List of LGBTQ rights activists

Albania

• Xheni Karaj, founder of Aleanca LGBT organization and recipient of the Civil Rights Defenders of the Year Award 2022
• Kristi Pinderi, LGBT activist and journalist; founder of Pro-LGBT

  Angola

• Carlos Fernandes, LGBT activist and a founder/director of the Iris Angola Association
• Imanni Da Silva, Angolan model and transgender rights activist
• Titica, transgender Angolan singer and goodwill ambassador for UNAIDS

  Argentina

• Mariana Alarcón, human rights activist who worked for labor rights for transgender women
• Claudia Pía Baudracco, led the movement to repeal laws criminalizing transgender identities; co-founder of the Argentine Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans Federation
• Lohana Berkins, founder of the Association for the Fight for Travesti and Transsexual Identity
• Lara María Bertolini, human rights activist advocating for the rights of travesti, transgender, and non-binary people
• Claudia Castrosín Verdú, she and her partner were the first lesbian couple to form a civil union in Latin America; vice president of FALGBT
• María Rachid, politician and LGBT rights activist, partner of Claudia Castrosín Verdú
• Diana Sacayán, board member of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association and a leader of the Antidiscrimination Liberation Movement

  Armenia

• Lilit Martirosyan, trans right activist, founder of the Right Side NGO

  Australia

• Ron Austin
• Peter Bonsall-Boone
• Bob Brown
• Lyle Chan, member of ACT UP
• Rodney Croome
• Peter De Waal
• Alex Greenwich
• Grace Hyland
• Craig Johnston
• Michael Kirby, justice of the High Court of Australia
• Julie McCrossin
• Sally Rugg
• Magda Szubanski
• Derek Williams, co-founder of GaLTaS

  Austria

• Helmut Graupner, lawyer and LGBT activist
• Gery Keszler, organizer of the Life Ball
• Alex Jürgen
• Ulrike Lunacek
• Hermann von Teschenberg, barrister, translator, and LGBT rights activist

  Bangladesh

• Xulhaz Mannan

  Barbados

• Ro-Ann Mohammed, co-founder of the organization Barbados - Gays, Lesbians and All-Sexuals against Discrimination
• Donnya Piggott, tech entrepreneur, human rights advocate, co-founder of the organization Barbados - Gays, Lesbians and All-Sexuals against Discrimination

  Belgium

• Sonja Eggerickx, teacher, women and LGBT rights advocate
• Eliane Morissens, teacher and LGBT activist for labor rights

  Belize

• Derricia Castillo-Salazar
• Caleb Orozco

  Botswana

• Katlego Kai Kolanyane-Kesupile, performance artist, musician, writer and LGBT activist
• Monica Tabengwa, lawyer and researcher on LGBT rights issues in sub-Saharan Africa
• Caine Youngman, involved in court cases to legalize same-sex relationships

  Brazil

• Míriam Martinho
• Luiz Mott
• Toni Reis
• João Silvério Trevisan
• Jean Wyllys

  Bulgaria

• Desislava Petrova, LGBT activist, former president of Gemini
• Monika Pisankaneva, lecturer and activist; founder of Gemini

  Cameroon

• Bandy Kiki, blogger and LGBTQ activist
• Joel Gustave Nana Ngongang
• Alice Nkom, first woman lawyer in Cameroon and LGBTQ rights activist

  Canada

• Barry D. Adam, sociologist, author, and HIV/AIDS prevention researcher
• Enza Anderson, trans rights activist and journalist
• Florence Ashley, activist and academic who specializes in trans law and bioethics
• Chris Bearchell, gay liberation activist and right to privacy advocate
• Alec Butler, filmmaker and playwright
• Michelle Douglas, human rights activist who challenged military anti-LGBTQ discrimination policies
• Jim Egan, early LGBTQ rights activist known for his role in Egan v Canada
• Brent Hawkes, gay rights activist and clergyman
• Alan Herbert, LGBTQ rights activist and one of Canada's first out gay politicians
• George Hislop, gay rights activist and one of Canada's first out gay politicians
• k.d. lang, musician and LGBTQ rights activist
• John Alan Lee, sociologist and early LGBTQ rights activist
• Michael Lynch, gay liberationist and AIDS activist
• Irshad Manji, educator, human rights activist, and advocate for LGBTQ Muslims' rights
• Tim McCaskell, gay rights and AIDS activist
• Christin Milloy, LGBTQ activist and Canada's first out transgender provincial-level political candidate
• Arsham Parsi, activist and founder of the International Railroad for Queer Refugees
• Gordon Price, urban planner, gay rights activist, and former politician
• Svend Robinson, Canada's first MP to come out as gay while in office
• Bill Siksay, first out gay non-incumbent man to be elected to Canada's House of Commons
• Clara Sorrenti, Twitch streamer, political commentator, and trans rights activist
• Richard Summerbell, scientist, author, and gay activist
• Jenna Talackova, model who successfully waged a legal battle to be allowed to compete in the Miss Universe Canada
• Mark Tewksbury, competitive swimmer who challenged homophobia in the sports world
• Kai Cheng Thom, writer, performance artist, and activist
• Thomas Waugh, academic, film critic, and activist

