On December 17, 2025, Channel Foundation grantee Outright International released their report “Resourcing Global LBQ Activism: Three Years of LBQ Connect Grantmaking” that reflected on the last three years of LBQ Connect, Outright’s grantmaking and leadership program for lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) activism.
From 2022 to 2025, LBQ Connect distributed $726,105 to grassroots organizations primarily located in the Global South and East, reaching 22 first-time grantees and 300 LBQ activists. Going beyond monetary resources, LBQ Connect also created pipelines for emerging leaders to gain support that was formerly inaccessible.
With only 5% of global LGBTIQ funding reaching lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) specific issues, the report documents how Outright addressed the gap of support for an area they note as historically overlooked and under resourced. It examines the projects supported, funding practices and general findings about the landscape of LBQ priorities worldwide.
The report was released after LBQ Connect was put on pause after US government funding cuts in early 2025. “This makes documenting its impact and lessons all the more urgent,” Outright stated.
The report shows how through their grantmaking program, Outright targeted power imbalances to increase accessibility to resources. The program incorporated participatory decision-making through a board of 12 LBQ activists from the global South and east. Outright kept eligibility purposely flexible to ensure unregistered groups and first-time grantees would be welcomed.
“LBQ Connect has placed its trust in us as a young organization,” Samimi from Burkina Faso said. “This project gave us confidence, visibility, and recognition among other organizations, which helped us obtain other resources. We started to be taken seriously.”
LBQ Connect gave activists the opportunity to transform as leaders. They supported participants through first-time endeavors including managing a project, bringing LBQ programming into their organization, and growing their leadership skills.
The report concludes with key lessons for funders, noting how “Direct resourcing transforms movements. Supporting LBQ initiatives strengthens communities and changes leadership and visibility within the broader LGBTIQ and social justice.” movements.
Outright invites funders, LGBTIQ activists, researchers, policymakers and those looking to learn more about resourcing LBQ issues and build inclusive movements to explore their report and learn more.
