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Dear friends,

Pride month is upon us!

Although Pride events happen year-round across the world, June has, symbolically, been marked as Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall riots of 1969, which are credited with inciting the Pride marches demanding recognition of the rights of LGBTIQ people to be exactly who we are. Today Prides take different shapes and forms. But what they all have in common is a purpose: fighting for the equality of LGBTIQ people everywhere.

Since 2020 OutRight Action International has marked Pride with a Purpose ([link removed]) ™ throughout June as a commemoration of the history of Pride and the progress to date, and a reminder of the challenges ahead for LGBTIQ equality. This year in particular, those challenges center around the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to have disproportionate effects on LGBTIQ communities. As such, as part of the Pride with a Purpose™ campaign we are raising funds for OutRight's COVID-19 Emergency Fund ([link removed]) .

We are excited to be partnering with a number of corporate partners on their Pride initiatives, including many who have supported the Emergency Fund. In particular, OutRight, for a second consecutive year, will be one of the beneficiaries of P&G and iHeartRadio's “Can’t Cancel Pride ([link removed]) ” which airs on June 4 at 9 p.m. ET.

Read more below about how you can mark Pride with a Purpose™ with us!

Hala Hassan

Digital Communications Officer
Pride with a Purpose Campaign Manager
monthly highlights
* In April 2021 OutRight launched a new call for applications to the COVID Emergency Fund ([link removed]) to support LGBTIQ communities around the world. The call closed in May. We received 1500 applications from 111 countries, totalling 26 million USD in need. We expect to announce the first grants from this round in June and continue to raise funds so we can respond to as many requests as possible.

* A new cohort of Religion Fellows joined OutRight. Over the next year they will receive training on advocacy at the UN, especially pertaining to tackling religiously motivated violence and discrimination against LGBTIQ people. They will also engage in other high-level meetings like the High-Level Political Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals, UN General Assembly High-Level week, and OutSummit. Meet our new group of fellows here ([link removed]) .


get to know us


** Katie Hultquist
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Katie ([link removed]) works with our Development team as Director of Leadership Giving, responsible for engaging with OutRight’s major donors across the globe. Katie came up with the Pride with a Purpose™ campaign idea last year because she wanted to raise awareness and support for the global LGBTIQ community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally from San Francisco, Katie came out while at university in North Carolina and has spent the last 20 years in Seattle, where she lives with her wife, three children, and a puppy named Ollie. Outside of work, Katie enjoys annual bike camping trips with her family and cheering on her local women’s soccer and basketball teams.

outright in the media
* An investigative journalism piece by Open Democracy ([link removed]) about Youtube shutting down the channel of an evangelist promoting so-called "conversion therapy" quotes OutRight's Africa Program Coordinator Yvonne Wamari and Senior Communications Manager Daina Ruduša. Open Democracy's investigation is also covered in separate articles in the New York Daily News ([link removed]) and Advocate ([link removed]) , and elsewhere.

* Executive Director Jessica Stern is quoted in Open Democracy ([link removed]) 's article about Italy pushing for the Vatican to hold a stronger role in the World Health Organization.

* Lancet Child & Adolescent Health ([link removed]) publishes a feature about acceptance of LGBTIQ people by youth in Africa written by Africa Program Coordinator Yvonne Wamari and Senior Communications Manager Daina Ruduša.

* The Advocate ([link removed]) publishes an opinion piece by Deputy Director Maria Sjödin marking the International Day Against Homophobia, transphobia and biphobia.


term of the month



** Pride
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The term “Pride” came as an antidote to the shaming LGBTIQ people were (and continue to be) subjected to by their families, society, the police, authorities, and many others.

It embodies accepting and loving yourself as you are, rejecting the shame imposed on you, and feeling empowered to be authentically you.

upcoming events
* May 27 - OutTalk: “Beyond Chechnya - Backlash Against LGBTIQ Communities Around the World”. Register here ([link removed]) .

* June 1 - OutRight and the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality (PGLE) invite you to “Resilience in Advancing LGBTIQ Rights Globally,” a moderated conversation about how the private sector can work with civil society to advance LGBTIQ equality globally. Register here ([link removed]) .

* June 4 - P&G and iHeartRadio will once again host “Can’t Cancel Pride ([link removed]) ,” a virtual relief benefit for the LGBTQ+ community featuring performances and appearances from influential voices in the community, and world-class performers.

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ENGAGE: Support our work for the LGBTIQ community everywhere. Rally up your friends for #PrideWithAPurpose.
* Create a Facebook Fundraiser ([link removed]) supporting OutRight.

SHARE: Tell us what #PrideWithAPurpose means to you on social media and mention @OutRightIntl.
* Check out our Social Media toolkit ([link removed]) for inspiration.

DONATE: Every amount you contribute will help OutRight and our partners support LGBTIQ people suffering in the wake of COVID.
* Donate to our COVID-19 LGBTIQ Global Emergency Fund ([link removed]) .

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