Our people

Leanne MacMillan (she/her) joined the team at ILGA World as the first staff member of the Equal Rights Coalition Secretariat.  As manager she will build on the vision and foundation of the many volunteers from member states and civil society of this unique Coalition.

As a Director at Stonewall for several years, Leanne developed its global programme including advocacy, policy, programmes, partnerships and income generation working across civil society and with leading global corporates.  Known for her innovation and strategic thinking, she led the development of the hate crime app Zoteria, the creation of the Out of the Margins LBT+ SDG network, and SAFAR, a secure system to support the provision of humanitarian assistance, resettlement and advocacy for LGBTQI+ refugees and internally displaced persons, working extensively to address the urgent needs of those at grave risk in Afghanistan.

For over three decades Leanne worked across a range of human rights, humanitarian and development issues — including as a Director at the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims based in Denmark where she led the development of DFI, a global clinical database to track and support the rehabilitation of survivors of torture. Over several years at the global secretariat of Amnesty International, she was a member of the Strategic Leadership Team, was the Head of Office at the United Nations in York City; as the Global Refugee Coordinator she led policy, research, advocacy and a global campaign.

She has led strategic litigation and advocacy work at both regional and global fora with experience in policy, programme and advocacy work across a range of thematic issues including LGBTI people’s rights, torture prevention and rehabilitation, refugee law and policy, Sustainable Development Goals,, global health policy, detention, humanitarian assistance and resource mobilisation.  Leanne has carried out research, advocacy, and capacity-building in over 40 countries.

As part of the ILGA World team, Leanne aims to use her experience from secretariats, networks and coalitions to support the Equal Rights Coalition member states, civil society organisations and international organisations.

Leanne studied law at Osgoode Hall Law School in Canada, practiced law briefly before joining the refugee law research programme at the Centre for Refugee Studies in Canada to then follow a path of human rights activism.