OutRight Action International on Thursday announced it has named Maria Sjödin as its next executive director. Sjödin was executive director of RSFL, the largest LGBTQ and intersex rights organization in Sweden, from 2005-2014.
Sjödin had been OutRight Action International’s acting executive director since last September. They will succeed Jessica Stern, who President Joe Biden in June 2021 named as special U.S.
envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad. “I’m super honored and couldn’t be more excited to carry on the work that we’re doing at OutRight at the moment,” Sjödin told the Washington Blade on Wednesday during an exclusive interview. “I’m super grateful and extremely happy.” Julie Dorf, who is now a senior advisor for the Center for Global Equality, founded the group that is now OutRight Action International in 1990.
Sjödin noted OutRight Action International, which has staff in 12 countries and works with advocacy groups in many others, is the world’s largest LGBTQ and intersex rights organization.