Etherea

Join Waiting List

LGBTQ+ Rights Theme Page

LGBTQ+ RIGHTS

70%

of transgender adults say they have feared for their personal safety at some point 🔗

41%

of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year 🔗

56%

of LGBTQ+ young people who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it 🔗

LGBTQ+ communities worldwide continue to face discrimination, violence, and systemic inequality. Discover how you can support and advocate for the safety, freedom, and equal rights of people of all gender identities and sexualities.

SUBTOPICS

Understanding Gender Identities & Sexualities
Global Queer History
Challenging Discourse and Language
Anti-LGBTQ+ Violence
Culture & Religion
Sexual & Reproductive Rights

MEET OUR AMBASSADORS FOR LGBTQ+ RIGHTS

Click for more info

Cameron Samuels

Leads Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT)

Click for more info

Basira Paigham

UN Rights and Religion Fellow at OutRight Internationa​l

Click for more info

Dastan Kasmamytov

Founder of Pink Summits

Click for more info

Trinah Kakyo

Founder of Kakyoproject

Click for more info

Kyoka Shodladd

2x Published Author, TEDx speaker

Click for more info

Brilliant Kodie

Founder of Setabane, Leader of Those Guys

Click for more info

Alex Shah

Founder of Transphoria

Click for more info

Fabz Kalungi

Executive Director of PRISM Empowerment and Development Initiative Uganda (PEDI)

Click for more info

Skylar (Nibi) Louttit

Omushkegowuk Ininiw (Cree) Changemaker, Advisor, Researcher

OUR PARTNERS FOR LGBTQ+ RIGHTS

Click for more info

Sue Sanders

Co-founder of the UK’s LGBT History Month

Click for more info

Dédé Oetomo

Founder and Trustee at GAYa NUSANTARA Foundation

Click for more info

Frank Mugisha

Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG)

© 2025 Etherea Inc. All rights reserved.
Tiktok Instagram Facebook-f

Cameron Samuels

Leads Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT)

USA

Cameron Samuels (they/them) organized nationally recognized efforts against book banning and LGBTQ+ internet censorship in the Katy Independent School District in Texas. Within months of once facing the school board alone, Samuels packed school board meetings and distributed hundreds of banned books to students across Texas. With the ACLU, Samuels filed legal action that resulted in the district unblocking queer internet resources like the Trevor Project. Later that year, President Barack Obama recognized Samuels for their efforts against book banning. Samuels now leads Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), a youth-led coalition influencing policy at the Texas Legislature. With SEAT, Samuels has spearheaded grassroots opposition to anti-LGBTQ+ mandates in Texas school districts, organized events with high-profile creatives and policymakers, visited the White House to meet President Joe Biden and join federal efforts, and testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary for a hearing on book bans.

Samuels received notable recognition for his work including being named the inaugural Youth Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week, Seventeen Magazine Voice of the Year, NBC Pride 30 trailblazer, and one of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 and GLAAD’s 20 Under 20. Samuels received the Trailblazer Award from the Human Rights Campaign in 2023, was recognized in OutSmart as a hometown hero, and was honored as Pride Houston’s Honorary Trendsetter Grand Marshal. In 2024, Samuels was a SXSW EDU panelist with best-selling author Angie Thomas on the attacks on education and DEI

Basira Paigham

UN Rights and Religion Fellow at OutRight International

Afghanistan

Basira Paigham is an Afghan queer researcher and gender equality consultant. She is a UN Rights and Religion Fellow at OutRight International, a Community Navigator at the Immigrant Council of Ireland, and a Master’s student in International Development at Maynooth University.

With a strong background in gender advocacy, Basira has worked with organizations such as DAI, ICMA, and Concern Worldwide. Her research focuses on gender norms, queer communities, and social justice. A BBC 100 Women honoree, she has published work with OutRight, Friedrich Naumann Stiftung, and Zan Times, among others.

Dastan Kasmamytov

Founder of Pink Summits

Kyrgyzstan/Germany

Dastan is a Kyrgyz LGBTQ+ activist who made history as one of the first in his country to come out publicly in the media, during the press conference about the Human Rights Watch report on police violence against gay and bisexual men in Kyrgyzstan. As a result of this coming out and of his activism, Dastan received multiple death threats including from the semi-governmental Muslim authority who issued a religious law stating that gay men must be stoned to death. The backlash forced Dastan to move to Europe, where he currently works as a web developer and digital consultant. During his activism in Kyrgyzstan, Dastan found peace and empowerment in the mountains, and is now a rock-climber, mountaineer and reckless adventurer, who cycled from Central Asia to Germany and now plans to conquer the highest mountains of each continent, for queer visibility.

He later founded Pink Summits, a global LGBTQ+ initiative that uses mountaineering for queer visibility and inclusion. Their work spans four areas including: community building and support through events, scholarships, mentorship and workshops; visibility via pride events, storytelling, media campaigns and public talks in schools, festivals and conferences; as well as research and advocacy by renaming queerphobic routes, documenting queer alpine history, and challenging anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Central Asia. Dastan also served on the steering committees of the Global Forum on MSM & HIV and the Eurasian Coalition on Male Health, and was previously a coordinator at Kyrgyz Indigo, supporting LGBTQ+ people in Kyrgyzstan. With his work Dastan inspires young LGBT+ people to believe in their powers to change the world and to discover that they are not victims but heroes. 

