Advancing the Human Rights and Inclusion of LGBTI People: A Handbook for Parliamentarians

“Homophobia and other forms of stigma, violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people contribute significantly to their exclusion from society, limit their access to health and social services and hinder social and economic development.”

This handbook is designed to encourage parliamentarians to advocate for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people. It sets out relevant human rights frameworks and highlights the role of parliamentarians in implementing Agenda 2030, which seeks to ensure that no one, including LGBTI people, is left behind. As stated in the handbook, “If a critical mass of parliamentarians commit to taking concrete actions to advance the rights and inclusion of LGBTI people, the impact would be profound and can drive legal, policy and social norm changes in every corner of the globe, genuinely ensuring that no one is left behind.”

The guide offers practical tips, tools, and resources designed to support parliamentarians to undertake legislative, representational, and oversight activities that advance the rights and inclusion of LGBTI people. Besides looking at the human rights frameworks that uphold the rights of LGBTI people, the handbook offers practical tips on how to stand up for the rights of LGBTI on a day-to-day basis. For example, it looks at some of the most common myths about LGBTI people that parliamentarians can help dispel, and offers tips on how to speak about LGBTI issues. In order to inspire parliamentarians, the handbook also offers stories of how parliamentarians are taking concrete steps and employing a range of strategies to advance the human rights and inclusion of LGBTI people.

The handbook contains the following main sections:

What is the situation of LGBTI people that parliamentarians can help address?

The international human rights framework and LGBTI people

The United Nations and the rights and inclusion of LGBTI people

Actions that parliamentarians can take 

• In the legislative role
• In the representation role
• In the oversight role
• Work with parliaments
• Work within and across political parties
• Reaching out for social society

Some Practical Steps

• Be prepared to address myths and offer realities about LGBTI people
• Learn how to speak about LGBTI issues
• Ask the right questions: Sample questions to pose in parliament, to ministers and other decision makers

Get inspired: Examples of actions by parliamentarians

• Pursuing constitutional protections for LGBTI people
• Parliamentarians driving progressive law reform
• Parliamentarians opposing regressive law reform that targets LGBTI people
• Sectoral approaches to parliamentary action
• Including LGBTI issues in gender mainstreaming

The handbook was published by the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) and the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), an international, cross-party, non-governmental network of parliamentarians that informs and mobilises legislators to advocate for human rights and the rule of law, democracy, human security, non-discrimination, and gender equality.

PGA's Inclusion Site contains content from the Handbook, displayed in a way that allows visitors to navigate through it in English and Spanish, as well as additional news and resources.