Press Release
Cyndi Lauper, Laverne Cox, and Global LGBTIQ Movement Leaders Headline Outright International's 2026 Celebration of Courage awards and gala
Brazilian democracy institute VoteLGBT and apparel company Levi Strauss & Co. will also be honored on June 1 in NYC. The gala anchors the final weeks of Outright's Funding Our Freedom campaign, which closes June 30.
NEW YORK, May 21, 2026. At a critical moment for global LGBTIQ rights funding, Outright International, the global LGBTIQ human rights organization working in 100+ countries, will convene activists, artists, philanthropists and corporate leaders on Monday, June 1, at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, for its annual Celebration of Courage awards and gala. Four-time Emmy-nominated actress and Emmy-winning producer Laverne Cox will host. The evening will honor Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning artist and advocate Cyndi Lauper; Brazilian democracy and LGBTIQ political-participation institute VoteLGBT; and longtime Outright partner Levi Strauss & Co., the first Fortune 500 company to extend benefits to same-sex domestic partners and continuing to speak openly and proudly about its work to this day.
This year's theme, "Creativity and Innovation in a Time of Disruption: Showing Up for Everyone, Everywhere," reflects how LGBTIQ communities worldwide are responding to rising attacks and shifting funding systems with new models for advocacy, culture, and collaboration. Celebration of Courage brings together the people responding: frontline activists, cultural figures using their platforms to drive change, and institutions backing equality with sustained investment.
The 2026 honorees come from across the global movement. VoteLGBT works on data, democracy, and LGBTIQ political participation in Brazil. Cyndi Lauper has spent four decades using her platform for LGBTIQ rights, women and girls, and youth experiencing homelessness. Levi Strauss & Co. has built a 170-year record on equality, including being the first Fortune 500 company to extend benefits to same-sex domestic partners.
The gala comes during the final weeks of Outright’s Funding Our Freedom campaign, created as traditional aid systems have fractured and funding pathways have shifted worldwide. The campaign underwrites Outright’s frontline programs and partners in 100+ countries, positioning Outright as abridge between today’s urgent needs and the next era of how the global LGBTIQ movement is funded.
The 2026 honorees
Felipa de Souza Award: VoteLGBT (Brazil). Co-led by Bru Pereira and Gui Mohallem, VoteLGBT is a Brazilian democracy institute that has helped transform LGBTIQ political participation in the country. In just ten years, Brazil went from 3 openly LGBTIQ candidacies to more than 3,000, alongside a record number of trans people elected to Congress. Combining data, civic technology, cultural mobilization, and monitoring of anti-LGBTIQ political violence, VoteLGBT develops democratic infrastructure that helps queer communities organize, participate, and sustain political power.
Outstanding Award: Levi Strauss & Co. is being recognized for more than three decades of corporate leadership in LGBTIQ equality. The company was the first Fortune 500 to extend benefits to same-sex domestic partners. It has publicly opposed discriminatory legislation, supported the Equality Act, and continues to fund organizations advancing LGBTIQ equality in the U.S. and globally. Vice President of Global Design Innovation Paul Dillinger will accept on the company's behalf. The Outstanding Award recognizes individuals, companies, and organizations whose long-term work has advanced understanding and equity for LGBTIQ people across diverse communities and regions.
Outspoken Award: Cyndi Lauper. Across more than four decades, Cyndi Lauper has built one of the most consistent records of advocacy in popular music. She has spoken up for LGBTIQ rights, women and girls, and youth experiencing homelessness. She has testified before the U.S. Senate, performed at the White House, and co-founded the Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights Fund. The Outspoken Award honors public figures whose clear and consistent voice has helped move the public conversation forward.
Quotes
Quote from Cyndi Lauper
”Hate doesn’t respect borders. The harm and discrimination the LGBTIQ community around the world continues to face must stop. Outright International is leading the way towards love and equality, and I’m honored to be receiving their Outspoken Award.”
Quote from Laverne Cox
"Hosting Celebration of Courage with Outright International will be such a joy for me, because it brings together a global community of people who are doing the work to move LGBTIQ rights forward every day. At a time when so many communities are under attack, Outright’s work ensures that people on the frontlines are supported, connected, and not doing this alone."
Quote from Paul Dillinger on behalf of Levi Strauss & Co.
“It’s a great honor to be recognized by Outright at the Celebration of Courage. While we’ve long been committed to using our platform to support LGBTIQ equality and freedom of expression, we take our inspiration from groups like Outright and the other honorees, who continue to do such critical work on the ground around the world.”
Quote from Gui Mohallem & Bru Pereira on behalf of VoteLGBT
“At a moment when democratic systems are being tested worldwide, being honored by Outright International reinforces the urgency of investing in queer innovation already transforming how politics is practiced in Brazil. This award connects our work to a broader global effort to defend democracy where it is most contested.”
Quote from Maria Sjödin
“This year has been one of the hardest years for LGBTIQ rights funding ever. Around the world, frontline organizations have been forced to make impossible choices at the very moment their communities need them the most. But this movement has not stepped back. It has responded with creativity, resolve, and courage. Funding Our Freedom is how Outright is helping partners withstand this disruption and continue the work that cannot wait. As we enter the campaign’s final weeks, Celebration of Courage is both a moment of gratitude and a call to action. We are deeply grateful to Cyndi Lauper, Laverne Cox, VoteLGBT, and Levi Strauss & Co., and to the partners around the world whose work makes this evening possible. Courage is what brought the LGBTIQ movement here. Courage is what carries it forward.”
Event details
- What: Celebration of Courage 2026, Outright International's annual awards and gala
- When: Monday, June 1, 2026, 6:00 to 10:30 PM ET
- Where: Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, NYC
- Schedule: Red Carpet, Welcome Reception, and Silent Auction (6:00 to 7:00 PM); Seated Dinner,
Program, and Live Auction (7:00 to 9:30 PM); the Courage Ball & Closing Reception (9:30 to 10:30 PM) - Media access: Red carpet arrivals, interviews, photo opportunities, and program coverage. RSVP
required.
About Outright International
Founded in 1990, Outright International works around the world to advance human rights for LGBTIQ people. With partners in 100+ countries, Outright strengthens the LGBTIQ human rights movement, documents and amplifies human rights violations, and advocates for inclusion and equality at the United Nations and beyond. Learn moreat outrightinternational.org.
About Funding Our Freedom
Funding Our Freedom is Outright's campaign responding to a fundamental shift in how LGBTIQ movements are funded worldwide. The campaign closes June 30, 2026. Funds raised support frontline organizations around the world whose work has been most affected by the funding contraction and sustain Outright's core programs. Learn more: outrightinternational.org/funding-our-freedom.
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