On 1 January 2019 a law came into force in Germany allowing intersex people to legally identify as ‘diverse’ on official documents. Although not without controversy because of the requirement for a doctor’s certificate to register, the legal change was a welcome step forward for the recognition of diversity.
On the same day in the UK two gay men were attacked on London’s South Bank for holding hands. This was utterly shocking in one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world, where the traffic lights in Trafalgar Square feature heterosexual and same-sex couples holding hands, and multiple gender symbols.
If the rights and safety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning or queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people remain a work in progress in two of the world’s most progressive countries, elsewhere, the situation can be a lot worse. ‘Homosexuality’ is still illegal in over 70 countries; many of those are members of the Commonwealth.
Despite this grim statistic there is also cause for optimism. Angola has just decriminalised gay sex and introduced protections against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. A record 10 LGBTQI+ people took office as Members of the US Congress on 3 January. And Bangladesh may see its first transgender MP in February.
Here members of ODI’s LGBTQI+ staff network outline prospects for LGBTQI+ people in 2019.
