ASEAN SOGIE Caucus

Location: Southeast Asia

Focus: Grassroots LGBTQI organisations

Website: aseansogiecaucus.org

ASEAN SOCIE Caucus (ASC) is a network of LGBTQI human rights organisations working across Southeast Asia. In 5 out of 11 countries in Southeast Asia, consensual same-sex sexual relations are criminalised, and LGBTQI people often face violence and discrimination. Provisions for the protection of the human rights of gender and sexual minorities are limited across the region, with the situation worsening in some countries. For example, last year saw the introduction of a penal code in Brunei which infringes the human rights of women and LGBTQI people, causing international outcry. ASC led the regional response to this situation, working closely with grassroots activists from across Southeast Asia to respond effectively and appropriately. They therefore play an important regional role in building the movement, supporting grassroots activists to protect their local LGBTQI communities.

GiveOut’s grant supports ASC’s Supporting Capacity of Local LGBTIQ Activists initiative, which provides financial and technical support to local LGBTQI activists working across Southeast Asia to develop their advocacy capacity. This includes connecting LGBTQI activists with resources and opportunities by providing small activity grants for seminars, workshops and trainings. Last year, ASC selected five organisations from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam to receive small grants.

These funded projects include:

• Indonesia: A project to provide support to transgender women and their families in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, who have faced stigma and discrimination in their communities;

• Malaysia: The establishment of an interactive network of parents and family members of LGBTQI people and various events and training sessions on intersectionality, advocacy and peer support;

• Malaysia: A project empowering the transgender community by understanding their rights in the Sharia Law of Malaysia, including a series of learning sessions involving Muslim transgender people and the sensitisation of allies;

• Philippines: A programme taking place in the economically disadvantaged Loyola Heights in Quezon City, Philippines, which will include data gathering on issues facing the community, training for family acceptance and diversity, and a “participatory video documentation” to capture the messages of family members and allies; and

• Vietnam: The creation of a class of 25 students aged 16 to 25 to learn about gender, human rights and sexual diversity, and a public information campaign to promote knowledge about LGBTQI issues, all focused in the province of Tay Ninh.

Through ASC, GiveOut also supported the production of Lupah Sug, a film about being LGBTQI and Muslim in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. This has been screened worldwide, with the producer and director Rhadem Morados speaking about LGBTQI rights in Mindanao. Rhadem also produced OUTSPOKEN, the first LGBTQI talk show in the Philippines, creating an opportunity for LGBTQI Filipinos to share their experiences and knowledge.

During the pandemic, ASC initiated a Rapid Risk Assessment to give LGBTQI organisations a chance to air concerns and hopes related to the pandemic – and responded accordingly. In 2020, GiveOut enabled ASC to fund local LGBTQI organisations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Support took the form of direct cash aid to activists who had lost their income due to work or business closures; and relief supplies such as food, hygiene kits, face masks and other protective gear.

In 2021, GiveOut’s grant will support ASC core costs as they advance the human rights of LGBTQI and gender diverse people in Southeast Asia, particularly as civic spaces continue to shrink and as pro-democracy protests continue to make waves. 

GiveOut is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Registered Charity Number 1176434).