  Chile

• Luis Larraín
• Pedro Lemebel
• Jaime Parada
• Pablo Salvador

  China, People's Republic of

• Cui Zi'en
• Li Tingting, LGBT rights and feminist activist
• Li Yinhe
• Xian, LGBT rights activist and founder of Beijing-based lesbian organization Tongyu

  Colombia

• Virgilio Barco Isakson
• Armando Benedetti Villaneda
• Juliana Delgado Lopera
• Blanca Inés Durán Hernández
• Angélica Lozano Correa
• Tatiana de la Tierra

  Costa Rica

• Victor Madrigal-Borloz

  Croatia

• Merlinka
• Mima Simić, LGBTQ activist and Croatia's first openly out LGBTIQ+ political candidate

  Cuba

• Ada Bello, LGBTQ rights activist and medical researcher
• Mariela Castro, director of the National Commission for Comprehensive Attention to Transsexual People

  Denmark

• Axel and Eigil Axgil, Danish gay rights advocates
• Lili Elbe, Danish painter, transgender woman

  Ecuador

• Sandra Álvarez, founder of the Ecuadorian Organization of Lesbian Women and the first openly LGBT person to hold an elected position in Ecuador’s National Assembly
• Orlando Montoya, Colombian who led Ecuador's decriminalization of homosexuality
• Diane Rodríguez
• Carina Vance Mafla

  Egypt

• Shrouk El-Attar
• Sarah Hegazi
• Maher Sabry
• Omar Sharif Jr.

  El Salvador

• Ruby Corado, Salvadoran LGBTQ rights activist

  Estonia

• Lisette Kampus
• Peeter Rebane

  Finland

• Sakris Kupila
• Sofi Oksanen

  France

• Camille Cabral
• Pierre Guénin
• Fabrice Houdart
• Christiane Taubira
• Lilian Thuram, former French soccer player
• Rama Yade, former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights of France

  Germany

• Volker Beck
• Adolf Brand
• Manfred Bruns
• Benedict Friedlaender
• Magnus Hirschfeld
• Corny Littmann
• Karl Heinrich Ulrichs

  Greece

• Jason-Antigone Dane, LGBT activist, first person to ask for official recognition as a non-binary person
• Marina Galanou, trans activist, publisher, writer, and columnist
• Zak Kostopoulos, Greek-American LGBT, AIDS, refugee, sex-worker activist
• Panos H. Koutras, filmmaker and LGBT activist
• Menelas Siafakas, filmmaker and LGBT activist

  Guatemala

• Aldo Dávila, politician and first openly gay man and first HIV-positive member of Congress
• Sandra Morán, first out LGBT person ever elected to Congress; LGBT and human rights activist

  Honduras

• Erick Martínez Ávila, journalist and LGBT and AIDS activist
• Claudia Spellmant, LGBT and transgender activist
• Walter Tróchez, political activist and LGBT rights leader

  Hungary

• Gergely Homonnay, journalist and LGBT activist
• Ildikó Juhász
• Karl Maria Kertbeny, journalist and human rights activist who coined the terms "homosexual" and "heterosexual"

  Iceland

• Owl Fisher, youngest trans person to medically transition in Iceland; LGBT activist
• Hörður Torfason

  India

• Sonal Giani
• Manvendra Singh Gohil
• Anjali Gopalan
• Anand Grover
• Menaka Guruswamy
• Ashok Row Kavi
• Harish Iyer
• Gopi Shankar Madurai
• Akkai Padmashali
• Sridhar Rangayan
• Ramachandrapurapu Raj Rao
• Laxmi Narayan Tripathi
• Rose Venkatesan

  Indonesia

• Dede Oetomo

  Iran

• Shadi Amin
• Elham Malekpoor
• Arsham Parsi
• Alireza Shojaian

  Iraq

• Zhiar Ali
• Amir Ashour

  Ireland

• Mary Dorcey
• Lydia Foy
• David Norris
• Tonie Walsh
• Katherine Zappone

  Israel

• Imri Kalmann, former co-chairperson of the Israeli LGBT Association
• Yair Qedar, founder of Israel's first LGBT newspaper

  Italy

• Imma Battaglia
• Franco Grillini
• Vladimir Luxuria

  Jamaica

• Maurice Tomlinson, LGBT and HIV/AIDS activist who challenged the homophobic Sodomy Law
• Brian Williamson, co-founded the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays

  Japan

• Taiga Ishikawa
• Wataru Ishizaka
• Maki Muraki, head of Nijiro Diversity in Osaka
• Kanako Otsuji, first openly lesbian politician in Japan

  Kenya

• Edwin Chiloba
• Denis Nzioka

  Kyrgyzstan

• Dastan Kasmamytov

  Latvia

• Kristīne Garina, LGBT activist and co-founder of Mozaīka

  Lebanon

• Georges Azzi
• Sandra Melhem
• Hamed Sinno

  Lithuania

• Marija Aušrinė Pavilionienė
• Romas Zabarauskas

  Malta

• Ruth Baldacchino
• Gabi Calleja
• Mina Tolu