OutRight Action International

LGBTIQ human rights organization

OutRight International (OutRight) is an LGBTIQ human rights non governmental organization that addresses human rights violations and abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. OutRight International documents human rights discrimination and abuses based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics in partnership with activists, advocates, media, NGOs and allies on a local, regional, national and international level. OutRight International holds consultative status with ECOSOC.

OutRight International's Research Program collects quantitative and qualitative data through surveys and case studies to promote global LGBTIQ advocacy and address issues on religion, culture, policy, government, and social norms of gender sexuality, gender expression, and sexual orientation. This research is analyzed for use by local, regional, international and communications fronts. Outright conducted the first ever global survey in 2019 "Harmful Treatment: The Global Reach of So called Conversion Therapy" on the causes and effects of "conversion therapy" using interviews with experts and survivors around the world. The report dives into its main justifications by perpetrators, the most common conversion therapy practices used, and includes cases studies from people who have been through such programs. The survey provides insight on the social, cultural, and religious norms which undermine the identities and sexualities of LGBTIQ people. A survey in 2018 "The Global State of LGBTIQ Organizing: The Right to Register" in 194 countries and found that only 56%, 109 countries, permit LGBTIQ organizations to register as so. In just 28%, 55 countries, LGBTIQ organizations exist but they cannot legally register. OutRight is concerned that LGBTIQ people in these countries may be at higher risk of discrimination and violence, as well as lack resources and funding. Partnered with local LGBTIQ groups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with a focus on Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, to support activists and allies. The 2018 report "Activism and Resilience: LGBTQ Progress in the Middle East and North Africa" explains how activism in the region leads to progress on LGBTQ issues, and how challenges are met with the resilience by the movement.

OutRight is the first and only U. S. based LGBTIQ human rights organization to obtain
consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). OutRight
uses its status to work as an organizer convening of groups and activists coming to New York to conduct advocacy on LGBTIQ issues at the United Nations. OutRight does direct advocacy work across the United Nations with a focus on the General Assembly, Commission on the Status of Women, and High level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Two OutRight events bridge UN direct advocacy work with global LGBTIQ activists and advocates: Advocacy Week and the UN Religious Fellowship. OutRight engages relevant national, regional and international stakeholders, including UN member State missions, UN special mechanisms, UN agencies and the UN Secretariat to support LGBTIQ rights at UN headquarters, including the United Nations LGBTI Core Group.

Since 1994, OutRight confers an annual award, the Felipa de Souza Award, to honour a human rights activist or organization. Year Award Location1994 Juan Pablo OrdonezABIGALELepa Mladjenovic ColombiaSouth AfricaSerbia1995 Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Group (TGLRG)AnjareeLuiz Mott AustraliaThailandBrazil1996 No award 1997 Demet DemirGenc XhelajSister Namibia CollectiveWilfredo Valencia Palacios (honourable mention) TurkeyAlbaniaNamibiaEl Salvador1998 Circulo Cultural Gay (CCG)Dr. Tal Jarus HakakDede OetomoNancy Cardenas (1934–1994, posthum)Carlos Jáuregui (1958–1996, posthumous) MexicoIsraelIndonesiaMexicoArgentina1999 Aung Myo MinPrudence MabeleKiri Kiri and Chingu SaiSimon Nkoli (1957–1998, posthumous) BurmaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSouth Africa2000 Dejan Nebrigić (1970–1999, posthumous)Ditshwanelo The Botswana Center for Human RightsIntersex Society of North America (ISNA)William Hernandez SerbiaBotswanaUnited StatesEl Salvador2001 Companions on a Journey and Women's Support GroupJamaica Forum for Lesbians, All Sexuals and Gays (J Flag)Luis Gauthier (1950–2000, posthumous) Sri LankaJamaicaChile2002 Elizabeth Calvet (posthumous)Marta Lucia Alvarez Giraldo, Marta LuciaTamayo Rincon and Alba Nelly MontoyaCui Zi EnMaher Sabry Brazil ColombiaChinaEgypt2003 Lohana Berkins Argentina2004 Gender/Sexuality Rights Association Taiwan (G/STRAT) Taiwan2005 GALZ (Gays & Lesbians of Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe2006 Rauda Morcos (ASWAT) Israeli Palestinian activist from Haifa, Israel2007 Blue Diamond Society Nepal2008 Iranian Queer OrganizationAndrés Ignacio Rivera Duarte Canada / Iranian DiasporaChile2009 Helem Lebanese Protection for LGBT Lebanon2010 Colombia Diversa Colombia2011 LGBT Centre Mongolia Mongolia2012 Karen Atala Chile2013 Yasemin Öz Turkey2014 Gay Japan News; KRYSS; O; Rainbow Rights Project (R Rights); Women's Support Group Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka2015 Chesterfield Samba, GALZ (Gays & Lesbians of Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe2016 Arus Pelangi, National Federation of LGBTI Communities in Indonesia Indonesia2017 Caleb Orozco Belize2018 Georges Azzi 2019 Rikki Nathanson Zimbabwe/US

OutRight occasionally presents the Outspoken Award to special honorees. The Outspoken Award "recognizes the leadership of a global ally to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community whose outspokenness has contributed substantially to advancing the rights and understanding of LGBTI people everywhere." Year Presented Award2005–2011 The first Outspoken Award was presented in 2005 to the Honorable Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In 2008, IGLHRC presented its second Outspoken Award to Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The 2010 Outspoken awardee was Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS. The 2011 Outspoken awardee was journalist and author Jeff Sharlet.2016 United Nations Free and Equal Campaign, Randy Barry, US Special Envoy for the human rights of LGBTI people, and Dan Bross, Microsoft executive, and LGBT rights advocate.2017 Logo TV was accepted by Pamela Post, Vice President of original programming and series development, and OutStanding Awardee Blanche Wiesen Cook, prize winning biographer of Eleanor Roosevelt.2018 Lois Whitman, a children's human rights activist.2019 Cast of the TV series Transparent.