The views expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights or Harvard Kennedy School. These perspectives have been presented to encourage debate on important public policy challenges.
On May 17, communities around the world will mark IDAHOBIT 2026, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia. This year’s theme, At the Heart of Democracy, arrives at a moment when democratic institutions are under pressure across every region of the world, and when LGBTQI+ communities are once again among the first to feel the negative impacts of this global backlash.
Across the world, attacks on LGBTQI+ rights have become a blueprint for attacks on democracy itself: ban Pride marches, and you weaken freedom of assembly; silence LGBTQI+ advocacy, and you erode free speech; erase our stories from the media, and you weaken a free press. Attacks on LGBTQI+ people are the canary in the coal mine, because those who fear democracy know that if they can strip one community of its freedoms, the erosion rarely stops there.
This year, our Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program asked members of our network across the world to reflect on what At the Heart of Democracy means in their own contexts. Their responses remind us that this struggle is global, deeply personal, and inseparable from the future of human freedom itself.
From Panama, Pau González Sánchez, Co-Founder of Hombres Trans Panama:
“Democracy remains incomplete as long as trans people are forced to live in fear, remain invisible to the law, or are denied the opportunity to harness our full potential to contribute to the development of our countries. After a decade of activism, I have learned that visibility alone is not equality. True democracy demands much more: it requires upholding the dignity, safety, and the meaningful participation of every individual, ensuring that human rights are not wishful thinking, but a reality for all.”
From Uganda, Kasha Nabagesera, Founder of Freedom and Roam Uganda:
“Our movement has too often been treated as a political playground, especially during the 2024 general elections across the world. Now more than ever, we must push back and defend the freedom, dignity, and human rights that are steadily being stripped away. For over fifty years, countless people sacrificed, struggled, and stood courageously so future generations could live with equality and respect. We cannot afford to sit back while our lives are reduced to pawns in divisive political agendas and rising extremist movements. At the heart of democracy lies unity, shared responsibility, and the protection of every person’s humanity. By standing together, sharing resources, skills, and solidarity, we can resist hatred and build a future grounded in justice and inclusion. Discrimination weakens democracy and hinders development for all.”
From Russia, Ilia Savelev, Co-Director of Association of Russian Speaking Intersex:
“At the heart of democratic order lies a constitutional promise: that minorities shall be protected from the majority’s fears. Today, across the world, this promise is being tested as human rights advocacy is branded extremism, radical ideology, and propaganda. In this moment, to defend equal dignity and diversity is to defend the soul of democracy itself.”
From Bangladesh, Sanjiboni Sudha, Executive Director of Inclusive Bangladesh:
“Democracy cannot only be a promise made in parliaments or policies; it must be practised from the grassroots, within our own organisations, communities, and everyday relationships. For LGBTIQ+ people and all marginalised communities, human rights advance when decision-making begins from the bottom up—where lived experiences are heard, leadership is shared, and dignity is protected in practice, not only in principle”
This IDAHOBIT, we are reminded of something fundamental: LGBTQI+ human rights were never a side issue in the democratic project. Rather, they are among its clearest tests.
Diego Garcia Blum. Program Director
Timothy Patrick McCarthy, Faculty Chair
