Our History
A group of young LGBTQI+ activists founded the African Queer Youth Initiative during the 5th Changing Faces and Changing Spaces Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, in June 2015.
A group of young LGBTQI+ activists founded the African Queer Youth Initiative during the 5th Changing Faces and Changing Spaces Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, in June 2015. Our founding members recognised the need to elevate the needs and aspirations of young people within the larger LGBTQI+ movement and to create a space where they could be seen as equal partners in the struggle for equality. Since then, AQYI has become a vibrant network of African youth activists united by our shared commitment to building a more inclusive and equitable society.
Since our inception, we have grown exponentially; our members come from southern, northern, eastern, and western Africa, as well as the African Islands, representing a diverse and vibrant community of young queer people. We continue to work with African LGBTQI+ youths to develop innovative and youth-led strategies for empowering LGBTQI+ youths across Africa, as well as platforms that allow them to engage actively and have an authentic voice in the fight for their freedom.
Our Mission
Our mission is to amplify the voices of queer African youths and to ensure that their sexual health, rights, and general well-being are respected, guaranteed, and promoted.
Our Vision
We envision an African society that views LGBTQI+ youths as normal and respects their rights to live meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Challenges Faced by Young LGBTQI+ Africans
LGBTQI+ youth face a myriad of challenges on the African continent, from punitive laws and conservative cultures to limited access to healthcare and educational services. The African Queer Youth Initiative supports and mobilises LGBTQI+ youth activists tackling these and other issues with resources and programs aimed at raising visibility, supporting youth organisations, and building strategic networks. As a first step towards creating change, we have worked with our partners and community to map out challenges and issues facing LGBTQI+ youth and youth-led organisations in Africa.
While this is an ongoing effort, these are a few of the areas we are seeking to impact:
Punitive Laws
In many African states, same-sex sexuality and gender diversity are criminalised. These laws are often rooted in colonial laws and are used to police LGBTQI+ organisations and activists. LGBTQI+ youth are particularly vulnerable to legislative violence.
Conservative Traditions
Many young people in Africa consider culture and tradition important parts of their social lives, but these cultures and traditions are often interpreted in a manner that reinforces patriarchy and heteronormativity. LGBTQI+ youths are left in a precarious position when cultural norms such as marriage, circumcision rituals, or others exclude same-sex loving or gender non-conforming youths. These conservative interpretations often exclude and punish those who act differently from what is considered as the ‘norm’, especially women and gender non-conforming people.
Anti-LGBTQI+ Interpretations of Religion
Religion is an important part of the lives of LGBTQI+ youth in Africa. However, they are often used to reinforce transphobia and homophobia by conservative preachers. Christianity and Islam are the biggest religions on the continent, and “homosexuality is un-Christian” or “homosexuality is un-Islamic” are the biggest arguments used to justify homophobia and transphobia. These conservative interpretations of religion are not just bad for LGBTQI+ youth but for young women, sex workers, HIV-positive people and other vulnerable groups.
Community Violence and Prejudice
People experience their lives through the communities they live in. Unfortunately, these communities often have limited knowledge of sexual orientation and gender identity, or LGBTQI+ identities and expressions. Research tells us that acts of prejudice-motivated violence and discriminatory actions often come from community members, family members or other known individuals in a young LGBTQI+ person’s life. This leads LGBTQI+ youth to feeling harassed, and excluded and puts them in a risky situation.
Limited Access to Social Systems
Whilst many countries on the African continent have made great strides in providing health care, education and other social services to their citizens, their systems often still have limited resources, human capacity, and infrastructure. These systems often are either not designed to cater to the needs of LGBTQI+ youth (for example, HIV care at healthcare facilities) or may actually include discriminatory practices (for example the treatment of gender non-conforming youths at schools).
Lack of Youth Representation
Within the LGBTQI+ movement, many interventions aimed at LGBTQI+ youth do not include queer youths themselves in the formulation of the action. As a result, these interventions are not aligned with the needs, goals, and interests of LGBTQI+ youth. LGBTQI+ youth activists also receive limited resources and have limited capabilities to implement successful local, national and transnational campaigns. This leads to an environment where interventions react to the (above listed) “bad” but are not proactive.
Substance abuse, rejection and conversion therapy pressures
Substance abuse, familial rejection, and coercive pressure to undergo harmful conversion therapy are disturbing realities for many young LGBTQI+ Africans. These factors contribute to their vulnerability and inhibit their overall well-being.
Limited Information and Networking Opportunities
Young LGBTQI+ Africans often lack the necessary resources to access vital information and networking opportunities. This limits their ability to connect with supportive communities and acquire essential knowledge and social skills.
Personal Development and Employment Opportunities
The absence of inclusive structures and support systems hinders young LGBTQI+ Africans’ personal development and access to employment opportunities. This perpetuates socioeconomic disparities and further marginalises this population.
Language Barriers and Lack of Resources
Language barriers pose additional challenges for young LGBTQI+ Africans, hindering their access to crucial information and support. Moreover, a lack of resources, including funding and youth-friendly structures, compounds their difficulties.