Campaigning for global LGBT equality
Discover Stonewall's international work.
What's the situation for LGBT people worldwide?
Although there has undoubtedly been progress in the last century for LGBT people worldwide, there remains a divergence in rights globally. Some countries are becoming increasingly tolerant, others are becoming more repressive.
There has been significant progress since 1990 - over 40 countries have outlawed homophobic hate crimes and 30 out of 195 countries have passed laws allowing equal marriage. But the fight from equality is far from over.
What forms does discrimination take?
- 70 countries criminalise same-sex relationships.
- The death penalty for same-sex relationships is either ‘allowed’, or evidence of its existence occurs, in 11 of these countries.
- In more than half the world, LGBT people may not be protected from discrimination by workplace law.
- Most governments deny trans people the right to legally change their name and gender from those that were assigned to them at birth.
- A quarter of the world’s population believes that being LGBT should be a crime.
Taken from ILGA World (2020).
What we do
At Stonewall we realise the importance of acknowledging shared challenges for LGBT communities across the world alongside the unique issues faced by certain countries. Local organisations are in the best position to explain what’s happening, decide what should happen next and drive change forward. This is why we work together with them to learn and share from each other's experiences. Learn more about our current initiatives below.
LGBTQ+ refugees are some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. Here’s what we do to help.
Out of the Margins aims to strengthen international advocacy on lesbian, bi and trans (LBT+) rights.
We advocate for the UK Government, the United Nations, the World Bank and other major institutions to consistently defend LGBT human rights worldwide.
Hear from Stonewall staff on the situation for LGBT people worldwide.
Resources range from country briefings to advocacy guides to 'Some People Are Gay...' prints in 17 languages.
eLearning course and resources on increasing LGBTQ+ employment rights and workplace inclusion across the Commonwealth
Acceptance without exception worldwide
Since Stonewall started its international programme in 2012, we’ve achieved a great deal. We’ve established ourselves as a leading voice on international LGBT issues with the UK government, empowered LGBT human rights defenders to campaign for change in their countries, and built an exceptional network with campaigners in over 80 countries.
Download our report