My journey at ILGA World conference 2022 is as cheerful as hurtful

Nada Chaiyajit, Manushya Foundation's Human Rights Campaign Advisor and a LGBTIQ+ activist shares her impressions from the ILGA World Conference 2022 that took place in Long Beach, California, between 2-6 May 2022.

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My journey at ILGA World Conference 2022 is as cheerful as hurtful… The same stories among LGBTIQ did not change that much, we all still face great challenges from LGBTI phobia.

However, there are some significant improvements which I got opportunity to share: data and evidence-based advocacy for economic and social inclusion with APCOM to hold business and government accountable, to widen the door of opportunity for us to enjoy the same human rights.

Beside the focus on LGBTI inclusion, I paid attention to 2 other parts of the whole conference. Firstly, reuniting with intersex regional and global movement, and secondly participating in several sessions of human rights advocacy at the UN level, especially the last one with APTN on “Decolonizing the UN: How UN Human Rights Body can do better to address trans rights in Asia”. I found the dialogue full of comprehensive critiques ranging from human rights as a westernized concept, to the lack of SOGIESC experts from the Global South and the use of alternative political platforms such as SDGs to mainstream and utilize them together with the existing UN Human Rights Mechanisms.

For the intersex movement, which is personally my identity. Intersex become such a sensitive and most difficult thematic issue among LGBTIQ+ in general. Addressing human rights issues around sex characteristics leaves scars and pain within all intersex activists.

That was why, during the pre-conference, we needed to secure an “intersex only" safe space to ensure inclusive conversation regarding their livelihood to push the bar of socio-economic oppression, especially those who experience forced harmful medical intervention. The “Intersex Thailand: We defend Human Rights of Intersex People in Thailand” which was co-founded by me personally will be an official affiliate member of Intersex Asia this year. During the conference, I got inspired by an intersex British-Indian who produced a life cycle documentary to deconstruct stereotypes and archetypes of how heteronormative oppression creates human rights violations toward sex characteristic variations of intersex individuals.

#WeAreManushyan - Equal Human Beings

Learn more about the Situation of LGBTIQ+ Persons, including LGBTIQ+ Youth & Children in Thailand, in our UPR Factsheet here.