Global Coalition Marks Pride Day with Pro-LGBTQI Statement, U.S. Absent Amid Civil Rights Concerns

Canada: In a coordinated show of support for LGBTQI rights, the foreign ministries of Canada, Australia, Brazil, and several European and Latin American nations issued a joint statement on Saturday to mark Pride Day. Notably absent from the list of signatories was the United States, once a prominent global advocate for LGBTQI rights.

The statement—endorsed by countries including Spain, Belgium, Colombia, and Ireland—affirmed a unified commitment to defending the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) individuals at a time of growing threats to civil liberties around the world.

“At a time when hate speech and hate crimes are on the rise, and in view of efforts to strip LGBTQI people of their rights, we reject all forms of violence, criminalization, stigmatization or discrimination, which constitute human rights violations,” the statement declared.

The joint declaration underscores mounting international concern over the rollback of LGBTQI protections in several parts of the world, including the United States, where the administration of President Donald Trump has reversed a number of federal civil rights safeguards. These include the expulsion of transgender individuals from military service and the weakening of anti-discrimination rules in healthcare and education.

The U.S. State Department did not sign the statement, and its absence was not immediately explained. Officials from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Ireland, and Brazil did not respond to requests for comment regarding Washington’s omission from the Pride Day declaration.

Under previous administrations, the United States had played a leading role in promoting LGBTQI rights on the global stage. However, since President Trump took office, advocates have warned that domestic policy reversals could embolden anti-LGBTQI sentiment internationally, particularly in regions where such communities already face persecution.

“Backtracking on civil rights in the U.S. sends a dangerous signal globally,” said one international rights observer, pointing to rising anti-LGBTQI rhetoric and legislation in countries like Uganda and Nigeria.

In Europe, tensions were on display Saturday in Hungary, where tens of thousands defied a recent law banning Pride marches. Demonstrators flooded the streets of Budapest, waving rainbow flags in one of the largest public rebukes of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government to date. The legislation, passed in March, grants local authorities the power to prohibit LGBTQI-related events under the guise of protecting public order.

The coordinated international statement released Saturday sought to counter such legislative efforts and reinforce a collective commitment to human rights.

“We are speaking and acting as one to champion the rights of LGBTQI people,” the statement said, emphasizing that equality, dignity, and freedom must remain foundational values across all societies.

As Pride celebrations continue worldwide, the statement stands as both a message of solidarity and a warning against the global resurgence of discriminatory policies targeting LGBTQI communities.