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Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights organizations are civil rights, health, and community organizations created and existing to further the civil and human rights and health of sexual minorities and to improve the LGBT community.

LGBT organizations may range from more moderate, liberal, organizations such as Stonewall (UK), to more outspoken organizations such as OutRage! in the U.K. and Bash Back! in the U.S., to the conservative, Log Cabin Republicans, in the U.S..

The Scientific-Humanitarian Committee (1897-1933)
The first LGBT rights organizations began to emerge in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Early LGBT organizations were primarily research-oriented psychiatric organizations that took a sympathetic, rather than corrective approach to homosexuality. The first organization that advocated for gay and transgender rights, was the German based Scientific-Humanitarian Committee (Wissenschaftlich-humanitäres Komitee, WhK), established in 1897 by physician Magnus Hirschfeld and his colleagues. At the time, female homosexuality often went unrecognized in Europe and was not taken up in several penal codes, which explains why the organization's focus was not primarily on women.

Through the study of sexology the NWHK and the WhK sought to obtain "justice through science" by providing research into the nature of homosexuality to educate the public and to try normalizing homosexuality. Their primary goal was to repeal Germany's sodomy laws; an ambitious endeavor for that time as the decriminalization of homosexuality would take place years later in 1969. Although the WhK did not succeed in the abolishment of these laws, the organization did manage to bring the issue before the Reichstag after submitting petitions in 1898, 1922 and 1925 which helped to open up the debate about gay rights in Germany. The WhK also tried to lessen anti-gay bias, help homosexuals accept themselves, and represented those who were subjected to blackmail based on their sexuality.

While the Whk mainly operated in Germany, other branches were established in the Netherlands after the Dutch Lower House passed a bill criminalizing immorality in 1911. This bill, which fell under article 248bis of the Dutch penal code, sentenced more than 2,500 people (mostly men) to prison for their display of homosexual behavior with a minor. Contrary to heterosexual relations where the age of consent was 16, homosexual relations required a minimum age of 21. In response, Dutch activist Jacob Schorer, who had studied sexuality at the WhK, founded the Dutch Scientific Humanitarian Committee (Nederlandsch Wetenschappelijk Humanitair Komitee, NWHK) in the same year as the bill passed, and the NWHK tried to ensure equal rights for homosexuals by setting up a library centered around homosexuality and sexuality.

The Society for Human Rights (1924-1925)
Early LGBT organizations in the United States were, like earlier German organizations, primarily centered around the rights of gay men. The Society for Human Rights was founded in 1924 in Chicago, Illinois by Henry Gerber, who was inspired by Hirschfeld's work in Germany and produced the first gay-rights-oriented publication in the US, Friendship and Freedom. The organization's aim was to "combat public prejudices" through lectures and eventually Gerber hoped to get through to the authorities that change was necessary with regards to the criminalization of homosexual acts, leading to long sentences. Unfortunately, Gerber was unable to gain much support for his organization, as many people were scared of retribution; even advocates for sexual freedom and physicians were not willing to risk their reputation for those who engaged in then criminal activities. Gerber was the sole provider of the organization's funds and the only author of the issues for Friendship and Freedom. When he was arrested after a tip to the police from the society's vice president, he lost his job and the organization ceased to exist without his contribution.

The world league for sexual reform (1928-1935)

The first national gay rights organization, the Mattachine Society, was formed in 1951, was created by Harry Hay.

The first lesbian rights organization in the US was founded in 1955. The Daughters of Bilitis was founded in San Francisco, California by activist couple Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon. In 1966, National Transsexual Counseling Unit was formed in San Francisco.

inspired by WhK: the society for human rights

Amnesty international

ILGA-Europe

Stonewall's.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC

the trevor project

Colombia Diversa