The Human Dignity Trust

12/06/2026

Did you know that 11 of the 48 countries participating in the criminalise LGBT+ people?

The following countries maintain laws criminalising same-s*x s*xual activity, with penalties ranging from imprisonment to death:

Algeria – three years’ imprisonment
Egypt – three years’ imprisonment
Ghana – three years’ imprisonment
Iran – death
Iraq – fifteen years’ imprisonment
Morocco – three years’ imprisonment
Qatar – death by stoning
Saudi Arabia – death
Senegal – ten years’ imprisonment
Tunisia – three years’ imprisonment
Uzbekistan – three years’ imprisonment

To learn more about how + communities are criminalised in these countries, and the laws used to enforce these penalties, visit our map of criminalisation and explore the country profiles: https://www.humandignitytrust.org/lgbt-the-law/map-of-criminalisation/

05/06/2026

To kick off our campaign, we were proud to hold a celebratory event at Blackstone Chambers - a powerful reminder of the community of people who believe, as we do, that no one should face stigma, imprisonment, or violence simply for who they are or who they love.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and for all that you do in support of the Trust. We could not do this without you.

01/06/2026

This demonstration is about “a love of justice, a love of equality” says actor, Ian McKellen as he joined the "Commonwealth Walk of Shame" this weekend to protest against the 29 Commonwealth nations that criminalise same-s*x-intimacy

Read more about the jurisdictions that continue to uphold colonial-era legislation that directly targets LGBT+ people: https://www.humandignitytrust.org/lgbt-the-law/map-of-criminalisation/

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/may/30/ian-mckellen-march-lgbtq-equality-commonwealth-countries

Actor among protesters in central London highlighting laws in 29 countries where same-s*x relationships remain illegal

22/05/2026

DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT THIS

Right now, 65 countries still criminalise consensual same-s*x intimacy.

The Human Dignity Trust works globally to challenge these laws through strategic litigation and legal reform ... and we’re winning:

👉 Litigation and legal reform in 25 countries

👉 16.5 million + people freed from oppressive laws

👉 Historic legal victories in 9 countries across the globe from Barbados to Mauritius

From 21 May – 15 July, every donation made to us will be matched through . That means £50 becomes £100 and £500 becomes £1,000. Help bring justice and dignity where it’s needed most by supporting us today: https://www.humandignitytrust.org/donate/

20/05/2026

'Delighted to see today’s announcement of a 3-year commitment of £21 million from the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to advance international LGBT+ human rights, and that our work to support much needed legal reform around the world will be front and centre.' Téa Braun, Human Dignity Trust Chief Executive

UK to serve as host nation for the European International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT+) Forum in London in May 2027.

15/05/2026

The Human Dignity Trust is hiring for two exciting roles:
- Legal Assistant
- Regional Legal Advisor – Southern Africa

Join a legal organisation working globally alongside local partners to dismantle discriminatory laws that criminalise + people through strategic litigation and legislative reform.

If you're passionate about using the law to drive real change, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now: https://www.humandignitytrust.org/who-we-are/jobs-internships/

30/04/2026

"I don't dare leave the house anymore, so I'm literally holed up inside. I double-lock all the doors and windows just to avoid being found." Reuters reports on the discrimination already being felt in Senegal by its LGBT+ community following the recent tightening of anti-LGBT+ legislation.

For full detail on the criminalisation of consensual same-s*x intimacy in Senegal, please visit our country profile: https://www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/senegal/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/hiv-patients-senegal-skip-treatment-110427607.html

DAKAR, April 29 (Reuters) - Fewer patients are visiting some HIV treatment centres in Senegal amid a wave of arrests targeting LGBTQ people, according to health officials and government data seen by R...

23/04/2026

For Le***an Visibility Week, we asked le***an activists who partner with the Human Dignity Trust to share what this week means to them.

Rosanna Flamer-Caldera – Sri Lanka

'This year, Le***an Visibility Week is as important as ever given the surge in the anti-rights movement we are seeing across the world, including in my own country, Sri Lanka. Archaic penal codes and customs force le***ans into heteros*xual marriages where they are violated physically and mentally. And, four years after the CEDAW case, Rosanna Flamer-Caldera v Sri Lanka, our successive governments continue to stall on decriminalisation.

'Women's rights are in more danger now than ever. We must fight back – not just q***r women, but all women – because if one of us hurts, we all hurt!’

Rosanna Flamer-Caldera was the complainant in a case brought against Sri Lanka at the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in 2022. The Committee ruled that the criminalisation of le***an and bis*xual women violates the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. She is the Executive Director of EQUAL GROUND, a Sri Lankan civil society organisation working towards equality for all s*xual orientations and gender identities, as well as human rights for everyone.

Read Human Dignity Trust's landmark report, Breaking the Silence (revised edition), the first ever report to analyse how laws against same-s*x activity specifically impact le***an and bis*xual women https://www.humandignitytrust.org/resources/breaking-the-silence-2/

www.humandignitytrust.org/news/why-le***an-visibility-week-matters/

21/04/2026

For Le***an Visibility Week, we asked two le***an activists who partner with the Human Dignity Trust to share what this week means to them.

Charrice Talbert and Simone Hill – Belize

'Le***an Visibility Week means being seen, heard, and valued, not just in moments, but in systems. It means our lives, our love, and our livelihoods matter.

At PETAL, we continue to push for the Equal Opportunities Bill because visibility must translate into protection, opportunity, and justice for all Belizean women.'

Charrice Talbert is the President and Simone Hill is the Founder of Promoting Empowerment Through Awareness For Les/Bi Women - PETAL, a civil society organisation in Belize working to achieve social, economic and gender justice for all women, especially le***an/ bis*xual women, through advocacy and empowerment.

Read Human Dignity Trust's landmark report, Breaking the Silence (revised edition), the first ever report to analyse how laws against same-s*x activity specifically impact le***an and bis*xual women https://www.humandignitytrust.org/resources/breaking-the-silence-2/

https://www.humandignitytrust.org/news/why-le***an-visibility-week-matters/

17/04/2026

Great summary here from The Guardian's Morgan Ofori on q***rness in Africa and the rise of anti-LGBT+ laws