Parallel Session: Financing the Future of Lesbian Organizing

The lesbian* movement has long been systematically underfunded—and despite years of advocacy, the trend isn’t improving. In fact, it’s getting worse. According to the latest Global Philanthropy Project report, a mere 2% of all global LGBTIQ funding is directed to LBQ women’s organizations and initiatives. This staggering gap is deepened by widespread funding cuts targeting LGBTIQ and women’s rights organizations, from both public and private sources.
Europe and Central Asia, in particular, continue to be chronically de-prioritized in most donors’ strategies and geographic scopes. This session will create space for a strategic, action-oriented conversation on the urgent need to resource the lesbian* movement—not just to survive, but to thrive. Grounded in the leadership and experience of lesbian* activists, the discussion will tackle the impact of current funding trends and explore potential solutions across short-, mid-, and long-term horizons.
The session will also include an open exchange with funders such as LesbianGlobal, Mama Cash, RFSL, Samia Fund, and Filia—creating space for shared accountability, radical transparency, and bold reimagining of what resourcing justice can look like.