Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that Ireland is deeply concerned about the “rise of violence and hatred towards LGBTI people at home and abroad” (via The Journal).

The Taoiseach, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, are currently in New York for UN High Level Week.

Speaking yesterday, Varadkar said that Ireland has made a lot of progress in recent years when it comes to LGBTI inclusion.

Speaking at @unlgbti. In the year when we mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, it is more important than ever to re-affirm our dedication to the universality of human rights. LGBTI rights are human rights. pic.twitter.com/jqvn1XRoPJ

— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) September 18, 2023

“I sincerely hope that our story can be a source of some optimism at a difficult time,” he said.

“I can vividly remember an Ireland shaped by shame, conformity and fear, where my election as Taoiseach, as Prime Minister, as an openly gay man would have seemed an impossibility.”

In his address, he underlined how Ireland is planning legislation to disregard past convictions of consensual homosexual activity, as well as introduce a ban on conversion therapy.

Along with pointing out his country’s successes, he  expressed his concerns with the LGBTQI core group at the UN taking on renewed urgency in more recent times.

“We see the reintroduction of draconian laws in some countries, including the threat of the death penalty, openly discriminatory laws and increasing backlash against transgender people, and heightened polarisation, including here at the UN,” he said.

“We deeply regret escalating attempts by some states to undermine existing international commitments and standards. We are committed to working alongside the Core Group to respond to this pushback.”