Coalition for Sexual & Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies

Location: Middle East and North Africa, and Southeast Asia

Focus: Amplifying LGBTQI voices through digital storytelling

Website: https://csbronline.org

CSBR are an international solidarity network that supports sexual and bodily rights across Muslim societies. 

In the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Central Asia, LGBTQI people face persecution, violence and other human rights abuses, due to conservative traditions and restrictive religious norms. Same-sex sexual activity between men is illegal and punishable by imprisonment in Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Syria and Qatar. It is punishable by death in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE. 

During the pandemic, CSBR launched Rights and Resilience – seed grants to support alternative ways of organising and advancing rights. Rights and Resilience is not just a means to distribute funds, but a mechanism to strengthen collective capacity, solidarity and movement building, by and for the community. CSBR hosted events for recipients to come together virtually, allowing them to learn from each other’s work, build relationships and collectively share in the monitoring, evaluation and lessons learned.

CSBR supported 13 grassroots groups (instead of the 10 originally planned), made possible through funding from GiveOut and COC Nederland. The projects exceeded expectations, especially in expanding space for activists to organise throughout the ongoing pandemic. In 2021, GiveOut’s grant will support CSBR’s core costs, contributing to human resources, technology and communications, as they continue to advance a holistic and affirmative approach to sexual and bodily rights as human rights across Muslim societies.

GiveOut is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Registered Charity Number 1176434).