Summary

The present report is submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to Council resolutions 32/2, 41/18 and 50/10. In the report, the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Graeme Reid, examines the human rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association in relation to protection from violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. These freedoms are fundamental to full participation in society, yet – in all regions of the world – restrictions based on sexual orientation and gender identity aim to erase vulnerable minorities from the public sphere and render them invisible. Restrictions on freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association are often defended based on spurious and discriminatory grounds, accompanied by hostile political rhetoric. The net result is that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other gender-diverse persons are less able to advocate for themselves in increasingly inhospitable environments. The Independent Expert concludes the report by offering recommendations to States and other stakeholders on how to abide by their international obligations.