We are pleased to share that we have been awarded a grant by the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University for a Research Cluster on Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights. This award brings a dedicated research dimension to the important work already being carried out by the Global LGBTQI+ Program at the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights at Harvard Kennedy School, and will extend for three years.
Weatherhead research clusters are interdisciplinary communities that develop ideas, generate new international networks, and bring energy to the Weatherhead Center by actively conducting research on questions of broad global significance. They meet these goals through organizing seminars and conferences and producing articles or other output aimed at academic and public audiences. They foster new intellectual connectivity among members—and across cohorts—by bringing together faculty with students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars.
“The synergy with the Weatherhead Center expands the scope of our work and also deepens our ties across the university,” says Diego Garcia Blum, Director of the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program. “It connects us with an extraordinary network of scholars and researchers who are helping us better understand and respond to the global backlash against LGBTQI+ human rights. I could not be more excited about this incredible partnership.”
The Research Cluster on Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights will devote the next three years to examining the root causes, major players, and core tactics and strategies of the global backlash against LGBTQI+ people. We will conduct research, convene stakeholders, curate and consolidate what we already know, and create new interventions to build a world where human rights for LGBTQI+ people are the norm.
“This generous support from Weatherhead is a game changer,” says Dr. Timothy Patrick McCarthy, Faculty Chair of the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program. “Our colleagues are making a major investment in our research program that allows us to sustain and expand the work we are doing to understand and combat the global backlash against LGBTQI+ people and our rights. It also helps ensure that Harvard will be a hub for this work as we navigate this urgent and perilous time.”
About The Research Cluster on Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights:
Faculty: Mathias Risse (HKS), Timothy Patrick McCarthy (HKS, HGSE)
The deliberate targeting of LGBTQI+ communities is part of an increasingly coordinated and well-resourced transnational strategy to polarize societies, weaken democratic institutions, and expand illiberal influences. This rising transnational threat is in many respects a reactionary backlash against hard-earned advances won by and for LGBTQI+ people over the last generation. This research cluster examines the interplay of state and nonstate actors as leading drivers of this global backlash against democracy and human rights. We convene leading human rights scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and activists to produce cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, data-informed policy recommendations, and new public engagement and culture change strategies to promote the safety and security—and protect and advance the human rights—of LGBTQI+ people worldwide.
View the full Weatherhead Research Cluster press release here.
The HKS community pays tribute to two alumni who were shot in presumed acts of political violence
Update August 11, 2025: Miguel Uribe tragically died on Monday, August 11, after being shot during a campaign event in June. The Harvard Kennedy School community mourns his loss.
The Harvard Kennedy School community is deeply saddened and shocked by two shootings of alumni in separate incidents this month, both presumed victims of politically motivated violence.
On June 14, Melissa Hortman MC/MPA 2018, a Minnesota state representative, and her husband, Mark Hortman, were tragically assassinated in their home by a suspect who had also attacked other Minnesota lawmakers. Just a week earlier, on June 7, Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay MC/MPA 2022 was shot in the head while addressing crowds at a presidential campaign event in Bogotá, Colombia. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Kennedy School friends, classmates, faculty and staff—stunned by the attacks on Hortman and Uribe—have responded with an outpouring of tributes. You can read their powerful words below.
Melissa Hortman MC/MPA 2018
A native Minnesotan, Hortman was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2004 as a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). She would eventually serve as minority leader and then as speaker. In the latter role, from 2019 to earlier this year, Hortman navigated her share of political challenges—from negotiating police reform after the George Floyd murder to addressing the challenges of COVID-19.
A committed public servant, Hortman said in a 2020 Harvard Kennedy School article, “In politics, often the easiest thing for anyone to do is run to a microphone, sharpen their dagger, and see who has the best press conference. But what's excruciatingly difficult in all this high emotion is to get people to the table and to slog through the work that has to happen.”
