The case has been being heard by the Constitutional Court since Tuesday (July 29), brought by a team of pro-democracy campaigners, who argued the law was pushed through Parliament in December 2013 in an unconstitutional way – without quorum (enough MPs present to make it valid).

Today the Court ruled in favour of the petitioners, finding the government guilty of breaking constitutional rules.

This meant that other grounds on which petitioners were preparing to fight (freedom of expression, right to privacy, non-discrimination) did not even have to be heard as the law was struck down on this issue alone.

Sexual Minorities Uganda Director and one of the petitioners, Frank Mugisha, tweeted after the leaving the court room:

Still in celebration mood safely made it out of court amidst crowd of journalists & demos' by anti gay groups – UG anti gay law nullified

— Dr. Frank Mugisha (@frankmugisha) August 1, 2014

Well-known Ugandan LGBTI and human rights defender, Jacqueline Kasha, also took to twitter in celebration, affirming: “I am no longer criminal today. We have made history for generations to come.”

FINAL JUDGEMENT: Iam nolonger http://t.co/ekOD5G8eQO we have made history for generations to come.speak OUT now. #AHA scraped.EXCRUCIATING.

— Kasha Jacqueline (@KashaJacqueline) August 1, 2014

Prof. Sheila Tlou, UNAIDS Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, and Former Minister of Health of Botswana, also joined a chorus of positive reactions across the region, declaring the ruling a “Great victory for justice”.

#Great victory for Justice:# Uganda #Constitutional Court declares #AHA ( Anti Homosexuality) Bill #unconstitutional. Zero discrimin..

— Prof. Sheila Tlou (@_dinotshe) August 1, 2014

As the dust begins to settle, LGBTI and human rights campaigners in Uganda are also bracing themselves for a backlash. The possibility still stands that the Ugandan government can appeal the ruling, or that they could reintroduce the law into Parliament again. Pastor Martin Ssempa, one of the chief backers of the law, has already affirmed on national television that “we will appeal to the Supreme Court”.

According to one local media report, President Museveni is already planning a press conference for tomorrow, following pressure from supporters of the law.

Right now, however, celebration is in the air.

And whatever the final outcome, today’s decision will surely stand as a one-in-a-generation victory for defenders of LGBTI and human rights, and democracy, in Uganda.

In Spain, a huge wave of mobilisation was registered for IDAHOT 2014, with numerous groups and organisations taking action in at least 10 cities and provinces, including Madrid, Barcelona, Valladolid, Valencia, Alicante, Melilla, Oviedo, Ávila, Sitges and Seville.

Just some of the actions reported around the IDAHOT 2014 in Spain were:

Valladolid: The Organisation PAC LGTB+ Valladolid held two events to commemorate the IDAHOT 2014

Activities held were (on Thursday, May 15), a presentation of the video “LGBT-Phobia in our streets” and (on Saturday, May 17) a Kiss-In against LGBT-Phobia

The platform Apoyo al Colectivo LGBT+ (Support of LGBT+ people) from Valladolid is formed by activists, joined to fight discrimination. Its main objective is to combat LGBT-Phobia in Valladolid and the wider province.

Poster for IDAHOT 2014 in Valladolid, Spain.

For more information visit their website, follow them on Twitter or see their Facebook page.

Valencia: The organisation LAMBDA – col·lectiu de lesbianas, gais, transexuales y bisexuals (LGTB Collective) – in Valencia , Spain organised various acts for May 17.

On Saturday, May 17 at 7pm, they invited everyone to join on the Plaza de los Pinazo de Valencia (at the exit of the metro station Colón) for the manifestation of the International Day against Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (LGTB-Phobia).

For 2014, in the International Year for LGBT Human Rights, they prepared ‘a surprise to claim an end to the violence worldwide and the escalating LGTB-Phobia that we are suffering from, especially in certain parts of the planet, but with the awareness that no country is free from discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.’

LAMBDA, is a non-profit organisation that was founded in September 25, 1986 prompted by the situation of legal discrimination and social marginalisation homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals were suffering under.

For more information visit their website, follow them on Twitter and visit their Facebook page.

