The Dignity Network Canada Team

Meet Our Staff, Board of Directors, and Global Advisory Committee

A group of people smile and wave pride flags

Led by our staff, guided by our Board of Directors, and informed by our Global Advisory Committee, we bring diverse voices together to reflect and serve our members and the worldwide LGBTIQ+ community.

Dignity Network Canada Staff

Doug Kerr (he/him)
Executive Director
Dr. Claire House (they/them)
Programs, Partnerships, and Learning Director
Taavi Weinberger (they/them)
Finance and Operations Manager
Dr. Ayodele Sogunro (he/him)
International Research and Campaigns Manager
Sarah Harvey (she/her)
Communications and Engagement Officer

Dignity Network Canada 2025/2026 Board of Directors

The Board of Dignity Network Canada provides leadership and strategic governance while working in partnership with the Executive Director. Board members act in trust for the organization's members and must govern with integrity and in the Network’s best interests.
The Board consists of 13 members, including at least 8 nominated by member organizations and up to 5 additional elected members. Although nominated by organizations, Board members serve in an individual capacity rather than as representatives. 
Juana Alonso (she/her)
Praney Anand (he/him)
Jade Pichette (they/she/her)
Nishin Nathwani (he/him)
Board Chair
Luka Amona (he/him)
Jane Thirikwa (she/her)
Healy Thompson (she/her)
Secretary
Debbie Owusu-Akeeyah (she/her)
Luis Augusto Nobre (he/him)
Greg Lichti (he/him)
Ann Nweke (she/her)
Finance Chair
Alain Mootoo (he/him)
Treasurer

Dignity Network Canada Global Advisory Committee

DNC has a global network of advisors that advise the organization on global LGBTQI+ policy decisions and recommendations. The Advisory consists of up to 17 members from all regions of the world and are selected based on their expertise and connections to Canadian CSOs, missions, etc.
Anan Bouapha (he/him)
Carlos Idibouo (he/him/they/them)
Danilo Manzano (he/him)
Grâce Divine Ingabire (she/her)
Fernando Us Alvarez (she/her/he/him)
Joseph Messinga Nkonga (he/him)
Kenita M. Placide (they/them)
Midnight Poonkasetwattana (he/him)
Pepe Onzeima headshot
Pepe Onziema
Zhanar Sekerbayeva (she/her)
Artemis Akbary (they/them)
Jean Chong (she/her/they)
Headshot placeholder
Karam Aouini
Ogochukwu Jones Okolie (they/them)

Doug Kerr (he/him)

Doug Kerr (he/him) is originally from Edmonton, Alberta on Treaty 6 Territory and has made Toronto home since 1996. Doug has a BA from the University of Alberta in International Relations and Chinese Studies, and an MSW from the University of Toronto. He has a certificate from the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in International Law Program from Leiden University in The Hague. Doug was Chair of the Board of Directors of Community One Foundation for six years and was one of the founders of the LGBT Giving Network, dedicated to enhancing philanthropy for LGBTQ2S & HIV/AIDS causes in Canada. In 2014, he was Chair of the International Human Rights Program for Pride Toronto. In this role, Co-Chaired the WorldPride Human Rights Conference which led to the creation of Dignity Network Canada in 2017. In addition to running his own nonprofit management consulting practice, Doug has taught nonprofit strategy at the University of Toronto and international social justice at Centennial College. Doug has had volunteer roles with many community organizations, including Rainbow Railroad, Sherbourne Health Centre, Pride Toronto and InterPride. Due to his community work, he was a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Steinart and Ferreiro Award and the inaugural Pride Award from the Canadian Pride Caucus in the Canadian Parliament. Since 2020, he has been Executive Director of Dignity Network Canada and overseen the growth and development of the network. He and his husband Michael are proud parents and hockey dads to Malachi. 

Dr. Claire House (they/them)

Claire House (they/them) has been working across fields of global LGBTIQ+ rights, intersectionality, scholarship/activism, and participatory methods for 15+ years. At the heart of their practice is a belief in the abundant power of social movements to drive change, and their core skill set reflects this, with a focus on co-production, and supporting knowledge and strategy building across movements and sectors. They also bring particular expertise, interest, and practice towards contesting anti-gender, anti-trans, and anti-democratic politics. Dr. House comes to Dignity Network after working as a consultant with the network, including leading the process to develop Dignity Network Canada’s new five-year strategy (2025-2030). Prior to this, they were a former Head of International Programme Development at Stonewall, Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ organization, where they led the development of the organization’s first approach to global programming. 

