WorldPride Washington, D.C. Human Rights Conference 2025

This session will outline the history of World AIDS Day, highlighting its role in raising awareness, commemorating lives lost, and combating HIV stigma. It will explore innovative strategies for modernizing community mobilization, focusing on how organizations can adapt to contemporary challenges using digital platforms, social media, and creative storytelling. Attendees will learn practical approaches to event planning, street campaigns, and workshops, with a focus on engaging diverse audiences—particularly youth, people of color, and underserved communities. The session will provide actionable tools to reinvigorate advocacy and ensure the ongoing relevance of World AIDS Day.

In this session, led by RFK Human Rights’ Human Rights Education Program Director, attendees will gain a high-level overview of effective advocacy and mobilization techniques. The workshop will provide actionable insights and strategies for creating tangible, positive change in communities, empowering participants to turn their passion for justice into impactful action. From grassroots organizing to strategic campaigns, this session will offer practical steps that attendees can take to advocate for human rights and drive lasting social transformation, both locally and globally.

1. Welcome and Introduction
2. Keynote
3. Keynote
4. Keynote
5. Keynote

This session highlights trans-led movements around the globe that are challenging power structures, shifting policy, and building radical futures. Panelists will share organizing strategies, coalition work, and lessons from the frontlines of global resistance—and why liberation must be led by those most impacted.

Renowned economist and LGBTQ+ rights advocate Dr. M.V. Lee Badgett leads this compelling session exploring the intersection of economic policy and LGBTQ+ human rights. Drawing on global research and real-world case studies, Dr. Badgett highlights how economic inclusion and equality for LGBTQ+ communities drive social progress and sustainable development. Attendees will gain insights into the economic costs of discrimination, the benefits of inclusive workplaces, and policy strategies that promote equality. This session offers valuable perspectives for policymakers, advocates, researchers, and business leaders committed to advancing equity through economic empowerment.

Legal experts Craig Konnoth and Suzanne Goldberg take a deep dive into the current state of laws affecting LGBTQ+ people across the U.S. and around the world. From healthcare access and anti-discrimination protections to freedom of expression and family rights, this session unpacks the legal developments that are shaping daily life for LGBTQ+ communities. With thoughtful analysis and real-world context, Konnoth and Goldberg explore how recent shifts in legislation and court rulings are driving both progress and new challenges.

In many countries, intersex issues are seen largely as medical “disorders” that need to be corrected through medical interventions. There isn’t much of a focus on the human rights and bodily autonomy of the individual. Stigma and violations have created interconnected issues that continue to inform discourse on how to better support and advance intersex rights.

Thinking about the future of the Intersex movement from a global perspective is important because it requires us to examine intersex issues, context, strategies, and barriers to justice through different frameworks. As intersex activists, we examine these issues through a human rights framework that is rooted in lived experiences, with solidarity as a beacon of hope.

This session will allow for the intersex voices from most regions to be heard, and for allies to learn more about our cause and the opportunities to support from an informed perspective.

The session will explore the intersection of reproductive justice, community care, and the unique experiences of Black queer parents. As the founder of xHood, a thriving network for Black queer parents, participants will be guided through the realities of navigating parenthood within systems often designed to exclude or marginalize.

This session will highlight the transformative potential of centering Black queer parents in conversations about reproductive rights and justice. It will delve into the systemic barriers we face, from limited access to inclusive fertility treatments and parental rights protections, to the social stigmas around non-normative family structures. By addressing these challenges, how Black queer parents redefine family to include chosen families, community care networks, and collective resilience will all be addressed.

Attendees will leave with an understanding of how reproductive justice extends beyond access to healthcare, to include the right to create and nurture families in safe, supported, and affirming environments. Through storytelling, research, and actionable insights, this session will inspire advocacy and community-led solutions that uplift Black queer families as essential contributors to a more equitable world.

Whether an advocate, ally, or a member of the LGBTQ+ community, this session will provide tools and perspectives to deepen our commitment to justice and inclusion. Together, we can reimagine family as a source of liberation and power."

As GLAAD marks its 40th anniversary, this panel explores how the organization’s influential advocacy model is expanding across borders to meet the evolving needs of LGBTQ+ communities worldwide. With media as a powerful force for change, panelists will discuss how GLAAD is adapting its strategies, shaping narratives, and forging global partnerships to protect and advance LGBTQ+ rights in an increasingly connected world. This session will also coincide with the release of new GLAAD data, offering fresh insights into representation, public opinion, and the road ahead for global advocacy.

Self-harm remains a topic not talked about enough, especially with the growing concern for the safety of LGBTQIA+ youth. For many, self-harm is an invisible struggle, often compounded by stigma and shame that leads young people to conceal their behaviors. As more LGBTQIA+ youth come out at younger ages, there is increased attention on the heightened risks faced by this group, including a higher incidence of self-destructive behaviors related to social stigma and negative experiences. Research has shown that self-harm, along with depression and suicide, occurs at significantly higher rates among LGBTQIA+ youth compared to their peers. This disparity shows the critical need for providing LGBTQIA+ youth with resources that affirm their identities and increase support.

As professionals and parents, it is important to be equipped with a clear understanding of the types of self-harm, average age range when it can occur, causes, populations, risk factors, as well as its connection to mental health challenges such as depression and suicide. It is imperative to provide protective factors for LGBTQIA+ youth in helping to replace self-harming behaviors with positive coping strategies.

Compassionate, empathetic approaches are essential in engaging LGBTQIA+ youth, and this presentation provides evidence-based strategies for professionals, parents, and educators to respond to self-harm with care, sensitivity, and empowerment. By drawing on therapeutic techniques, lived experiences, evidence-based interventions backed in research, and experience from working with queer youth, this presentation offers actionable steps for combating self-harm and supporting LGBTQIA+ youth in their journey toward healing and resilience.

This panel brings together influential out LGBTQ+ individuals who are leveraging their platforms to drive social change and challenge harmful norms. Through thoughtful discussion, panelists will reflect on their experiences navigating public visibility, the complexities of advocacy, and the responsibility that comes with being a vocal member of the LGBTQ+ community. With a focus on both personal and professional journeys, the conversation will explore how visibility can serve as a powerful tool for advancing equality, amplifying marginalized voices, and reshaping societal perceptions of LGBTQ+ identities.