Homophobic and transphobic violence has been reported across countries and regions and ranges “from aggressive, sustained psychological bullying to physical assault, torture, kidnapping and targeted killings. […] Attacks on people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity are often driven by a desire to punish those seen as defying gender norms and are considered a form of gender-based violence.” Despite States’ obligations under international law to protect the rights of LGBTI persons, few countries have adopted adequate systems for monitoring and reporting homophobic and transphobic hate crimes.[1]

Homophobic and transphobic violence in the context of electoral processes harms LGBTI persons and affects negatively the realization of their political rights, including the right to vote and to stand for election. Inflammatory and hate speech used by candidates that oppose human rights of LGBTI persons can result in an increase of attacks against this community at different stages of the electoral cycle. In Costa Rica, for instance, a substantial increase of attacks against LGBTI persons were registered following the first round of the presidential elections, with an election campaign dominated by the debate on marriage laws and anti-LGBTI remarks by one of the main presidential candidates.[2] Furthermore, openly LGBTI candidates, public officers and political activists often suffer from harassment and attacks around the world. In Pakistan, transgender candidates and associations denounced threats and intimidation ahead of the 2018 electoral process.[3] In the United States, in 2018, Christine Hallquist, the first transgender woman to win a major party’s nomination for governor in Vermont, said she had been receiving death threats since winning her party’s primary.[4]