They are also a former Research Director at Edge Effect where they helped develop the organization’s thinking and approach towards SOGIESC-inclusive development and humanitarian response. Trained as a political scientist and anthropologist, they started their career in academia, and bring a PhD focused on LGBTIQ+ rights movements, feminist, anti-racist, and human rights organizing in Brazil. Claire is originally from the UK and is a newcomer to Canada. They have been living thankfully in the unceded territory of the Syilx/Okanagan people (Kelowna) for the past few years, together with their growing family. They are fluent in Brazilian Portuguese and English, and are working on their French and Spanish. 

Taavi Weinberger (they/them)

Taavi Weinberger brings over a decade of experience in operations, finance, and organizational systems to their role as Finance & Operations Manager at Dignity Network Canada. With a professional background spanning tech start-ups, consultancies, and national nonprofit operations, Taavi is an analytical and creative thinker, drawing on an academic background in the arts alongside deep experience in building scalable internal frameworks that help organizations run smoothly, equitably, and sustainably.

Prior to joining Dignity Network Canada, Taavi served as Operations Manager & Executive Assistant to the COO at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, where they coordinated governance processes, strengthened cross-departmental planning, and led major internal initiatives that improved organizational efficiency and staff engagement. Earlier roles across the tech and innovation sector built their foundation in project management, people operations, and financial administration; skills that now underpin their work stewarding DNC’s financial health and operational effectiveness. Guided by a commitment to anti-oppression, equity, and accessible processes, Taavi prioritizes systems that enable collaboration, clarity, and accountability across the network.

Based out of Toronto, the traditional territory of many nations including Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat Peoples, Taavi is committed to strengthening Canada’s 2SLGBTIAQ+ movement through relationship-building, operational excellence, and the quiet but transformative work of helping organizations function at their best.

Dr. Ayodele Sogunro (he/him)

Ayodele Sogunro (he/him) is a human rights scholar-practitioner with over 12 years of experience advancing LGBTIQ+ rights and gender justice across Africa. His work combines research with creative public engagement and supporting community-led strategic litigation. Ayo comes to Dignity Network Canada from the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) and the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, where he managed multi-country programs, secured major funding, and pioneered innovative approaches to human rights education and advocacy. He holds a Doctorate in Law and a Master of Laws in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA), both from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He also holds a research Master of Laws at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. His work has been published in several academic journals and his research selected as a resource by the Canadian Immigration and Refugees Board. Originally from Nigeria, Ayodele brings deep Global South networks and experience navigating hostile environments to advocate for marginalised communities. 

Sarah Harvey (she/her)

Sarah Harvey (she/her) is from Mississauga, Ontario, and holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies with a specialization in International Development from the University of Waterloo. She is currently a candidate for an MA in Global Governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

With a strong background in communications and gender equality in the nonprofit sector, Sarah specializes in creating impactful promotional materials and strategic communications. She joined Dignity Network Canada in 2023 as a summer student after an eight-month placement in Malawi with WUSC, where she developed communication strategies with local partners, conducted an independent research project on The Role of ICT in the Lives of Smallholder Farmers in Malawi, and facilitated training to strengthen partner organizations’ capacity to share equitable, socially inclusive, and accessible information.

While in Malawi, Sarah co-founded The Youth Dialogue Podcast and Radio Show, a volunteer-driven platform amplifying the voices of Malawian youth by sharing their challenges, successes, and lived experiences. She later completed a fellowship in Uganda with Youth Challenge International, supporting young entrepreneurs in launching social enterprises, researching gender equality and social innovation strategies, and engaging Canadians on global issues including women’s empowerment, climate change, and social entrepreneurship.

Juana Alonso (she/her)

Juana Alonso is an international programs leader who has spent over two decades working for gender equality, diversity, and LGBTQI rights across Africa, Europe, and Canada. Known for her strategic vision and collaborative leadership, she has built and led multi‑country portfolios and accompanied LGBTQI movements through feminist, participatory, and decolonial approaches. At Égides, she launched and directed the international programs department, shaping its global strategy and supporting partners in 10 countries through trust‑based, community‑centered engagement. She brings to work a blend of governance experience, cross‑cultural insight, and deep connection to grassroots activism. Juana’s work in collective learning, documentation, and artivism fuels her ability to bridge communities, donors, and institutions with creativity, joy and purpose. Juana lives in Montreal, Quebec where she works for Equitas as Senior Program Officer. She was nominated to the Board by Egides.

