OutRight Action International has launched the Call for Proposals to the COVID-19 Global LGBTIQ Emergency Fund to provide direct support where it is most needed and in solidarity with LGBTIQ organisations and people on the frontline.

The global COVID-19 emergency presents tremendous challenges to LGBTIQ people, especially in places with deep poverty and weak health systems or government infrastructure. When a crisis hits “everyone,” the most marginalised become even more vulnerable. LGBTIQ people in many parts of the world cannot count on governments or relief organisations for help.

Focus Areas

In this round, OutRight can provide grants that can be used for urgent needs that have arisen as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis, but with a focus on these areas:

• Food scarcity, medium- and long-term livelihood generation, and poverty reduction.
• Movement resilience: core support for LGBTIQ organizations that are threatened in their existence due to immediate loss of funding linked to Covid.
• Combating violence: the pandemic spurred a rise in cases of gender-based violence, domestic violence, and family violence as recent data is showing. Mental health support could be considered as well.
• Human Rights violations documentation: from reports we know that governments have used the COVID-pandemic to violate the human rights of LGBTIQ people. Projects to document these human rights violations will be considered for funding.

Funding Information

• The grants that they provide are from $5,000 up to $20,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for a grant, organizations must work directly with and for LGBTIQ people (including MSM groups, trans groups, LBQ groups, and intersex groups), and be based outside the USA, Canada, the European Economic Area, the UK, Switzerland, Australia or New Zealand. Unfortunately, OutRight cannot issue grants to individuals.

For more information, visit https://outrightinternational.org/outright-covid-19-global-lgbtiq-emergency-fund