Consultation of members of The Commonwealth Equality Network. Kaleidoscope Trust.
May 2020.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been swift, far-reaching and severe. In many territories, surges in the number of people falling ill have added pressure to health systems, governments have introduced rarely used emergency powers and economies have contracted deeply. The very rhythms of life as we knew them have been disrupted on a scale which has left almost no corner of the Commonwealth untouched and no person unaffected in some way.
Emergency situations such as this have a disproportionate impact on marginalised communities, and simmering inequalities are put in sharp relief as the already difficult and precarious positions of these communities are exacerbated. This is true of many groups, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer and gender-diverse (LGBTI+) people are no exception.
This report highlights the voices of LGBTI+ human rights defenders from across the Commonwealth and lays out a snapshot of the acute challenges that LGBTI+ movements and communities are facing as a result of the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic.
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