Madrid: Organisations COGAM and Arcópoli take action for IDAHOT 2014

Arcópoli organized a street event on Saturday, May 17 at 6pm, where they created a giant mural about LGBT rights in the world, and held various other activities to raise awareness about the situation of LGBT people in the world. For the finale, they displayed a giant rainbow flag, and performed a theatre act to demand equality commitments from the government of Spain. They also organised a talk with Amnesty International on Monday, May 12, in which they discussed AI’s work done in the field of LGBT rights.

At the same time, the organisation COGAM also held a discussion event and a a rally. COGAM is the LGBT collective of Madrid that has worked for more than 25 years towards equality for LGBT people. It is one of the founding institutions of the FELGTB and one of the driving forces since the beginning for gay marriage in Spain.

Both organisations are part of the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans (FELGTB) of Spain.

For more information:

Acrópoli: website, Twitter and Facebook
COGAM: website, Twitter and Facebook

Alicante: The organisation Diversitat Alicante also hosted a series of events around May 17

As part of the activities of May 17 they organised the following events:

May 10: The first edition of the “Angie Simonis” awards. This award is named after the activist Angie Simonis, who was president of the Collective from 2005 till 2007 and recently passed away. It is their unique tribute to this fighter for the Human Rights of the LGBTI Collective, especially for the visibility of lesbians.

Diversitat’s directive together with its members and partners voted 3 winners of this First Edition: Individual, Collective and Institution/Association. The winners of the Angie Simonis 2014 awards were:

• Amnesty International (Combating Discrimination in the World)
• University of Alicante (for Equality)
• José Luís Rodriguez Zapatero (Civil Rights and Legal Progress)

May 15: Presentation of the theatre play “Wonderful”, at 12:00 Parainfo University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig

May 17 : Video forum LGBT event.

Diversitat is a non-profit association comprised of women and men located in the Counties of Alicante, who- among other things- are united as Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual and Intersex (LGBTI) but also in the defence of Human, Civil, Cultural, Political and Economical Rights which everyone is entitled to.

For more information visit their website, follow them on Twitter or visit their Facebook page.

Other actions

The Spanish Scout Association released a statement of support for the IDAHOT 2014. Spanish National newpaper El Diario published a positive round-up of events around the world which was shared over 4,000 times. They link to actions taken in Melilla, Oviedo, Ávila, Sitges, Valencia, Valladolid and Alicante.

In Mozambique, the IDAHOT 2014 was marked by a television debate about discrimination, a university discussion around LGBT rights and legislation, and the publication of an official LGBT-affirmative statement in a Mozambican national newspaper (Jornal Savana). All organised by Lambda, other kinds of online communications were also released.

For the celebration of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in Mozambique, Lambda – Mozambique’s first and only formal organisation dedicated to defending the rights of sexual and gender minorities (since 2006) – organised various education and information activities, with the goal of changing negative perceptions about homosexuality and the LGBT community.

Banner for IDAHOT 2014 commemorations in Mozambique. Source: Lambda

As detailed by AMSHeR, ahead of the Day, these activities were:

• A television debate about the negative aspects of discrimination based on sexual orientation. A psychologist (Lenia Mapelane), sociologist (Santos Simione) and LGBT person (Jam Pedro) will attend the TV show, talk about the subject and discuss the implications of discrimination. This program is scheduled to go on air on the 16th on STV, a Mozambican national TV channel (on a show called “A tarde é sua”) at 4pm.

• A debate on an university, wherewith Lambda expects to create the opportunity for an academic discussion about how the LGBT rights are not recognized and respected in Mozambique and raise awareness about the negative impact of the lack of clear legislation that defends the LGBT citizens. This debate is scheduled for May 19, at 4pm, at CREISPU – Universidade Politécnica, Maputo. The invited speakers are dr. Dário de Sousa and dr. Egídio Canuma, with the participation of dr. Antonio Ndapassoa as the debate moderator. The debate is open to everyone that is interested.

• Publish an official declaration on a Mozambican national newspaper (Jornal Savana), about the celebration of the date on Friday, the 16th.

Lambda communications

Lambda released a newsletter around the Day with ‘an official declaration against homophobia’, and which documents some of the actions around the Day, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. You can read it here (in Portuguese).

On social media, Lambda also published this public note, via their facebook page, in recognition of the Day (in Portuguese).

For more information please see Lambda’s website, facebook page and twitter profile.

2014 was a landmark year for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in Malta. The major event of the year was of course the 2nd annual International IDAHO Forum being held in the country, on May 13-14, featuring the participation of the Maltese Prime Minister, high level ministers from various countries, and LGBTI rights advocates and civil society organisations from across Europe. The University of Malta also organised a significant particpatory photo campaign.

