Seize the opportunity of the up-coming elections to create linkage between poverty, discrimination and ignorance experienced by the people of Kiambu and LGBT exclusion and criminalization. This project hopes to hold at least 25 public meetings in which we shall demonstrate that being gay is not a limitation to solving the challenges of poverty, unemployment and alcohol addiction experienced by the people in Kiambu especially the youth.
Stigma, discrimination and exclusion against gay people is endemic in Kenya. Because of their criminalization and other structural barriers, LGBT persons fail to access health services including HIV/AIDS services. Because of this gigantic stigma, there are no openly gay persons serving in public offices which means that their health and human rights needs are neglected. Also negative stereotypes stifles human potential of LGBT persons. LGBT youths have no positive public role models.
In this project we hope to build a public space through which an openly gay person engages the community in Kiambu through 25 public meetings and forums to: 1) De-stigmatize LGBT Rights struggle through public presence and visibility in the Kiambu. 2) During these public meetings propose strategies for addressing poverty, disease and unemployment. 3) Challenge criminalization and structural barriers to HIV programming in Kenya. 4) Demonstrate that gay people can become great public leaders.
Over 1.6 million people in Kiambu stand to benefit from the direct action of this project. Further the gay and lesbian Kenyans will benefit from changed perception, and public discussion of the issues of equality and non-discrimination.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
