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There are moments in history when the tide turns against progress. Today we are living through one of those moments.
Across continents, protections that once seemed secure are being dismantled. Communities already living under criminalisation are facing even harsher restrictions. Funding for vital organisations is shrinking just as repression grows. Authoritarian leaders are weaponising our identities, finding scapegoating to be a fast and effective political tool. Fundamental victories, including equal marriage, are now under threat in a way we never imagined would be possible.
It is a painful truth that it is always easier to destroy than to build. Rights that take decades to secure can be undone in months. Trust, solidarity, and safety, values painstakingly nurtured over generations, can – and have been – eroded overnight.
But building, sustaining, and protecting our shared humanity is harder precisely because it is more valuable. And it is this truth that underpins our decision at Kaleidoscope Trust to launch the Global LGBTI+ Rights Commission now and why we are not waiting to begin its work.
Those who wish to roll back rights are not waiting. They are coordinated, well-resourced, and moving quickly. Responding with hesitation is simply not an option anymore – and it would be a choice that would betray our fundamental values as an organisation. That being said, our response is pragmatic and aware of the risks we face.
This is why the Global LGBTI+ Rights Commission represents a choice we have made: a choice to build, rather than to allow destruction to advance unchecked. Over the next 18 months, the commission will convene voices from every region, document the scale of rollback, and, crucially, offer a roadmap for protecting and advancing rights in the face of hostility.
This is a harder path. It requires consultation, collaboration, and the careful weaving together of diverse experiences and perspectives. It means creating space for dialogue where others seek division, and holding onto humanity where others trade in dehumanisation.
But it is the only path that leads to a future worth living in.
Since our inception, our work has primarily focused on the Commonwealth. We have no intentions of retreating from this work, but the rollback we are confronting does not limit itself, and neither shall we. Their work is part of a global trend, powered by networks of influence and resources that transcend borders. If destruction is globalised, then so too must be the work of building. The Commission is our contribution to that global effort.
It is easy to tear down laws, to strip away funding, to silence voices. It is harder to keep building the spaces where people can live openly, to preserve dignity, and to sustain hope. But it is in doing the harder thing that we affirm what is most valuable: the belief that all people are equal in rights and in worth.
The Global LGBTI+ Rights Commission is a vehicle for that affirmation. It is a refusal to let destruction have the last word. It is proof that even in difficult times, we can come together to build something stronger than fear: a shared vision of justice and belonging.
The full list of thematic papers we plan to publish over the coming year for consultation is now live. By beginning with this open invitation, we are making a deliberate statement: the wisdom, testimony, and lived experiences of our communities are not an afterthought; they are the foundation. In the months ahead, further consultations, calls for participation, and opportunities to contribute will follow.
This process will not always be easy. It takes more time to listen than to impose, more care to include than to exclude. But in that difficulty lies strength. Every contribution, every story shared, is an act of building something more resilient than the forces that stand against us.
At its heart, this is not only about policy or process. It is about choosing, in the face of hostility, to keep our humanity intact.
To all those who believe that our humanity is worth defending: join us. Share your insights, lend your voice, and help shape the roadmap we are creating together. Because this moment will be remembered not only for what was destroyed, but for what we chose to build in response.
We know this path will not be the easiest. Building never is. But together, we can meet the moment.
The pressing LGBTI+ human rights challenges of our day can only be solved through collaboration, whether that be with grassroots or international human rights organisations, governments and funding bodies – and people that really care, like you.
Will you donate and help us create a free, safe and equal world for LGBTI+ people everywhere?
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