IDAHO Forum co-hosted by Maltese and Swedish governments in Valletta, Malta

This 2nd annual IDAHO Forum was held under the theme: ‘Responses to Homophobia & Transphobia at the National, European & International Levels’.

Various high level ministers and national level politicians participated in the conference, which also featured the participation of the Prime Minister of Malta. Many civil society organisations from the international LGBTI rights field were also represented at the conference, including ILGA-Europe, TGEU (Transgender Europe), ORAM International and the IDAHO Committee. Key international institutions and agencies were also be represented, including UNESCO, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, the Council of Europe, the Intergroup on LGBT Rights of the European Parliament, and the European Commission.

Helena Dalli (Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs & Civil Liberties, Malta) and Erik Ullenhag (Minister for Integration, Sweden) speaking at the 2014 IDAHO Forum in Valletta, Malta.

Key outcomes included the signing of an IDAHO declaration of intent – a 12-point plan and commitment to defend LGBTI rights, which can be read in full here (pdf download).

A full list of the ministerial signatories to the IDAHO Declaration – representing 17 states – can be found here.

We are committed to the principle of the universality of human rights and reaffirm that cultural, traditional or religious values cannot be invoked
to justify any form of discrimination, including discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. – IDAHO Declaration of Intent, 2014

Amongst other highlights, the Prime Minister of Malta, Dr. Joseph Moscat, gave a well-received speech to the floor, in which he urged other governments to “throw away your prejudices”:

This event is ultimately about the Europe that we aspire to live in. Having so many countries represented, especially at Ministerial level, augurs well for what we are trying to achieve. We need to stamp out homophobia and transphobia once and for all. Such a goal cannot be achieved easily. We must work together.

I’ve heard people say that lesbians, gays and transgender people shouldn’t be given special rights. I have to agree with them. They don’t deserve special rights. They deserve the same rights as anybody else. Nobody should be turned away from a job because of their sexuality. Nobody should face intimidation or violence because of who they are. And no government should turn a blind eye to prejudice in society.

We are building a better Malta. I am certain of that.

And to other countries I say: throw away your prejudices. You’ll be surprised at how good it will make you feel.

A video of the Prime Minister’s welcoming speech can be viewed here:

The Prime Minister also commented on the publication of the latest Rainbow Index from ILGA Europe, which judges how countries are performing on LGBT rights questions:

“I’m pleased to say that the fastest climbers in the past year were Malta – up 22 per cent – and Montenegro – up 20 per cent. Progress can happen quickly if the will is there.”

For full information on the IDAHO Forum 2014 please see the dedicated website: www.idaho2014forum.org

University of Malta public photo campaign

In a Betapsi Malta & We Are initiative, students, MEP candidates, lecturers and international activists at the University of Malta had their photos taken, to take a collective stand against homophobia.

At least 57 people had their photos taken, and 52 posters were made. Below is just a snapshot – You can see larger versions of each here.

In Uzbekistan, a small underground group of LGBTI and human rights activists commemorated the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia for the fourth time, in 2014.

They advised that, due to the dangerous situation for sexual and gender minorities in the country, it was not possible to mark the Day openly. We have removed all identifiers for security reasons.

Under Article 120 of the country’s criminal code, same sex relationships between men are illegal in Uzbekistan. The country continues to face considerable and sustained criticism for its human rights record. Freedom of expression is systematically curtailed in Uzbeikistan, where state authorities also routinely monitor dissent.

Called a “Protest on Behalf of the Invisible & Against Invisibility”, the act symbolised both the silence and the resilience of LGBTI and human rights defenders who were unable to demonstrate this year on May 17 itself.

Read the interview with organisers, which provides a full overview of the action!

Some activists also painted rainbows around the city in the early hours of May 18, 2014.

Last year, on May 17, 2013, the Square was the set of brutal scenes of violence, as some 40,000 people, mobilised by the leaders of the Georgian Orthodox Church, descended on and many attacked a group of less than a hundred LGBTI and human rights activists who had assembled for a peaceful and silent demonstration to mark the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia 2013. Shocking scenes showed priests leading the attacks. Amnesty International received reports of an attempted lynching among the crowds. Millions of people heard about these events as international media quickly responded with hundreds of major press and television reports.

