List of LGBTQ rights activists
This is a list of notable LGBTQ rights activists who have worked to advance LGBTQ rights through political change, legal action or publication. It is ordered by country, alphabetically.
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