LGBTQ+ POC Global South Summit

We recognize and acknowledge these truths: LGBTQ+ people of color living along the Equator and in the Global South, as members of their respective communities, constitute the largest population of LGBTQ+ in the world, and when stories of these communities are told, they often follow some tragic occurrence and these community members’s lives and experiences are often pathologized. 

Under the theme, “Our Expressions - Moving Toward Inclusivity” community members living in Central and South America, in the Caribbean (Dutch, English, French and Spanish), in the Middle East and North Africa, in Africa, Asia and SouthEast Asia, in Australia and in the Pacific Islands highlight their experiences. Through this gathering, LGBTQ+ people of color in the Global South showcase their lives, their joys, sorrows, challenges; how they celebrate life and their natural and or adopted communities. 

The summit occurred over six-weeks in 2021, from May 26 to June 30. It brought together LGBTQ+ people of color and highlighted them, with a particular emphasis on their lives, their struggles, their resilience, and the challenges they face, in addition to opportunities for these communities to showcase themselves and call for change from their respective regional and local governments. 

The Summit was organized by representatives from the participating countries. Each region and/or continent presented under a sub-theme a program reflecting and representing their lives.