IDAHOT 2013: Priests leading the attacks against LGBTI activists in Tbilisi, Georgia.

On May 17 this year, LGBTI activists decided to cancel even private events for the Day. On May 12, leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church had urged thousands to take to the streets on May 17, in a show of “Strength of Family and Respect for Parents”. 4,000 participated in this “counter” protest, which passed without LGBTI communities being attacked – as they stayed clear of the event. That said, reports did surface of demonstrators attacking one another, after appearing to mistake each other for being gay. Members of a TV crew were also attacked on the Day, reports Identoba and Tabula TV Crew.

In the lead up to May 17, 2014, Georgian activists reported that LGBTI communities had become targets of threats and intimidation, including by the Georgian police. They also advised that, despite petitions by LGBTI activists, authorities offered no guarantees as to the safety of those who wished to publicly assemble and express themselves in favour of LGBTI rights on May 17.

IDAHO 2012: A demonstrator being dragged away by Georgian police.

Moreover, local activists from Identoba group report (May 17, 2014) that pro-Russian groups had been organising to stage a “fake gay pride” this May 17, using certain front groups, with the intention of justifying and sparking confrontation on the Day. As they point out, this has also been the case in recent months in Kiev, Ukraine, as well as in certain other countries.

Freedom Square metro station, Tbilisi, May 18, 2014. Source: © Onnik Krikorian Photography

Further information

• Identoba: Statement before May 17, 2014
• Meghan Johnson: Recap of May 17, 2014 in Georgia

In China, despite some restrictions – involving the arrests of various activists before May 17 – more than 90% of planned events around the country were successfully carried out. This amounted to a total of more than a hundred events around the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014.

The following is a short report on just some of the highlights from around the country this year.

Goldman Sachs China LGBT Youth Career Workshop

On May 11, 2014, Aibai Culture and Education Center, Goldman Sachs and Beijing LGBT Center co-organized an IDAHO event “Goldman Sachs China LGBT Youth Career Workshop” in Beijing. This event was also part of Goldman Sachs’ Community TeamWorks (CTW) events in China. 25 LGBT undergraduate and graduate students from 12 universities in Beijing participated in the event. Through interactive one-to-one conversations, volunteers provided career coaching to LGBT college students, involving the exchange of practical tips and personal experiences.

Goldman Sachs China LGBT Youth Career Workshop, for IDAHOT 2014 in China.

Queer film screening and discussion in Beijing

On May 16, The Crossroads Centre and the Beijing Queer Film Festival hosted an IDAHOT event with the support of
of the French embassy, DKT International Beijing and the EU Delegation. Taking place in Library of the Goethe-Institute, the event included the screening of the documentary Global Gay followed by a discussion with the producers Valérie Montmartin and Alexandre Marcel as well as the members of the Beijing Queer Film Festival’s Committee.

The producer of ‘Global Gay’, Valérie Montmartin, talking about the documentary.

Release of new report on gay and lesbian well-being

On the same day, The Beijing LGBT Center and Institute of Psychology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences released a report on the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of gay and lesbian people in China, to mark the Day. The report is the first national survey on the mental health of gay and lesbian communities, and it focuses equally on both men and women, unlike similar surveys in the past that were focused only on gay men. A total of 1,600 respondents from all over the country completed the survey, and about 30 percent were found to have a tendency towards depression, and about 20 percent were identified as facing a particularly high risk of depression.

Beijing Queer Chorus joins the global Sing-in for IDAHOT 2014

On May 17, Beijing Queer Chorus (previously known as Tianjien Gay Chorus) performed an IDAHOT concert at Sunrise Hall, Caoyu Theater, Beijing.

Mountain hike in Changsha, Hunan Province

In Changsha, Hunan Province, despite the annual Pride Walk event being suspended by authorities, volunteers still went through with the event by proudly hiking a local mountain trail.

Storytelling and community-building in Liaocheng, Shandong Province

In Liaocheng, Shandong Province, a local LBT community organization gathered at a village fair to share their stories of being LGBT with villagers and raised visibility and awareness of LGBT issues in rural areas.

