SECRETARY BLINKEN: Properly, thanks. Good afternoon, everybody. And have a look at this turnout – it’s great to see all of you right here. It’s great to be a part of an extremely highly effective and rising coalition, as evidenced simply by my three colleagues and associates who’ve spoken.
To my associates from the Netherlands and Argentina, Wopke, Santiago: Thanks in your management. Thanks in your engagement. And let me say as properly – I feel we simply heard the highly effective phrases from the prime minister – it’s great to see you, great to be with you on this effort.
To all the opposite companions current, we’re grateful for the sustained work to champion LGBTQI+ rights.
We’re assembly at a time when the motion for equality is exhibiting some encouraging momentum. Just a few examples: this summer season, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda turned the most recent governments to decriminalize gay acts; a month in the past, the Authorities of Vietnam introduced that homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender identification can’t be thought of sicknesses, and that LGBTQI+ individuals can’t be subjected to so-called “conversion remedy.”
On the similar time, for that progress, which is actual and which is price underscoring, we all know that folks worldwide proceed to expertise alarming ranges of violence, discrimination, isolation. Dangers are the best for individuals with disabilities, individuals of shade, refugees, and LGBTQI+ girls. Transgender individuals are typically denied entry to authorized identification paperwork that replicate their names and gender markers. Intersex individuals, together with minors, proceed to be subjected to pointless surgical procedures with out their consent.
All international locations, together with these of us within the Core Group, have work to do to make sure that LGBTQI+ individuals have the identical rights, the identical protections as all different individuals.
Defending these rights is central to the well being of our democracies. Any system the place some teams are handled as “lower than” merely due to who they’re is basically flawed.
Standing up for LGBTQI+ individuals is a prime precedence for our administration.
A month after taking workplace, President Biden took motion to advertise LGBTQI+ rights in our diplomacy.
Final September, he appointed a unprecedented individual, Jessica Stern, as our new particular envoy to advance the human rights of LGBQI+ individuals. Anybody who’s labored with Jessica is aware of you don’t need to be on the opposite facet of a problem. (Laughter.) Huge mistake.
This summer season, the President issued an govt order to advance equality for LGBTQI+ individuals – together with by combating so-called “conversion remedy,” supporting LGBTQI+ youngsters and households, defending well being care and applications to stop youth suicide.
Every part we’re doing builds on the work of actually generations of advocates who’ve – and nonetheless are – risking a lot to place LGBTQI+ individuals and their rights on the map. And I’ve to say, as I learn the historical past, study the historical past, hear of experiences, I’m fairly in awe of generations of advocates who’ve accomplished a lot to place us the place we’re right this moment. The work we’re doing is simply potential due to the work they did – however not solely the work they did, the braveness that they confirmed.
There’s so many individuals that one might level to, however I need to simply single out a few individuals, and I feel they’re right here right this moment. Individuals like Liberty Matthyse, who’s right here from South Africa – are you right here? Proper – proper there. Thanks. (Applause.) A champion for the rights of trans and gender various individuals. Thanks for being with us.
And other people just like the people who determined to face as much as the routine and – harassment and discrimination they endured by the hands of police, at a homosexual bar not very removed from the place we meet right this moment – the 1969 protest on the Stonewall Inn marked a turning level in our nation’s wrestle for LGBTQI+ rights and helped impress the worldwide motion. That is one thing that’s seared into the reminiscences, seared into the consciousness of so many people. And significantly for me as a local New Yorker, it’s one thing that I’ve seen and been impressed by for a lot of, a few years.
Stonewall can be a stark reminder of all of the locations worldwide the place individuals are nonetheless topic to abuse merely for being themselves.
That’s why this group’s work is as essential as ever – possibly extra essential than ever. It’s why we’re so proud and decided to be your companions each single step alongside the best way.
Thanks, all of you, for every thing that you just’re doing, that we’re doing collectively. Thanks.
(Applause.)