LocationsUNDP collaborates with community and youth organizations to amplify voices of young LGBTI activists
November 7, 2022
A group of LGBTI youth speakers representing at "Tomorrow's Leader on stage: All About Love" Talk
8 November 2022, Thailand – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and youth organizations are amplifying the voices of young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI), who are among the most vulnerable groups in society.
Together with UNDP, ten community and youth organizations namely Tomorrow’s Leader, Queer Riot, GIRL X GIRL, Young Pride Club, the Foundation of Transgender Alliance for Human Rights, Young Pride Club, Break the Silence, Poocao Channel, Indigo Space, Feminist Mermaid, and Free Gender TH are organizing a talk for 8 young LGBTI activists to share their stories about love and their challenges in navigating life in family, school and work settings.
“Young people are increasingly engaged and keen to contribute to public discourse and action, we need to provide every support they need for them to reach their fullest potential and positively contribute to society. We are partnering with civil society organization partners to give space to LGBTI youth in sharing their stories and experience in coming out, being themselves and the support, or lack of support, they are getting from families, friends, and people around them,” said Renaud Meyer, UNDP Resident Representative in Thailand.
Young people who identify themselves as LGBTI face challenges that prevent them from being able to fully participate in society. They lack the support they need from family, are often bullied and harassed at school by their peers and have difficulty conforming to heteronormative social norms. Sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE) have been identified as one of the key factors that make young individuals more vulnerable to discrimination in the exercise of human rights, particularly, in the access to decision-making spaces and participation in public life.
Patcharapee (Perry) Meesad, an LGBTI youth activist and Thammasart University student
"A person can thrive when they are happy, loved and supported. Active listening is the best gift any adult can give to a young person," said Patcharapee (Perry) Meesad, an LGBTI youth activist and Thammasart University student.
The purpose of the event is to raise awareness among the public about youth civic engagement and leadership as well as promote the social inclusion of young LGBTI people. The event also inspires young LGBTI individuals to engage in social change activism, and develop their leadership skills, especially in storytelling and public speech which are important skills for today’s leaders.
UNDP upholds human rights and gender equality in all its work and places great emphasis on reaching the most vulnerable people in the society. This joint initiative is geared towards the commitment to ensure that no one is left behind, while pursuing progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
For press release in Thai, please read here.
For more information, please contact:
Suparnee (Jay) Pongruengphant, Project Manager – Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, UNDP Thailand
suparnee.pongruengphant@undp.org | Mobile: +668 1714 3954
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