ILGA World, founded in 1978, is a global alliance of over 1,700 organizations from 160 countries and territories dedicated to advocating for the human rights of individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex. It holds ECOSOC consultative status at the United Nations. They believe in a world where all human rights are respected and universal justice and fairness prevail, regardless of one’s sexual orientation, gender identities, gender expressions, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC), creating an environment where everyone can live in equality and freedom. Besides their usual activity recently they launched a very extensive and useful database available to the large public, providing an extensive amount of information on LGBT+ matters accessible here: database.ilga.org
Image via ilga.org
Being a global voice for LGBTI networks, movements and communities, their main goal is to fight hard to create a society in which everyone may live securely, equitably, and freely.
The organisation is committed to achieving equality, freedom, and justice for the LGBT+ community.
Through advocacy, joint activities, and education of relevant international and regional organizations, governments, media, and civil society, they are working to empower its members and other human rights organizations to promote and protect human rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics. Collaboration and solidarity across ILGA regions and members are key to achieving this goal.
Furthermore, ILGA World aims to promote the unique strengths and qualities of individuals from various SOGIESC backgrounds across the globe. By highlighting the diverse experiences and perspectives of the community, ILGA World hopes to foster greater understanding, respect, and acceptance for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics.
ILGA World Database
Database is a one-of-a-kind resource for legislation, human rights organizations, advocacy opportunities, and news about sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics concerns across the world.
For many years, activists, scholars, and human rights groups have struggled to find comprehensive information on LGBT+ problems. With scattered data sources and restricted access to critical content, obtaining the required knowledge to drive development and promote equality has long been a problem.
However, a new solution has emerged in the form of ILGA World’s comprehensive database. The database’s availability to the public is one of its most notable aspects. This implies that anybody, regardless of background or allegiance, may have access to the information they require. Furthermore, the database is founded on facts and research, making it a trustworthy source of information for individuals seeking to keep up with the newest advances in the industry.
ILGA World’s database, in addition to providing an extensive amount of information on LGBT+ matters, is also user-friendly, making it simple to explore and discover the information you want. This database is a must-have for any journalist, activist, researcher, government official, or citizen interested in learning more about LGBT+ issues.
This extensive database is organized into six areas that give access to information in two ways: through each area or, more broadly, by jurisdiction.
One of the database’s distinguishing qualities is that it includes profiles for each of the 193 UN Member States and 47 non-independent territories. These profiles include all essential information on each country from a variety of sources, such as legislative and policy changes, social views toward LGBT+ people, and the state of LGBT+ rights in each country.
The nation profiles also offer advocacy possibilities, allowing readers to take action to promote LGBT+ rights in many regions of the world. Furthermore, the database includes a selection of the most recent news about SOGIESC topics curated by the ILGA World Monitor.
All of the information from areas and their categories are represented by interactive maps you can customize, download and reuse. You can make them Atlantic or Pacific centered and hide or display the names of countries and jurisdictions. Every map can be downloaded in a .jpg format or a vectorised version.
For the benefit of activists who want to interact with any of the UN processes, ILGA‘s database maintains deadlines for the submission of shadow reports and other calls for contributions. A countdown counter will inform you how much time is left for Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures, and the Universal Periodic Review to receive contributions.
Overall, ILGA World’s database represents a significant step forward in the fight for LGBT+ rights. Providing comprehensive information on a range of topics, it serves as an essential tool for promoting awareness and advocacy for LGBT+ individuals worldwide.
Interviewing Dr Razvan Ion, the founder of GAY45, about the usefulness of their database, he expressed, “Having this database after so many years is fantastic and undoubtedly a success. However, one thing that remains unchanged for LGBT+ organizations and all types of politically active advocacy organizations is the lack of mention of the press. When we requested a list of queer media outlets in Europe or around the world, the response was simply, ‘We do not have this type of data.’ I sincerely hope that we come to realize that the press is crucial to democracy. Even if LGBT+ organizations disregard the queer press, we should not be surprised when mainstream media does the same.”
Article by Ciprian Ciobanu
Ciprian Ciobanu is the Senior Editor and Gen Z specialist for GAY45. He is ending his MA at the University of Timisoara, majoring in painting and working in mixed media. Ciobanu is researching on the mechanism of the relationship between art and the trends of a given time from music, fashion and popular stories.
