Feel Good Friday - Kaleidoscope Trust

In today’s Pride-themed Feel Good Friday, we take a trip across the pond to highlight the UK-based charity, Kaleidoscope Trust.

Founded in 2011 and based in London, the vision of Kaleidoscope Trust is “a world where LGBTI+ people everywhere are free to be themselves and one in which no LGBTI+ person is left behind in the fight for freedom, safety and equality.”

The inspiration to create Kaleidoscope Trust is explained on the website. “Much of the persecution, discrimination and violence faced by LGBT+ people across the Commonwealth originates from the United Kingdom's colonial exploits. Alongside British cultural attitudes and mores, Britain exported homophobic laws that penalised those who lived and loved outside of established British societal norms.” With 35 of the 56 Commonwealth member states still criminalizing same-sex intimacy, Kaleidoscope Trust is working to uphold the human rights of LGBT+ people around the world.

Their work is divided into several areas: advocacy to spread awareness of LGBT+ rights across the Commonwealth and around the globe; funding and capacity building for organizations defending human rights; strengthening movements by connecting organizations with similar goals to each other and by connecting grassroots organizers with politicians and decision makers; and research that helps shape their advocacy and program design.

You can explore the Kaleidoscope Trust website to read more about specific research topics such as "Mental Health in LGBT+ Communities Across the Commonwealth”, “The Economic Cost of LGBT+ Exclusion” or “An Intersectional Approach to Policy making". While Kaleidoscope Trust doesn’t provide direct support to individuals, they do share a list of recommended organizations that can provide assistance. 

If you’d like to support Kaleidoscope Trust during Pride month, or any other time of year, you can do so by volunteering, making a donation and amplifying their message on social media. Follow Kaleidoscope Trust on Facebook, on Twitter @Kaleidoscope_T and on Instagram @kaleidoscope_t. #FreeSafeEqual