Following a one-year suspension ahead of last year’s ILGA World Conference in South Africa, the board of ILGA World has reinstated the membership of Israeli LGBTQ+ organisation, The Aguda.
In October 2024, ILGA World faced mounting pressure—particularly from South African activists—to block The Aguda’s bid to host the 2026 or 2027 ILGA World Conference in Tel Aviv. Activists cited Israel’s ongoing atrocities against the Palestinian people as grounds for opposition.
Responding to the outcry, ILGA World removed The Aguda’s hosting bid from consideration “to ensure we fully uphold universal respect for human rights” and suspended The Aguda’s membership pending an investigation.
The decision was welcomed by many as a principled stand against “pinkwashing” by the Israeli state.
Suspension Lifted After Review
On 3 May 2025, ILGA World confirmed that The Aguda’s suspension will be lifted effective 27 October 2025—exactly one year after it was imposed.
The decision followed an investigation by ILGA World’s Disputes Resolution Committee. The committee reviewed the complaints to determine whether The Aguda aligned with ILGA World’s constitutional principles.
“While the complaint was deemed substantive—particularly due to The Aguda’s reluctance to condemn war crimes plausibly amounting to genocide in Gaza—the committee acknowledged that ‘The Aguda actively continues to provide support to LGBTI communities’,” said ILGA World in a statement.
Board Cautions Against Risky Precedent
The ILGA World Board argued that “requiring member organisations to take a public stance on their government’s positions and actions, and holding them accountable for not doing so, would create a precedent that could be harmful to our membership in many countries.”
ILGA World described the one-year suspension as recognition of the harm caused by The Aguda’s actions and as an opportunity for the organisation to reflect on its position and future global engagement.
Not an Endorsement of Silence
The board stressed that its decision to reinstate The Aguda “is not an endorsement of The Aguda’s position, actions, or silence on the war in Gaza.” It reiterated that “ILGA World has condemned war crimes in Gaza and elsewhere – and does not waver in our support for the international human rights and criminal law systems.”
While acknowledging substantial evidence and ongoing proceedings before the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court indicating “a plausible risk that genocide is being committed in Gaza,” ILGA World maintained that it cannot automatically hold civil society organisations responsible for their governments’ actions.
The board asserted that requiring such organisations to publicly condemn state crimes—particularly when doing so may expose them to reprisals—could place them in serious danger.
ILGA World is the largest international network advocating for LGBTIQ+ rights, representing over 2,000 organisations worldwide. Its 31st ILGA World Conference took place in Cape Town in November 2024, marking the first time the event was held on African soil in 25 years.
