Interventions to Address Discrimination against LGBTQi Persons

Abstract

This annotated bibliography synthesises evidence on interventions to limit discrimination and abuse against people who are LGBTQi. In general, development agencies have strong commitments to LGBTQi rights in their strategy and policy documents. However, they avoid addressing LGBTQi rights directly through programming. Historically, international donor support for LGBTQi rights has been channelled through health programmes (especially those related to sexual health or HIV/AIDS) and democracy and governance support programmes. Recently, there is a trend towards integrating LGBTQi rights across a broader set of development programmes under the auspices of “leave no one behind”. The literature notes some barriers that undermine the extent to which international development interventions or programmes can address discrimination against LGBTQi persons. One of the barriers includes LGBTQi rights are still not viewed as a development priority but as a controversy in some settings, leading embassies to be hesitant to engage with them. Limited data and understanding of the various issues that are categorised as LGBTQi curtail the extent to which these issues can be integrated with other development programmes. The literature also observes that prejudice among staff at all levels in development agencies undermines their willingness to engage with LGBTQi rights and issues.