The Kaleidoscope Trust


Kaleidoscope Trust is a nonprofit organisation that campaigns for the human rights of LGBT+ people in countries where they are discriminated. John Bercow is President of the Trust, and Sir Stephen Wall is the current Chair of the Trust Board.

History

Kaleidoscope Trust was founded in 2011, and launched with a reception held by then Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP. Kaleidoscope Trust has received support from former Prime Minister David Cameron, former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and former Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband. Elton John and George Michael were also supporters.
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, widely known as Lady Phyll – partly due to her decision to reject an MBE to protest Britain’s role in formulating anti-LGBTQ penal codes across its empire – joined Kaleidoscope Trust as Executive Director in August 2019. Opoku-Gyimah made history when she became the first black woman to head a leading LGBT+ organisation in the UK. A community builder and organiser, with strong ties to emergent LGBT+ movements around the world, Opoku-Gyimah is also the co-founder and executive director of , dedicated to promoting "unity and co-operation among all Black people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent, as well as their friends and families, who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender."

Activities

The organisation works with existing groups campaigning for LGBT+ groups in other countries by using international lobbying in order to better enable groups to achieve their aims. It is based in the UK, which places it ideally for campaigning for LGBT rights across all the commonwealth countries, where 34 of 53 states criminalise homosexual activity.
In March 2012, the Trust was announced as the Official Charity Partner for World Pride 2012.