Learning from Human Rights Defenders: Retracing the genesis of homophobia in rural Africa

Speaker: Brian Okollan, CAHR Visiting Fellow

Rural Africa is believed to be the bedrock of homophobia and very tough cultural practices against children and persons perceived to be LGBTI can be found there. The contrast is that there is a very rich history of and local traditional names describing LGBTI persons in rural Africa. Yet in the same context there is a growing concern that the LGBTI agenda is foreign in its origin and being imposed on vulnerable Africans from the outside.

Brian Okollan’s public talk will focus on exploring these realities and trying to find where did it go wrong. What exactly is it that is said to be foreign? Is it the act? Is it the advocacy agenda? What is that we are doing as human rights advocates that makes our work look foreign?

Brian Okollan is a Kenyan LGBTI activist working in rural and pastoral regions of Kenya. He is currently undertaking a 6-month Protective Fellowship for Human Rights Defenders at Risk at the Centre for Applied Human Rights, University of York.

Location: AEW/104, Alcuin East Wing, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD

Admission: Free

Email: cahr-admin@york.ac.uk