Tools and Strategies

A comprehensive and detailed book from 2008 (300 pages) about LGBT liberation around the world, including autobiographical accounts by LGBT activists as well as strategies developed by LGBT organisations from all continents.

With starting point in the Yogyakarta Principles from 2006 the book explores concepts and strategies for taking steps towards decriminalization and equal rights and treatment. The different chapters describe the situation for LGBT individuals in Europe, Asia and Latinamerica. In conclusion, the book lists human rights principles and declarations particularly important to consider in the protection of LGBT individuals.

This guide from 2012 is intended as a manual for LGBT activists and NGOs in other countries to help them understand how U.S. embassies work; how to call on U.S. diplomats to support their human rights goals; how to access U.S. support, including both technical and financial support; and how to frame requests in ways that will appeal to strategic U.S. priorities.

The guide also describes two cases in Uganda and Honduras where the US Embassy cooperated closely with civil society in efforts to improve the LGBT rights.

An operational set of tools for staff in the EU Headquarters, EU Member States’ capitals, EU Delegations, Representations and Embassies to be used in contacts with third countries, as well as with international and civil society organisations, in order to promote and protect the human rights enjoyed by LGBT people within its external action.

The toolkit (2011) seeks to enable the EU to proactively react to cases of human rights violations of LGBT people and to structural causes behind these violations. The document lists the priority areas of action: 1) Decriminalisation, 2) Equality and Non-Discrimination, 3) Support and Protection for Human Rights Defenders. Besides that the Headquarters and EU Missions in partner countries have various tools and actions at their disposal, also using existing instruments and guidelines (see page 8-13). Annex 2 is also interesting as it includes elements for analysis/checklist of a LGBT human rights situation (page 17-22).

This comprehensive report from 2011 (500 pages) is the result of the work of a group of women from Asia and Africa who came together to research into the conditions of women in same-sex relations in their countries.

The report examines LGBT cases from both Africa (Botswana), central Asia and Bangladesh. The purpose of the project is also that the researchers will produce more products, such as books, brochures, articles, films, or other audiovisual items, to continue the fight for sexual justice.

An introduction to the Yogyakarta Principles, to facilitate a deeper understanding of the Principles and to encourage their use and their promotion (2010).

The guide is targeted primarily at activists working on LGBTI issues, but is also likely to be of interest to others engaged in the promotion of human rights: grassroots human rights defenders, national equality bodies, lawyers, NGOs, and others.

Structured in four sections, where especially the third section - a collection of case studies illustrating the impact of the Yogyakarta principles - is very interesting. Here you find examples on how to challenge oppressive legal standards, develop new government policy, seek a more responsive government, educate the public and build a movement. One example illustrates how human rights training for lesbians and transgender women in Lebanon helped them mobilize a strong movement