AllOut, the global LGBTQIA lobbying group, are pulling no punches as they outline the challenges facing democracies globally. Their spokesperson Yuri Guaiana explains more:
A prominent advocacy group has issued a stark warning that a growing trend of anti-LGBT+ censorship risks becoming normalised in free societies if not actively challenged. The organisation, All Out, states that laws and actions silencing citizens, banning Pride events, and cutting funding are denying fundamental human rights to expression, education, and peaceful assembly, while endangering LGBT+ communities.
The group points to a series of international incidents as evidence of this authoritarian shift. In the United States, it notes the removal of a rainbow crosswalk in Florida commemorating the Pulse nightclub victims and the taking down of a Pride flag at New York City's Stonewall National Monument. In Hungary, authorities have declared peaceful Pride gatherings illegal, leading to criminal charges against the Mayor of Budapest and an organiser in a small town, who faces a potential prison sentence.
Perhaps more surprisingly, in Germany, often considered one of Europe's most LGBT-friendly nations, Pride flags have been banned from the federal parliament building. All Out stresses that these developments are not isolated, occurring against a backdrop of spreading anti-LGBT+ legislation in countries including Italy, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Romania.
"These attacks reveal a hard truth: rights are not guaranteed. They must be defended, time and time again," the group stated, appealing for public donations to support its work. It argues that the future remains unwritten, but only if people continue to fight collectively against the erosion of these liberties.
The organisation cites past successes as proof that global pressure can yield results. In 2021, after a series of attacks by an ultra-nationalist mob in Bulgaria, a petition launched with Sofia Pride organisers garnered over 17,800 international signatures demanding a safe event. The subsequent Pride march proceeded safely and peacefully with record attendance, with local authorities containing any violent counter-protesters.
All Out says donations will help it continue to partner with activists worldwide, mobilise international support, and fund grassroots work to combat these challenges. The message is clear: the defence of hard-won human rights requires constant vigilance and active support.
