13 LGBTQIA+ Vital Voices you should know about this Pride month
All people, inclusive of sexual orientation or gender identity, should have equal rights and be able to live free from harm, coercion, or discrimination. At Vital Voices, we celebrate the LGBTQIA+ leaders within the network and worldwide who continue to inspire us by responding to the needs of their communities, leading with empathy and strength in their activism. Vital Voices is proud to support the inspiring voices who are always using their power to empower.
Join us as we celebrate and highlight a **few of the LGBTQIA+ leaders within the network and worldwide who continue to fight and advocate for their communities, and be sure you’re following a few of the leaders making history this pride. We’re grateful for women like these who are driving progress with courage and determination all over the world!
Tamara Adrian
A long-time advocate for transgender rights in the political space, Tamara was the first transgender person elected to office in Venezuela and is the second transgender member of a national legislature in the Western Hemisphere. Throughout her life, she has been dedicated to improving representation for the LGBTQIA+ community — working as a legal professor specializing in LGBTQIA+ law, writing books and articles on the subject matter in her courses, and serving on several boards and international committees including as the president for the Committee of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO-T). A true leader and VVEngage fellow, Tamara shows us how dedication and drive can positively shape the next generation of global citizens.
Esra’a Al Shafei
Esra’a Al Shafei models the importance of using one’s voice to open the public’s eyes to under-acknowledged aspects of current events. A Bahraini civil rights activist, blogger, senior TED Fellow, and the founder and executive director of Majal, a nonprofit organization amplifying voices of dissent throughout the Middle East and North Africa via digital media, Esra’a has demonstrated the impact of using your power (her voice) to empower others — especially marginalized groups. A staunch advocate for increased protection to marginalized communities, like the LGBTQIA+ community and women, whose likelihood of becoming the victims of violent crimes frequently increase in times of crisis, Esra’a uses her platforms to shed light on these crucial issues, creating meaningful change.
Beth Brooke
Years into her career as prominent corporate figure, Beth Brooke has shown she is committed to the progression of LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace. The former Global Vice-Chair — Public Policy at Ernest & Young and a member of the firm’s Global Executive Board, Beth has been named ten times to Forbes “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” list and named Woman of the Year by Concern Worldwide. Her accolades do not end there however — Beth has been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, served in the US Department of the Treasury during the Clinton administration, and is on the board of directors for the New York Times and the United States Olympic Committee. She is a role model for young girls everywhere and we are so proud to include her in our Vital Voices Network. Always honest, Beth shares that when she came out, she became a more “approachable,” “authentic,” and “passionate” leader- becoming a devoted advocate for women’s advancement worldwide.
Sofia Carbajal
As a transgender woman, Sofia has faced many obstacles in her fight against the Honduran legal system as she fights for the rights of the Honduran transgender community. As the Executive Director of the Pink Unit Collective Organization (CUCR in Spanish), which provides a variety of services for people from the LGBTQIA+ community including training government actors on awareness and sensitivity to issues impacting people from this community, Sofia hopes to achieve a more inclusive society and ensure that the Government of Honduras guarantees human rights for the vulnerable populations.
Aline Kamakian
@alinekamakian, @mayriglebanon
Restauranteur and entrepreneur Aline Kamakian was hosting a staff meeting in her Armenian restaurant, Mayrig, when the 2020 Beirut explosion injured herself and her 25-person team. The restaurant she’d worked 20 years to build was destroyed, but she focused on performing first aid on members of her team, ensuring staff went to the hospital despite losing her own right ear. Despite being injured herself, Aline, proved that she was a true leader who put others before herself — working with World Central Kitchen to feed over 2,000 members of her community just days after the explosion and her injury. She is a face of resilience and strength that is an inspiration for us all.
Hear her story and learn how her team took action on the VV podcast on Apple iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts — or you can watch the interview on YouTube here.
Lina Khalifeh
Lina Khalifeh is a fighter — both literally and figuratively. She is the founder and owner of SheFighter, the first Self-Defense studio for women in the Middle East. Over the past eleven years, the business has expanded to more than 35 countries. Because women are at an increased risk for violent attacks, SheFighter works to equip young women for the emotional, mental, and physical challenges of the modern world. Lina’s tremendous efforts to achieve gender equality through sports have been recognized by leaders like President Barack Obama. She has also been awarded the ESPYS Stuart Scott Humanitarian ENSPIRE award presented by ESPN and UFC in Los Angeles, California in 2019 and spoke at the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos. In 2018, Hillary Clinton and Vital Voices awarded Lina the Economic Empowerment leadership award.
