COVID-19 & its impact on LGBTI+ communities

COVID-19 has had a great impact on all of our lives in 2020, but an even bigger one on LGBTI+ communities. Many have not been allowed to gather in the safe spaces that they have created with their communities; some even having to move back home where they often feel unsafe. Access to healthcare facilities for LGBTI+ people relying on life-saving medicine and treatment has been (even further) restricted. How has the LGBTI+ community rallied in the past year to protect the rights of its members? 

In order to highlight these important issues, Justice & Peace Netherlands and the Netherlands Helsinki Committee organised an online event with LGBT+ defenders from Albania and Kenya on the impact of COVID-19 on LGBTI+ communities as part of this year’s Night of Dictatorship. 

Experiences from Albania and Kenya
Sidita Zaja, human rights defender and Executive Director of the NGO PROLGBT in Albania, was one of the two speakers. Her work currently focuses on the development sector, where she advocates and promotes capacity building for young LGBTI+ people.

The second speaker, Vincent Obwanda, is a grassroots human rights defender and the Policy and Advocacy Programme Officer at PEMA Kenya. In his work, he advocates for the human rights and social inclusion of gender and sexual minorities in Kenya.

Tessa de Ryck, Human Rights Defender Training Coordinator at Justice & Peace Netherlands, moderated the discussion.

Source: Justice & Peace