Further information

• New York Times: Tiananmen Square Anniversary Prompts Campaign of Silence
• Buzzfeed: Nine LGBT Activists Arrested in China – But Gay Pride March Still Planned
• US Embassy in China: Statement for May 17, 2014
• Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in China: Statement for May 17, 2014

The organisations Friends for Life, CAISO and CariFLAGS joined forces this year to organise events around May 17 in downtown Port of Spain and Belmont, Trinidad & Tobago.

The events went on for two days and consisted of:

Friday May 16, 1:30pm: Friends for Life held a demonstration at the Port of Spain International Finance Centre, the home of the national Parliament at the start of its sitting.

Saturday May 17, 9am: CAISO, Friends for Life and CariFLAGS at their joint office in Belmont, launched a Trinidad & Tobago case advocacy program to bring justice and healing to LGBTI persons who have suffered violations of their basic rights; and hosted a briefing on the first sexual orientation-related Caribbean case just accepted by the Caribbean Court of Justice — a treaty challenge to the immigration law of Trinidad & Tobago.

Local activists explained:

The law makes homosexuals, those who live off their earnings, and those reasonably suspected of coming or attempting to bring others into the country for homosexual purposes prohibited immigrants; and it provides for the deportation of persons who practise, assist in the practice, or share in the avails of ‘homosexualism’.

The casework program is staffed by a social worker and a lawyer and will lead to a new effort at strategic use of courts and tribunals by LGBTI groups in Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean, with the development of a clearing house for SOGI-related strategic litigation in the region.

UK, German and other embassies formally salute the Day in T&T

On May 16, for a 24 hour period, the Union Jack (flag of the UK) was lowered, and the rainbow flag raised in its place at the British High Commission in Trinidad and Tobago.

Also present were representatives from the German Embassy, Canadian High Commission, and Spanish, Dutch, US embassies and other colleagues from the European Union. Non-governmental organisations present were the Silver Lining Foundation and, I Am One group.

Media coverage (select):

• Trinidad and Tobago Newsday: piece on foreign embassy actions in T&T, ‘Diplomats, NGOs raise gay rights awareness‘
• Journalist Janine Mendes-Franco, based in Trinidad & Tobago, also wrote a supportive piece regarding IDAHOT 2014, focused on ‘Being Gay in the Caribbean‘.

In Cote d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast, the group Alternative Cote d’Ivoire commemorated this year’s International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) in its new official headquarters in Abidjan, in the Angré-Djibi neighborhood. This was the first public event to be held in the centre, which was only recently re-opened after being ransacked in January 2014.

Particpants organised a community discussion based event, with speakers invited to debate on themes of democracy and homosexuality.

The event was supported financially by the Lesbian Life Foundation, and – reports 76 crimes blog:

“Two human rights defenders also participated in the meeting. Jean Marc Yao of the Ivory Coast League for Human Rights (Ligue Ivoirienne des Droits de l’Homme – LIDHO) who, in turn, invited Antonin Rabecq, representative in Ivory Coast and Guinea to the International Federation of Human Rights (Fédération Internationale des Droits de l’Homme – FIDH).”

For more information see:

• 76 crimes: Ivory Coast LGBT celebrate IDAHO at post-attack HQ

In Cameroon, despite laws criminalising same sex relationships and a recent uptick in violent hate crimes against LGBTI communities, various actions were held in commemoration of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014.

Sexual, gender and human rights communities came together to coordinate a meeting which brought together religious and political leaders to discuss homosexuality. An exhibition on human rights violations was organised, featuring paintings of recently deceased Cameroonian LGBT activists; other works included representations of recent cases of abuse, including the collective rape of a Lesbian woman, the arbitrary arrest of 6 men and the expelling of female students from secondary school on suspicion of homosexuality.

Portraits of deceased LGBT activists

The international focus issue around ‘freedom of expression’ was marked by a specific outreach to journalists, to raise their awareness on the current coverage of LGBT issues by the media and provide recommendations for improvement, including on how journalists can resist social and peer pressure to put up a homophobic facade even if their personal views are much more progressive.

Activists also offered media and legal affairs training specifically for lesbian communities, to empower them more in the LGBT community.

A community evening for 200 people was also held on May 17th which included information on HIV testing and treatment, resulting in 56 tests being done during the event. The programme also featured the raising of a Gay flag, the election of Miss and Mister IDAHO, music and danse.

On May 18th, the IDAHOT program met the Candle light memorial day. The programme featured for the first time a dialogue between LGBT activists and religious leaders

Candlelight memorial