News
LGBT activists call for more global funding at Berlin conference
U.S. to host gay donor meeting next year

A USAID-sponsored training in Bogotá, Colombia, in May drew 30 LGBT activists from across the country. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)
Astraea Foundation Executive Director J. Bob Alotta, Transgender Europe Executive Director Julia Ehrt, ILGA-Europe Executive Director Evelyne Paradise, Axel Hochrein of the Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany, Gift Trapence of the Centre for the Development of People in Malawi and Simón Cazal of the Paraguayan LGBT advocacy group Somosgay are among those who traveled to the German capital. Patricia Davis of the U.S. State Department, senior USAID advisor Claire Lucas, Katharina Spiess of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Keyvan Sayar of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government officials also took part.
The Berlin conference followed a similar gathering the Swedish International Development Corporation Agency (SIDA) and the Netherlands-based Humanist Institute for Cooperation (Hivos) co-hosted in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2010. U.S. Ambassador to Germany John Emerson announced during the conference that the next meeting of this kind will take place in the U.S. next year.
“USAID along with the State Department is happy to represent the U.S. government and participate in the Dec. 5 and 6 Berlin conference on increasing support and resources for global LGBTI rights and development,” Jay Gilliam of USAID told the Washington Blade.
“The cross-sector dialogue slated to take place among government officials, NGOs, local activists and LGBT organizations has the potential to be catalytic — both in terms of increasing the resources available and in achieving a level of coordination that will accelerate advancement of the human rights of LGBT people everywhere,” added Arcus Foundation Executive Director Kevin Jennings before the conference began.
Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada, a Canadian LGBT rights group, told the Blade on Friday she feels it was important for her organization “to be present” at the conference “in order to contribute to the conversation of how funding and resources can be increased and broadened.” Staffers from the Canadian Embassy in Berlin attended the gathering, but Kennedy said Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s administration can do more to support the global LGBT rights movement.
“It’s important for a strong message to be delivered to our government that we are sadly missed as a leader in these discussions at the international level,” Kennedy told the Blade.
The Berlin conference began a day after National Security Advisor Susan Rice stressed during a speech she gave at Human Rights First’s annual summit in D.C. that LGBT rights remain an essential part of U.S. foreign policy.
USAID, SIDA, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice and the Ford Foundation on Sept. 24 hosted a meeting of funders of global LGBT advocacy efforts in New York that coincided with the beginning of the U.N. General Assembly. Secretary of State John Kerry and representatives from 10 countries two days earlier issued a declaration that calls for an end to anti-LGBT violence and discrimination.
USAID earlier this year announced a public-private initiative with SIDA, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Institute and other groups that will contribute $12 million over the next four years to LGBT advocacy groups in Honduras and other developing countries. The LGBT Global Development Partnership’s first two trainings took place in the Colombian cities of Bogotá and Cartagena in May and August respectively.
Uzra Zeya, acting assistant secretary of the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, told the Blade during a June interview that her agency’s Global Equality Fund since 2011 has spent more than $4 million in 25 countries to directly support LGBT advocates and underrepresented groups.
“Participating in the Berlin conference allows the agency (USAID) to continue discussions with stakeholders like agencies from donor countries and non-governmental organizations in this space on progress made and how to move the advancement of international LGBTI rights forward,” Gilliam said.
Hungary
New Hungarian prime minister takes office
Péter Magyar’s party defeated anti-LGBTQ Viktor Orbán last month
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar took office on Saturday.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza party on April 12 defeated then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition. Vice President JD Vance less than a week before the election traveled to Budapest, the Hungarian capital, and urged Hungarians to support Orbán.
Orbán had been in office since 2010. He and his government faced widespread criticism over its anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
The European Commission in 2022 sued Hungary, which is a member of the EU, over the country’s anti-LGBTQ propaganda law. The European Union’s top court, the EU Court of Justice, on April 21 struck down the statute.
The EU while Orbán was office withheld upwards of €35 billion ($41.26) in funds to Hungary in response to concerns over corruption, rule of law, and other issues.
Hungarian lawmakers in March 2025 passed a bill that banned Pride events and allowed authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those who participate in them. MPs later amended the Hungarian constitution to ban public LGBTQ events.
Upwards of 100,000 people last June defied the ban and marched in Budapest’s annual Pride parade.
“Congratulations to [Péter Magyar] on becoming prime minister of Hungary,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X.
“This Europe Day, our hearts are in Budapest,” she added. “The hope and promise of renewal is a powerful signal in these challenging times.”
“We have important work ahead of us,” noted von der Leyen. “For Hungary and for Europe, we are moving forward together.”
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Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”
McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”
Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”
On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”

Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman.
Virginia
Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan
Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.
Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.
The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.
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