Part of Salzburg Global's Peace & Justice Pillar

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Our Purpose

The Salzburg Global LGBT* Forum advances the human rights of LGBT people and communities around the world.

Founded in 2013, it has created a trusted 76-country network of LGBT and human rights leaders to facilitate open exchange and collaboration in highly-diverse contexts, spanning government, law, diplomacy, religion, finance, media and culture.

* LGBT: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. We are using this term as it is currently widely used in human rights conversations on sexual orientation and gender identity in many parts of the world, and we would wish it to be read as inclusive of other cultural concepts, contemporary or historical, to express sexuality and gender, intersex and gender non-conforming identities.

The "Family is...?" Project

The implication of family definitions for exclusion and discrimination has been an issue for the Salzburg Global LGBT* Forum since its foundation in 2013. 

During its session in Berlin 2014, the topic brought the Forum together with the German Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women & Youth.

In 2015, as part of an ongoing three-year collaboration with the Ministry, we launched a video series called "Family is...?" where members of Salzburg Global LGBT* Forum shared their concept of what family means to them. 

In 2016, we continued filming this series at the Forum in Thailand. This session was run in partnership with UNDP's "Being LGBTI in Asia" program.

For most people, family is a crucial part of their lives, of their identities. This project and work-in-progress portrays the complexities of our lives, including those of our families by birth and choice.


LGBT* and Faith

Salzburg Global and ILGA Asia’s audio series LGBT & Faith featured 16 leading voices from the Global Online Forum on LGBT* and Faith, held from 2020 to 2022 by the Salzburg Global LGBT* Forum.

This program convened members and leaders of faith communities from within Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, as well as agnostics, atheists, anthropologists, and cultural believers.

Each week, Fellows of different sexual orientations and gender identities and of different faith communities were invited to address the questions of what is needed for religious communities and leaders to be instrumental in promoting the well-being, equality and inclusion of LGBT* people in faith communities and society.

In addition, they considered how LGBT* people, today and throughout history, enrich and change the religious communities of which they are a part.

We thank our blog contributors for their generosity in sharing their personal stories.


Latest Insights

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Unity in Geographic Diversity: African Insights on Representation and Agency
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Between Peace and the Front Lines: “In the Event of War, NATO Convoys Would Roll Through Austria”
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Our Key Insights: How Can Democracies Defend Themselves?
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Jul 27, 2026
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Speaking Up for the Rule of Law
International lawyers are building the leadership, networks, and legal integrity needed to defend the rule of law
Jul 24, 2026
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“Trump Is Not the Architect of Autocracy - He Is a Symptom”
Salzburg Global Fellow Stacey Abrams helped deliver electoral victories for Democrats in the U.S. state of Georgia. Now, she says, the party’s foremost fight must be for democracy.
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Making Democracy Deliver
Salzburg Global Fellow Berk Esen explains why today's democracies are increasingly eroded by elected leaders - and how responsive governance can rebuild trust and democratic resilience
Jul 09, 2026
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Defending Democracy Requires More Than Elections
Salzburg Global Fellow Stacey Abrams on the rise of authoritarianism, the importance of civic participation, and the lessons that democracies can learn from one another
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The Battle for Liberal Democracy
Salzburg Global Fellow Eric Frey analyzes how the digital revolution has exposed vulnerabilities to polarization, disinformation, and anti-democratic movements
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Network

