European Parliament, Belgian Senate, and Liberal International Party Endorse Yogyakarta Principles

In a recent victory for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, Human Rights Watch successfully pushed for the endorsement and use of the Yogyakarta Principles by the European Parliament, Belgian Senate, and Liberal International Party. Human Rights Watch wrote targeted resolutions on the rights of LGBT people for these political bodies. The Yogyakarta Principles were adopted by a meeting of international law experts in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in November 2006 in response to well-documented patterns of abuse against millions of people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Principles set forth legal standards and recommendations for how governments and UN agencies can end widespread violence, abuse, and discrimination against LGBT people worldwide.