U.S. foreign policy long neglected attention to human rights violations targeting LGBT and intersex individuals, as well as the broader political, economic, and social needs of LGBT and intersex communities. This neglect – rooted in domestic divisions – allowed violence and discrimination abroad to go unchallenged, including in countries that aspire to democratic norms. The Council has challenged this neglect by promoting an inclusive understanding of U.S. foreign policy interests rooted not only in the principles of human rights, but in pragmatic national security and economic needs of fostering stable countries and partnerships abroad.
The Council monitors appointments, actions and policy priorities of the White House and all foreign affairs agencies to ensure that U.S. foreign policies take into account the human rights and civil protections of LGBTI individuals. We work with allies within the federal civil service, Congress and civil society to demonstrate the value and positive impact of inclusive foreign and development policies, and the negative consequences of policies that disadvantage LGBT and intersex citizens. We use the media, our membership, and our website to shine a spotlight on positive steps undertaken, as well as on negative efforts to dismantle LGBTI-inclusive policies or funding streams that have been put into place since the Council’s inception in 2008.
The Council regularly advocates for the robust use of diplomatic tools and funding opportunities available to foreign affairs agencies to promote LGBT and intersex community-inclusive foreign policy goals. In multilateral fora, we support U.S. human rights leadership at the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank.
We equally support bipartisan Congressional efforts to respond to human rights abuses targeting LGBT and intersex individuals abroad. For example, we work with Congressional offices to raise LGBTI-focused human rights questions during Congressional committee hearings, including Senate confirmation hearings. We support Congressional letters, resolutions and legislation responding to LGBTI-specific human rights concerns. We also work with the LGBT Equality Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, and with the membership of select regional and country-specific caucuses, to hold educational briefings related to international LGBTI policy concerns.
Read our 2020 Transition Paper for President-elect Biden and his Administration.
