“Local to Global: Power, Populism, and Politics – The Beginning of a Global Fight Back”
Date: Saturday, 25 October 2025 (Reflecting on events 20–24 October) Location: Newcastle and Gateshead, North East England
#SaferToBeMe
A HISTORIC ACT OF SOLIDARITY
The #SaferToBeMe Global Summit 2025 successfully concluded its core activities on Friday, 24 October, establishing itself as the UK’s first week-long global LGBTQI+ human rights summit. Hosted in the North East by ReportOUT, Pride Action North, and OUT North East, the Summit mobilised a united, intersectional response to the “systematic rollback of hard-won gains” orchestrated by populist and authoritarian forces worldwide. Over 500 delegates from more than 40 countries engaged in two days of intensive, strategic conferencing, culminating in the historic Signing of the Newcastle-Gateshead Declaration. This document, the world’s first global LGBTQI+ Declaration of Solidarity, formally asserts the unassailable nature of LGBTQI+ rights under international law.
The conference provided a forensic analysis of the threats, ranging from the estimated $1 billion Global Anti-Gender Agenda to the political weaponisation of disinformation in electoral systems. Crucially, the Declaration received high-profile support from His Excellency Jeroen Cooreman, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the UK, and senior civic leaders from Newcastle and Gateshead Councils. The entire programme rigorously centred the experiences of those facing compounded oppression, including Black trans women in Brazil and intersex individuals in Ghana, demanding that advocacy be holistic and inclusive.
THE SUMMIT WEEK OVERVIEW
The Summit’s week began on Monday, 20 October, with a pre-opening launch event, featuring a performance from the acclaimed local choir Northern Proud Voices. Tuesday and Wednesday were dedicated to building capacity and networking, including the Out of Office Networking reception, Trans Awareness Training, Queer History Walks, and crucial Security Training for activists.
Capping off the pre-conference activities on Wednesday evening, a wonderful Speakers Dinner was held at the beautiful Blackfriars Restaurant, providing an inspiring kick-off ahead of the main Summit events. A huge thank-you is extended to the generous sponsors—Connection Heroes, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, and Wilson LLB—whose support made the dinner possible.
This initial phase also featured an online Global LGBTQ+ Health Conference, setting the thematic stage for the main conference days in Gateshead on Thursday and Friday. The Summit officially concludes on Saturday, 25 October, with a social Sight-Seeing Trip for delegates.
THE NEWCASTLE-GATESHEAD DECLARATION: A GLOBAL PLEDGE
The Declaration ceremony, held at the historic Assembly Rooms, served as the emotional and political pinnacle, translating the Summit’s analysis into a formal global compact for justice.
The Newcastle Gateshead Declaration: A Global LGBTQI+ Declaration of Solidarity
Preamble
We, the undersigned individuals, organisations, and institutions from across the world, are united by our commitment to human dignity, freedom, and justice. We affirm the inherent dignity, worth, and rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics. We unite in unwavering solidarity with LGBTQI+ people as they seek safety, equity, and full inclusion in every sphere of life.
Around the world, authoritarianism is on the rise. Many LGBTQI+ people face systemic discrimination, criminalisation, violence, exclusion, and stigma from local communities, often reinforced by governments themselves. These injustices multiply when joined with racism, xenophobia, ableism, poverty, religious intolerance, or the stigma of HIV. Their lives are placed under relentless strain by forces that deny their humanity. We raise our collective voice in urgent opposition to these escalating violations of human rights, whether through hate-fuellled violence, state repression, or laws that criminalise existence itself.
Therefore, the Newcastle-Gateshead Declaration proclaims our shared commitment to justice and equity, and our conviction that diversity strengthens communities. We are united against all forms of discrimination, harassment, stigma, prejudice, violence, hate, and the targeting of sexual and gender minorities. We pledge to foster a world where every person can live openly, authentically and without fear. We believe that no one should live in fear or face harm because of who they are, how they express themselves, or who they love.
This Declaration acknowledges the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and in particular, its affirmation that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” We ensure that LGBTQI+ people can realise these principles, which are essential to the promise of universal human rights for all. It also reaffirms the commitment to recognise and protect Human Rights Defenders, as we recognise the specific contribution of LGBTQI+ Human Rights Defenders in delivering change and preventing global rollbacks.
In the face of shrinking freedoms and resurgent authoritarianism, we reaffirm our shared commitment to the dignity, rights, and freedoms of sexual and gender minorities. United by mutual respect and solidarity, we recognise the importance of listening, learning, and standing together to uphold these values.
By signing this Declaration, we:
- Reaffirm the universal truth that all people, including LGBTQI+ people, are born free and equal in dignity and rights, as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
- Unite in defence of the dignity, autonomy, and freedom of LGBTQI+ people, everywhere.
- Affirm that LGBTQI+ people are entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms, whether civil, political, economic, social, and cultural.
- Support the right of LGBTQI+ people to live free from violence, persecution, and discrimination in all spheres of life, both public and private.
- Assert that state sovereignty should never serve as a shield for oppression, and that International Law compels all states, without exception, to uphold, respect, and fulfil the human rights of all, including LGBTQI+ people.
- Condemn all laws, policies, and practices that criminalise or harm individuals on the basis of real, or perceived, LGBTQI+ status.
- Resist all state and non-state actors who enable the persecution of LGBTQI+ people, through their use of physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, and symbolic violence.
- Reject, unequivocally, all narratives that frame the lives of LGBTQI+ people as inferior, unnatural, or undeserving of equal rights and respect.
