Support Civil Society

The Council believes that a vibrant civil society is the cornerstone of democracy and human rights everywhere.  As such, the Council ensures that U.S. and other international policymakers are open to, and approachable by, LGBTQI+ civil society organizations, including those with strong reason to distrust government action and U.S. policy. We also urge that governments assist LGBTQI+ civil society leaders operating in restrictive environments and facilitate their participation in multilateral fora. The Council supports participation by LGBTQI+ advocates from around the world in meetings and events in Washington, DC and elsewhere, with a view to amplify their voices in policy decisions. Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen unprecedented attacks by anti-rights actors on civil society organizations, especially those working to defend democracy and human rights, and in particular LGBTQI+ rights. The threat is growing – both in the United States and globally. The Council works closely with individual human rights defenders around the world who are navigating these attempts to silence their work through hostile laws and policies – many of whom are under threat of arrest or worse – to ensure their testimonies are heard and serve as a warning to others, and that their well-tested resilience strategies provide a practical roadmap for organizational preservation, human rights advocacy, and democratic advancement in hostile environments everywhere.   

We Honor our Allies

The Council periodically honors our allies with our Global Equality Award. Through this award, the Council recognizes the contributions of public officials who are standing with us to advance U.S. foreign policy inclusive of LGBTQI+ equality.  Past awardees have included Senator Tammy Baldwin, Representative David Ciccilline, Representative Barbara Lee, Ambassador Samantha Power, and Ambassador Susan Rice.