Highlights

As a community, we have a duty to continue to stand up and fight for our LGBT+ siblings at this challenging time. That's why All Out launched the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.

In a matter of weeks, we worked with donors and foundations to raise over US$200,000 to support LGBT+ communities facing immediate danger.

Over the following weeks, we remitted funds to over 60 groups in about 30 countries. Across the world, All Out members' donations have literally saved lives - food, protective equipment, soap, shelter, medication, legal support, emergency transportation, and much more have all been provided to our LGBT+ community at this incredibly challenging time. Here are some examples:

• Starting in May, we helped pay for the purchase and delivery of hundreds of pounds of food and sanitation supplies to LGBT+ refugees in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp. In partnership with the Refugee Coalition of East Africa and African Human Rights Coalition, these efforts helped over 250 refugees during this incredibly dangerous and difficult time. 

• Funds were delivered in May to our partner group in northern Italy, Quore. This support enabled Quore to expand their shelter for LGBT+ migrants facing homelessness because of this pandemic. Here's what a few of the shelter residents had to say:
  
  "It's good to feel that I'm not alone anymore; this is so much more than a house, but a bigger community I can belong to."
  
  "I didn't expect such great generosity from all over the world, I'm very thankful to all those who donated to make the world a better and safer place."

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• In a gross abuse of power, Ugandan police raided an LGBT+ shelter during the country's lockdown and wrongfully arrested 20 people for allegedly "breaching social distancing rules." We were able to provide emergency support to a partner group in Uganda who worked on their release and safe re-housing.
  
  You can read more about the full story of what happened here.

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• More than 250 LGBT+ people in Kyrgyzstan who had lost their jobs or were facing homelessness have received care packages with protective equipment, food, and other supplies, like medication or hormone treatments. 

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• 154 young LGBT+ people living with HIV/AIDS in rural Uganda - a country with one of the harshest lockdowns - were provided with food, vital medications, and hard-to-find protective gear.

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• Dozens of queer people in Moscow - who are already forced to hide their identities under Russia’s authoritarian regime - were provided with safe shelter, protective equipment, food, and critical social services.

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• Twelve shelters for vulnerable LGBT+ people in Brazil will be able to stay open and provide food and emergency supplies to hundreds of individuals, including refugees and homeless LGBT+ youth.

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Here’s what some of our partners have said:
 

Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (Eswatini)

 

“Thank you so much! We are beyond Grateful. We have been losing much sleep over not being able to provide masks and thermometers. We've been trying desperately to get food donations to try and sustain our housed community members through this crisis. Your Gift addresses all of today's gravest concerns.”

Justin Hilton, Founder, SafePlace International (Greece)

“I want to thank All Out for focusing attention on the needs of extremely vulnerable LGBTIQ refugees in the Kakuma refugee camp. So few resources make it up to that remote part of Kenya and the needs of our community there are so great. The food assistance and other things that your funds will supply there will be greatly appreciated.”

Steve Roth, Executive Director, Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration (ORAM)

“We are managing to deliver food and other materials to the beneficiaries. This fills us with deep joy and satisfaction. The situation in Ecuador is getting worse every day, with an increase in the number of infected people, deaths and the collapse of our health system. The government's management has been really disastrous, and we are living through the worst economic crisis in our history. You have been an oasis in the midst of so much disease, death, poverty and pain.”

Pamela Troya, Executive Director, Acción Igualitaria (Ecuador)

"I had lost hope, and I was living a life full of despair and anxiety, no food, no rent, no friend to speak to. Thank you, Steven and the entire team, at VEHRA for remembering us by reaching out to All Out for support." 

A member of VEHRA in Uganda who benefited from the food, medication, PPE, and rent money they provided

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. We also provided emergency support from this fund to groups in Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Kenya, Mexico, Tanzania, and the UK.

A huge “thank you” to all the donors and foundations who jumped in with generous support. We’re incredibly proud of what your support has enabled at this deeply challenging moment for our community.

Feeling inspired? Join our ranks as an Equality Champion and help All Out continue to fight for love and equality.