Top Organisations Fighting LGBT+ Discrimination
The fight for LGBT+ acceptance and equality globally is a non-stop battle, and a vital one as LGBT+ people continue to strive to reach true equality with our peers. The extent of the fight, however, isn’t equal at all corners of the globe, with some nations taking far more progressive approaches. With over 70 countries criminalising homosexuality according to 76Crimes, the scale of work that needs to be done to lobby governments and the public to understand that it shouldn’t be a crime to be LGBT+ is massive. To that end, so many amazing charities exist and operate across the globe fighting LGBT+ discrimination at various levels and sectors. In this article, we’ll be looking at 10 of those organisations, and the work they’re doing.
Amnesty International - https://www.amnesty.org.uk/LGBTQ-equality
Amnesty is a UK-based human rights charity that organises campaigns around injustices against human rights, including against LGBT+ people. The premise of these campaigns focus on amassing people-power, to pressure governments to act and support radical changes to uphold international law and the value of human rights. As far as their LGBT+ campaigns are concerned, Amnesty has been vocal about the situation unfolding in Poland, where LGBT+ activists face investigation and punishment under archaic laws, amongst other campaigns to free individual activists or agitate for legal reform.
HRC - https://www.hrc.org/
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest civil rights organisation advocating for the rights of LGBT+ Americans, according to its website. With 3 million members, that's difficult to dispute, as the HRC marches towards its vision of an America where everyone is welcome at home, work, and in society at large. The HRC is multifaceted in its approach: seeking not only legal campaigns and action - as it historically focused on - it has also branched out to include education and training, as well as marketing and PR for LGBT+ causes. They seek to unite resources on adoption, workplace discrimination protections, conversion therapy, and so many other areas where it is key for LGBT+ Americans to be kept in the know on what needs to be done for their community.
Kaleidoscope Trust - https://kaleidoscopetrust.com/
Kaleidoscope Trust is an organisation that focuses on providing support to the LGBT+ community in countries where they face marginalisation and discrimination. This is done by going straight to activists on the front line, connecting them to the best quality advocates and decision makers to help push for legal reform and provide necessary training and support to enable these activists to keep themselves safe in the face of overwhelming odds. Especially, Kaleidoscope also focuses on 5 cities in Africa to address challenges faced by the LGBT+ community including stigma, poverty, and discrimination, as well as promote inclusion and tolerace in society.
Stonewall - https://www.stonewall.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/campaigning-global-lgbt-equality
Stonewall, taking its name from the riots in the US that has come to be synonymous with the modern LGBT+ rights movement in the West, is a truly global charity. Their campaign is threefold: a global LGBT+ rights project, that seeks to improve advocacy for local LGBT+ groups in less-tolerant areas of the world, offering training to activists to allow them to pressure for legal reform in their own countries, and then finally pressuring organisations like the the UK Government, United Nations, and other bodies to hold countries to account on attaining progressive values.
Outright International - https://outrightinternational.org/
Outright International is an organisation that documents, researches, and trains activists to defend and advance LGBT+ rights globally, at all levels. They call it the interlocking spectrum: by lobbying local government, regional government, national government, and superregional bodies, they can effectively ensure that rights are codified at all levels and that as many people as possible feel the benefit of it. Further, this interlocking spectrum also enables for the transfer of ideas and advice on best practice, to ensure that on campaigns such as ending the rates of violence against LGBT+ people, success stories in one area can be replicated in others by sharing the information that led to these fantastic advancements.
IGLA - https://ilga.org/
IGLA, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, is a federation of over 1000 organisations from across the world united with the sole aim of promoting and advancing the rights of LGBT+ people. Over 40 years old, the IGLA consults at the UN on LGBT+ matters, as well as maintains a fully democratic internal structure with regards to its governance and operations. Through their tried-and-tested means of Advocacy, Empowerment, Research, the federation has been able to enhance campaigns around Gender Identity, LGBT+ presence in sports, and global training programmes that have given the necessary tools to local activists to seek the reforms and legal progress their communities need.
MicroRainbow - https://microrainbow.org/
MicroRainbow is a UK-based refugee and asylum-seeking support charity for LGBT+ people who are fleeing their home countries due to LGBT+ persecution. Whilst other charities help activists fight for change, it's important to remember that not everyone can be the face of a movement, and that’s where MicroRainbow comes in to help those who have no choice but to flee their homes. Last year, MicroRainbow gave over 16,000 nights worth of beds to asylum seekers whilst they were supported to apply for asylum in the UK. Further to this, MicroRainbow also recognises that primarily, LGBT+ asylum seekers suffer poor outcomes due to poverty and institutional barriers to finding work in the UK once they are settled. As a result, they’ve put together an award-winning programme that seeks to help asylum seekers move on and integrate properly so that they can succeed going forward.
All Out - https://allout.org/en
All Out is a global movement for LGBT+ rights. It seeks to unite those who perhaps live in more progressive societies, with those who do not, to turn that combined willpower to agitate for reform and protections into tangible results through a plethora of successful campaigns. By carefully working with partners, All Out is responsive to events that may threaten LGBT+ rights, and seems to find inspiring and creative ways in which the global LGBT+ community can come together to achieve tangible results for those who so desperately need it. Previous campaigns include working to overturn Brunei’s proposed laws to institute the death penalty for homosexuality, raising money to help the Russian LGBT+ network evacuate LGBT+ Chechens out of the region, and raising awareness of the deep-seated hate that the Polish LGBT+ community is currently facing from fundamentalist organisers.
The International Railroad for Queer Refugees - https://www.irqr.ca/
The IRQR is an NGO that started out as the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees, helping LGBT+ people escape poverty and discrimination in Iran. Since then, the charity has grown to become the International Railroad, with a current focus on helping LGBT+ people in Turkey, many of whom are refugees who have fled homophobia and discrimination in their home countries. To this end, IRQR seeks to provide necessities of life to refugees in Turkey as well as sponsoring, providing financial support, or even helping to provide help resettling LGBT+ asylum seekers. Through support and counselling, IRQR has supported many refugees to move past their persecution towards prosperous futures.
Helem - http://www.helem.net/
Helem is a Lebanon-based LGBT+ rights charity that is working to improve the situation for LGBT+ people in the region., both legally and socially. The first LGBT+ advocacy group in the Middle East, their work is ever continuing as they strive to seek the abolition of Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code, which outlaws homosexuality. Aside from this, the charity also engages in social events to bring together LGBT+ people and celebrate LGBT+ culture, as well as supporting LGBT+ individuals who have fallen victim to the law. On top of this the group also organises events such as around HIV/AIDS, and is the organiser of Lebanon’s International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia which has made global news in the past for the extent of how brave the movement has been in the fact of scrutiny and discrimination.
