LGBTQI People Are Among the Most at Risk During an Emergency

The COVID-19 pandemic showed on a global scale that LGBTQI people are disproportionately affected in crises, a reality that is set to continue in the face of the climate emergency. Meanwhile, on every continent our communities continue to be targeted, simply for being who we are. During emergencies, LGBTQI communities around the world rely on the support – and protection – of LGBTQI organisations, and these organisations in turn rely on the support of our community and allies globally.

Sometimes our community is disproportionately impacted by crises affecting everyone; and sometimes LGBTQI people are in the eye of the storm – we are directly targeted. Extremist individuals and groups target us with hate and violence, attacking our LGBTQI spaces; and in the worst cases, anti-LGBTQI forces take control and subject LGBTQI people to arrest, reprisals and even execution, as in the case of Afghanistan.

With LGBTQI people among the most at risk in emergencies, requiring specific support to build their resilience and to help them through disasters, we need a fund to provide the resources and protection local communities can’t or won’t provide to LGBTQI people.

GiveOut’s Emergency Fund - Supporting LGBTQI Communities Through Emergencies

Through our LGBTQI Emergency Fund, when an emergency hits, we are well-placed to ensure that the resources that are desperately needed are immediately in the hands of well-networked groups. These groups are embedded in the local LGBTQI communities to provide support where it is needed most. We have responded to emergencies across five continents in the last two years alone. Whether that has been our support for LGBTQI communities through COVID, the emergency response and rebuilding of LGBTQI spaces after a volcanic eruption in Tonga, or the emergency support and evacuation provided to LGBTQI people in Ukraine and Afghanistan, our Emergency Fund has built resilience and saved lives. 

But we need to do more.

Sadly, emergencies facing LGBTQI communities around the world are all too common. Whilst we have achieved great things through our Emergency Fund, we need to grow this and generate sustainable funding, so we have enough resources to be able to continue responding to these emergencies, wherever and whenever they occur, and provide even more support to those who need it most.

Donations made to the Emergency Fund are pooled, putting aside funds to provide support when it is most needed. When one of our grant partners alerts us to an emergency and the need for support, we will be in a position to provide an emergency grant from the Fund, alongside the long- term support we already provide. We may also complement this grant with a fundraising appeal for large crises, such as our emergency responses in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

How You Can Make a Difference

The LGBTQI Emergency Fund provides an opportunity for our community and corporate allies to support the LGBTQI movement in the face of crises, coming together in solidarity for when our movement needs us most.

If you would like to join us, there are several ways to get involved:

• Join our community of regular givers. By giving through the LGBTQI Emergency Fund, you can focus your support on this ground-breaking work, providing resources to LGBTQI people in the face of crises.

• Become a founding sponsor. Join the coalition of individuals, businesses, and trusts and foundations who give at a level of £5,000+/year to support and shape our work developing LGBTQI philanthropy at this intersection.  

• Get your business involved. We offer a range of ways for businesses to support LGBTQI equality and inclusion, including sponsorship opportunities, in-kind support, employee engagement and payroll giving. We will also celebrate your support on this page and across our social media channels. 

If you would like to make a donation via bank transfer, please email Allan McKinnon, GiveOut’s Head of Philanthropy at allan@giveout.org.

Providing Humanitarian Relief to the LGBTQI Community in Ukraine

A year ago, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine shocked the world. Already vulnerable, the LGBTQI community was under threat both from the conflict and the potential aftermath, through Russia's persecution of LGBTQI people.

GiveOut, in partnership with Outright International, activated our LGBTQI Emergency Fund and launched an appeal to support LGBTQI people most at risk. The response from the LGBTQI community, our allies and corporate supporters was humbling. Through partners in Ukraine, such as Insight and Kyiv Pride, you helped to provide emergency food, water, medicine, other essential items, and shelter, providing humanitarian support when it was needed most. Read on to find out more about the impact of your support, and join us for a special virtual briefing: ‘Ukraine: One Year On.’