- Call on states to address the precarious situation of LGBTQI+ Human Rights Defenders by remembering their own policies, or regional policies, in terms of persecution and security.
The evening was anchored by powerful civic and diplomatic endorsements. H.E. Jeroen Cooreman (Ambassador, Kingdom of Belgium) delivered the crucial “Address of Solidarity,” providing essential international governmental recognition. The North East’s civic commitment was represented by Councillor Karen Kilgour (Leader, Newcastle City Council) and Councillor Gary Haley (Deputy Leader, Gateshead Council), who provided official “Greetings” from the host cities. The entire evening underscored the local community’s commitment, exemplified by a unifying performance from the North East’s own LGBTQIA+ choir, Northern Proud Voices.
THE SAFER TO BE ME CONFERENCE: STRATEGY & RESISTANCE
The two-day conference at Gateshead Academy for Sport (Thu 23rd – Fri 24th) featured 45+ talks and workshops designed to provide both high-level analysis and practical tools for the “fight back.”
The Main Hall keynotes established the strategic framework for the entire summit. Drew Dalton (CEO, ReportOUT) opened Day 1 with “Power. Populism. Politics – A New World Order?”, setting the analytical agenda for the global threat. Kate Osborne MP (Local Member of Parliament) followed, grounding the struggle in the need for strong UK political action against global pushback. Peter Tatchell (Human Rights Campaigner) delivered a powerful strategic analysis in “Two Heads of the Same Serpent,” dissecting how Global Populism and Fundamentalism intertwine to suppress human rights. On Day 2, Lady Phyll (CEO, UK Black Pride) anchored the discussion with her keynote, “Intersectional and Grounded Liberation, demanding that the fight for human rights actively addresses compounded forms of race, gender, and class discrimination.
Strategic geopolitical sessions were dedicated to identifying and countering the external forces driving the rollback. This included a critical panel, featuring Peter Tatchell and Anna-Maria Tesfaye (Russia), which analysed the pervasive threat of Russian Influence and the Far Right in the West. Further sessions addressed the rising political threats in Fighting for Queer Spaces in Trump’s America and the far-right parties attempting to subvert the European Union from within (“Don’t Let the Bigots Get You Down”). On the digital front, Andrea Rivas exposed the “Populist Playbook” used to hijack human rights narratives, and Enrique Anarte provided a practical workshop on countering anti-LGBTQ+ misinformation using viral video and digital fact-checking as a strategic tool. These strategies are crucial, but a vital panel also discussed the foundational need for adequate UK Funding for International LGBTQI+ Issues, featuring organisations like GiveOut and representatives from the LGBT Centre Mongolia.
The programme rigorously centred the experiences of those facing systemic violence and oppression. A harrowing session detailed the lethal Intersectional Crisis faced by Black Trans Lives in Brazil, where they endure the highest murder rates globally. Sessions addressed systematic suppression in contexts such as Malawi and Nigeria, and the painful contradiction of “Rainbow Laws” versus pervasive violence in Mexico. Abram Clarkson highlighted the erasure and medical harm against intersex people in Ghana. On the cultural front, Pranav Arwari (South Asia) and Moka Zakareya (Queer Arab Languages) presented powerful sessions on reclaiming non-Western, indigenous queer identities as a core strategy of resistance. Further sessions focused on leveraging justice and aid mechanisms, with Lizzie Wright addressing the vital need for LGBTQI+ inclusion in Humanitarian Aid, and Queering Peacebuilding (Gustavo Hernández-Calderón, Belén Correa, & Matilda González) showcasing models of historical reparation in post-conflict states like Colombia and Argentina.
The UK track provided practical support and addressed immediate domestic policy failures. Dr. Heather Wood directly challenged the restrictions and proposed unethical research following the “highly flawed Cass Report,” advocating for a pushback against policy that denies access to recognised trans healthcare. This was contrasted by the supportive role of Peer Support in NHS Gender Clinics (Charlie Owens, Helen Greener & Beverley Howe) and a workshop on Vocal Freedom. Critical sessions addressed the hostile environment faced by vulnerable groups, including the dangerous situation of LGBTQI+ Asylum Claimants (The Asylum Monologue), and the crucial need for new frameworks to address Coercive Control in LGBTQIA+ relationships. Tom Montrose-Moss emphasized the political power of Data Collection to influence UK policy, while Rachel Coventry explored how Queer Literature can resist the far-right’s cultural siege. The conference formally concluded with a powerful Candlelit Vigil and the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt display, linking the day’s work to remembrance and collective resilience.
PUBLICLY AVAILABLE WEB ADDRESSES
The following organisations and information were central to the #SaferToBeMe Global Summit 2025 and offer pathways for follow-up and engagement:
ReportOUT (Lead Organiser): https://www.reportout.org
OUT North East (Organiser): https://www.outnortheast.org.uk
Newcastle Gateshead Initiative (NGI): https://www.ngi.org.uk (for local partner information)
Newcastle-Gateshead Declaration: (The official document and list of signatories will be hosted on the ReportOUT website, likely here:) https://www.reportout.org/newcastle-gateshead-declaration
The Summit Diary/Programme: https://www.reportout.org/safertobemehome
NEXT STEPS AND CALLS TO ACTION
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The #SaferToBeMe Global Summit 2025 was organised by ReportOUT, Pride Action North, and OUT North East, with thanks to all speakers, delegates, and sponsors for standing in solidarity.