Classmates and faculty members paid tribute to Hortman in a Boston Globe article this weekend. Others shared reflections in the Harvard Crimson. Richard Parker, a former lecturer at HKS and a senior fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, said, “Melissa was one of those students who made me proud to teach at the Kennedy School. She was smart, experienced—and most important of all, devoted to the calling of public service. There’s too much derision of that kind of service nowadays—with critics claiming it’s ‘bureaucratic,’ it’s working for ‘lousy pay,’ it’s shoring up ‘governments that don’t work.’” Parker said, “Those sorts of judgments represent a cancer that is ravaging our democracy—because without good government, strong government, government that cares for its citizens and protects its reputation for decency, we’re at risk of losing what matters most about America. Melissa knew that—and the students who knew Melissa drew strength and inspiration from her.”
Tim McCarthy, faculty chair of the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program at the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights Policy, said, “She was a great human being, a public servant of the highest order, and she was brave.”
Meghan O’Sullivan, the Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs and director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, wrote, “I remember Melissa as a thoughtful and committed student—someone deeply interested in public service and unafraid to expand beyond her comfort zone into complex fields like geopolitics and energy.”
Robert Livingston, a lecturer in public policy, said, “I will always remember Melissa as someone with an unshakeable sense of integrity and tireless dedication to public service. She was a brilliant, kind, and courageous soul who was deeply committed to improving the lives of everyone in our community. We must vehemently condemn such heinous and senseless acts of political violence, while also working to ensure that her service and sacrifice have not been in vain. Although she will be deeply missed, her spirit of benevolence and the positive impact of her work will eternally elevate and inspire us.”
Deborah Hughes Hallett, adjunct professor of public policy, writes, “Melissa was a source of quiet strength. She had principles, but she got along with everyone, whether they agreed with her or not. She was a shining example of that rare kind of leadership that connects and inspires.”
Natalie Kostich MC/MPA 2017 writes, “Melissa was one-of-a-kind. So humble, so genuine, such a truly good person. You just felt welcome in her presence, like you belonged. She embodied so much of what makes America great, of what the country is supposed to be—or hopefully become.”
Morgan Brown MC/MPA 2018 wrote, “Melissa Hortman was the best of us. She was a public servant with a relentless determination to help others and an extraordinary generosity of time and spirit. She enriched every environment she entered and we, her classmates and members of the HKS community, were enriched by her presence.”
Herbie Ziskend MPA 2017 wrote, “Melissa was always warm, thoughtful, and curious about others. Her infectious personality drew people in. I will miss Melissa dearly, and I feel grateful I got to know her during our time at HKS. May her memory be a blessing to all.”
Francesco Galtieri MC/MPA 2017 writes, “I would like to join all those witnessing Melissa’s humanity, her strong values deeply rooted in her community, and her effective way of navigating politics, being firm in her objectives but committed to build bridges. She genuinely believed in listening, always putting public common interest in front of partisan agendas. And she did so with sharpness and a witty sense of humor. But what I will always bring with me and cherish is the fact that politics did not change the person she was. She remained true to herself, to the personal journey that led her to politics.”
U.S Representative Dan Crenshaw MC/MPA 2017, wrote of Hortman on X/Twitter, “I knew her to be a pure public servant, doing the job for all the right reasons. She wasn’t afraid of taking tough positions or tough compromises. Political violence has no place in America.”
Miguel Uribe Turbay MC/MPA 2022
Hailing from a family of prominent politicians and journalists in Bogotá—his grandfather had been president of Colombia—Miguel Uribe Turbay MC/MPA 2022 is a conservative politician who became a member of the Senate of Colombia in 2022. Before attending Harvard Kennedy School as a Mason Fellow, he had served on the Bogotá City Council and as secretary of the government of Bogotá. A member of the Democratic Center party, he is now seeking nomination for the 2026 presidential election in Colombia.
Uribe Turbay is not only the only member of his family who has suffered political violence. When he was a child, his journalist mother, Diana Turbay, was kidnapped and killed by a Colombian drug cartel. As Uribe started his presidential campaign, he paid tribute to her by announcing his intention to run in the region where she died, describing it as “a place with deep meaning for me.”
