Report to the UN General Assembly:
THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF LGBT PERSONS
The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global challenge that has exacerbated inequalities prevalent in all regions of the world. The United Nations General Assembly has acknowledged that “the poorest and most vulnerable are the hardest hit by the pandemic” and the UN Secretary General has noted that it is “highlighting deep economic and social inequalities and inadequate health and social protection systems that require urgent attention as part of the public health response”.
A wide process of dialogue was initiated by the IE SOGI in March 2020. In total, over 1000 individuals from more than 100 countries contributed anecdotal evidence and perspectives on the implications of the pandemic on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender-diverse (LGBT) persons.
Information received allows the IE SOGI to conclude that COVID-19 has a disproportionate impact on LGBT persons; that, with few exceptions, the response to the pandemic reproduces and exacerbates the patterns of social exclusion and violence already identi ed by the IE SOGI; and that urgent measures must be adopted by States and other stakeholders to ensure that pandemic responses are free from violence and discrimination.
Human rights concerns of LGBT persons in the context of the pandemic:
Violence: Stay-at-home directives, isolation, increased stress and exposure to disrespectful family members exacerbate the risk of violence, with particular impact on older persons and youths. A recent survey in Iran found that more than 50% of respondents had experienced increased violence. Submissions concerning Europe reported an increase in domestic violence in a majority of surveyed countries. Restrictions of movement created exacerbated risk of abuse during street controls, with reports of selective arrests; hate crimes such as harmful exposure on social media; arbitrary detentions and a general increase in mistreatment in the public sphere.
Violence is obviously not only physical, but also psychological. Due to socio-economic instability, inability to leave abusive environments, as well as aggravation of anxiety and other pre-existing conditions related to the mental and emotional well-being, LGBT persons have suffered signi cant impact from the pandemic. Services have reported a perception of deteriorating mental health and increased demands for psychological assistance - one submission reveals a 4-fold increase in instances in which a caller was contemplating suicide. Read more from OHCHR
