Fabrice Houdart, FRSA is a human rights advocate and academic specialized on

LGBTQ+ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group i ...

rights and corporate governance.

Education

Houdart holds a Bachelor of Art in Economics from Dauphine University and a Master of Business Administration from

American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...

Career

Corporate Governance As the Founder of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors in June 2022, Houdart promotes diversity in corporate governance. He is a member of the

National Association of Corporate Directors The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) is an independent, not-for-profit, section 501(c)(3) founded in 1977 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. NACD's membership includes more than 1,750 corporate boards as well as several ...

Center for Inclusive Governance Advisory Council. He was an expert witness for the California Department of Justice in the case against Assembly Bill 979. He advises Fortune 500 firms on human rights issues and serves on the

L'Oréal L'Oréal S.A. () is a French multinational personal care corporation registered in Paris

Global Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board. Georgetown and Columbia University Houdart's academic pursuits include roles as an adjunct professor at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

and

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, where he teaches about Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Development. His insights are disseminated through his weekly

Substack Substack is an American online platform that provides publishing, payment, analytics, and design infrastructure to support subscription-based content, including newsletters, podcasts, and video. It allows writers to send digital content directl ...

on LGBTQ+ equality. He is a frequent guest of TV programs, radio stations, and newspapers as an expert on the topic. United Nations 016-2020'' His tenure at the United Nations Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - from 2016 through to 2020 - saw him working on the Free & Equal campaign and co-authoring and leading the United Nations Global LGBTI Standards of Conduct for Business. World Bank 002-2016'' Before his

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

role, Houdart's career at the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

spanned from 2002 to 2016, where he authored economic development analyses on various countries and contributed to several World Development Reports as a Senior Country Officer. He was President of GLOBE, the World Bank Group LGBTQ+ employee resource group, from 2010 to 2014. He is credited with starting the sexual orientation and gender identity development agenda at the World Bank during that period.For example, Houdart played a crucial role in the World Bank’s stance on the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 and the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023.https://www.crainsnewyork.com/awards/notable-lgbtq-leaders-and-executive-2020-houdart In 2024, he co-founded Koppa focused on LGBTQ+ economic empowerment with Lee Badgett and three other experts. Non-profit Boards Houdart serves on the boards of OutRight Action International, Housing Works and the Institute of Current World Affairs, where he founded the

David Mixner David Benjamin Mixner (August 16, 1946 – March 11, 2024) was an American political activist and author. He was best known for his work in anti-war and gay rights advocacy. Mixner played a key role in defeating Proposition 6 in California, ...

LGBTQ+ Fellowship. He is a Governor of Fondation Emergence and an Advisor to the Board of Open for Business and serves on the Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)’s International Donor Advisory Council. He is the acting secretary of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia Committee. He serves on the editorial committee for the Women's Forum for the Economy & Society. He serves on the Board of The LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors Canada Association. He is a fellow of the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

and a member of the

Cosmos Club The Cosmos Club is a 501(c)(7) private social club in Washington, D.C., that was founded by John Wesley Powell in 1878 as a gentlemen's club for those interested in science. Among its stated goals is, "The advancement of its members in science, ...

in Washington, DC. Previously, he served on the Board of TransNewYork.

World Bank Controversy

During budget cuts in 2014, Houdart objected to a $94,000 bonus awarded to the World Bank's Chief Financial Officer, Bertrand Badré. This led to tensions with the Bank's leadership and President

Jim Yong Kim Jim Yong Kim (; born December 8, 1959), also known as Kim Yong (/金墉), is an American physician and anthropologist who served as the 12th president of the World Bank from 2012 to 2019. A global health leader, Kim was formerly the chair ...

. This situation escalated when Houdart was investigated and demoted following accusations of leaking official-use-only documents as part of his activism on SOGI and development. The allegations, which Houdart contested, were seen by some as retaliatory for his whistleblowing actions. Houdart resigned from the Bank in 2016 to join the

describing the previous years as an ordeal.