Africa
Asia and the Pacific
Europe
Middle East and North Africa
North America
South and Central America
Mary Chard
Board Co-Chair, Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), Zimbabwe
Danilo Da Silva
Executive Director, Lambda, Mozambique
Ecclesia de Lange
Director, Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM), South Africa
Faris Cuchi Gezahegn
Intersectional LGBTI/human rights activist and performance artist
Noel Iglessias
Intersectional LGBTQI+ rights advocate; Founding member, Dana Social Group, Austria / Ethiopia
Harold Kachepatsonga
Program Officer, Malawi Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS (MANERELA+), Malawi
Jacqueline Kasoma
Head of Programs, The Human Rights Center Uganda
Elizabeth Khaxas
Director, Women's Leadership Centre, Namibia
Nana King
Project Manager, Deutsche Welle Akademie, Ghana
Olumide Femi Makanjuola
Executive Director, The Initiative for Equal Rights, Nigeria
Lebohang Matela
Regional Coordinator, FOCCISA Health and Gender Justice Network, Lesotho
Dennis Mseu
Executive Director, Malawi Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS (MANERELA+), Malawi
Zanele Muholi
Visual Activist/ Photographer, Gauteng, South Africa
Stella Murungi
Protection Officer, Security Management and Protection Department, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP), Uganda
Kasha Nabagesera
Executive Director of Kuchutimes Media Group, Uganda
Sibongile Ndashe
Human Rights Lawyer, Interights, South Africa
Sudesh Reddy
Communication Specialist, United Nations Childrens Fund, South Africa
Ian Southey-Swartz
LGBTI Programme Manager - Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA)
Lesego Tlhwale
Writer, Inkanysio, South Africa
Dennis Wamala
Director of Programs, Icebreakers, Kampala, Uganda
Asfinawati Ajub
Advocacy, Religious Freedom & Belief Alliance, Indonesia
Brenda Alegre
Board Member, The Society of Transsexual Women Advocates of the Philippines, Philippines
Lola Amaria
Filmmaker, Indonesia
Kaoru Aoyama
Professor, Contemporary Culture and Society, Graduate School of Intercultural Studies, University of Kobe, Japan
Pooja Badarinath
Program Coordinator, Advocacy and Research, CREA, India
Abha Bhaiya
Executive Director, Jagori Rural Charitable Trust, India
Justin Bionat
Vice Chairman for the Visayas, Philippine BAHAGHARI National LGBT Organization, Philippines
Madan Chhetri
Member of Parliament, Bhutan
Tashi Choedup
National Coordinator (India), Foundation for Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, India
Pearl Daruwalla
Humsafar Trust, India
Aruna Desai
Founding Member of Sweekar - The Rainbow Parents of India, India
Tharindi Devasurendra
Activist, Sri Lanka
Manisha Dhakal
Executive Director, Blue Diamond Society, Nepal
Passang Dorji
Phsiotherapy Asistant, Bhutan Health and Medical Council, Bhutan
Pema Dorji
Outreach Coordinator, Ministry of Health, Bhutan
Minoo Eslami
Human Rights defender and Advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Australia
Popo Fan
Filmaker, Writer, Activit, China
Laurindo Garcia
Founder, B-Change, Philippines
Dharini Priscilla
Program Manager, Grassrooted Trust, Sri Lanka
Chinzorig Gochoo
Manager of "Through Democracy" Project, "Wind of Change", Mongolia
Cheyleaphy Heng
Communication Officer, Rainbow Community Kampuchea (RoCK), Cambodia
Yuko Higashi
Co-Chair, World Association for Sexual Health; Professor, Osaka Prefecture University, Japan
Su Su Hlaing
Creative Filmmaker and Screenwriter, Myanmar
Palitha Vijaya Bandara
Human Rights Activist, Sri Lanka
Nursyahbani Katjasungkana
Chair, Board of Directors, APIK, Indonesia
Hyun Kyung Kim
Researcher, Korean Society of Law and Policy on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Republic of Korea
Michael Kirby
former Judge, High Court of Australia; Vice-President of Vice-Chair of the Human Rights Institute of the International Bar Association, Australia
Rainbow Kistiyanti
Executive Director, Talita Kum, Indonesia
Travis Kong
Associate Professor, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
VK Larasati
National Coordinator, Youth Interfaith Forum on Sexuality (YIFoS), Indonesia
Jong Geol Lee
General Director, Korea Gay Men's Human Rights Group 'Chingusai', Republic of Korea
Nara Lee
Chief Officer and Steering Committee Member, Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea (HaengSungIn), Republic of Korea
Yinhe Li
Sociologist, Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS); Activist for LGBT Rights in The People's Republic of China
Vu Lieu
Executive Director, ILGA ASIA, Thailand
Borah Lim
Senior Pastor, Sumdol Presbyterian Church, Republic of Korea
Lena Ahrens
Advisor, Sector Programme Human Rights, GIZ, Germany
Bisi Alimi
Executive Director, Bisi Alimi Foundation, United Kingdom
Paola Amadei
(Italy), EU Head of Delegation in Jamaica, European Union
Milan Antonijevic
Fellow, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM), Serbia
Joel Bedos
Joel Bedos is one of the main driving forces behind the sexual orientation and gender identities (SOGI) campaign resource hub on public campaigning in Strasbourg. He currently sits on the board of the IDAHOTB Committee, the organization that established t
Anton Macintosh
Coordinator of Initiative Group, T-Action Initiative Group/CS II Action, Russia
Benjamin Cantu
Film Director, Writer, Germany & Hungary
Victor Ciobotaru
Member, ACCEPT Association, Romania
Olga Daitche
Program Manager, Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future, Germany
Brian Davidson
British Ambassador to Thailand
Irene Fedorovych
Projects Coordinator, Social Action Center/No Borders Project, Ukraine
Benjamin Glahn
Deputy CEO and Managing Director, Programs
Louise Hallman
Communications Consultant, Austria
Silvia Heer
Policy Advisor, German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany
Staffan Herrström
