“They Know What We Don’t:” Meaningful Inclusion of LGBTIQ People in Humanitarian Action

Outright International and Edge Effect are proud to publish this report, “They Know What We Don’t:” Meaningful Inclusion of LGBTIQ People in Humanitarian Action. This report explores how the humanitarian system is responding to the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) people during humanitarian crises. It seeks to document progress, highlighting positive and promising practices from an array of emergency contexts and organizations, while also exploring challenges that can inhibit meaningful change. By consolidating the diverse actions of humanitarian efforts in diverse crisis contexts, this report provides examples of how meaningful LGBTIQ inclusion can and should be undertaken, which, we hope, will inspire action more broadly across the sector.

Our findings, analysis, and recommendations have been developed through original research, including a literature review, in-depth interviews with headquarters or regional representatives from 12 major international humanitarian agencies, and seven case studies of tangible examples of LGBTIQ inclusion in crisis responses in Colombia, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nepal, and Ukraine.

This report aims to inspire humanitarian workers and decision-makers at all levels of the humanitarian system, including front-line workers implementing responses at country or regional levels, coordinators and managers at global headquarters, donors who fund interventions around the world, and LGBTIQ activists who have been relentlessly pushing for change and could use support to identify entry points for advocacy.

Outright International and Edge Effect would like to recognize and thank the humanitarian practitioners and LGBTIQ activists interviewed for this report. Their insights on the nature, extent, and state of LGBTIQ inclusion in humanitarian contexts informed the conceptualisation of this publication and provided much-needed pathways forward to meaningfully engage with LGBTIQ communities in humanitarian settings.