Understanding & Visualizing Queer Activism across the Global South

This research examines and maps projects, organizations, and collaborations between organizations engaged in queer activism within the Global South. LGBT+ activism has grown across the world as more issues within the community come to the forefront. In recent years Queer activism within the Global South has received increasing attention and established its footing as a more significant focus of research. One leading question that drives this research is then, what forms of engagement can we identify in LGBT+ advocacy work across the Global South? The research collects and organizes information about the LGBT+ advocacy in the global south and presents it in an understandable manner by building on previous work and exploring lesser known areas. To do so, my research primarily reviews online materials and sources. This includes academic articles, literature, websites of LGBT+ organizations, and their social media pages. My findings show that much of the activity falls into distinct and important areas of activism, including law, safety, teaching, and learning. The observations also highlight the importance of international funding due to a lack of domestic resources in many areas of the Global South. This includes areas that are typically seen as LGBT+ friendly. Additionally, interviews with LGBT+ stakeholders (including activists, advocates and other actors from the Global South) will be conducted this spring which may further inform the research study findings.