Praney Anand (he/him)

Praney Anand is the Executive Director of the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP), a role he has held since 2020. He brings more than 15 years of experience across sexual health education, counselling, community engagement, research, and the nonprofit sector. Praney holds a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University, a Master of Arts in Human Sexuality Studies from San Francisco State University, and a postgraduate degree in Hospital and Health Management from the Indian Institute of Health Management Research. He has also completed the Intensive Sex Therapy Training Program at the University of Guelph. Alongside his leadership at ASAAP, Praney is a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) in Ontario, regulated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). He maintains a private psychotherapy practice, working with individuals and couples with a particular focus on 2SLGBTQ+ communities, sexuality, relationships, identity, intimacy, and the intersections of culture, migration, and mental health. His work is grounded in an understanding of intersectionality and the social determinants of health, particularly as they affect gender and sexual minority communities, newcomers, racialized communities, and international students in Canada. Across his nonprofit, clinical, and community-based work, Praney is committed to strengthening culturally responsive services, building the capacity of organizations serving equity-deserving communities, and advancing more inclusive approaches to health and wellbeing. He was nominated by ASAAP.

Jade Pichette (they/she/her)

Jade Pichette (they/she) is an Executive Director of Pride at Work Canada, co-leading the organization through its collaborative leadership model. They provide executive leadership across programs, people and operations, including program strategy and delivery, advocacy, governance and internal operations. Jade has held progressively senior roles at Pride at Work Canada since joining in 2018, most recently serving as Director of Programs & Advocacy. Throughout their time with the organization, they have helped shape national programming, research, resources and advocacy supporting employers in advancing inclusion across gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. Before joining Pride at Work Canada, Jade served as Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator at The ArQuives, Education Programs Coordinator at Kind Space and as an independent inclusion consultant. Their work has focused on trans and non-binary inclusion, workplace education, advocacy, accessibility, interfaith work and organizational belonging. Outside of work, Jade enjoys exploring queer, trans and Norse histories, firekeeping and spending time with their chosen family. Jade was nominated to the Board by Pride at Work Canada.

Nishin Nathwani (he/him)

Dr. Nishin Nathwani is a scholar and practitioner with expertise in refugee protection, human rights, humanitarian response, and LGBTQI+ rights. He led the UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) first global assessment of its efforts to protect LGBTQI+ refugees across 106 operations worldwide, and served as Lead Technical Expert on a six-country study commissioned by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to map and strengthen protection systems for LGBTQI+ migrants. Between 2014 and 2017, Nishin worked with UNHCR in Switzerland, Lebanon, and Greece on advancing community-based protection and gender-based violence prevention and response programs.  From 2021 to 2025, he served on the senior leadership team of Rainbow Railroad—initially as Senior Advisor, then as Head of Strategy—leading strategic coordination of the organization’s research, advocacy, protection, policy, and advocacy work.

Nishin holds graduate degrees from Yale University in Political Science (Ph.D. with distinction; M.Phil.) and History (M.A.), as well as an undergraduate degree (B.A.) from Harvard University. He was recognized as a “Global Changemaker” by the British Council and was one of the six youngest delegates to the 2010 World Economic Forum in Davos. He was also named by Pacific Standard as one of the 2016 “Top 30 Thinkers Under 30” in the United States in economics, education, and political science.

Luka Amona (he/him)

Luka Amona is a Human Resources executive with over 20 years of leadership experience across private, public, and non-profit sectors. He currently leads the Human Resources function for the Canadian subsidiary of a global organization, overseeing national people strategy, talent development, organizational design, change management, mergers/acquisitions & divestitures and culture transformation. Known for combining strategic vision with operational execution, Luka has a proven track record of guiding organizations through periods of growth, change, and transformation. His expertise spans executive talent management, governance, labour relations, diversity, equity and inclusion, and global workforce engagement. Luka brings deep non-profit governance experience, having served on several boards including Pride Toronto, United Way, Cota Health, and the AIDS Committee of Toronto. He played a key leadership role in delivering WorldPride 2014 in Toronto, which included the Global Human Rights Conference that brought together activists from around the world.

With lived experience and deep personal connections to countries like Nigeria, UK, France and Canada, Luka brings a global perspective and a strong commitment to advancing equity and human rights. He is passionate about fostering inclusive spaces where 2SLGBTQI+ communities can thrive. Outside of work and volunteering, Luka is a father of two young children and enjoys time with family and friends, reading, travelling, and supporting Arsenal FC.

Jane Thirikwa (she/her)

Jane Thirikwa has extensive expertise and experience in social justice work including gender equality and women’s empowerment, women’s and LGBQ  human rights, advocacy and fundraising for grassroots organizations. She has worked within Kenya’s civil society, in the U.S.A. and in Canada. Jane is the 2S and LGBTQIA+ Global Advocacy Program Coordinator at The United Church of Canada (UCC), leading the church’s advocacy for global 2S and LGBTQIA+ rights. She previously worked as the Global Partnerships Coordinator at KAIROS Canada, leading collaborative women, peace and security programs with partnering grassroots women’s organizations, women and women human rights defenders in the Global South.  Jane is a Gender and Women’s Studies graduate from York University and is also an Atlas Corps and Human Rights Campaign Fellow (2014).