Trinah Kakyo

Founder of Kakyoproject

Uganda

Trinah Kakyo is a Pan-African advocate, creative, and community architect dedicated to queer liberation, cultural heritage, and social justice. With over nine years of experience in people-centered programming across East Africa and the Pacific, she specializes in building inclusive, regenerative ecosystems for marginalized communities. Trinah is the founder of Kakyoproject, Africa’s first queer creative hub, providing resources such as therapy, gender-affirming gear, and digital safety training. She has led initiatives blending art, storytelling, and activism to foster healing and leadership. Trinah also currently serves as Artistic Director of the Uganda Human Rights Film Festival, and has consulted for organizations including ILGA, UHAI-EASHRI, Oxfam, and the EU. She’s contributed to platforms like The Advocate and War Child, and also been featured in Teen Vogue and OkayAfrica. Trinah is currently establishing a foundation in honor of her grandmother, focused on empowering women through skills development and storytelling. Trinah’s work is grounded in a belief in infinite potential, radical love, and the transformative power of community and storytelling to create lasting change.

Kyoka Shodladd

founder of the asian pride alliance

Thailand

Kyoka Shodladd (they/them) is a Thai-Japanese non-binary activist, 2x published author, TEDx speaker, and changemaker recognized with honors including the Thailand Youth Award, Rotary Youth Role Model Award, and TIME100 Next 2024 for their leadership in advancing LGBTQ+ rights across Asia. At just 19, they became the youngest person in Thai history to serve on both the Senate and House select committees drafting Thailand’s Marriage Equality Bill, uniting four proposals into one civil code amendment—contributing to Thailand becoming the first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage. Kyoka is the founder of the Asian Pride Alliance, a regional coalition for queer youth, and the creator of Queering Bangkok, a platform supporting LGBTQ+ creatives and activists. As a lead content curator and global outreach representative for Bangkok Pride, they worked with over 15 embassies, represented Thailand at InterPride World Conferences in the U.S. and Colombia, and gave live international interviews on BBC, ABC Australia, NHK World, and Deutsche Welle. Their writing has been featured in The Advocate, DAZED, and national policy publications. Kyoka continues to drive change through policy reform, media advocacy, and cross-border organizing to advance LGBTQ+ equality across Southeast Asia.

Brilliant Kodie

founder of setabane, leader of those guys

Botswana

Brilliant Kodie (he/him) is a Botswana-based storyteller, researcher, strategist, and community-builder passionate about queer representation, cultural heritage, and youth development. He is the founder of Setabane, a bold queer storytelling platform turned online magazine that documents and celebrates the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in Botswana. Brilliant’s work blends storytelling, advocacy, research, and multimedia design to shift perceptions and build legacy. For his work, he was featured on Teen Vogue as one of the ‘Young Activists Fighting for LGBTQ+ Rights in Africa’ and was invited to speak to BBC World Service about homophobia in Botswana and the need for inclusive change. He also leads Those Guys, a creative agency that supports organizations across Southern Africa with branding, social media, and campaign strategy—often centering marginalized voices in the process. His work spans collaborations with NGOs, museums, researchers, and community organizers, to create safe and visible spaces for expression, dialogue, and healing. Brilliant’s research explores identity, land rights, and indigenous knowledge systems, with a focus on amplifying underrepresented narratives. Grounded in justice and relational care, his work bridges creative and academic tools to build inclusive futures. He also supports initiatives that promote ethical entrepreneurship and inclusive policymaking across the continent. As a 2025 Etherea Ambassador for LGBTQ+ Rights, Brilliant is excited to co-create educational tools, foster community-led change, and collaborate across borders to elevate queer voices in global conversations.

Alex Shah

founder of transphoria

Azerbaijan

Alex Shah (they/them) is a queer activist, independent journalist, and founder. Based in Baku, Alex has reported for Global Voices, OC Media, Caucasus Edition, Fem Utopia, and Minority Azerbaijan—the country’s first and only queer magazine—where they have highlighted the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people, state inaction, and gender-based discrimination through writing, video, and podcasts. Since age 16, Alex has publicly documented systemic bullying, including their own experiences of abuse in school and institutional neglect. Their personal campaign for justice led to the country’s first School Pride Week initiative and resulted in disciplinary actions against school staff and peers who promoted violence. As a media and human rights monitor, Alex actively engages with public processes, amplifies underrepresented voices, and exposes institutional homophobia in Azerbaijan’s education and legal systems. They are also the founder of Transphoria, a trans-led initiative in Azerbaijan focused on community empowerment, well-being, and resistance. Through Transphoria, Alex leads workshops, skill development, and storytelling efforts for trans+ individuals while resisting growing state censorship and violence. Amid threats, rejection, and official dismissal, Alex continues to push for safety, justice, and visibility—determined to become the journalist their country needs.

