From grief and remembrance to international action
SHIELD LGBT was born from the conviction that dignity, equality and personal safety must never depend on a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics.
The initiative was deeply shaped by two tragic acts of violence.
In June 2022, an attack outside the London Pub—an important gathering place for Oslo’s LGBTQ community—claimed two lives and injured many others on the eve of Oslo Pride.
In July 2026, violence once again struck people gathered around a Pride celebration in Berlin, leaving one person dead and dozens injured.
These events transformed places of visibility, community and celebration into scenes of grief and fear. They also demonstrated that public visibility, even in democratic societies, can expose LGBTQ persons to hatred and violence.
The attacks were not isolated from a broader global reality. Despite decades of progress under international human-rights law, LGBTQ persons throughout the world continue to face discrimination, criminalization, exclusion, persecution and violence.
Existing international instruments establish universal principles of dignity, equality and freedom. However, there remains no comprehensive global convention devoted specifically to eliminating discrimination against LGBTQ persons and protecting their fundamental rights.
Inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, SHIELD LGBT seeks to contribute to the development of such a framework.
Our story begins with remembrance, but it is guided by hope: the hope of building a world in which LGBTQ persons are not merely tolerated, but fully protected, respected and able to live openly and safely as equal members of the human family.
“Remembrance must lead not only to mourning, but also to protection, responsibility and action.”