THE TRUSTS
Albert Kennedy Trust
As we remain in lockdown, AKT has continued to see a high volume of young people come to us needing support, either because they are homeless or because their living situation at home is becoming increasingly volatile.
The Services team has managed to keep on top of this workload, rehousing more rough sleepers than we possibly ever have done in this short period of time. Our switch to virtual (‘remote’) working has also helped us to be effective in supporting young people outside of our main regions and allowed us to help vulnerable LGBTQ+ young people across the UK. For most people, lifting lockdown is the light at the end of the tunnel. However, at AKT, we know that what we’re seeing and what young people are experiencing now is just the beginning.
Post-lockdown, we expect many of the hostile and abusive parents and families to tell their LGBTQ+ children to leave. This will lead to a spike in homelessness, including rough sleeping, as their friends might feel uncomfortable letting people sleep on the couch as we remain in social distancing. And for LGBTQ+ young people who were struggling to survive before lockdown, on zero hours contracts or self-employed, we expect them to be impacted by a rent debt crisis. Times are hard, but this is only the beginning for what our young people are going through, and we’re starting to make preparations to ensure we can be there and help them every step of the way.
Kaleidoscope Trust
Kaleidoscope Trust's vision is a free, safe and equal world for LGBTQIA people everywhere. Established in 2011, Kaleidoscope Trust works to uphold the human rights of lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) people in countries around the world where they are discriminated against or marginalised due to their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression.
We work with British and international institutions and partners to fund and support the work of LGBT+ activists to bring about positive legislative, policy and social change for LGBT+ people everywhere. Supporting those on the front line in these countries, many of whom put their personal safety and lives at risk to uphold and defend their community's rights. We do this by:
-
Connecting LGBT+ activists from the Global South with high-level political and diplomatic decision makers across the world to advocate for positive policy change, and strengthening the capacity of LGBT+ activists to partake in international human rights advocacy, through our work with The Commonwealth Equality Network
-
Helping to build intersectional civil society movements across regions in the Global South that fight for equality for both women & girls, as well as LGBT+ people, through our work in the Equality & Justice Alliance
-
Challenging societal stigma by working with LGBT+ activists across five cities in Africa to address the challenges facing their communities, promote LGBT+ inclusion in society and strategise on how to drive positive change for LGBT+ people as part of the Strong in Diversity, Bold on Inclusion programme
-
Co-chairing the Equal Rights Coalition, an inter-governmental body that brings together 42 member states and more 120 civil society organisations in order to advance the human rights of and promote inclusive development for LGBTI+ persons globally.
Our work also involves speaking to and educating the UK public on the historical role the country has played in bestowing discriminatory, anti-LGBT+ laws upon many of its subjects during the colonial era, as well as shining a light on the struggles of LGBT+ human rights activists across the world and educating the public on how they can help to create positive change.