Celebrating Pride: The March Continues
Checking back in with USAID’s LGBTQI+ partners and programs
Pride Month is a celebration for people the world over. But the truth remains that violence and discrimination negatively impact the lives of millions of LGBTQI+ individuals, preventing them from living their fullest and most authentic lives.
LGBTQI+ people face criminalization in nearly 70 countries — and many of those can impose the death penalty. Transgender people face an uphill battle to legally change their name or receive medical care. Lesbian, bisexual, and queer women are targets of sexual violence in some nations. LGBTQI+ people are also frequently subject to psychological, physical, and verbal abuse.
But strides forward are happening every day, and USAID is proud to be part of that journey fighting oppression and helping to protect and support people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and sex characteristics.
USAID and our partners support programs specifically designed to advance LGBTQI+ rights. This Pride month, we acknowledge the hard work and share in the joy of being our authentic selves as the march for rights continues forward.
In 2014, USAID helped launch the first LGBTQI+ shelter in Albania. Eight years later, Streha House is stronger than ever, providing shelter, food, rent assistance, and counseling to young people who faced family rejection, endured workplace discrimination, or struggled with health issues due to their LGBTQI+ identity.
USAID supports the brave, passionate, and proud LGBTQI+ leaders and civil society organizations who continue to work tirelessly to advance the rights of all people. LEGABIBO, for example, is the oldest LGBTIQ+, community organization in Botswana. In 2021, the country upheld a ruling that decriminalized same-sex relationships.
“We continue to do awareness-raising sessions both through in-person dialogues and mainstream media,” explains Matlhogonolo Samsam, LEGABIBO’s Education, Awareness, and Communications Manager. “We have community organizers, leaders and activators working across the country engaging with different stakeholders — including the LGBTI community itself–to advance the promotion, protection, and defending of LGBTI rights as human rights.”
In addition to awareness and recognition, USAID helped LEGABIBO set up drop-in centers that provide HIV and STI testing and treatment, hormone therapy for transgender individuals, and general counseling and support for LGBTQI+ people in Botswana.
Despite the recent decriminalization, Matlhogonolo says many people still face discrimination. This month, she recalls a young gay man being kicked out of his home — it’s a story that the LEGABIBO team hears too often.
“That is why we find it important to continue raising awareness as we also change laws and policies. We know that even when laws change, people’s perceptions will not change overnight,” she says.
“It is very important to celebrate pride because many LGBTI people across the world are still struggling with their identities, many still fear being visible, many are still stigmatized and violated,” she explains. “Pride is important to remind and affirm them that they are valid, they are worthy, there is nothing wrong with them and that they too deserve to be respected, valued and to thrive.”
USAID supported the first-ever clinics for transgender individuals in India. These Mitr Clinics (mitr is a Hindi word that means friend, peer, or ally) opened in 2021 and are largely operated by transgender doctors and staff. The first clinic opened in Hyderabad and there are now new locations in Pune and Thane.
“Our community has been supported by USAID at the time when it most needed it,” says Simran Bharucha, director of Transgender Health for the ACCELERATE program that helped lay the groundwork for the Mitr Clinic.
While these clinics initially opened to provide access to safe and authorized sex re-assignment surgeries, hormonal treatments, and other procedures, they have expanded to provide HIV services, legal counsel, and safe spaces for LGBTQI+ people across the spectrum.
Simran says many of the patients and clinic co-workers still face harassment, sexual abuse, and violence. These issues often lead to a lower standard of life–exacerbated by poverty and substance abuse.
“The majority of stigmatization and discrimination our community faces stems from a lack of awareness about what it means to be LGBTQI+, especially after the highest court of this country has recognized our rights in India,” the director explains. “More emphasis is needed to transform legal protection to social awareness and respectful attitudes and practices.”
“The difficulties we have faced since the beginning of time have never stopped us from celebrating our existence,” she says, adding that she feels pride in the work she does to help her community. “We, the LGBTQI+ community, have come a long way. And, Pride is a time to reflect on the history of the community.”
“While this month is a time to celebrate” she adds, “ it’s also quite crucial to understand and address the specific needs of the community, and build a better future.”
About the Author
Steven Norris is a Strategic Communications Intern in USAID’s Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs.
