Colombia’s Peace Tribunal Breaks New Ground on LGBTQ Persecution (October 2, 2023)

In October 2023, the focus of the United Nations Security Council in New York was on “Women, Peace and Security.” Commemorating the October 2000 passage of the Security Council’s landmark Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), this occasion was a stock-taking moment for member states, the U.N. Secretary-General, and civil society as they debated how the international community could most effectively uphold its commitment to women’s participation, protection, and prevention, relief and recovery efforts in peace and security. 

It was also an opportunity to reinforce the call for inclusion of all women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex and queer people of all genders in peace and security efforts. In the midst of a devastating year for women and LGBTIQ+ people in conflict settings, a ray of hope came from Colombia, where a transitional justice tribunal unveiled an indictment in July that charged 15 former rebels with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against LGBTQ people during Colombia’s decades-long internal armed conflict, thus recognizing conflict-driven violence against LGBTQ people as gender persecution.