Report
Advocating for LGBTIQ Inclusion in Ukraine’s Humanitarian Response
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Publish Date
September 15, 2025
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As Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds on, LGBTIQ Ukrainians face heightened risks and the very real possibility of being left out of life-saving aid. In 2025, 12.7 million people in Ukraine need humanitarian assistance, and 3.6 million are internally displaced. Marginalized groups, including LGBTIQ people, face layered barriers to shelter, documentation, health care, and protection.
This case study documents a two-year effort led by Outright International and partners to move inclusion from ad hoc to embedded within Ukraine’s humanitarian architecture—what changed, what it took, and what must happen next.
Quote from Maryna Shevtsova
“While many international organizations have channeled their humanitarian assistance to alleviate the struggles of Ukrainian IDPs, they have paid much less attention to addressing the specific needs of displaced LGBTQ+ people.”
What’s inside the Advocating for LGBTIQ Inclusion in Ukraine’s Humanitarian Response Report
System change, not side notes for LGBTIQ people
- Formal seat in the system. The LGBTIQ Communities Technical Working Group is now a recognized part of Ukraine’s UN coordination architecture, providing a standing pathway to surface needs and coordinate responses. The group also launched a Request–Planning–Response tool to match community needs with humanitarian partners.
- Visibility in national planning. Ukraine’s 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) includes a dedicated paragraph on LGBTIQ needs and 13 cross-references across accountable programming, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, and sector plans such as Food Security & Livelihoods, Health, and Protection. This matters because the HNRP guides annual priorities and funding.
- Practice change by major actors. UN agencies and INGOs began naming LGBTIQ people as a priority group in strategies and guidance, including updates issued by the National Protection Cluster and UNHCR on tailored programming.
The needs of LGBTIQ people, in focus
LGBTIQ Ukrainians—especially those displaced—report exclusion from safe transport and shelter, employment, and medical care, including gender-affirming and HIV-related services; harassment by military and law enforcement; and life-threatening persecution in occupied territories. Under-representation in needs assessments compounds the risk of being missed by aid.
Key findings: a path forward in advocating for LGBTIQ people
- Dedicated funding and staffing are decisive. Progress required resourced advocacy, in-country staff with humanitarian expertise, and consistent engagement with UN clusters.
- “Call-in” collaboration builds trust. One-to-one engagement and inviting humanitarian actors into LGBTIQ spaces reduced stigma and opened formal doors.
- Capacity on both sides accelerates change. Training LGBTIQ CSOs on humanitarian systems—and training humanitarian actors on LGBTIQ needs—created common language and practical entry points.
- Allies inside the system matter. Support from Gender in Humanitarian Action, UN Country Team members, and LGBTIQ staff within agencies helped translate commitment into text, tools, and tasking.
Risks to watch
Shrinking humanitarian budgets and shifting donor priorities threaten localization and the ability of LGBTIQ CSOs to access resources. Backlash against inclusionDEI is having a chilling effect inside agencies. Despite uncertainty in the war’s trajectory, sustained, structured cooperation remains possible—and effective—when advocacy is resourced.
Who should read this
Humanitarian cluster leads, UN agencies, INGOs, donors, and LGBTIQ organizations looking to replicate country-level mechanisms that make inclusion real—from technical working groups to sector-specific guidance and monitoring.
Frequently asked questions
What changed in 2025 planning?
Ukraine’s HNRP includes a dedicated LGBTIQ paragraph and 13 additional mentions across accountable programming, PSEA, and sector plans, signaling multi-sector delivery and funding priorities.
Where does LGBTIQ inclusion sit in coordination?
The LGBTIQ Communities Technical Working Group operates within the UN cluster system, meeting regularly and using a common request tool to connect community-identified needs with responders.
Which sectors flagged LGBTIQ needs?
Protection, Food Security & Livelihoods, and Health explicitly reference LGBTIQ people and outline targeting and barriers, from documentation to access to specialized services.
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