Help LGBTIQ people and groups in Ukraine

Outright committed 117 grants totaling nearly $3 million, impacting 105 organizations in 60 countries. In addition to grants that provide humanitarian assistance – as for example to LGBTIQ-serving organization in Ukraine and to St. Lucian LGBTIQ-serving groups following Hurricane Beryl – support was also program based, supporting operations, research, movement building and advocacy work. Additionally, Outright supported nearly two dozen activists through our United Nations fellowship programs, providing training and support, and brokering meetings between activists and UN agencies, special rapporteurs, UN missions, and other stakeholders within the UN system. 

Additionally, Outright resources the movement by acting as a convener and connector. In December, Outright convened our global movement at OutSummit, our annual global LGBTIQ human rights hybrid conference which brings together activists, advocates, academics, philanthropists, policymakers, and other stakeholders from around the world to strategize on the state of the movement and what’s needed to push for more change. The event convened almost 800 participants from more than 70 countries. The event delves into pressing issues, including freedom of association and expression; global intersex and trans advocacy agendas for law and policy change; the power of transfeminist narratives in uniting LBQ and trans people to push back against anti-gender movements; resourcing the movement; and LGBTIQ inclusion in democracy-building, economic development and humanitarian assistance, among others.

Our Movement Resourcing work also saw achievements through our LBQ Connect program - our global feminist program to support LBQ activism and communities globally through a comprehensive program of training, mentorship, research, advocacy, and financial support. LBQ Connect welcomed 100 new cohort members, bringing the total number of program participants to 300. And Outright’s Inclusive Solutions program – a comprehensive initiative spanning four countries in Asia and Latin America that aims to tackle economic and employment hurdles faced by LGBTIQ individuals through a multifaceted approach – also saw impact. By integrating job skilling, career coaching and job placement services, the project ensures income stability and alleviation of poverty within the LGBTIQ community. Our data-driven approach is uncovering key insights into job challenges and opportunities and will lead to a global report (January 2025) with actionable recommendations. The program has benefited more than 800 participants in the past year. Partnering LGBTIQ organizations have begun to report increased capacity to implement employment programs to meet the needs of their communities. Outright is also raising global awareness among funders to spark investments to create inclusive job opportunities.

Outright is equally as proud of our Advocacy achievements. Our movement witnessed a major milestone in November 2023 when the United Nations Third Committee passed a resolution calling for more UN engagement in promoting democracy, and for the second time ever mentioned the right of LGBTIQ people to take part in public affairs. This capped a year of advocacy where Outright pushed the UN to take steps to protect the political rights of LGBTIQ people, sharing extensive documentation of discrimination that led to denial of the right to vote and to stand for office in countries around the world. More recently, as of the writing of this report, the UN Third Committee adopted a resolution on extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions that again specifically includes sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited grounds of discrimination. The resolution, slated for confirmation at the General Assembly plenary in December, underscores the fundamental entitlement to life, liberty, and security for everyone while exposing the impact of impunity on perpetuating extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions.

Another critical advocacy achievement during this grant period occurred in April 2024. The United Nations made a historic move to protect the human rights of intersex persons, as the Human Rights Council adopted its first-ever resolution specifically addressing discrimination, violence, and harmful practices against persons with innate variations in sex characteristics. Most States voted in favor of the resolution, with no States voting against it. The resolution – brought by Finland, South Africa, Chile, and Australia – encourages States to “work to realize the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health” for intersex people. It also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a report – to be discussed at the Human Rights Council in September 2025 - examining “discriminatory laws and policies, acts of violence and harmful practices, in all regions of the world,” and looking at “best practices including legal protection and remedies” for persons with innate variations in sex characteristics. Outright and partners advocated strongly at the UN in Geneva in support of the resolution. Further, Outright is currently finalizing its own global report on Intersex rights, to be published in late November 2024.  

An important advocacy win during this grant period also includes sustained pressure at the World Bank, in response to Uganda’s passage of the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), which provides for the death penalty for repeated consensual homosexual activity. Following vociferous advocacy by Outright and Ugandan partners, in the fall of 2023 - Outright joined 170 organizations worldwide in a statement calling for the World Bank to take strong action in response to the Anti-Homosexuality law – the World Bank paused future loans to the country. The law precludes LGBTQ people from accessing the necessities of life. All landlords, including those in World Bank-funded housing programs, are required to evict LGBTQ tenants. Doctors, nurses, and teachers in government programs are prohibited from providing social support, affirming care, and information. LGBTQ people are barred from certain types of employment. In addition to sustained pressure, Outright has been working across the region in Ghana and other African countries to prevent the enactment of copy-cat legislation.  

Additionally, in connection with our goal of “queering” humanitarian systems, in April 2024, Outright co-organized the inaugural National Forum on LGBTIQ Inclusion in Humanitarian Action in Ukraine. The aim was straightforward: to provide a platform for LGBTIQ activists and organizations, national and international humanitarian personnel, and donors to convene, exchange insights, learn from each other, and develop a roadmap for action. The roadmap seeks to ensure that LGBTIQ Ukrainians receive fair and timely access to humanitarian aid tailored to their specific needs. We are already making progress in narrowing the gap between current humanitarian efforts and the comprehensive, effective inclusion of LGBTIQ individuals. This work builds on two years of efforts to ensure that humanitarian aid reached LGBTIQ aid groups and individuals, who are often overlooked in humanitarian crisis. 

Outright International remains deeply appreciative to the GlobalGiving community for its very generous support. We look forward to keeping donors informed of our progress and impact. On behalf of all of us and those we serve globally, thank you for your solidarity and partnership. 

As of June 20, 2024 – thanks to the generosity of supporters via GlobalGiving – Outright has distributed over $3.5 million through 150 grants to 46 local LGBTIQ-serving partners in Ukraine and surrounding countries. These local partners deliver humanitarian aid to LGBTIQ people and pursue critical advocacy to push for equal rights and protections. More than 84% of Outright grants have been issued to groups in Ukraine. While Outright has supported several LGBTIQ groups outside of Ukraine that are working with displaced LGBTIQ people and refugees fleeing or who have fled Ukraine, we prioritize groups working within Ukraine, where many LGBTIQ people remain.

Overall, Outright’s Ukraine LGBTIQ Emergency Fund has provided emergency assistance to LGBTIQ people who need:

• safe shelter,
• food,
• medical supplies (including medications),
• transportation for the distribution of support and helping people reach hospitals,
• mental health support, and
• other types of humanitarian assistance.

As the war continues, LGBTIQ organizations in Ukraine continue to require immediate and sustained financial support to meet the needs of LGBTIQ people, turning to them for life-saving help.

Links:

• LGBTIQ Ukraine Emergency Fund