The Newcastle -Gateshead Declaration

A Global LGBTQI+ Declaration of Solidarity

“Working as one, we must push to repeal discriminatory laws, combat violence and harmful practices, and end the scapegoating of marginalised communities”

Antonio Guterres (United Nations Secretary-General)

The Newcastle Gateshead Declaration

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When can I sign it?

The Declaration will be launched on Friday 24th October 2025 and we will open the document for online signing on this page as soon as the Ceremony is over that evening.

By signing this Declaration, we:

Reaffirm the universal truth that all people, including LGBTQI+ people, are born free and equal in dignity and rights, as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
Unite in defence of the dignity, autonomy, and freedom of LGBTQI+ people, everywhere.
Affirm that LGBTQI+ people are entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms, whether civil, political, economic, social, and cultural.
Support the right of LGBTQI+ people to live free from violence, persecution, and discrimination in all spheres of life, both public and private.
Assert that state sovereignty should never serve as a shield for oppression, and that international law compels all states, without exception, to uphold, respect, and fulfil the human rights of all, including LGBTQI+ people.
Condemn all laws, policies, and practices that criminalise or harm individuals on the basis of real, or perceived, LGBTQI+ status.
Resist all state and non-state actors who enable the persecution of LGBTQI+ people, though their use of physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, and symbolic violence.
Reject, unequivocally, all narratives that frame the lives of LGBTQI+ people as inferior, unnatural, or undeserving of equal rights and protection.
Recommit to the principles of providing safety, protection, and asylum to LGBTQI+ people fleeing persecution, as set out in the United Nations Refugee Convention (1951).
Affirm that LGBTQI+ people should receive the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, and that they should have the ability to access HIV services without stigma, discrimination, or criminalisation. To remove legal, social and policy barriers that hinder the ability of LGBTQI+ people to achieve the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
Call on states to address the precarious situation of LGBTQI+ Human Rights Defenders by implementing their own policies, or regional policies, for improving protection and security.
Amplify the voices of LGBTQI+ people by ensuring they are meaningfully included in discussions, debates, decisions, and policies, which affect their lives.
Build coalitions across movements and allies, recognising that the liberation of LGBTQI+ people is intertwined with other key intersectional factors.

Our commitment:

With compassion, courage, and humility, we commit ourselves to building a more just, inclusive, and equitable world, one in which LGBTQI+ people everywhere, are safe, visible, valued, and free.

This declaration is not only a statement of intent – it is a living commitment of courage, solidarity, and shared purpose, marking a turning point toward action and global unity.

Preamble

To the Newcastle Gateshead Declaration

We, the undersigned individuals, organisations, and institutions from across the world, are united by our commitment to human dignity, freedom, and justice. We affirm the inherent dignity, worth, and rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics. We unite in unwavering solidarity with LGBTQI+ people as they seek safety, equity, and full inclusion in every sphere of life.

Around the world, authoritarianism is on the rise. Many LGBTQI+ people face systemic discrimination, criminalisation, violence, exclusion, and stigma from local communities, often reinforced by governments themselves. These injustices multiply when joined with racism, xenophobia, ableism, poverty, religious intolerance, or the stigma of HIV. Their lives are placed under relentless strain by forces that deny their humanity. We raise our collective voice in urgent opposition to these escalating violations of human rights, whether through hate-fuelled violence, state repression, or laws that criminalise existence itself.

Therefore, the Newcastle Gateshead Declaration proclaims our shared commitment to justice and equity, and our conviction that diversity strengthens communities. We are united against all forms of discrimination, harassment, stigma, prejudice, violence, hate, and the targeting of sexual and gender minorities. We pledge to foster a world where every person can live openly, authentically and without fear. We believe that no one should live in fear or face harm because of who they are, how they express themselves, or who they love.

This Declaration acknowledges the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and in particular, its affirmation that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” We ensure that LGBTQI+ people can realise these principles, which are essential to the promise of universal human rights for all. It also reaffirms the commitment to recognise and protect Human Rights Defenders, as we recognise the specific contribution of LGBTQI+ Human Rights Defenders in delivering change and preventing global rollbacks.

In the face of shrinking freedoms and resurgent authoritarianism, we reaffirm our shared commitment to the dignity, rights, and freedoms of sexual and gender minorities. United by mutual respect and solidarity, we recognise the importance of listening, learning, and standing together to uphold these values.

The Launch of the Newcastle Gateshead Declaration

The launch of this Newcastle Gateshead Declaration was sponsored by Square One Law and held on the 24th of October 2025 in The Assembly Rooms of Newcastle upon Tyne, in the United Kingdom. This launch saw individuals, civil society organisations, human rights defenders, ally networks, academic institutions, local and national governments, and representatives of states and multilateral bodies in attendance. All were united under a common cause through the #SaferToBeMe Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Summit.