ILGA World Blocks Israeli Bid to Host 2026 Conference

ILGA World, the global LGBTIQ organisation, has reversed its position and barred an Israeli organisation from bidding to host its 2026 or 2027 World Conference in Tel Aviv.

ILGA, the largest international network advocating for LGBTIQ rights, represents over 2,000 organisations globally. Its members vote on proposals submitted by candidate cities and organisations to host the World Conference, typically held every two years.

Controversy Over The Aguda’s Bid

The Aguda, a prominent Israeli non-profit LGBTQ+ rights organisation, was among four groups from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, and Israel initially slated to present their bids for 2026 or 2027 at the upcoming ILGA World Conference in Cape Town.

On 22 October, ILGA issued a statement acknowledging members’ concerns over The Aguda’s candidacy, given Israel’s ongoing human rights violations against the Palestinian people.

At that time, ILGA affirmed that its members should retain the democratic right to vote on the candidate city in Cape Town.

“We owe it to the integrity of our governance, and ultimately to our movement, to allow our membership to express their views through their vote — irrespective of the strong opinions that some of us may hold,” said Daniele Paletta, Communications Manager at ILGA World.

Reversal of Decision and Bid Removal

On 29 October, however, ILGA changed course and announced that The Aguda’s bid would no longer be allowed in Cape Town. The organisation stated it had been working closely with the local hosts, Gender DynamiX and Iranti, and acknowledged the importance of considering the event’s context.

“Over recent days we have heard and understood the significant and legitimate disconcert regarding a member organisation bidding to host the World Conference in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2026 or 2027,” said Paletta.

In an emergency meeting, ILGA World’s Board “unanimously decided to remove the bid from The Aguda from consideration” to “ensure we fully uphold universal respect for human rights, equal representation, and the elimination of barriers to participation for all members – including in our conferences.”

The ILGA World Board is also conducting a review of The Aguda’s compliance with its constitution and has suspended the organisation’s membership pending further investigation.

Commitment to Future Inclusivity

ILGA apologised to its members and global communities, particularly the South African organisations that will soon host the global movement at the 2024 conference.

“We recognise the historical experience with apartheid and colonialism in South Africa: even the possibility of voting on such a bid in their home country would have been at odds with the unequivocal solidarity for the Palestinian people,” Paletta said.

ILGA committed to preventing similar situations in future by strengthening its governance processes around bid proposals.

It also acknowledged concerns from South African activists regarding the exclusionary cost of attending the Cape Town conference, despite a scholarship programme aimed at improving African representation. In response, the ILGA Board agreed to offer limited daily passes to increase local activist participation.

“Both Gender DynamiX and Iranti remain engaged with local activists and collectives to identify opportunities that can benefit local queer activists and collectives in material ways,” said Paletta.

The 31st ILGA World Conference will be held in Cape Town from 11 to 15 November 2024, bringing together LGBTI human rights defenders, policymakers, researchers, journalists, and allies from over 100 countries to address the ongoing global challenges facing LGBTIQ+ rights.