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The Rainbow Road Ahead: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in a Backlash Era: Lessons from Global LGBTQIA+ Leaders

Location: 50 Market St, Oxford OX1 3DX

Time: Wednesday 2nd April 2025: 11:00 - 12:30hrs (UK)

Global conversations on DEI are at a crossroads.

​As many wealthy countries in the Global North—and the organizations and corporations within them—reassess, reduce, or even eliminate their DEI commitments, often under political pressure, the space for bold, transformative inclusion feels increasingly under threat. Particularly in the U.S., we’re seeing a worrying rollback in DEI investments and leadership. Some institutions are retreating, scaling back, or even abandoning the hard work of building equitable systems.

​But, there are leaders who never had the luxury of retreat.

​Across the African continent, LGBTQIA+ leaders have long been innovating on the frontlines of inclusion. Working in environments where their very identities are criminalized and their safety is never guaranteed, they are designing radical models of safety, celebration, and collective care. They are creating systems of belonging and equity that are resilient, intersectional, and grounded in proximity to the communities they serve.

​This session flips the power dynamic. We invite representatives from wealthy countries, INGOs, funders, and corporations to listen and learn from these proximate LGBTQIA+ African leaders who are navigating complex, high-stakes environments with creativity, courage, and authenticity.

​What if the future of DEI isn’t being written in boardrooms in New York or London—but on the frontlines in Nairobi, Lagos, and beyond?

Key Themes

​1. From Survival to Celebration

​How do you build safe, inclusive spaces when safety isn’t guaranteed? What does it mean to celebrate LGBTQIA+ identities when visibility itself can be dangerous? African LGBTQIA+ leaders have been creating spaces of liberation, joy, and resilience under the harshest conditions. Their experience offers powerful lessons for any organization trying to move beyond surface-level inclusion.

​2. Funding, Power, and the Future of DEI/EDI in a Backlash Era

​As DEI work faces backlash—especially in the U.S.—and resources shrink, the future of global inclusion will depend on listening to and resourcing those who are already doing the hardest work. What role can wealthy countries, donors, and corporations play in ensuring that funding doesn’t disappear just because the political winds have shifted? How do we keep equity work alive and transformative, not transactional?

​3. Leading from Proximity

​It’s time to shift from token inclusion to proximity-centered leadership. What does it mean to let those closest to the challenge lead? Proximate leaders are reimagining equity, not as a concept, but as daily practice—and they’re holding power in innovative, deeply accountable ways. How can you learn from them?

​Who Should Attend

​Funder and decision-makers based in Global North/wealthy countries Global development professionals shaping DEI work

​Corporate social impact leaders seeking lessons in resilient, authentic inclusion

​Anyone serious about moving from performative inclusion to transformational equity

​Speakers
A group of African and global LGBTQIA+ leaders from the Rainbow Road network—individuals working across sectors (health, advocacy, climate, education, social enterprise), who bring both lived experience and professional expertise