LGBTIQ people - the new ‘threat to the nation’

Putin, Erdoğan, Orbán and Trump seem to share the same obsession. Few other Heads of State have spent more time talking about LGBTIQ topics in their prime time speeches. LGBTIQ people are portrayed as a danger to the nation and natural order, praying on children and undermining national security. In the shadow behind their spotlight, LGBTIQ people are paying the price. Turkish LGBTIQ activists are arrested. In Russia the crusade against LGBTIQ people is one of the many justifications for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. When he took office, Trump defunded the global LGBTIQ movement overnight and erased all references to transgender people, diversity, equity and inclusion.

How do these policies translate into action – and how do activists in the frontline of this so-called culture war fight back? Our panel will feature human rights activists from Turkey, Russia and Norway.