Kaleidoscope Trust 

Location: International

Focus: LGBTQI human rights in Commonwealth countries

Website: https://kaleidoscopetrust.com

Kaleidoscope Trust promote the human rights of LGBTQI people in the Commonwealth. They envision a world where LGBTQI people everywhere, irrespective of their country of birth or residence, are free, equal, and in full possession of the rights to which they are entitled. They are also a founding member of The Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN), which supports and connects LGBTQI activists.

In April 2018, GiveOut funded TCEN activists Zeleca Julien (Trinidad & Tobago) and Melusi Simelane (eSwatini) to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London. This resulted in the UK government expressing regret for colonial era laws that criminalise same-sex relations, committing to support decriminalisation, and announcing new funds for LGBTQI human rights. In 2020, GiveOut will continue to support the Kaleidoscope Trust’s work with TCEN.  

At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, Kaleidoscope Trust surveyed members of the Commonwealth Equality Network during April 2020, gathering the testimony of 41 LGBTQI individuals from 34 member organisations in 37 Commonwealth countries. The Trust wanted to understand how COVID-19 has affected LGBTQI people, activists and civil society organisations and launched a report capturing their findings. The report showed that grassroots activists and civil society organisations lack funds to support the marginalised communities they serve. 

In 2021, GiveOut’s grant will support Kaleidoscope Trust’s core costs and work as the Secretariat to The Commonwealth Equality Network.

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