LGBTIQ+ rights are a meaningful but increasingly complicated pillar of UK foreign policy. The UK has positioned LGBTIQ+ rights as an integral aspect of its foreign policy, from diplomacy to development and international advocacy. But UK foreign policy on LGBTIQ+ issues has been shaped by challenges of aid cuts, changing political priorities at home and the wider world order. LGBTIQ+ people in the UK continue to face significant systemic issues, including hate crimes, discrimination, healthcare disparities and transphobia. UK foreign policy also operates in an increasingly contested normative world order, with rising global backlash against LGBTIQ+ rights.
To commemorate Pride Month, Chatham House’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Working Group has the privilege of convening a panel bringing together leading voices to examine what lies ahead for the UK’s foreign policy approach towards LGBTIQ+ rights.
- What role does advocacy for LGBTIQ+ rights currently play in UK foreign policy
- How might the UK’s commitment to protecting the rule of law and LGBTIQ+ rights - at home and abroad - advance its soft power?
- How does the UK’s domestic record on LGBTIQ+ rights affect its legitimacy as a global advocate?
This panel is followed by a drinks reception.
