Here's the thing about our timeline: it's not sanitized. It's not just the wins. It's the whole messy, beautiful, heartbreaking journey:

1993 — In the U.S., Brazilian activist Marcelo Tenório won asylum after documenting widespread anti-LGBTQ killings in Brazil. His case opened doors for many others. Outright’s founders were among those amplifying the evidence of violence so the world could not look away.

1995 — At the UN Women’s Conference in Beijing, lesbian activists created the “Lesbian Tent.” Outright’s founders and allies helped carve out that space—a visible claim to presence where erasure had been routine.

2010 — In Malawi, after Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga were sentenced to 14 years for a traditional engagement ceremony, local leaders drove the strategy while Outright joined regional and international advocates to mobilize pressure. Both were pardoned. Courage, coordinated.

2018 — India’s Supreme Court struck down Section 377. A UN submission co-authored by Outright helped challenge the gender stereotypes that prop up criminalization—one part of years of organizing, litigation, and advocacy.

This is proof that showing up matters. That persistence compounds. That courage—even when you're terrified—creates change.

The timeline features the wins that brought relief, the setbacks that tested resolve, and the work our partners lead on the ground that makes legal change real in people’s lives.

Take the journey with us.

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