Curated by FG Contributor Samiha Hossain
People attend a rally against a controversial bill being considered by Ghana’s parliament that would make identifying as LGBTQ or advocating for LGBTQ rights a criminal offense punishable by prison, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, Oct. 11, 2021.
Ghana’s parliament has passed legislation that intensifies a crackdown on the rights of LGBTQ people and those promoting lesbian, gay or other non-conventional sexual or gender identities. The new legislation passed on Wednesday imposes a prison sentence of up to five years for the “wilful promotion, sponsorship or support of LGBTQ+ activities.”
The bill still has to be validated by the president before becoming law, which observers believe is unlikely before a general election in December. Activist groups have called the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values bill a setback for human rights and urged President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government to reject it.
While discrimination against LGBTQ people is common, no one has ever been prosecuted under the colonial-era law. Under the provisions of the bill, same-sex relations could be punished with imprisonment ranging from six months to three years. Those advocating for LGBTQ rights could be subject to harsher penalties, with potential jail terms of three to five years.
A human rights coalition known as the Big 18, an umbrella group of lawyers and activists in Ghana, has criticised the bill.
You cannot criminalise a person’s identity, and that’s what the bill is doing, and it’s absolutely wrong. We want to impress on the president not to assent to the bill, it totally violates the human rights of the LGBT community. -Takyiwaa Manuh, member of the coalition.
Alex Kofi Donkor, the founder and director of the organisation LGBT+ Rights Ghana, is worried the bill will further marginalize and endanger the community.
It not only legalises discrimination but also fosters an environment of fear and persecution…With harsh penalties for both LGBTQ individuals and activists, this bill threatens the safety and wellbeing of an already vulnerable community. -Kofi Donkor
According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), police have launched an investigation into her death, but the network criticised local authorities for not investigating the death threats she received when still alive. Other organisations and activists denounced Haj Aref’s presumed murder, including Human Rights Watch’s senior Syria and Jordan researcher, Hiba Zayadin.
The killing of Syrian feminist and activist Hiba Haj Aref in Bezaa village in northwest Syria yesterday is saddening and outrageous. Hiba was a well known community leader, a survivor of detention in Assad’s prison, and loved by her colleagues. She never stopped fighting for women’s rights in Syria. May she rest in peace. -The Syria Campaign
Other women activists from the area told SNHR that Haj Aref had been threatened for her role as defending women’s rights and supporting women’s empowerment in rural Aleppo. The threats allegedly pushed her to resign from the municipal council of her native town, Bza’a city.
The part of rural Aleppo province that Haj Aref lived in is under the control of the Syrian National Army (SNA), which is formed by a coalition of various armed factions backed by Turkey. In past years, numerous factions within the SNA have been accused of serious crimes against human rights defenders. A report released by Human Rights Watch highlighted that the SNA’s main backer, Turkey, bears responsibility for the acts.
Haj Aref was in her thirties at the time of her death. She worked as an educational supervisor at the Fraternity Center for Public Education, and was a member of the Women’s Protection Network, the Women’s Support and Empowerment Unit, and the Women’s Feminist Movement. Syrian women activists are working in extremely difficult conditions across all parts of Syria and are exposed to specific forms of persecution due to their gender. Between March 2020 and March 2024, SNHR recorded at least 268 incidents of assault and intimidation targeting women in northeastern and northwestern Syria.
Khooka McQueer poses for a photo. Photo Courtesy of Khooka McQueer.
In January 2023, Tunisia’s LGBTQ+ community celebrated a rare victory when an appeals court ruled that the prosecution of a queer activist in a landmark case was “null and void.” The case dates back to 2015 when six students were arrested on charges of alleged same-sex sexual activity, sentenced to three years in prison, and banned from living in the Kairouan province for another three years. One year later, the same community is facing unprecedented crackdowns.
Khookha McQueer is a beloved activist and artist who has been advocating for LGBTQ+ rights for over a decade. As a worker in civil society, she targets Article 230 and all articles that prohibit or limit sexual freedom and gender expression. She also raises awareness about sexual health and LGBTQ+ rights.
Originally a shy art student who experimented with oil paintings on her face, McQueer became known for her beautiful autoportraits. Fast forward, McQueer started experimenting with drag and in 2017, she was invited to host her first drag competition. McQueer never felt that her purpose was to be a stage performer; she was fully satisfied with her photography. But hosting her first event, which united the LGBTQ+ community despite its internal conflicts and histories, was a life-changing moment.
