USAID advances the human rights of LGBTQI+ people and works to protect LGBTQI+ people from violence, discrimination, stigma, and criminalization around the world both through the integration of inclusion and nondiscrimination principles into our policies and programming, and through programs that specifically address the needs and priorties of local LGBTQI+ communities. LGBTQI+-led civil society organizations, networks, and groups guide USAID’s approach to programming.
Programmatic Examples
The Multi-Donor LGBTQI+ Global Human Rights Initiative (GHRI) is a five year public-private-partnership with co-funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Global Affairs Canada, and private sector entities. The GHRI leverages financial and technical contributions from multiple partner institutions to support grant-making to local LGBTQI+-led organizations; global research on the realities of LGBTQI+ people; social and behavior change communications capacity building; and emergency response.
Through USAID’s Human Rights Grants Program, we provide funds to Missions to respond to human rights challenges and opportunities affecting LGBTQI+ people. The goal of these programs is to help advance the human rights of LGBTQI+ people and protect them from violence, discrimination, stigma, and criminalization. Together, these programs work in countries in all regions where USAID operates.