Fabz Kalungi

Executive Director of PRISM Empowerment
and Development Initiative Uganda (PEDI)

South Africa/Uganda

Fabz Kalungi (she/her) is a Ugandan community psychologist and transgender rights activist. She is the Executive Director of PRISM Empowerment and Development Initiative Uganda (PEDI)—a trans-led organization bridging the gap in mental health and psycho-social support for transgender women in Uganda. They provide free counseling, therapeutic care, and guidance while advocating for human rights, visibility, and access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services.  Through PEDI, she leads several key programs: the Tuli Nawe Program, which offers peer support and community counseling; the MindGuard Center, providing crisis shelter, food, and skill-building for trans individuals; Kindness Club, supporting formerly incarcerated, HIV-positive, and traumatized trans youth with life skills and peer care; Mental Health Services, including group and individual therapy; Economic Empowerment Programs, promoting self-reliance through gardening and art initiatives; and a Help Desk for Emergency Response, offering legal documentation support and service referrals. Fabz also founded Haven of Pride Africa in South Africa, supporting queer refugees through legal aid and integration programs. Through Rainbow Refuge Africa, she continues to support queer migrants and displaced persons, guiding them toward stability and self-sufficiency.

Skylar (Nibi) Louttit

Omushkegowuk Ininiw (Cree) Changemaker, Advisor, Researcher

Canada

Skylar (Nibi) Louttit is an Omushkegowuk Ininiw (Cree) changemaker from Treaty No. 9, with family roots in Kattawapiskat First Nation. Rooted in decolonial practice, Nibi works across grassroots and institutional spaces to advance Indigenous governance, 2SLGBTQQIA+ justice, disability justice, and harm reduction rooted in lived experience. His practice is grounded in Two-Eyed Seeing, intersectionality, Indigenous methodologies, and community engagement—centering kinship, responsibilities, inherent rights, and future generational thinking.Nibi serves on the 2SLGBTQQIA+ First Nations Council at the Chiefs of Ontario and on the Advisory Committee for Canada’s UN Declaration Act Action Plan, where he advises the Minister of Justice Canada on key measures in the Shared Priorities chapter of the UN Declaration Act Action Plan, including Indigenous participation in decision-making and mechanisms for oversight and accountability. He previously led national UNDRIP coordination and community-based health initiatives with CAAN Communities, and supported frontline harm reduction and addictions work in Indigenous contexts with Batchewana First Nation and Oahas.As founder of a decolonial consulting practice, Nibi provides policy analysis, facilitation, and education that center Indigenous-led systems change. His research—on the Settler Colonial War on Drugs—reflects a lifelong commitment to advancing solutions to the colonial, political, and legal structures that shape Canada’s approach to the War on Drugs.

Sue Sanders

Co-founder of the UK’s LGBT History Month

United Kingdom

Emeritus Professor Sue Sanders of the Harvey Milk Institute, an “out and proud” lesbian, is chair of Schools OUT UK. In 2004 she co-founded the UK’s LGBT History Month with Paul Patrick an annual event which happens every February. In 2007 she was responsible for The Classroom which has lesson plans that ‘usualise’ LGBT people in all their diversity for all ages across the curriculum. She co runs OUTing the Past an annual international festival of LGBT+ history. As an educator and activist, Sue is a proponent of an inclusive and relevant curriculum in education and works to ‘educate out’ all forms of prejudice. She has also worked extensively in the criminal justice system attempting to challenge hate crime in all its forms. She has been the recipient of several awards including the National Educations Union Lifetime achievement award in 2024.

Dédé Oetomo

Founder and Trustee at GAYa NUSANTARA Foundation

Indonesia

Dédé Oetomo is an activist, independent scholar, and educator in research, education and advocacy in the fields of language and society, the Chinese diaspora, diversity in gender-sexuality, and HIV & AIDS, mainly as Founder and Trustee at GAYa NUSANTARA Foundation (www.gayanusantara.or.id), which also hosts the Coalition for Sexual & Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR; www.csbronline.org). He also serves on the Board of Indonesia AIDS Coalition (www.iac.or.id). Academically, he is an adjunct senior lecturer at Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Surabaya, Widya Mandala Catholic University in Surabaya and Universitas Ciputra Surabaya, Indonesia.

Frank Mugisha

Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG)

Uganda

Frank Mugisha is a leading Ugandan LGBTQ+ rights advocate and Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a coalition of 18 organizations advancing queer rights under criminalization and extreme hostility. He founded Icebreakers Uganda in 2004 to support LGBTQ+ individuals coming out, and has since become one of the most prominent voices for equality in East Africa. He is a TIME100 honoree, recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, the Rafto Prize, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Ghent. Mugisha has been recognized by the UN Secretary-General, BET, Fortune Magazine, and included in the #Power10 Most Influential Black LGBTQ+ People.

Mugisha is also a lead plaintiff in a U.S. federal lawsuit against Scott Lively for inciting anti-LGBTQ+ persecution in Uganda. His legal and public advocacy work has challenged both local and international drivers of hate, including exposing how foreign religious actors have fueled Uganda’s homophobic policies. Through SMUG and international platforms, he continues to fight for the decriminalization, safety, and dignity of LGBTQ+ Ugandans and communities across the Global South.