Neysara
Neysara believes that awareness and knowledge can be powerful tools to help others, particularly when amplified through technology. She is a human rights activist and founder of Transgenderindia.com, a website dedicated to empowering thousands of transgender people across India with awareness and knowledge to make informed choices. Neysara also started India’s first ever trans-specific online discussion forum, “TALK”, which allows trans-people around the country to question and discuss issues about gender, life, career, and transition. Through the platform, transgender individuals who are otherwise often isolated are able to build meaningful connections with one another. We are so proud to work with Neysara as a Global Freedom Exchange Fellow.
Thandeka Ndlovu
Thandeka Ndlovu is a VV Grow Fellow and Founder and Director of Total Serve Facilities Management, a unique, multi-purpose management company redefining the industry. She also serves as the Managing Director at Thasola Consulting and is the Founder at INK Foundation, which fights HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, poverty, and social injustice by equipping both children and adults. Thandeka uses her power to empower others through her fieldwork at the Gay & Lesbian Network, an organization in South Africa, KwaZulu Natal, and Pietermaritzburg, which creates safe spaces for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Val Quinn
Vital Voices Global Ambassador mentor, Val Quinn, is a natural leader whose expertise has been crucial in efforts to develop customer relationships at some of the biggest companies in the world. Through her values of open communication, respect for her co-workers, and finding enjoyment in work, she demonstrates how women lead differently. She shows us how to be an impactful leader, colleague, and individual while also holding onto her values and staying true to herself.
Gabriela Redondo
Gabriela Redondo embodies courage and strength, living as a transgender woman in Honduras — one of the most dangerous places to be a transgender individual. Gabriela runs the Pink Unit Collective Organization (CUCR in Spanish), an organization which partners with Vital Voices to strengthen relationships between Honduras’ transgender community and the local justice system. Through her work, she reduces the accessibility barrier that often hinders transgender survivors of violent attacks from accessing legal representation. She ensures that survivors are respected and heard, no matter the circumstances. We are so proud to work with women leaders like Gabriela!
Marijana Savic
Marijana Savic has spent the last 20 years using her voice to advocate for the rights of women and survivors of human trafficking. She is the founder and director of Serbian NGO Atina, which combats human trafficking and fights to end violence against women. Through Atina’s creative social enterprise, Bagel Bejgl Shop, Marijana creates a safe space for women trafficking survivors to learn new skills and find employment opportunities alongside other survivors and at-risk women.
Chloe Setter
2016 Vital Voices Global Freedom Exchange fellow Chloe Setter has dedicated her career to efforts working to eliminate child trafficking and modern slavery. She has worked for numerous organizations including ECPAT UK and Lumos, and currently works as the Head of Policy for WePROTECT Global Alliance, an international movement dedicated to national and global action to prevent online sexual abuse of children. Her numerous publications on various aspects of the trafficking industry have earned her a spot on the Advisory Board of the Journal of Modern Slavery. Chloe shows us what true dedication to a cause can look like. As human trafficking is one of the world’s most pressing issues, individuals like Chloe are crucial to inspiring change.
Andrea Zekis
Andrea Zekis is an American leader working to support the Arkansas transgender community. In 2014, she founded the Arkansas Transgender Equity Collaborative which helps transgender and non-binary Arkansans access legal, medical and economic resources through community-led projects. She is also known for being one of the first transgender Americans to openly endorse and introduce a major political party’s Presidential Candidate, Bernie Sanders in 2016. A Presidential Management Fellow finalist, Andrea currently serves as a Health Communications Specialist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where she is able to apply her interests in public health and public policy to her work. Andrea shows how confidence and determination can lead to great achievements.
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*These are just a few of the several incredible women leaders across Vital Voices’ 18,000-person global leadership network.
Vital Voices Global Partnership invests in women leaders who are solving the world’s greatest challenges — from gender-based violence to the climate crisis, economic inequities, and more. We are “venture catalysts,” identifying those with a daring vision for change and partnering with them to make that vision a reality. We scale and accelerate impact through long term investments to expand skills, connections, capacity and visibility.
