The GLOBE Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill designed to make protecting LGBTQI rights a central focus of U.S. foreign policy. Right now, about 62 countries criminalize same-sex relationships, and LGBTQI people worldwide face violence, discrimination, and abuse—sometimes even from their own governments. This bill aims to change that by giving the U.S. government new tools and responsibilities to address these issues globally.

The bill creates several new positions and groups to coordinate efforts. It establishes a permanent Special Envoy for LGBTQI Human Rights at the State Department (a high-ranking diplomat) and a Senior LGBTQI Coordinator at the international aid agency (USAID). It also creates an interagency task force led by the Secretary of State that brings together officials from Defense, Treasury, Justice, and other departments to respond to threats against LGBTQI people abroad. These officials will develop strategies to pressure other countries to change their laws and practices.

The bill's most significant enforcement tool is a sanctions list. The President must identify foreign individuals responsible for serious human rights abuses against LGBTQI people—including torture, wrongful imprisonment, or disappearances—and publish their names. People on this list cannot enter the U.S., get visas, or do business here, and their family members face the same restrictions. The bill also requires the State Department to include information about LGBTQI persecution in its annual human rights reports on every country, and it directs U.S. diplomats to develop strategies to combat violence and discrimination. Additionally, the bill makes changes to immigration law to better protect LGBTQI asylum seekers and refugees, recognizing them as vulnerable populations deserving special consideration.