WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF), the educational arm of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, announced this year's recipients of 20 Global Innovation Small Grants as a part of the organization's Global Partnerships Program. The grants range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are awarded to organizations around the world working to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people in these countries. This announcement coincides with International Human Rights Day, which is celebrated annually around the world, marks the December 10 anniversary of the United Nations adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The declaration was the first of its kind and recognized that "every human being is born free and equal in rights and dignity."
The grants support members of of HRC's growing global alumni network, which now consists of some 200 LGBTQ+ advocates in close to 100 countries. All of them have participated in one of the HRC Foundation's global programs, including the flagship annual Innovative Advocacy Summit.
"The Global Small Grants program is a wonderful opportunity for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to partner with LGBTQ+ advocates around the world to advance our common goal of equality for all," said Jean Freedberg, Director of Global Partnerships at the Human Rights Campaign. "By combining our knowledge, resources, and passion, we are so much stronger together. These amazing advocates and organizations are making a difference and saving lives in each of their countries, and we are honored to be able to support their work."
This year's recipients include Alliance Against Discrimination of LGBT People (Albania), OMSA (Albania) Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO (Armenia) Pink Coconuts (Barbados), Fundación Sergio Urrego (Colombia), Diálogo Diverso (Ecuador), The Mediators Foundation (Ghana), Kyrgyz Indigo (Kyrgyzstan), LGBT Forum Progress (Montenegro), Bisi Alimi Foundation (Nigeria), Track-T (Pakistan), Hombres Trans Panama/ PFLAG Panama (Panama) Legebitra (Slovenia), ECADE (St. Lucia), Queer Media (Sweden), NGO "LighT" (Tajikistan), Equal Asia Foundation (Thailand), Bridge Initiative Organization (Tanzania/Zanzibar), Tanzania Trans Initiative (Tanzania) and Universal Coalition of Affirming Africans Uganda (Uganda).
Among these 18 countries, seven partially or entirely criminalize same sex sexual conduct. In many others, openly identifying as LGBTQ+ poses serious threats. For this reason, some grantees have remained anonymous.
"The intersection of race-ethnicity and sexual orientation creates elevated levels of risk of discrimination and stigma, which also influences the search for health care in afro-descendant transgender people from Chocó in Colombia," said Alba Reyes, Director of Fundación Sergio Urrego. "The Sergio Urrego Foundation is happy to receive this grant from HRC, with which we will be able to inform, educate and prevent the risks associated with the mental health of transgender youth and, in turn, create a support network to minimize the risks of suicide."
"The HRC small grant offers Legebitra a chance to improve employers' understanding of trans identities, experiences, and needs in Slovenia, primarily through narratives and examples that help them imagine the human impact of their policies, practices, and interactions in the workplace," said Petra PolaniÄ , Workplace Program Director, Legebitra. "Focusing on lived experience is needed to encourage employers to take the first step — genuinely commit to making their space trans-inclusive, not as a formality but because they understand what it means to their employees."
The Global Partnerships Program at the HRC Foundation leverages the knowledge, resources and expertise of HRC to support and strengthen the global movement for equality. To learn more about our innovative work around the world, visit https://www.hrc.org/resources/global.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public's understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.
