A
event
held at Bookhaus
on Monday 7th July. The event starts at 18:00.
Internationally acclaimed human rights lawyer Keio Yoshida uncovers the ongoing battle for LGBTQ+ rights, how far we’ve come, and how much further we have to go.
The right to life and the right to live life free from discrimination are rights that are codified and legally protected, but — unlike those on women’s rights, disability rights, children’s rights, freedom from torture, and racial discrimination — there is no dedicated and binding treaty or convention in international human rights law with respect to LGBTQ+ rights.
In Pride and Prejudices, Yoshida analyses case law from around the world, including Rosanna Flamer Caldera v Sri Lanka, the first global precedent to call for the decriminalisation of same-sex intimacy between women, in which Yoshida acted as counsel, as well as other timely cases such as the bitter debate over self-ID for trans people in the UK and Florida’s recent ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.
This pivotal book addresses the legal problems that still persist and contribute to the violence and discrimination that the international LGBTQ+ population experiences on a daily basis, and demonstrates what more needs to be done to protect LGBTQ+ communities.
Keio will be in conversation with Tom Marshman. This event is in partnership with Bristol Pride, and part of the ticket price will be going to them. Tickets cost £8 and include a glass of wine or a soft drink. Presented by bookhaus.
Dr Keio Yoshida is an international human rights lawyer and barrister. Keio is the co-author of Silenced Women (Octopus, 2024) and co-editor of Feminist Conversations on Peace (Bristol University Press, 2022). In February 2025, Keio was named by Attitude magazine as one of the 101 LGBTQ+ trailblazers ranking as top 10 in the area of law and business.
Tom Marshman has been a practising artist for 21 years, and produced over 60 projects, across many mediums, including museum audio-tours, theatre & cabaret.
‘There’s a lot of talk recently about LGBT rights coming under attack. Pride and Prejudices shows that LGBT rights have always been under attack: around the world, queer and gender-nonconforming people have always been subject to prejudice, censorship, and criminalisation, abuse, and injustice. But what this book also shows is that there have always been courageous, clever, relentless activists like Keio Yoshida who work for a better, brighter, more inclusive future for everyone. Read this book, see how much has been achieved and how much there is to be done. Read — and resist!’
Diarmuid Hester, author of Nothing Ever Just Disappears
‘An inspiring account of the global struggle for LGBT+ human rights.’
Peter Tatchell, LGBT+ and human rights campaigner
‘Keio Yoshida weaves insightful threads of personal narrative into the stories of LGBTQ+ rights around the world. This is an important book, reflecting changing times, which reveals how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.’
Paul Baker, author of Fabulosa!: The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language