However, the community stood steadfast in 2022, seeing many wins for LGBTQ+ people across the continent. In Singapore, Section 377A, which criminalised sex between consenting adult males, was repealed. LGBTQ+ families in India are now eligible for social benefits, same-sex partnerships are now recognised in Tokyo, and the Kuwait Constitutional Court declared that the anti-trans law, Article 198 of the Penal Code, was unconstitutional.
Although the movement in Asia has many trials to overcome, activists throughout the region are coming together to challenge the inequalities that exist. In November, ILGA Asia hosted the 9th ILGA Asia Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, a bi-annual conference in Asia that brings together LGBTQ+ activists, organisations and philanthropists to build knowledge and capacity for the movement to advance LGBTQ+ rights.
Henry Koh, the Executive Director of ILGA Asia explains, “for members of specific communities to feel safe to candidly take stock of issues and talk about ways forward—from mental health and support services specific to the needs of Asian LGBTIQ youth, to ongoing military and humanitarian issues affecting LGBTIQ persons in Asian countries affected by crisis and conflict—support for the creation of such spaces is necessary.”
The opportunity for LGBTQ+ activists and organisations alike in Asia to come together and share their knowledge and experience is important for supporting the growing LGBTQ+ movement, making it sustainable.
LGBTQ+ activists are at the forefront of our movement, risking their personal health and well-being to challenge discriminatory laws, cultures and practices. They risk discrimination, abuse, arrest and persecution to campaign for equality. Spaces where LGBTQ+ activists can convene and learn from each other are crucial for building cross-regional solidarity, but spaces where these activists can gather to check in on each other’s well-being are even more important.
Last year, Kaleidoscope Trust released a report which looked at the impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ+ people and activists. In this report, a survey of 34 organisations found that 88% of organisations indicated that mental health support for staff and volunteers was their main concern during the pandemic.
Ryan Figueredo, the Executive Director of the Equal Asia Foundation, said “our work is deeply personal”, a sentiment echoed by many of the activists at the conference. “Most of this [emotional labour] goes unrecognised both within the community and among donors. Many of our siblings and their organisations live in this state of precarity that is unaddressed by donors and other stakeholders. We need to find ways to show up for our siblings in more concrete ways and demonstrate more tangible forms of solidarity.”