The countries say they are "speaking and acting as one to champion the rights of LGBTQI people"
Foreign ministries from Canada, Australia, Brazil, Columbia and several European countries including Spain, Belgium and Ireland, issued a joint statement in support of LGBTQIA+ rights on Saturday (June 28).
The United States was notably absent from the letter, which was released on International Pride Day.
Attitude has approached the Foreign Office for clarity over the UK’s absence from the letter, but it is worth noting that many key Pride events take place after June, including Pride In London due on 4 July and Brighton Pride from 2-3 August.
The statement condemned violence, criminalisation, stigmatisation and discrimination against LGBTQI+ people, calling them clear violations of human rights.
“We reject all forms of violence, criminalisation, stigmatisation or discrimination” The statement said the countries “are speaking and acting as one to champion the rights of LGBTQI people, at a time when hate speech and hate crimes are on the rise, and in view of efforts to strip LGBTQI people of their rights, we reject all forms of violence, criminalisation, stigmatisation or discrimination, which constitute human rights violations.”
Since Donald Trump was re-elected for his second term in office, the US have banned transgender people from military service, shut down a government-backed LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention hotline and issued an executive order that the US would only recognise two sexes – male and female.
The statement was released the same day as Budapest’s 30th Pride march, where there were an estimated 200,000 people who defied the governments ban on the city’s LGBTQ+ celebration.