By Jason Ball OAM, Executive Director, GiveOut
When the US government abruptly froze vital funding for LGBTQI organisations earlier this year, it triggered a crisis that reached every corner of our global movement. The consequences were immediate: frontline groups lost grants, cut staff, halted essential services, and in some cases, even returned already-disbursed funds.
The message from the US government was clear—help was no longer coming. But across the UK and around the world, we sent a message of our own:
We show up. We act. We don’t turn away.
Thanks to the LGBTQI Urgent Response Fund, fuelled by an extraordinary surge of support, LGBTQI organisations haven’t just endured but held the line and fought back.
Urgent Response, Real Results
In just a few months, the Urgent Response Fund has delivered flexible emergency grants to over two dozen organisations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Caribbean,many in countries where being LGBTQI remains criminalised or life-threatening. These funds have done more than just “fill gaps.” They’ve sustained hotlines, protected legal services, ensured safe housing, and given hope to thousands.
In Jamaica, TransWave launched new mutual aid programmes; in El Salvador, REDCAHT+ hired three new team members and brought the voices of trans people to the UN; and in Iraq, IraQueer remained open despite hostile anti-LGBTQI legislation, continuing to support over 50 individuals with critical services.
Ryan Silverio, the Executive Director of ASEAN SOGIE Caucus in Southeast Asia, described the situation plainly: “It’s bad. It’s really bad…many LGBTQI groups are not prepared for this.” The Fund gave ASC just enough room to breathe, allowing them to hold the line while regrouping. As Ryan put it, “GiveOut is a lifeline”.
And in Lebanon, our partner organisation Helem, the oldest LGBTQI organisation in the Arab world, faced a moment of reckoning. When U.S. funding was pulled, their ability to provide urgent humanitarian assistance, including emergency shelter and mental health support, was pushed to the brink. But with a grant from the Urgent Response Fund, Helem was able to continue operating and serving LGBTQI individuals in one of the region’s most precarious political and economic climates. This wasn’t just support. It was survival.
“This Fund Is Essential”
Behind every grant is a story of collective action, with GiveOut’s donor community of individuals, businesses, and foundations stepping forward in extraordinary ways. Their words remind us that the Urgent Response Fund isn’t just a source of resources but a manifestation of global solidarity.
“The heartbreaking stories from activists on the ground convinced us of the urgent need to support their critical work… Even a modest donation can save lives.”
— Jon Steinberg & Josh Graff
“We created AMPLIFUND to uplift LGBTQIA+ stories, especially where visibility is life-threatening. The Urgent Response Fund protects the power of queer storytelling when it’s most vulnerable.”
— Tag Warner, CEO, GAY TIMES
“The shifting global context makes it harder than ever for LBTQ communities in Africa to thrive. Leveraging resources from all donors is critical to rebuilding the base for queer organising in the Global South.”
— David Sampson, Deputy Director, Baring Foundation
“We stand in solidarity with the global LGBTQI community. Through our partnership with GiveOut, we witness the incredible work of its partners every day.”
— A&O Shearman
“Matching opportunities are incredibly important. They allow individual people like me to magnify our support.”
— Esther Healer
These acts of generosity are not just financial but deeply political and personal commitments to sustaining LGBTQI rights around the world.
Pride Is a Verb
This Pride Month, many of us will march freely while others will be forced into silence. In Hungary, Pride has been banned outright. In too many places, LGBTQI people face violence, arrest, and erasure.
That’s why this Pride cannot only be a celebration. It must be a call to action.
As one partner said, “Thanks to GiveOut, we didn’t just survive—we regained strength and direction”.
With the support of the LGBTQI Solidarity Fund, every donation made before 30 June will be matched, doubling its impact. This means more crisis support. More lives protected. More voices lifted.
Read the full stories of impact: