Queer Alliance Nigeria, Trains Nigerian LGBT Activists.
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Queer Alliance, a Nigerian human rights organisation, is helping to train the future leaders of the country’s LGBT community.
The alliance, whose vision is to achieve respect and recognition of the fundamental human rights of LGBTIQ Nigerians through advocacy, education, research and publications, recently completed a free three-day training program for about 12 Nigerian LGBT activists.
The program, titled “Capacity Building Training for Emerging LGBT Leaders,” took place in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria.
Facilitating the training sessions were Rashidi Williams, the founder and director of Queer Alliance, and Dorothy Aken’ova, the founder and executive director of the International Centre for Reproductive and Sexual Rights (INCRESE), who is a human rights activist, feminist, and a strong supporter of sexual minorities in Nigeria.
The training sessions focused on human rights systems, policy advocacy, constituency building, organizational development and proposal writing, amongst other topics. It was organised in response to the need to continually build capacity and to strengthen skills of the country’s LGBT rights advocates, said Williams, who facilitated most of the sessions.
Aken’ova, who also facilitated some of the sessions, commended participants for their openness and their ability to learn. She told NoStrings:
“It’s been a very rewarding experience to be part of the meeting that we just finished, because I can see that these dreams are being realized a step after the other.
“I am also excited about the group of emerging leaders that I saw in the meeting who are very open and receptive to inputs, to capacity building, to new understanding and open to learn to do the right things,.
“It’s not always easy to have people who take corrections but in this meeting we were able to be very frank and very open about certain things as far as constituency building and maintaining alliances is concerned, so I am really hopeful that the movement is continually getting rejuvenated and continually renewed toward greater battles that are lying ahead — because there are.”
Her statements complemented what some of the participants revealed. For example, a young man who attended the training program as a representative of his organization said:
“Before coming here I knew little or nothing about advocacy, but having participated here, I think I have enriched myself, and I have gotten more capacity to go about advocating for the cause I have. So I will say that the time I spent here is worthwhile and so, therefore, I am happy to be a part of it”.
NoStrings commends the effort put forth by Queer Alliance, especially at a time like this when sexual minorities in Nigeria are experiencing violence, discrimination, and religious oppression.
NoStrings is convinced that the training will equip participants to learn new ways to tackle the various, increasingly serious issues negatively affecting the Nigerian LGBT community.
Am a gay in Nigeria, also HIV positive, my family are fausing to get married but I don’t feeling for women, I have a lover from USA, who want to get married to me my heart is really for him, I can’t love any other man than him.
Am very glad to have read some comments here and also want to applause you Mike Daemon for the great work you are doing for the LGBT in general . My name is Chukwuka and am from Eastern Part of Nigeria my facebook id is known as Ejike R. Iheatu and i am very glad to read and also see the good work you are doing here .
I was born this way, from my childhood to this age now i have known whom i am though at a time it wasn’t easy at all especially that time when you felt that you are alone and was left on this earth and also how others see you around, i do things mostly with girls like dancing , playing and doing all things that girls like to do and i must tell you that i am the type that loves matured men a lot is my dream to find one who loves and take me just for whom i am .
Yes been Gay in Nigeria is never something we wish for ourselves because no one choose where he or she will be born but we cannot force it or change the fact that we were born here and is never a mistake but a strong life challenge we all have to face and with togetherness we will stand and been recognize for whom we are
My family knew am Gay, yes they knew but that wasn’t easy the time i come out to them , but after the death of my parent , my Uncles has started disturbing me of getting married but i will not bother myself or go through what every other gay men pass through because is my life and i choose to live my life the way and for who i am and not to please them at all
Have a lot to say but want to thank Mike Daemon for his great work and also to the other LGBT ACTIVIST that togetherness we shall stand and be recognize.
Thanks
Chika
Thank you Chika. We’ll continue to do our best here at NoStrings. Please promote the platform by sharing articles from on here.
Try to connect with NGO’s or CSO ‘s who may be willing to help LGBT’s… Build their capacity on the intervention Programs etc….
That will be a start…
Thanks
How do we reach you Mike?