Personal life

Surrogacy, Family Life and Ancestry Fabrice Houdart is a single father of twins born in 2013. He has been vocal about his journey of fatherhood through surrogacy. Conservative outlets in France criticized his decision to use surrogacy in the United States. Houdart is a descendant of jeweler and politician

Louis Aucoc Louis Aucoc (21 September 1850 Paris – 10 December 1932 Paris), was a leading Parisian Art Nouveau jeweller and goldsmith, working with his father and brother André. Biography The Aucoc family firm at 6 Rue de la Paix was established in Paris i ...

850-1932who briefly owned the

Hope Diamond The Hope Diamond is a blue-violet diamond that has been famed for its great size since the 17th century. It was extracted in the 17th century from the Kollur Mine in Guntur, India,. The Hope Diamond is a blue diamond. Its exceptional size h ...

, Orne Senator :fr:Paul Fleury 839-1931 and stockbroker and impressionists collector Theodore-Charles Gadala 839-1923whose collection included Sleep (Puvis de Chavannes), Monet’s Poste de Douaniers, Corot’s Paysage Breton, and several paintings by Antoine Vollon and

Alfred Sisley Alfred Sisley (; ; 30 October 1839 – 29 January 1899) was an Impressionist landscape painter who was born and spent most of his life in France, but retained British citizenship. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedic ...

Gadala was

Albert Maignan Albert Pierre René Maignan (14 October 1845 – 29 September 1908) was a French history painter and illustrator. Biography In 1864, he left his hometown to study law in Paris, earning his diploma in 1866. During his studies he also paint ...

and

Charles-Philippe Larivière Charles-Philippe Larivière (28 September 1798 in Paris – 29 February 1876 in Paris) was a French academic art, academic painter and lithographer. Biography A talented student of Paulin Guérin, Girodet-Trioson and Antoine-Jean Gros, he wa ...

’s cousin by marriage. Houdart's ancestors also include artist :fr:Alexandre Lacauchie 814-1886 Dr. :es:Stanislas Tanchou 791-1850 painter :fr:Georges Demanche 870-1941 who was Fernand Renault’s brother-in-law and

Philippe Soupault Philippe Soupault (2 August 1897 – 12 March 1990) was a French writer and poet, novelist, critic, and political activist. He was active in Dadaism and later was instrumental in founding the Surrealist movement with André Breton. Soupault ini ...

‘s uncle. Houdart’s grandmother was the niece of

Académie Goncourt The Société littéraire des Goncourt (, ''Goncourt Literary Society''), usually called the Académie Goncourt (, Goncourt Academy), is a French literary organisation based in Paris. It was founded in 1882 by the French writer and publisher Edmo ...

member

René Benjamin René Benjamin (; 1885 in Paris, France - 1948 in Tours, France) was a French writer. In 1915 he received the Prix Goncourt for his novel ''Gaspard''. In 1938, he became the first Goncourt laureate to be appointed a member of the Académie Gonco ...

885-1948and writer :fr:Marie-Thérèse Gadala.

Recognitions

* 2023: Stonewall Rebel * 2022: LinkedIn Top LGBTQIA+ Voices * Diligent 2022 Modern Governance Honorees * Board List 10 Candidates You’d be Proud to Have in Your Boardroom * 2021: the 100 LGBTQ+ trailblazers by

Attitude (magazine) ''Attitude'' is a British gay lifestyle magazine owned by Stream Publishing Limited. It is sold worldwide as a physical magazine and as a digital download. The first issue of ''Attitude'' appeared in May 1994. A separate Thai edition was publ ...

* Crain's New York Business's notable 2022 LGBTQ leaders *

(NACD) 100 most influential governance experts * 2019: Golden Gate Business Association Award * The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association Pioneer Award * The Alan Turing LGTBIQ Award, Premio Especial awarded by the Culture Business Pride festival for fighting for LGBTIQ+ people * INvolve Outstanding 2019 Top 30 LGBTQ+ Public Sector Executives

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Houdart, Fabrice Living people Paris Dauphine University alumni American University alumni Place of birth missing (living people) 1978 births