This article outlines the challenges faced by humanitarian and development practitioners who identify as LGBTQI+. The article argues that while significant improvements have been made to better include the rights and needs of LGBTQI+ people in humanitarian programmes, that the humanitarian practitioners themselves still face significant barriers to inclusion. The author argues that aid organisations need to do more to meet their duty of care to their LGBTQI+ employees when working in the field and when working in their main office.
The author highlights that many of the most prominent humanitarian crises occur in countries that criminalise LGBTQI+ people, causing humanitarian practitioners to hide their identity when working in these countries.
The article outlines some of the policies that aid organisations should implement, such as recognising the relationships of staff who have same sex partners and providing assistance to staff who cannot apply for accompanying partner visas whilst working in the field. The article concludes with five recommendations for aid organisations to follow to meaningfully include and protect their LGBTQI+ staff.
