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8 August 1978

International Gay Association (IGA) Founded in Coventry

Activism International UK

Thirty delegates from organisations across 14 countries met at a fringe meeting of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality conference in Coventry, England and founded the International Gay Association (IGA). Chaired by activists Rob Pistor and Peter Ashman, the IGA aimed to decriminalise homosexuality and coordinate political action internationally. Key founding members included Joseph Doucé, a gay Baptist preacher from Paris, and Jeff Dudgeon, a Belfast activist. The organisation would later become ILGA — the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association — growing into the world's largest federation of LGBTQI+ organisations with more than 2,000 member organisations from over 170 countries and territories.

Impact & Significance

The founding of IGA created the world's first international LGBTQI+ umbrella organisation, providing a global platform for coordinated advocacy and enabling cross-border solidarity that continues to drive legal and social change worldwide.

Reference Record

Date
8 August 1978
Era
1970-1989
Sources
2

Editorially reviewed — reviewed · last reviewed 2026-09-19.

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