The growing presence of LGBTQIs at the UN: Arguments and counter-arguments

Abstract

This article explores the anti-LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex) campaigns’ rise to power at the United Nations (UN), nation state sovereignty (of the member states), and criminalization LGBTQI assembly and association. Emphasis is placed on how these arguments are implemented and affect the social and political landscapes of LGBTQI rights promotion. Findings from primary interviews (conducted with UN bodies, agencies, and affiliates) are critically analyzed. The article concludes by challenging the arguments posed against LGBTQI rights being taken up as human rights from a social justice perspective and social work’s role in protecting and supporting these marginalized populations in the international arena.