UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on all member states to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and end the criminalization of consensual same-sex relations and transgender people.
“Being yourself should never be a crime,” the United Nations chief said in his message on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, reads a press release issued on Tuesday.
“As we mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, we face a stark fact. In every corner of the world, LGBTQI+ people continue to face violence, persecution, hate speech, injustice and even outright murder. Meanwhile, retrograde laws continue to criminalize LGBTQI+ people around the world, punishing them for simply being who they are.
“Each assault on LGBTQI+ people is an assault on human rights and the values we hold dear. We cannot and will not move backwards.”
The United Nations firmly stands with the LGBTQI+ community and will continue working until human rights and dignity are a reality for all people, Guterres said.
“In keeping with this year's theme, ‘Together Always: United in Diversity,' I call on the world to speak with one voice to eliminate the stigma, discrimination, harmful practices and often deadly violence endured by LGBTQI+ people.”
“Let's continue working to build a peaceful, just world in which all people are free and equal in dignity and rights,” Guterres added.
