The LGBT+ Rotary Fellowship

PICTURED: “Did someone say selfie!?” Rotaractors and Rotarians enjoying one of the first LGBT+ Rotary Fellowship events at the Toronto Pride Parade, which coincided with the 2018 RI Convention in Toronto, Canada. 

By Anne Matthews
D9560 Passport Rotary Club

The LGBT+ Rotary Fellowship came about after the Rotary International Conference in Atlanta in 2017. During a panel discussion on LGBT+ inclusion in Rotary, a question was asked regarding LGBT+ Rotarians and if a fellowship or Rotary Action Group existed already.

The answer was no. At that breakout session the decision was made to establish a fellowship.

The LGBT+ Rotary Fellowship was officially recognised as a Rotary fellowship on June 22, 2018. It is a group dedicated to promoting global friendship, service and education with the goal of creating an inclusive, understanding and welcoming community, fostering goodwill and peace, and realising a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for LGBT+ people.

The LGBT+ Rotary Fellowship connects members of the Rotary family and works to build an organisation that is welcoming to members of the LGBT+ community.

They work to connect members in friendship, educate clubs to be more inclusive, and work with the Rotary family to develop and support service projects that impact and benefit LGBT+ communities.

The fellowship is also available as an LGBT+ advisory group, contributing to and consulting on practices to be an inclusive club, policy development and projects of significance to the LGBT+ community.

PDG Craig Bowen from Brisbane, Qld, is an active member of the fellowship. Craig, who was the charter president of the Rotary Club of Briz Pride in August 2023, says the fellowship is Rotary’s largest.

For more information, visit rotarylgbt.org