How the Foundation is supporting LGBTQ+ communities, worldwide

In polarised societies, where tolerance and inclusion are rare commodities, the voices and rights of LGBTQ+ individuals are increasingly being extinguished.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation believes that such a complex challenge requires a holistic response — one that spans collaboration with civil society, media and legal actors.

Through our pro bono legal network, TrustLaw, we work to strengthen the resilience of LGBTQ+ advocacy organisations by educating them about emerging legal threats and equipping them with the tools to understand their rights.

In our media training programmes, we coach journalists reporting in contexts often hostile to LGBTQ+ rights, to cover these issues with nuance and sensitivity.

And on the Foundation’s journalism platform, Context, we prioritise telling LGBTQ+ stories in places where most other outlets aren’t, putting in the legwork to build trust with sources who previously felt unable to speak out.

Over the last year, the Foundation has accelerated its work across all these areas to meet a growing need. Here is a snapshot of how:

Strengthening the resilience of LGBTQ+ advocacy organisations to legal attacks in the Philippines

In the Philippines, despite being considered one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly countries in the region, the absence of comprehensive national anti-discrimination laws and legal recognition for same-sex marriage has left many vulnerable.

This has been sorely felt by civil society organisations advocating in this space. Many are experiencing increasing levels of reprisal through tactics like ‘red-tagging’, which subjects them to harassment, surveillance and prosecution under the country’s Anti-Terror and Human Security Acts.

Through TrustLaw, we connected Filipino NGO Mujer LGBT+ Organization with legal experts in the region to produce a new practical tool that will help the community better protect itself.

The ‘Justice with Pride’ Guidebook outlines actionable steps for responding to discrimination, arbitrary arrest, or red-tagging, and best practices for safe advocacy.

We sent the Foundation’s Philippines correspondent Mariejo Ramos to the launch of the Guidebook to delve deeper into the current legal landscape for the LGBTQ+ community in the Philippines and how the Guidebook can support them to confidently seek justice.

Training journalists to cover LGBTQ+ rights with nuance and sensitivity in Kenya

From breaking down harmful stereotypes, to amplifying diverse voices, a free and independent media is critical to an inclusive society where all can thrive.

Spanning 2023 to early 2025, our Free to be Me programme in partnership with Hivos, ran training courses in Africa and Asia, connecting journalists directly with representatives of the LGBTQ+ community in their region.

This unique dual-track training model provided participants with first-hand guidance on how to develop more compelling narratives around LGBTQ+ rights in their reporting, incorporating inclusive language, ethical storytelling, intersectionality and responsible sourcing.

At the end of the programme, the participants then had the opportunity to pitch to be part of a 10-week mentorship programme in which they would develop an LGBTQ+ rights story for the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

We caught up with one journalist, Peter Ongera, who recently completed the course in Kenya, to explore how the experience changed his perspective on LGBTQ+ issues and enabled him to report more thoughtfully.

Reporting on the human impact of a backslide in LGBTQ+ rights, globally

This past year, governments from Washington D.C. to Kampala and Moscow have been cracking down on LGBTQ+ people’s right to live freely and without fear. Rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment as well as changes in legislation and funding are increasingly putting their personal safety in jeopardy.

There is a temptation for news outlets to solely cover this trend in parts of the world where the community is highly vocal, as it is easy to find sources. In reality, it is the countries where people are unable to speak out, often for fear of retribution, where it is most needed.

Through Context, the Foundation is going the extra mile to cover personal stories of those caught up in this backslide where very few other outlets are. From Ruann, a young trans woman and sex worker on Namibia’s west coast who is running out of HIV prevention pills as a result of the U.S. foreign aid cuts, to Ivan, a gay teacher in Bulgaria who fears losing his job as parents accuse him of ‘propaganda’ for simply talking about his partner — we’ve compiled a collection of the most powerful stories.

We believe that societies around the world should be free, fair and informed, as underpinned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This cannot be possible whilst the global clampdown on LGBTQ+ rights persists.

Through the power of journalism, the law and data intelligence, the Foundation is working to inspire collective leadership on this critical issue.