- £2.7 million funding will support civil society organisations
working to amend discriminatory laws and practices
- PM confirms funding for Birmingham Pride House at the
upcoming Commonwealth Games
- UK has committed £11m to the protection of LGBT rights as
Commonwealth chair-in-office
The UK is announcing further funding today [Friday] to support
grassroots human rights defenders and advance equality and
freedom across the Commonwealth.
Despite welcome progress in recent years, many LGBT people in
Commonwealth countries continue to face discrimination and
criminalisation.
The £2.7 million package announced by the Prime Minister at the
Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting today will continue work
with partners, including The Commonwealth Equality Network and
Kaleidoscope Trust, to encourage the reform of outdated laws and
policies that fail to protect all individuals from violence and
discrimination.
The Prime Minister will also confirm funding for the Pride
programme at next month’s Commonwealth Games in the UK, with the
project being backed by over £40,000 from Government and £50,000
from the Commonwealth Sport Foundation. Delivered by Pride House
Birmingham, the programme will include a Pride House presence at
the three main athlete village sites for the first time ever at a
Commonwealth Games.
Since taking over as Chair-In-Office 2018, the UK has invested
over £11 million in the promotion and protection of LGBT rights
across the Commonwealth.
Prime Minister said:
“The Commonwealth is a voluntary grouping of independent and
equal nations, but as a collective it has long been a powerful
force for good. The values that our members hold dear, from human
rights to equality, should apply to everyone in society.
“I am immensely proud
of the UK’s record on LGBT rights -
the freedom to love who you want is a core British value and a
vital component of any democracy. I hope the world will
see these values in action at next month’s Commonwealth Games”
The majority of the new funding (£2.5m) announced today will go
to civil society organisations and human rights defenders working
to amend and repeal discriminatory laws and policies, and to
safeguard progress in equalities.
A further funding allocation will support a secure data storage
system for LGBT refugees from Afghanistan, and fund the UK’s
continued work alongside the global Equal Rights Coalition as
co-chairs.
The UK plays a leading role in promoting LGBT rights around the
world. Last year, the Prime Minister appointed Lord Herbert
as the UK’s Special Envoy on LGBT rights, bringing together the
Government’s domestic work and global leadership on the issue.
