ILGA World Conferences

The ILGA World Conference is the largest global gathering of LGBTIQ changemakers. We have held them since the early days of the organisation in the 1970s, and they have been fundamental events for our movement ever since.

An ILGA World Conference is a chance to assess where our communities stand, share experiences and best practices, build alliances and partnerships, discuss the future of our movement, and collectively chart ways to advance equality worldwide.

As the premier gathering for our member organisations and allies, an ILGA World Conference is also where the life of the organisation is shaped. ILGA members elect their representatives, advance proposals and constitutional changes, and endorse new organisations to join our family.

ILGA World is queerpreviously used as a derogatory term to refer to LGBT individuals in the English language – and still perceived as offensive by some - queer has been reclaimed by people who identify beyond traditional gender categories and heteronormative social norms. Although not universally accepted, it is often used as a catch-all to include many people within the larger community of people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics. democracy in action, and it all starts from ILGA World Conferences. Join us!

In 1978, a group of activists created what is now known as the International Lesbianadjective/noun to describe a woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves., Gayadjective to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional
attractions are to people of the same gender. Men, women and non-binary people may use this
term to describe themselves., Bisexualadjective used to describe a person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of other genders., Transadjective/umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. and Intersexan umbrella term for the spectrum of variations of sex characteristics that naturally occur within the human species. Intersex people are born with variations of sex characteristics (such as genitals, reproductive organs, hormonal and chromosomal patterns) that are more diverse than stereotypical definitions of male or female bodies. Up to 1.7% of the global population are born with such traits; yet, because their bodies are seen as different, intersex children and adults are often stigmatised and subject to harmful practices – including in medical settings - and discriminated against. Association (ILGA).

Their intention was to create an international network of people that could efficiently respond to homophobic attacks, and to act as an international platform to collectively campaign against the discriminationunequal or unfair treatment which can be based on a range of grounds - such as age, ethnic background, disability, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions or sex characteristics, amongst others., and at times persecution, faced by LGBTIacronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people. Although this is not the acronym available to describe people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics, it is the most commonly used in United Nations spaces and advocacy. people around the world.

ILGA World Conferences have been held ever since.