In a major move against a backdrop of escalating global conservatism, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to renew the mandate of its independent expert on LGBTQ rights—despite a stark U-turn by the United States under President Donald Trump.
The decision came Monday in Geneva, where the council passed the renewal motion with 29 votes in favor, 15 opposed, and three abstentions. This means that Graeme Reid, the South African scholar tasked with tracking anti-LGBTQ abuses and engaging with states to promote protections, will remain in his post for another three years. And yes, he’ll be doing it without America’s backing this time around.
While nations like Germany, Chile, Kenya, and even Reid’s native South Africa supported the move, others—including several African countries and Qatar—lined up to oppose it. But the most glaring absence? The United States, which once championed this very mandate under the previous Biden administration, now decided to ghost the vote entirely.
Under Trump’s second presidency, the U.S. has been aggressively rolling back LGBTQ protections. From executive orders targeting trans rights to scrapping diversity and inclusion programs across federal agencies, this administration isn’t just hitting rewind—it’s jamming the cassette tape with rage. While Trump’s camp argues these actions “restore fairness,” civil rights advocates argue they dangerously sideline already vulnerable communities.
“This renewal is a spark of hope in a time when reactionary powers worldwide are trying to dismantle progress that our communities fought so hard to achieve,” said Julia Ehrt, executive director of ILGA World, a global LGBTQ advocacy group. Ehrt wasn’t being metaphorical—this vote was a literal lifeline for queer people in countries where their mere existence is criminalized or violently suppressed.
The politics behind this renewal were as thick as they were heated. Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, blasted the mandate as a vehicle for promoting “controversial views.” But let’s be real: what they meant was that LGBTQ lives, identities, and rights remain threatening to conservative ideologies clinging to outdated gender norms.
Still, despite the diplomatic shade, the council moved forward. And for queer communities worldwide, especially those in countries where being out can mean imprisonment—or worse—this renewal sends a loud and clear message: The international stage still has a few defenders left.
The absence of the U.S. not only weakens global human rights diplomacy but signals a growing chasm between America’s domestic policy shifts and the international standards it once helped shape. For the LGBTQ community, this vote is both a reminder of our fragility in the global arena and a rallying cry for resilience.
Because while administrations change, and support wavers, the fight for dignity doesn’t stop. Not in Geneva, and definitely not in queer lives across the globe.