Jeffrey Liebman, the Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Social Policy and director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government, said, “There are some students who teach us more than we teach them. Miguel was one of those students. His insights about public infrastructure projects and procurement from his experience working with the Bogotá Metro were extraordinary.”
David King, a senior lecturer in public policy, said, “Miguel walked through HKS with open eyes and an open heart. He was profoundly optimistic about Colombia’s future, and Miguel was committed to that future. Today, fighting for his life, the assassination attempt reminds us of Colombia’s violent past, yet Miguel also represents the country’s path forward. He has tragically become a focus for unifying Colombia around a less-polarized future.”
Kessely Hong, a senior lecturer in public policy, wrote, "Miguel and I worked closely together when he was my student in a class on Negotiating Across Differences in the fall of 2021, and we stayed in touch afterward. I was impressed by his deep love for his country, and his generosity in sharing with our class his personal tragedy in losing his mother at a very young age following a kidnapping by a rebel group. This experience helped motivate his commitment to public service. I am praying for Miguel and his family.”
Gordon Hanson, the Peter Wertheim Professor in Urban Policy, wrote, “Miguel was a pleasure to have in class. He brought a deep knowledge of public policy in Colombia and an infectious desire to improve the lives of real people.”
Matt Andrews, the Edward S. Mason Senior Lecturer in International Development, said, “What an inquisitive mind, and giving soul. His spirit raised the room. And it would raise a country. My heart is broken at the fact that some people do not see or appreciate this.”
Classmates have shared tributes as well. Rafi Barbash MC/MPA 2022 wrote, “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Miguel, and his consistent leadership... and his unwavering commitment as a man of his word have always been profoundly inspiring. ... He's not just an exceptional leader; he’s also been a true friend.”
Juan Ignacio Carranza MC/MPA 2022 wrote, “Miguel embodies the very best of what it means to be a Harvard Kennedy School graduate. As a public servant, he approaches politics not with calculation, but with conviction, generosity, and a deep commitment to his country. He is a fundamentally good and decent person—honest, thoughtful, and principled—and a truly good friend. Miguel is driven by a genuine hunger to understand complex issues, find evidence-based solutions, and learn from others. His integrity and courage are an inspiration to all of us.”
Hamza Haroon MC/MPA 2022 wrote, “Miguel is one of the finest human beings I know, a true patriot of Colombia. He invited me to join him in Bogotá during his Senate campaign in the spring of 2022 while we were students at HKS. I witnessed firsthand his extraordinary compassion, love, and dedication to his country. It was challenging to walk on the streets with him, as crowds of people would come running to him for selfies or handshakes. I saw in those interactions how he represented hope for many Colombians. Even with the security threats at that time, he shook every hand, listened deeply to every voice, and ventured into dangerous areas of town where his team would beg him not to go.”
Haroon added, “During his time at HKS, Miguel's heart and mind were occupied with his love for his family and country. Nothing compared to his love for his family; I remember at HKS how he would rush home from events, classes, and study groups to kiss his beloved son, Alejandro, goodnight. You could not convince him to stay! His schedule revolved around him and his family. Miguel is deeply loved and respected by everyone in our class! For me, he is my best friend, mi hermano, and someone whom I greatly admire. We are all praying for him, and he is always in our hearts and minds.”
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Banner images: Former Minnesota Legislature House Speaker Melissa Hortman speaking at the start of a legislative session at the State Capitol in 2020. Photo by Anthony Souffle/The Minnesota Star Tribune.
Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (R) reacts after the Senate voted against the government labor reform referendum in Bogota in May 2025. Photo by Raul Arboleda / AFP.
Portrait of Melissa Hortman by Glen Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune; collection of images from Melissa Hortman MC/MPA 2018 courtesy of Francesco Galtieri MC/MPA 2017 and Natalie Kostich MC/MPA 2017.
Portrait of Miguel Uribe Turbay by Sebastian Barros/NurPhot.