Protecting LGBTQI Tongans in the Face of a Devastating Natural Disaster

In January 2022 Tonga was hit by the largest volcanic eruption since Krakatoa in 1883, triggering a tsunami and covering the islands in ash. Emergency shelters are largely controlled by religious organisations, and so many LGBTQI people could not use them, fearing harassment, violence and abuse. Instead they sheltered in the homes of members of the Tonga Leitis Association (TLA), an organisation supported by GiveOut.

With over 600 buildings destroyed, huge swathes of the population were left without food, water or shelter. Although humanitarian support was given, LGBTQI people were at risk of being left out. Joey, the founder of TLA explains, “we weren’t included in the national cluster, so we had to find ways to support those who lived in the centre, and we had to divide them in all our homes.”

GiveOut responded by giving the TLA an emergency grant to recover from the disaster. With this support, TLA were able to clean away the volcanic ash so LGBTQI people could return to their homes, source and distribute food and water to community members, and purchase a vehicle to reach LGBTQI people in remote areas to provide them with humanitarian support.

Evacuating LGBTQI Afghans at Risk

GiveOut has activated our LGBTQI Emergency Fund in response to the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan. We are asking you – our community and corporate allies – to donate to this appeal to support Rainbow Railroad in their urgent work to help LGBTQI Afghans at risk. 

The Taliban have seized power in Afghanistan following the collapse of the government and will implement their strict interpretation of Sharia law. LGBTQI Afghans will face extreme persecution and grave human rights violations, including torture and even execution. A Taliban judge has already vowed to sentence gay men to death by stoning or by being crushed by a wall. Many LGBTQI people will feel they have no choice but to try to flee. 

Rainbow Railroad have already been able to facilitate the evacuation of dozens of LGBTQ+ Afghans thanks to the funds donated to our appeal.

Amina’s Story: Escaping Afghanistan

Growing up in Afghanistan, where being LGBTQI is punishable by death, Amina had always felt different. When she became one of the few women admitted to the school of medicine, she met LGBTQI groups, and finally discovered both her identity and community. For four years, Amina helped to build a strong network, meeting fellow LGBTQI people, making friends and supporting one another. But in August 2021, the Taliban took over.

Because of her leadership in LGBTQI groups, the Taliban hunted Amina. She had to change location every few days, constantly afraid she would be discovered and executed. In response to this crisis facing LGBTQI people in Afghanistan, GiveOut launched an emergency appeal to support Rainbow Railroad and partners to evacuate at-risk individuals. Our emergency response enabled them to act quickly to rescue Amina and many of her friends, who fled Kabul and now live in the UK. Amina knows that the important work continues and is still fighting for her fellow LGBTQI Afghans.

Ensuring LGBTQI People Could Access COVID-19 Relief

In response to the unfolding disaster, in March 2020 GiveOut launched the COVID-19 LGBTQI Global Solidarity Fund, a world-first emergency appeal to support LGBTQI organisations respond to the pandemic. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have been able to provide emergency grants on top of the long-term support we already give. These grants have allowed our partners to support LGBTQI communities across five continents during the pandemic. They include:

• TransWave and the United Caribbean Trans Network (UCTRANS), who delivered emergency packages and essential items and food to trans people in need across 10 Caribbean countries.

• Access Chapter 2, who carried out LGBTQI- focused contact tracing in South Africa and provided training to those delivering relief to be LGBTQI inclusive.

• ASEAN SOGIE Caucus in Southeast Asia, who made small grants to support LGBTQI livelihoods during the pandemic. One of their grantees was a Thai trans organisation that established a food delivery business, ensuring a reliable income while also providing a vital service to the wider community.

• The mobilisation of volunteer networks to deliver anti-retroviral medicines to LGBTQI people living with HIV in a sensitive context.

We reactivated the Fund in response to the unfolding COVID-19 emergency in India, with our supporters donating to support our partner SAATHII in distributing humanitarian relief to LGBTQI communities and to fund CLPR's work using the courts to ensure that LGBTQI people were able access COVID-relief provided by the state.

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