Côte d’Ivoire: Stop anti-LGBTI hatred
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LGBTI people in Côte d'Ivoire under attack. Help them fight back against hatred and violence.

For almost a month now, we have been facing the rise of hate speech, calls for ever more violence, discrimination and harassment directed against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and all other gender identities and sexual orientations (LGBTI).

We note with dismay the growing use of social networks as a tool for spreading hatred, misinformation and numerous calls to exterminate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and all other sexual and gender minorities (LGBTI).

This is a call to action and for solidarity, aimed at mobilizing human rights organizations, international organizations, local authorities, the media, and civil society to combat hatred and violence against LGBTI people.

Côte d'Ivoire has been part of a peace and reconciliation process since the end of the 2012 crisis, and today we find ourselves in a kind of war where some Ivorians feel legitimate to assault, violate, injure or even kill, and explicitly call to do so, other Ivorians on the basis of their supposed or proven sexual orientation.

Isolated situations specific to all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, are deliberately distorted or exaggerated, taken out of context to feed hate speech and legitimize physical and psychological aggression.

We call on the LGBTI community throughout Africa and around the world to mobilize their relatives, friends and allies.

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Goal: 5,000

Government of Côte d'Ivoire, Ministry of the Interior and Security, Ministry of Justice and Promotion of Human Rights:

In recent weeks, we've seen an alarming increase in social media posts, video vignettes, panels and live videos seeking to stigmatize and defame LGBTI people as well as to incite violence against the LGBTI community.

These acts, whether physical, verbal or psychological, are a direct attack on human dignity and fundamental rights.
Hatred of LGBTI people has no place in our society, or anywhere else. Yet we are appalled to see that attacks against these communities continue to increase, whether on social networks, in public spaces, or even in institutions that are supposed to protect the equality of all.

We would like to remind you that :

- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of fraternity." Every person therefore has the right to live freely and without fear, whatever their gender or sexual orientation. Discrimination on these grounds is not only morally unacceptable, it is also illegal in many countries, even if Côte d'Ivoire has not yet resolved to mention this explicitly in article 226 of its penal code on discrimination.

- Violence and hatred against LGBTI people are crimes. We call on the competent authorities to take firm and immediate action to protect victims and prosecute those responsible for these acts.

- Hate speech, whether uttered by individuals, groups or even public leaders, must be firmly condemned and combated. No form of discrimination can be tolerated in a society that advocates equality and justice for all.

- Manipulating social media to spread hatred: Numerous accounts are created and many people use social media to spread misleading and alarmist messages, often based on events taken out of context or deliberately distorted. These acts are a clear attempt to polarize, create fear and legitimize acts of violence against LGBTI people.

- Rising attacks: These misinformation campaigns and online hate are having real and serious consequences, including an upsurge in verbal, physical and psychological attacks against LGBTI people.

The government and law enforcement agencies must strengthen protection and enforcement mechanisms against online hate speech and the attacks it provokes. It is essential that the perpetrators of such violence, whether digital or physical, are identified and punished according to the law.

We reaffirm our commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of LGBTI people.

Campaign started by Tilé Initiative
0people have signed
Goal: 5,000
Campaign started by Tilé Initiative

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