The Ambassador of Sweden to the Kingdom of Thailand, Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar since 2015, Thailand
Paul Jansen
International Consultant, Paul Jansen Consulting Services, Spain
Marko Karadzic
Former State Secretary for Human and Minority Rights (2008 - 2010), Serbia
Wanja Kilber
Chairman of the Board, Quarteera, Russia/Germany
Katri Kivioja
Programme Specialist, HIV, Health and Development unit, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, Thailand
Ralf Kleindiek
State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Germany
Dominik Koehler
Social Development Consultant, World Bank Group, Germany
Maria Kozlovskaya
Program Manager, Russian LGBT Network, Russia
Vasilika Laci
Program Officer, Civil Rights Defenders, Albania
Carla LaGata
Resource Specialist, Senior Researcher, Transgender Europe, Germany
Alvaro Laiz Garcia
Photographer; Co-Founder, ANHUA, Spain
Amy Lamé
Performer/ Writer/ Broadcaster, United Kingdom
Miriam Leidinger
Advisor, GIZ, Germany
John Lotherington
Director
Andriy Maymulakhin
Coordinator, Nash Mir (Our World) Gay & Lesbian Center, Ukraine
Rostyslav Milevskyi
Director, Gender Z, Ukraine
Edward Mortimer
Senior Program Advisor and former Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer, Salzburg Global Seminar; Former Chief Speechwriter and Director of Communications to the Secretary General of the United Nations
Klaus Mueller
Founder and Chair, Salzburg Global LGBT* Forum
Arber Nuhiu
Executive Director, Center for Social Group Development (CSGD), Kosovo
Joanna Ostrowska
Doctoral Student, University of Warsaw-Gender Studies, Poland
Jayne Ozanne
Director and Founder, Ozanne Foundation, United Kingdom
Simon Petitjean
Senior Advocacy Manager, The Global Interfaith Network (GIN), For People of All Sexes, Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities and Expressions, SSOGIE, France
Monika Pisankaneva
Chairperson, Bilitis Resource Center Foundation, Bulgaria
Serhiy Ponomaryov
Head of the Non-Discrimination Division, Secretariat of the Ukrainian Ombudsperson, Ukraine
Andrea Rocca
Head of Protection, Front Line Defenders, Ireland
Ieva Ruzgyte
Association LGL Member Association LGL, Lithuania
Nanoo Sandhu
Director of Programmes, ILGA World, Switzerland
Romana Schlesinger
Executive Director, Queer Leaders Forum, Slovak Republic
Stefan Scholz
Ambassado, Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs, Austria
Bradley Secker
Photographer, United Kingdom
Todd Sekuler
Rapporteur, USA/Germany
Josephine Shaw
Co-founder Trans Media Watch;Trans Rights Activist, United Kingdom
Clare Shine
Non-Executive Director, The Crown Estate, United Kingdom
Rajmonda Sylbije
Executive Director, Centre for Equality and Liberty, Kosovo
Louse Wies Van der Laan
Resource Specialist; former chef de cabinet of the president of the International Criminal Court; former Member of the Netherlands Parliament and the European Parliament; The Netherlands
Teyo van der Schoot
Program Specialist, HIVOS, The Netherlands
Dennis van der Veur
Resource Specialist; Head of Sector Equality, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Austria
Saskia Wieringa
Professor, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
M. V. Lee Badgett
Director, Center for Public Policy & Administration, University of Massachusetts Amherst Gordon Hall; Williams Distinguished Scholar, Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law & Public Policy UCLA School of Law; Professor of Economics, University of Ma
Karen Beale
Associate Professor of Psychology, Maryville College, USA
Nicole Bogart
Rapporteur; Freelance Journalist and Professional Writer, Toronto, Canada
Debanuj DasGupta
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, University of Connecticut, USA
Glyn Davies
Former United States Ambassador to Thailand
Patricia Davis
Director for Global Programs, Human Rights & Labor, US Department of State, USA
Rangita de Silva de Alwis
Associate Dean of International Affairs at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
Erin Doss
Office of Economic Growth and Vulnerable Populations at U.S. Agency for International Development, USA
Lisa Edwards
Jewish lesbian activist, USA
Shawn Friele
Second Secretary (Political and Economic) at Embassy of Canada to Thailand
Estela González
Associate Professor, Department of Spanish Director, Latin American Studies Program, Middlebury College, USA
Robert Greenan
Counselor for Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy, USA
Michael Heflin
Director of Equality, Open Society Foundations, USA
Tim Hubler
Composer, Pianist and Conductor, USA
Joy Ladin
Gottesman Professor of English, Yeshiva University, USA
Todd Larson
Senior Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Coordinator, USAID, USA
Amanda Martinez
Assistant Professor, Davidson College, USA
Robert Moeller
Assistant Professor, Middlebury College, USA
Ian Mungall
Programme Analyst, HIV, Health and Development team at UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, Thailand
Marc Pachter
Director Emeritus, National Portrait Gallery, USA
Donica Pottie
Ambassador of Canada to the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Kingdom of Thailand and Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand
Brandan Robertson
Executive Director, Metanoia, USA
Jonathan Sauvé
Counselor and program manager, Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Service, Embassy of Canada to Austria.
Edmund Settle
Policy Advisor United Nations Development Programme, Bangkok
Scot Sherman
Executive Director, Newbigin House of Studies, USA
Matthew Weinert
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, University of Delaware, USA
Tobias Wolff
Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School, USA
Victor Yang
Community Organizer (Canada) & Doctoral Student, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

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