(LONDON)— GiveOut, the award-winning charity working to grow giving to support the global struggle for LGBTQI human rights, has appointed Baroness Liz Barker to its Board of Trustees.
Baroness Barker is a Liberal Democrat life peer of the House of Lords and a prominent advocate for LGBTQI human rights both in the UK and internationally. She is the co-founder of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global LGBT+ Rights, Vice Chair of the APPG on Sexual and Reproductive Health, and a member of the APPG on HIV/AIDS.
“I am delighted to join the board of this outstanding new charity. GiveOut’s approach to supporting LGBTQI rights around the world is innovative and exciting. I look forward to sharing my experience of charity governance and management, and helping GiveOut to thrive”, said Baroness Barker.
As well as her leadership on LGBTQI human rights, Baroness Barker has a strong background in the third sector and expertise in charity governance. She has a particular interest in developing relationships between third sector organisations and businesses.
“It’s such an honour to welcome Baroness Barker to the GiveOut board, to which she brings invaluable skills and experience. Liz also brings great energy, passion, and knowledge about the global LGBTQI human rights movement, for which she is hugely respected. We look forward greatly to working with her”, said Elliot Vaughn, GiveOut’s founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees.
The appointment of Baroness Barker comes at the start of an important year for the UK in promoting LGBTQI human rights globally. Since June 2019 the UK has been co-chair of the intergovernmental Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) alongside Argentina. This encompasses 42 member states and works to promote the human rights of LGBTQI people worldwide. In May 2020, the UK will host the ERC’s global LGBTQI Conference in London, marking an important opportunity for government, civil society and the private sector to engage with LGBTQI rights worldwide.
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GiveOut (@GiveOut_Org) is a UK-based charity working to grow giving to support the global struggle for LGBTQI human rights, ensuring that activists and their organisations have more of the resources they need to defend their communities and campaign for equality. The organisation enables individuals and businesses to give in one place to support LGBTQI human rights activism worldwide, pooling these donations and distributing them as grants to activist-led organisations around the world.
Baroness Liz Barker (@LizBarkerLords) is a Liberal Democrat Life Peer of the House of Lords. She came out in Parliament during the Second Reading of the Equal Marriage Bill in June 2013, and has since supported a wide range of LGBTQI charities and causes. She is the co-founder of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global LGBT+ Rights, Vice Chair of the APPG on Sexual and Reproductive Health, and a member of the APPG on HIV/AIDS. In 2015 Baroness Barker was appointed Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Voluntary Sector and Social Enterprise. She is CEO of Third Sector Business, a consultancy which provides strategic business development to charities and social enterprises in the UK and internationally.