Senators in Mexico have given their approval to a draft bill that proposes banning LGBT+ ‘conversion therapy’ nationwide, with a vote brought to the chamber four years after the legislation was first proposed.

Convened by our Chair Lord Herbert to discuss the work of the private sector on LGBT+ issues, guests also heard from the UN Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

Elections in Brazil have returned 20 out-LGBT+ candidates across all levels of government, news welcomed by the Global Equality Caucus as a significant milestone for LGBT+ representation in the country.

The handbook, officially launched at an event in Belgrade, proposes a menu of policy options for legislators to take forward in their parliaments and in their representations to governments.

EuroPride took place in Belgrade 12-18 September, amidst a political climate that saw anti-Pride demonstrations and an attempt by authorities to cancel the parade. We were there to march with legislators, highlight their work at the human rights conference, and to launch our new HIV Prevention Handbook.

To coincide with the publication of our new report on HIV criminalisation, GEC held a launch event in Buenos Aires convening legislators and civil society experts ahead of the Equal Rights Coalition.

The ERC convened this month in Argentina from 8-9 September, where government officials, activists, and - supported by GEC - legislators came together to assess progress in Member States and formulate a work agenda for the next term.

The Global Equality Caucus has today published a new report, Decriminalising HIV: Strategies and best practice for legislators, which examines how elected representatives can address and reform laws that unfairly criminalise HIV transmission, non-disclosure and exposure.

Since our last update on our Ban Conversion Therapy Now! campaign we have seen encouraging progress in several jurisdictions, with new laws, draft proposals, and encouraging statements from governments.

The Parliamentary Platform for the rights of LGBTI people in Europe brings together MPs from the national delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, observers and partners for democracy.

Representatives from the Global Equality Caucus were in Montevideo this month with regional stakeholders to meet with government officials and legislators to talk about LGBT+ priorities for Uruguay and the wider region, following the second part of our Latin America launch in Buenos Aires in May.

The Global Equality Caucus welcomes a new briefing from the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBTI Rights, which outlines different laws that prohibit ‘conversion therapy’ in EU Member States.

To coincide with IDAHOBIT and the 10 year anniversary of Argentina’s gender identity law, on 16-17 May the Global Equality Caucus completed its launch in Latin America with an event in Buenos Aires.

On 1-2 April, the Global Equality Caucus launched in Latin America at an event in Mexico City, which brought together legislators, LGBT+ officials, activists and human rights champions from across Central America and the Caribbean.

Following the withdrawal of support from UK civil society and business, the UK Government has cancelled the Safe To Be Me LGBT rights conference, which had been scheduled to take place 29 June – 1 July 2022.

The Global Equality Caucus is deeply alarmed by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, in violation of international law and human rights standards. We condemn the violence that is happening across the country.