LGBTI Rights at a Crossroads: Legal Progress, Backlash, and Future Challenges

This event will be open to the public at Harvard Law School, as well as livestreamed.  Click here to register for Zoom.

Over the past decades, the recognition and protection of LGBTI rights has undergone a remarkable transformation. Issues that were once excluded from legal and political debates have gradually moved to the center of human rights discourse, and landmark judgments, legislative reforms, and social movements have contributed to the decriminalization of same-sex relationships, the recognition of diverse family forms, and stronger protections against discrimination. Yet, these achievements cannot be taken for granted, as recent years have witnessed a growing backlash against LGBTI rights in many parts of the world, with attempts to restrict existing protection mechanisms, challenge equality measures, and question the universality of human rights. Against this background, the legal protection of LGBTI persons remains one of the most pressing and contested human rights issues of our time.

The resulting body of law, far from being a single, uniform whole, reflects a plurality of legal traditions, cultural contexts, historical experiences, and social realities. Using the Oxford Handbook of LGBTI Law (2026) as an organizing framework and a point of departure, this one-day workshop will bring together contributors to the Handbook, as well as other participants from academia and civil society, to examine key developments and challenges in the field of LGBTI law. Selected authors will present insights from their chapters and engage in discussions on specific aspects of LGBTI rights protection, ranging from international and regional human rights frameworks to emerging debates and future challenges. The workshop aims to provide a platform for exchange, critical reflection, and dialogue on the future direction of LGBTI rights in an increasingly contested global environment.

More updates on scheduling are soon to come on HRP’s website!

This event is co-sponsored by The Program on Law and Society in the Muslim World, The Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, HLS Advocates for Human Rights, the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights at the Harvard Kennedy School, Lambda at Harvard Law School, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights, and the University of Vienna.