After an historic vote to legalize marriage equality in Thailand, two LGBTQI+ activists look to the future
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“Why change for someone else when I know I am shining?”: Changing LGBTQI+ norms in India
Like most Indians, Ritwik “Ritu” Chakravarty was raised with a strict notion of traditional gender roles. But for Ritu, who identifies as a trans woman, such rigidity never made sense. “My name, Ritu, means ‘weather’ or ‘season,’” she says today. “And my gender was fluid, changing like the weather.” This openness has allowed Ritu to …
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Celebrating Pride in Thailand! Join AJWS grantees in the streets of Bangkok
On June 1, on the eve of Thailand passing an historic law to legalize marriage equality, thousands of people hit the streets in Bangkok to celebrate queer joy, diversity and community. AJWS grantees, including TransEqual and the Foundation of Thai Transgender Alliance for Human Rights (Thai TGA), were part of a massive parade winding through …
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Activists Up Close: Meet Masafu, Who’s Defending Queer Kenyans’ Rights in Court
Masafu Okwara is a lawyer and activist in Kenya who has devoted her life to standing up for queer people who are suffering at the hands of the country’s discriminatory legal system. She works as a program officer for longtime partner National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) in Nairobi, offering free legal aid …
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“The queerest space in Nairobi”: LGBTQI+ activists create safe space in Kenya
For years, I spent the High Holidays in Fire Island. Beginning in the mid-1920s, this barrier reef about 60 miles from Manhattan has served as a haven for gay New Yorkers. Although it’s a raucous social scene from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the feverish party vibe dissipates by mid-September when Fire Island Jews—gay and …
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Nelson’s Story: “You don’t die when you come out of the closet. Instead, you learn to really live.”
Nelson Mutugi Silas was born into a Christian family in Meru, Kenya — and from an early age, they say, “there was a conflict in me. I was attracted to boys and I didn’t know why. But I did know it was a sin.” Terrified, they buried these feelings while studying at an all-boys school …
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Alpha’s Story: “Even if I call at midnight, they always pick up.”
Alpha lost their parents as a child and began living on the streets of Machakos county, Kenya. Thankfully, they were informally adopted by a teacher who noticed they’d stopped attending school — an opportunity that changed their lives. But challenges persisted. In high school, Alpha was subjected to conversion therapy after a friend outed them …
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Sharlotte’s Story: “When someone we love is in trouble, we turn the world upside down.”
As NGLHRC’s in-house psychologist, Sharlotte Kigezo is often called to the front lines to serve LGBTQI+ people in crisis — folks at their absolute lowest, in desperate need of help, hope and compassion. Sharlotte offers them a seemingly endless well of support, but does not let the darkness swallow her. In fact, she is NGLHRC’s …
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Masafu’s Story: “I had to do something — this cannot pass.”
These days, Masafu Okwara’s sense of pride is as vibrant as the rainbow walls of NGLHRC’s Nairobi offices. But her journey here was long and painful. As one of the of NGLHRC’s program officers, Masafu provides free legal counsel, guidance and often representation to LGBTQI+ people who are unjustly arrested, persecuted or have their rights …
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