I discovered a new kind of satisfaction and I wanted to be a part of this queer joy. If I’m able to bring them together, why not do it again? -Khookha McQueer
In her eight years as a host, McQueer has never experienced a drag show that was not invaded by the police. In the past, the police’s usual procedures would be to station an increased number of officers in the area of the queer event. But in the beginning of February, an official order by the Ministry of Interior canceled McQueer’s show, scheduled for February 8. One week prior, she was stopped and investigated by two policemen at night for the first time in her life.
Starting in January this year, queer people, sex workers, and ravers have become the main focus of policemen. We are facing a huge wave of arrests. So if we link these events to each other, we see the bigger picture of what’s happening in Tunisia. The cancellation and the arrests are not isolated. They fit into the same strategy, elaborated and executed by the authorities. -Khookha McQueer
McQueer expresses fear for the future of the queer community and nightlife in Tunisia. She might have to decrease her public visibility. Despite the challenges, McQueer is not giving up on the happiness she creates for her community.
Nightlife and queer communities go hand in hand. It’s a kind of resistance to be able to escape the sad reality and hostile context that we live in and create some moments of joy and solidarity. -Khookha McQueer
Never before in the Canadian province Quebec’s history have there been as many Black women in political office as there are currently. Among the 36 is a group of Black women, seven in total, all elected to office in Montreal. That, too, is a first. Beyond the historical significance, the women, six from Projet Montreal and one from the opposition Ensemble Montreal, say it means they have someone to share concerns only other Black women understand.
Though they insisted that they are thrilled about serving in public office, the women noted that being a Black woman in politics can be really tough. It’s why they formed a caucus as a way to support each other, regardless of political background. One challenge some expressed — the feeling that as Black women, they are held to a higher standard than their white counterparts. Others feel they have to work twice as hard and not make mistakes.
Publicly we are judged differently and I think this is probably one of the main differences that I can see. -Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, borough mayor
On the mind of many of the Black politicians at the Montreal North meeting was Dominique Olivier, a Montreal city councillor and former chair of the city’s executive committee. Olivier, who is Black, quit the city’s executive committee last fall over controversy regarding expenses when she headed the city’s public consultation office. None of the politicians at the meeting wanted to voice their views publicly but some confided that they think Olivier, who was not at the meeting, was treated unfairly. Some see that as just one example of how Black women in power are sometimes targeted.
In spite of obstacles they face, there is optimism among the Black women’s caucus about the future for people of African descent in Quebec and Montreal politics. Ericka Alneus, who says she’s having a blast as a politician, thinks she has a duty, regardless of the difficulties.
I feel that working twice as hard will make it easier for future women. Some women before me had to work even harder for me to be where I am now. Doors and windows are being opened, but we have to make sure that they remain open. -Ericka Alneus
Ashlei Spivey sees the world through an intersectional lens and is innately in tune with the challenges that face Black women and birthing people. Spivey, who lives in Omaha in the United States, uses that knowledge to advocate for girls and other women like her, which led to six years ago, when Spivey put a call out on social media for other Black women and femmes to join her in creating a unique space — a space that would celebrate Black women, a space that would offer much needed connection and community.
From that social media callout came a brunch with a DJ and in the fellowship that it brought, the beginnings of I Be Black Girl were birthed. I Be Black Girl, with Spivey seated at the head of the table, focuses on economic liberation, birth justice, Black-led investments and advocacy and power building. From Black women searching for an authentic place where they did not always have to be the first and only ones in the room, came Nebraska’s first and only reproductive justice organization.
Spivey has been honored by the Urban League of Nebraska with its Service Award, by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce as a Changemaker and by the Midlands Business Journal as part of its 40 Under 40 honor roll. Her work with I Be Black Girl has been featured in Forbes and was awarded a J.M. Kaplan Fund 2023 Innovation prize.
The bones of IBBG are rooted in the work of bell hooks — her catalogue of work has influenced how we show up and operationalize our work and we appreciate her contributions as an elder and now ancestor. -Ashlei Spivey
Spivey says one of her recent proudest moments was when a young Black girl who attended her Black Girls Lead Summit last year wrote about her experience in her college entry essay. Spivey’s ultimate goal is to be well, and for her community to be well.
Spivey’s mom is her inspiration, who passed because of reproductive neglect within her care, and is one of the reasons IBBG exists. Spivey’s mom’s experience exemplifies the experiences of Black women and femmes in the US — both good and bad, according to Spivey. Now, having a strong group of people who lift her up, support and encourage her, allows her to face adversity head on.
Samiha Hossain (she/her) is an aspiring urban planner studying at Toronto Metropolitan University. Throughout the years, she has worked in nonprofits with survivors of sexual violence and youth. Samiha firmly believes in the power of connecting with people and listening to their stories to create solidarity and heal as a community. She loves learning about the diverse forms of feminist resistance around the world.
