Sports stars have been joined by human rights activists in a new video released by the United Nations campaign for LGBT equality, Free & Equal.

Speaking at the United Nations on international Human Rights Day, tennis star Martina Navratilova said: ‘When [NBA star] Jason Collins came out this year he got a phone call from president Obama congratulating him. 1981, President Reagan was in power, so I did not get that phone call.’

US intersex activist Hida Viloria said: ‘It’s very easy to discriminate against intersex women because we’re closeted. That’s why even though intersex is 1.7% of the population – as common as having red hair – you don’t all know that you know an intersex person.’

The short video was filmed at the Sport Comes Out Against Homophobia event at the UN. Other speakers at the event to raise hate crime awareness included NBA star Jason Collins, MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonović, as well as and human rights activists from Russia, South Africa and the USA.

This year’s Human Rights Day marked the 65th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly in 1948.

South African LGBT rights activist Thandeka Mkhuma shared her story: ‘On my way home, I was beaten up with a bottle, repeatedly beaten up and raped. It is a common attack to all lesbians in South Africa where men use physical and sexual abuse on our bodies. Even today, he has not been arrested.’

‘It was Mandela who said that education is the best weapon against prejudice. It is also quite clear that no injustice will last forever,’ said UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Å imonović.