Marcus Oda, Thomas Lantos Intitute

Marcus Oda is the Program Manager of the Human Rights of Minorities Program at the Tom Lantos Institute in Budapest, Hungary. Originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, Marcus holds a Bachelor’s degree in French Literature from Yale University and a Juris Doctorate from New York University. While at NYU, Marcus’ studies focused on international human rights law, minority rights, and international criminal law. He also served on the editorial board of the Journal of International Law and Politics. Marcus speaks English, French, Russian, Hungarian, and Italian.

Positionality statement

Marcus' work has focused extensively on advocating for the rights of minority groups, especially LGBT communities, in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Having conducted legal research and advocacy at LGBT rights organizations such as the Russian LGBT Network and the Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity (ECOM), Marcus approaches human rights issues from a perspective of supporting and advancing LGBT rights and access to health services.