ReportOUT CEO Drew Dalton Named in the 2026 Pride Power List
- ReportOUT
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
We are proud to celebrate an exciting milestone for ReportOUT as our Founder and CEO, Drew Dalton, has been named one of the 2026 Pride Power List, recognised for his contribution to advancing LGBTQI+ equality around the world.
The Pride Power List celebrates 100 individuals in the LGBTQI+ community and their allies who are dedicated to creating a more equal and inclusive society. Featuring publicly nominated individuals, the list recognises those who have made a meaningful impact over the past year through campaigning, advocacy, research, public speaking, writing, and community leadership. The list is compiled by Diversity Umbrella in association with Stonewall and is published in The Guardian newspaper.
Drew has dedicated his career to advancing LGBTQI+ human rights on a global scale by working internationally to research and challenge inequalities relating to sexuality and gender identity. His work has helped shine a light on the experiences of LGBTQI+ communities worldwide, supporting evidence-based advocacy and driving conversations about equality and inclusion.
About Drew Dalton
Before ReportOUT, Drew was a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Sunderland, where he taught across Sociology, Criminology and Social Policy while continuing his research into global LGBTQI+ equality, hate crime and human rights. He spent more than a decade in higher education, teaching, researching and publishing, before leaving to become a consultant. He now works at ReportOUT and OUT North East in two very different roles.
He is the author of Broken Rainbow, a forthcoming book examining queer lives, rights and resistance across the world, due for publication in 2027. Throughout his career he has worked across a wide range of social justice movements centred on LGBTQI+ equality, human rights and inclusion, both in the United Kingdom and through partnerships and projects across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America.
Reflecting on his work, Drew stated:
"For me, social justice has never simply been about challenging injustice, it has been about working in partnership with local communities to ensure their voices, experiences and leadership remain at the centre of creating lasting change."
He has led work in Nepal and Kenya, tackling girls access to education in Kenya and child slavery in Nepal. His work has included documenting human rights abuses, training police and professionals, supporting grassroots activists, researching discrimination, delivering international conferences, advising governments and organisations, and campaigning for policy change through the United Nations and other international human rights mechanisms.
Earlier this month, Drew was invited to Downing Street for the launch of the UK's new LGBTQI+ Special Envoy, Lord Collins of Highbury, a role he had long lobbied for as Chair of the UK Alliance for Global Equality (UKAGE). Only a handful of countries still retain such envoys, so the appointment marks a significant moment for LGBTQI+ diplomacy, and one that organisations such as ReportOUT can work alongside to advance human rights internationally.
How ReportOUT Began
Drew Dalton founded ReportOUT in 2019 after recognising a gap for LGBTQI+ human rights organisations. While many were campaigning for LGBTQI+ equality in domestic capacities, none were dedicated to documenting and exposing human rights abuses against LGBTQI+ communities around the world while amplifying the voices of local activists. ReportOUT was created to fill that gap by combining research, education, advocacy and international solidarity.
Established in the North East of England, ReportOUT initially operated as a volunteer-led organisation before growing into an international charity. Like many charities, it started with people giving their time, energy and passion long before there were any offices, funding or paid staff. It began with a small team of seven dedicated volunteers and trustees who believed in the vision of creating a global human rights organisation, and those first volunteers laid the foundations for what has become an internationally recognised charity.
This work spans a wide range of projects, from 'Call OUT' series, including the first ever country wide study of LGBTQI+ experiences in Mongolia, to the Newcastle-Gateshead Declaration, a global commitment to LGBTQI+ dignity and equality signed by individuals, organisations and institutions worldwide. ReportOUT is also behind #SaferToBeMe, a programme that has grown year on year, from a global summit bringing thousands together in solidarity against LGBTQI+ harm and hatred, to this year's upcoming conference in November 2026, focused on supporting LGBTQI+ young people in the UK. Alongside this sits ReportOUT's Leadership and Campaigner Training, a six month course developing the next generation of LGBTQI+ advocates.
Today ReportOUT is one of the most recognised LGBTQ+ organisations in the UK and around the world, supported by 84 volunteers, three members of staff and 14 trustees, bringing together expertise from the United Kingdom and beyond.
From all of us at ReportOUT, congratulations to Drew for coming in at number 60 on the Pride Power List 2026. We are incredibly proud to see his work, and the mission of ReportOUT, recognised alongside so many inspiring advocates and changemakers, and we look forward to continuing our work advancing LGBTQI+ equality and human rights around the world.