Produced by UNTV.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE INTERSEX?
Intersex people are born with sex characteristics that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies. Being intersex is much more common than most people think - according to experts there are as many intersex people as there are red haired people.
ONE BILLION RISING
A year ago, the United Nations Human Rights Office launched an unprecedented global public education campaign for lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgender rights: Free & Equal. This inspiring video tells the story of what happened next.
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.
BEHIND THE SCENES OF “THE WELCOME”
Watch magic happen behind the scenes of the filming of The Welcome and learn more about Bollywood star Celina Jaitly’s feelings about gay rights in India and the importance of family acceptance.
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.
EVER WONDER HOW THE LGBT RIGHTS DEBATE STARTED AT THE UN?
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay looks back at the evolution of the gay rights debate at the United Nations. The High Commissioner makes it clear that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is truly universal and applies to us all - whoever we are, whatever we look like, whoever we share our lives with.
THE POWER OF SHARING
This International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, the United Nations encourages you to share your story. Every story, no matter how small it may seem, can change hearts and minds for the better. We are all the foundation for this movement for equality.
BAN KI-MOON’S CALL TO WORLD LEADERS AT THE UN
On 25 September 2014, foreign ministers and other high-level representatives of UN Member States met at the United Nations to discuss next steps in the fight to end homophobia and transphobia.
