LGBTI groups around the world have conducted advocacy campaigns at different stages of the electoral cycle to influence those who have responsibility for implementing policy decisions. In some countries, civil society groups have reached out to political parties and candidates ahead of the election, seeking to place LGBTI rights in the political agenda and to ensure the politicians’ commitment with inclusive policies. During the post-election period, civil society organizations can also do advocacy work, approaching parliamentarians, EMBs and other institutions to ensure participation and inclusion of all citizens in the political process, regardless their gender identity and sexual orientation. 

Through global advocacy efforts, organizations can also raise awareness on the human rights situation of LGBTI persons and support their participation and civic engagement. In line with the Declaration of Montreal, “LGBT human rights must be mainstreamed into global debates about social and political issues.”[1] 

Example: In the framework of the 2017 French legislative elections, a group of LGBTI associations conducted an advocacy campaign addressed to candidates, asking them to subscribe an engagement charter on human rights of LGBTI persons to fight discrimination and violence against this community. The organizations supporting this initiative included Inter-LGBT, Caelif, Mag Jeunes and Glup.[2] 

Example: In Pakistan, TransAction, along with other civil society organizations, launched the “Transgender and Intersex Community Election Manifesto 2018” before the 2018 general elections, aiming at integrating their human rights claims in the political agenda and public debate, fight discrimination and promote inclusive policies empowering this community.[3] 

Example: In Macedonia, civil society groups made advocacy efforts to engage parliamentarians in favor of human rights for the LGBTI community by promoting inclusive legislation, with support from NDI. The organization Health Education and Research (HERA) testified at several parliamentary committee hearings on issues such as contraception, abortion rights, harassment and the care and treatment of people living with IHV/AIDS. They also successfully advocated for the establishment of a parliamentary caucus on HIV issues, which integrated 10 parliamentarians from six different parties. The Coalition for Sexual Health Rights and Marginalized Communities advocated for a parliamentary declaration on hate speech, in response to increasing hostility towards LGBTI persons. Although the declaration was not finally adopted, the Coalition succeeded at ensuring broad press coverage and enhanced public debate on hate speech.[4] 

Example: In Nepal, the Blue Diamond Society made advocacy efforts to promote LGBTI rights and push for the implementation of the 2007 Supreme Court’s ruling in the case Pant vs. Nepal, which recognized full rights for sexual and gender minorities and determined that gender identity should be based on self-identification, creating a “third gender” category, in addition to “male” and “female”. According to this civil society organization, as a result of these advocacy efforts, the Election Commission of Nepal decided to include a “third gender” category in its voters’ list form, complying with the Supreme Court’s decision.[5]  

Example: In 2017 International IDEA released the film “LGBTI Political Inclusion Journeys”, featuring the trajectories of LGBTI groups in Nepal and Malawi. It aims “to showcase strategies for political inclusion of LGBTI persons as a principle of democratic participation in public life”, advocating for increased political participation and civic engagement of this community globally. Some of the inclusion strategies outlined in the film include raising awareness on the human rights situation of the LGBTI community, challenging discriminatory laws before domestic courts and conducting advocacy campaigns reaching out to political parties and parliamentarians.[6]