Ahead of Trans Awareness Week, Norton Rose Fulbright hosted an evening reception to celebrate the Global Butterflies Fund with GiveOut. The event brought together supporters of the Fund to learn about the urgent need for resources for trans groups in the UK and globally, and the vital activism for trans and non-binary human rights supported through the Fund.
The Global Butterflies Fund was established to support trans and non-binary organisations in the UK and internationally. Managed by GiveOut, the Fund is generously sponsored by Global Butterflies, a company that helps businesses become trans and non-binary inclusive.
“We want to provide a giving vehicle for all of our corporate and personal connections to support all the amazing trans and non-binary campaigners making positive changes in the UK and also internationally.”
Trans and Non-Binary Human Rights
Around the world, trans people face serious human rights violations based on their gender identity and expression. Public order and vagrancy laws are used to harass, arrest and prosecute trans people, and gender expression and identity is criminalised in 14 jurisdictions through ‘cross-dressing’, impersonation and disguise laws. Courageous activists are doing vital work to protect and improve the lives of trans people, but funding is insufficient and fragile. Over recent decades a well-funded and coordinated “anti-gender” movement has emerged globally and has gained traction in the UK, threatening the human rights of trans people as well as gender equality and LGBTQI rights more broadly.
“Activism can be so many different things. One of the reflections we had was, when we think about activism, what skills do we want to bring into the fight for trans and non-binary human rights? Where do we want to use that energy? We have lots of great, amazing clients, through many industries and sectors. Actually, a better way for us to do our activism is, can we get them to donate?”
Within the global LGBTQI movement, trans led groups are particularly underfunded with 14% of organisations having no funding at all (Global Philanthropy Project).Through the Global Butterflies Fund, GiveOut partners with Consortium in the UK and the International Trans Fund to provide grants to groups working to promote and protect the human rights of trans and non-binary people.
Coming Together to Provide Support
After a warm welcome to the event by Polina Maloshchinskaia at Norton Rose Fulbright, guests heard from GiveOut’s Rupert Abbott who spoke about the challenges facing the LGBTQI human rights movement worldwide, with a particular focus on the lack of funding for trans organisations. Emma Cusdin and Rachel Reese then spoke in more detail about the Global Butterflies Fund, the impact so far and their hopes for what it can achieve in the future.
“There are a few standout moments. At another event with Northern Trust, we showed a video from the International Trans Fund about Cameroon which is unsafe for trans people. Knowing that we could fund an organisation to create a safe space there was just amazing. The other thing for us was where some of the donations have come from. There are people who have dug deep to donate. There are people who give regularly to the fund, which has just blown us away. And so for us, that positivity of hope that people will step forward to make a difference, we think is just brilliant.”
Guests also heard from Broden Giambrone from the International Trans Fund, Paul Roberts from LGBT Consortium, and Nick Cresswell, an individual donor to the Global Butterflies Fund. The speeches ended with a call for support from Patsy Stevenson, who is fundraising for the Fund and several trans groups in the UK. Patsy campaigns to end violence against women, and rose to prominence after her arrest at the Sarah Everard Vigil captured public attention.
The Global Butterflies has so far raised over £60,000 to support trans and non-binary human rights activism.
“Any individual donation is amazing. Big, small, massive, huge, that’s great. But our message is, if you’re working in a large business, think about how you can get the business to donate? What can you do to help? There is so much need out there. And for us, what we want this Fund to do is to give people hope that there is a brighter future there for them, despite the darkness, despite everything else.”