Beyond Visibility: Resourcing the Economic Power of LBQ+ Women

For too long, LBQ+ women have been under-resourced, facing structural barriers that deny them access to capital, support, and opportunity. In fact, a mere 5% of global LGBTI funding is specifically directed toward LBQ+ communities. When the U.S. government abruptly severed funding for LGBTI human rights and inclusive development at the start of 2025, we looked at the devastating impacts on our movements and knew it was time to step up in a bold, new way. We recognized that economic empowerment is not an optional add-on to our liberation—it is a critical pathway to autonomy, and it becomes even more urgent when external funding grows scarce.

This urgency led to the creation of the LesbianGlobal Economic Empowerment Fund at Outright International.

We established this fund to move resources directly to LBQ+ women whose leadership is already transforming their communities, often under extreme risk and with little support. But to do this effectively, we needed an experienced and trusted global intermediary. We partnered with Outright International because of their unparalleled ability to ensure that funding reaches LBQ+ leaders and social enterprises across the Global South and East with accountability, deep care, and an eye toward long-term impact. Together, we are building sustainable economic pathways that challenge systemic patriarchy, lesbophobia, and economic exclusion.

Through the economic empowerment projects we have supported until now, we have learned a profound lesson: enabling LBQ+ women to build economic autonomy requires supporting the whole person. The realities of discrimination and violence mean that financial investment must be paired with technical assistance, safe spaces, and community building.

We see this beautifully illustrated in the work of our grantee partners on the ground. In Kenya, Utopia Network is doing the foundational, transformative work of building safe spaces and instilling the deep confidence LBQ+ women need to even begin venturing into economic independence and entrepreneurship. In Nigeria, Women in Innovation and Tech Initiative (WITI) is nurturing a vibrant, collaborative community of LBQ+ social entrepreneurs, tech workers, and freelancers—creating networks of support that uplift both seasoned professionals and those who are just taking their first steps to learn new skills.

This fund is more than a single initiative; it is a model for what is possible when we trust and resource LBQ+ women. The leadership exists. The solutions exist. What has been missing is scale.

As we envision a future filled with collective joy and collective power, we are committed to growing this work. By investing in the economic autonomy of LBQ+ women, we are investing in protection from violence and the long-term sustainability of our movements. Together, we are turning survival into self-determination, and leadership into lasting change.

Learn more about the LesbianGlobal Economic Empowerment Fund.