Blog: Perspectives

With shouts of “Glory to Ukraine” and “F— Putin,” thousands of Poles marched through the streets of Warsaw on Saturday alongside a delegation of Ukrainian lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) activists. 

The queer-led March for Peace, organized by the Warsaw Equality Parade and KyivPride, was a historic show of solidarity for Ukraine’s queer community amidst Russia’s assault on the country. The war has transformed LGBTQ organizations on both sides of Ukraine’s borders, including in Poland, as advocacy groups turned themselves overnight into humanitarian and shelter organizations to support queer people inside Ukraine or forced into exile. 

(Nairobi) OutRight Action International condemns the brutal murder of Sheila Lumumba that occurred in her home, in Karatina, Nyeri County, in Kenya, on 19 April 2022. It was reported that six men broke into Sheila’s apartment, tortured, raped, and killed Sheila. It is alleged that this was a homophobic attack on Shelia. 

OutRight is dedicated to searching for new and innovative ways to uplift and support the global LGBTQIA+ community. Although our global movement is severely under-resourced and faces increasing threats, there has been significant social and legal change over the last few decades and we believe there is a pivotal opportunity to radically accelerate equality everywhere. However, we need more allies to be successful in our efforts. This unwavering motivation and commitment has led us to the world of NFT and cryptocurrency philanthropy! NFTs and cryptocurrency have truly taken the world by storm. From expanding the ways in which one can be an activist to fostering and inspiring a new wave of art movements, NFTs in particular are emerging as a vital avenue for 21st century philanthropy, community building, and creative expression.

On March 8, St. Lucia’s Parliament passed the landmark Domestic Violence Act, 2022, becoming one of the few countries in the Caribbean to provide legal protections to people in same-sex relationships who experience domestic violence—and the only country in the region to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the implementation of such laws. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people whose relationships may fall outside a cisgender, heterosexual norm are now able to access all the resources and remedies provided in the Act, including protection orders from the court. 

The Age With Rights campaign organized by the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People (GAROP) was inaugurated on March 3rd 2022 with online country level activities in different global regions and a global rally summit to rally support for a new United Nations Convention on Rights of Older Persons. 

OutRight is thrilled to announce that #StartSmall, Jack Dorsey’s philanthropic initiative, is contributing $2 million to support our work to protect and advance human rights for LGBTIQ people everywhere. This generous donation will further OutRight’s vision of protecting and lifting up at-risk LGBTIQ people around the world, including advancing laws and policies for queer and transgender equality, supporting activists and organizations especially in countries that others often overlook, pioneering research documenting the experiences of our global community, and ensuring the inclusion of LGBTIQ people in the recovery from the pandemic and future humanitarian crises.  

In December 2021 LGBTIQ activists celebrated the adoption of the resolution “Strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections” during the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The resolution includes an explicit reference to sexual orientation and gender identity. Why was this a milestone, and how does access – or lack of access – to elections affect LGBTIQ people?