Outright’s Approach to Advocacy in Relation to the War in Gaza

Outright utilizes many different advocacy methods, ranging from private meetings with stakeholders and organizations to public campaigns and coalitions in direct conversation with the needs of LGBTIQ advocates in-country. 

• What has Outright said and done in relation to the war in Gaza?

Outright issued a public statement in October 2023 calling for an immediate ceasefire, for the facilitation of the delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance, the freeing of all civilian hostages, and for humanitarian convoys to be allowed entrance and protected. These demands are just as relevant today as they were then. 

Outright joined a coalition of 900+ organizations in a sign-on letter coordinated by Crisis Action that reiterated the urgent need for a ceasefire and called on all Heads of State, the UN Security Council, and actors on the ground to prioritize the preservation of human life. (See “full list of signatories.”)

In November, Outright signed on to a joint letter, coordinated by Amnesty International, condemning several European governments’ decisions to suspend or review their funding to Palestinian civil society organizations due to unfounded allegations of diversion of funding to terrorist organizations.

Outright has raised concerns in coalition meetings with the US State Department, most recently in April 2024, about the grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Gaza and about the impact of these violations on US credibility in advancing human rights for LGBTIQ people abroad.

Outright is a member of the Women, Peace and Security NGO working group, which has raised concerns in public and private written communications with UN Security Council members about the impacts of the Israeli offensive on women and girls in Gaza.
 

• Why hasn’t Outright been more outspoken publicly?

Outright makes a public statement when we have something new or unique to add to a discussion, when we have close civil society partners in or from a country in crisis and they request our support, or when we believe that we can make a tangible difference to people on the ground. In this case, Outright determined that joining up with hundreds of organizations from around the world to call for a ceasefire would help amplify our collective voice. Our social media is mostly focused on highlighting parts of our work in countries where Outright has deep engagement with civil society on the ground, such as Uganda, Ukraine, and Nepal. 
 

• Outright’s view of protests

Outright supports the right to peaceful protest without reservation and respects that protest is at the core of the LGBTIQ human rights movement. Our movement would not have achieved all we have without protest. Protest is one of the greatest tools at the disposal of activists. We are always open to listening to different perspectives. In the context of the war in Gaza, Outright supports the spirit of protest to bring attention to the loss of human lives and the importance of not normalizing war as a method to achieve justice in this region.