Former U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI+) Persons
Jessica Stern is an expert in gender, sexuality and human rights with more than two decades of leadership across government, civil society, multilateral institutions, philanthropy, and academia.
She proudly serves as Co-Founder and Principal of the Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice, an organization co-founded by 8 former Ambassadors, Special Representatives, and Special Envoys for human rights and global justice. The Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice strives to center human rights within U.S. foreign policy, reimagining American diplomacy through advocacy, public engagement, and global partnerships.
Stern also currently serves as an inaugural Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights, where she is pioneering new fellowships on global LGBTQI+ equality and inclusive foreign policy. She is the first LGBTQI+ rights expert to hold a senior fellowship at the Kennedy School.
From 2021 to 2025, Stern served as U.S. Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, where she directed U.S. foreign policy to combat discrimination and violence worldwide. As Special Envoy, she represented the United States bilaterally, mobilized government coalitions, and oversaw policies and programs disbursing millions in foreign assistance. She demanded justice when LGBTQI+ people were arbitrarily arrested or subjected to violence, including killings, and she advocated against discriminatory laws to advocate for equality for all. She was both the first human rights expert and the last person to hold the mandate.
Previously, she served as Executive Director of Outright International, one of the world’s largest global LGBTQI+ rights NGOs, transforming it into a powerhouse for advocacy, research, and grant-making. At Outright, she was a founder of the United Nations LGBTI Core Group, now a permanent coalition of Member States advancing equality at the UN; provided the first LGBTQI+ expert testimony in a UN Security Council Arria; and campaigned for UN Human Rights Council resolutions leading to the establishment and continuity of the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
At Columbia University, Stern teaches the first and only course on LGBTQI+ rights and public policy at the School of International and Public Affairs, equipping future leaders with the analytical and practical tools to address inequality in global governance. She also lectures at Leiden University’s Summer School on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in International Law, the premier academic intensive for students and practitioners in the field.
Stern’s contributions have been recognized by civil society, governments, and multilateral institutions worldwide, including awards from the U.S. Departments of Treasury and State (2025), the Rainbow Railroad’s Freedom Award (2023), and designation as a Baltic Pride Hero (2022).
Her writing bridges international law, diplomacy, feminist and queer theory, and human rights. She is the author of articles and chapters in leading journals and volumes, including the NYU Journal of International Law & Politics and the Oxford Handbook on Women, Peace and Security, as well as commentary in Foreign Policy, Newsweek, and the World Economic Forum. Her work has been cited in landmark court decisions, including Johar v. Union of India, the ruling decriminalizing homosexuality in India, and Karen Atala Riffo v. Chile, the first case on LGBT rights before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
