News
Published in 2025
May 17, 2026
On this International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, I would like to extend, on behalf of the entire ISDAO team, a message of love, solidarity, and deep gratitude to the LGBTQI communities throughout West Africa.
Today, our thoughts go out especially to the communities in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Senegal, who are facing unprecedented challenges marked by hate speech, organized political and religious attacks, as well as alarming restrictions of civic space, access to justice, and healthcare.
We are no strangers to these realities:
We know the conversations cut short by fear.
The meetings organized in secret.
The families lost.
The safe spaces that have been threatened.
The silent exhaustion.
The improvised strategies to carry on despite it all.
We also know the immense strength that exists within our communities. Even in the most difficult moments, our lives continue to be powerful testimonies of courage, beauty, and hope.
In homes, in community centers, in support groups, in digital spaces, in artistic works, in daily acts of solidarity, our movements continue to live and resist.
At ISDAO, we deeply believe that our communities deserve not only protection, but also joy, safety, love, rest, creativity, and the chance to imagine liberated futures.
On this IDAHOBIT, we reaffirm our commitment to continue supporting our West African LGBTQI movements, especially during these difficult times. We will continue to advocate for philanthropy rooted in trust, collective care, regional solidarity, safety, and social justice.
To our communities in Burkina Faso
Even amid insecurity, forced disappearances, and the growing closure of civic spaces, you continue to carry the light of solidarity.
To our communities in Ghana
Your resistance in the face of anti-gender and anti-rights legislative offensives reminds the entire world that our communities will never be silenced by fear.
To our communities in Senegal
Your courage in the face of arbitrary arrests, public humiliation, and other forms of social and political violence inspires the entire region.
And to all our LGBTQI communities in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Liberia, Nigeria, Togo, and across all of West Africa
You deserve to live.
You deserve to love.
You deserve to be free.
We see you.
We love you.
And we stand together.
With solidarity and hope,
B. Caroline Kouassiaman
Executive Director, ISDAO
