Out Leadership, as guests of our partner organization OutRight International, attended a panel on LGBT+ rights hosted by the UN’s LGBT Core Group and the Free & Equal campaign. Speakers included UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Vice President Joe Biden, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, and Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg. During her speech, President Bachelet announced that she will introduce a same-sex marriage bill in early 2017.
Caleb Orozco, whose years of work as an advocate for LGBT+ rights resulted in the repeal of Belize’s same-sex intimacy laws last April, was recognized in person.
Secretary General Ban pledged his continued support in moving the United Nations forward on the question of LGBT+ rights. More than 100 nations have already accepted recommendations from the UN LGBT Core Group aimed at protecting the LGBT+ community from discrimination.