The socio-political context in Kenya has, time and again, compounded the erasure of the LGBT community. These communities are isolated from the larger human rights fight, and it has never occurred to involve them in election preparations despite their exposure to violence during elections.
Through Queering the Ballot (QTB) project by the Initiative for Equality and Non-Discrimination – INEND, 50 lesbians, bisexuals and queer-gender non-conforming (LBQ-GNC) were trained and accredited as elections observers in Kenya to support and empower the LBQ-GNC community on their democratic rights regardless of their gender sexuality.
The QTB, which also focused on the importance of choosing the right leader to bring reforms, took a feminist approach by encouraging LBQ womn and GNC persons to take up leadership positions to push for more womn and feminists in positions that can influence the needed change.
Online campaigns, tweet chats and webinars were done to have queer persons check their registration statuses and to come out in large numbers and vote for a change, hence defying high voter apathy amongst this group. The priority treatment and protection given to them at the polling stations made some LBQ-GNC monitors regain their self-esteem and confidence.
Having LBQTGNC persons as elections monitors was a powerful statement from INEND in partnership with the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission-Nairobi, ELITE LBQ-Busia, and Western Kenya LBQ feminist forum-Kisumu.
With support from Urgent Action Fund-Africa, INEND, through this project, encouraged LBQ women and GNC persons to contest for elective positions, which would give them a platform to directly influence laws and policies in government.
“I am foreseeing the queer people making laws that favour the group”, Dorah Wakio, a feminist and human rights defender.
In a democratic state where sovereignty belongs to the people, it is evident that all people, including marginalised populations, participate in government and public processes.
