Chatham House’s EDI Working Group arranged a public panel at Chatham House on 26 June 2025 to map the state of LGBTIQ+ rights online and explore where better policies are possible.
Chaired by Isabella Wilkinson (Research Fellow, Digital Society Programme and LGBTIQ+ Co-Chair, EDI Working Group), the event spotlighted global trends in disinformation messaging, targeting and impacts, painting a sobering picture of democratic backsliding and barriers to public participation.
Speaking at the event were Peter Tatchell, a renowned human rights activist; Lucy Middleton, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s LGBTQ+ correspondent; and Francesca Gentile, an open-source researcher from the Centre for Information Resilience.
Drawing on speakers’ expertise, the conversation also highlighted how online threats have offline consequences, with disproportionate harms faced by parts of the LGBTIQ+ communities, such as trans people.
Rheea Saggar, Marketing and Communications Manager and LGBTIQ+ Co-Chair, EDI Working Group, said:
‘The event highlighted why protecting minority rights online is a matter of democratic resilience and demands intersectional approaches: there is no one-size-fits-all solution.’
Joseph Osayande, Deputy Head of Individual Memberships and chair of Chatham House’s EDI Working Group, said:
‘We are grateful to our speakers and lively audience and look forward to hosting other timely discussions on issues of EDI in international affairs.’
Chatham House’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group coordinates, consults on and supports the delivery of EDI-related events and activities across the institute. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact us.