Healy Thompson (she/her)

Healy is the Senior Manager of Advocacy at the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) where she leads the organization’s strategic work within international development and philanthropic communities to advance support for community-led organizations addressing the impacts of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Over the last 8 years, Healy has worked in a variety of positions at the SLF including as the Senior Development Officer for Foundation Giving, as the Manager of Community Campaigns and Strategic Initiatives, and as the Manager of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. 

Previous to joining the SLF, Healy did graduate studies in Gender, Feminist, and Women’s Studies at York University in Toronto and worked in global HIV and AIDS advocacy movements in the United States. Healy is non-binary, queer, a former competitive athlete, a community-builder, a baker, and a pun lover. She lives in Waterloo, Ontario with her partner and two kids.

Debbie Owusu-Akeeyah (she/her)

Debbie is the Client Director (Arts & Culture) at PAA Advisory. Formerly, she worked as the Co-Director of Policy and Advocacy at Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights and as the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Gender Sexual Diversity (CCGSD). Debbie is well-known for her advocacy work across nonprofit and human rights work.

She has spoken at Parliamentary and Senate standing committees, and has appeared in numerous media outlets. She has held several advocacy and policy-oriented positions in government and non-profit organizations, including Oxfam Canada and Global Affairs Canada.

Debbie is an accomplished community educator, feminist activist, and social justice advocate driven by the mission of creating a more inclusive, equitable, and safe world. She has continued to dedicate her time to local progressive organizing, including most recently, as a commissioner for the Ottawa People’s Commission on the Convoy Occupation.

Luis Augusto Nobre (he/him)

Luis (he/him) is a communications strategist with two decades of social impact experience in the corporate sector at multinational companies and non-profit organizations. Specialized in strategic communications management, social impact, and project leadership, Luis has led and managed a blend of Corporate Communications, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Over the past years, he has led bilingual engagement activities to ensure the promotion and reputation of organizations with a holistic, impactful approach. 

Originally from Brazil, Luis is skilled in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and professional-level French. Skilled in driving impactful change through social justice advocacy and community engagement, Luis also advocates for human rights protection and volunteers to support global majority groups, such as Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, Black and People of Colour, and immigrant communities. Empathy and collaboration are the two main characteristics of his leadership style. Currently, he works for QueerTech as its Partner Engagement and Activation Manager. 

Greg Lichti (he/him)

Greg (he/him), CFRE, MSW, MDiv is a Toronto-based fundraising professional with over three decades of experience in Canada’s philanthropic sector and active engagement in civic and community issues. Securing transformational, major, and planned gifts, relationship-building, networking, and people leadership have been central to his role as a senior fundraiser, people leader, and member of senior management teams. With 30 years of expertise, Greg has worked with charities of all sizes. As Vice-President of the major giving group at the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, his team successfully secured over $400 million in major gift support for Princess Margaret’s world-leading cancer research and capital projects. Greg retired from PMCF in June 2024 and has established a fundraising consultancy. Greg is a past board chair of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP), a founding member of the CAGP Foundation board, and a Friend of CAGP. He is a traveller, an active volunteer with various political, human rights and charitable causes, as well as an avid commuter cyclist and volleyball player.  He and his partner Garth Norbraten live in Toronto‘s Leslieville neighborhood where they are very engaged in their community.  

Ann Nweke (she/her)

Ann(she/her) is a strategic finance leader and passionate advocate for equity, currently serving as Controller at Rainbow Railroad, a global organization that supports LGBTQI+ individuals fleeing state-sponsored violence. With over eight years of experience spanning nonprofit, corporate, and energy sectors, Ann brings deep expertise in financial analysis, audit readiness, budgeting, and full-cycle accounting. She has previously made impactful contributions at Trapeze Software Group, MCL Sustainable Cleaning Solutions, and Alphaden Energy and Oilfield Ltd.

Born and raised in Nigeria, Ann’s career is grounded in purpose. During the End SARS movement, she actively lent her voice to the fight against police brutality and systemic injustice – a commitment to advocacy that continues to guide her work. She is a Chartered Accountant (ICAN) and currently completing her MBA at the Ted Rogers School of Management, where she has served in leadership roles and consistently championed underrepresented voices.

Ann is eager to contribute her financial acumen and lived experience to board service, with a focus on building transparent systems, fostering inclusive growth, and bridging the gap between financial strategy and human impact.

Alain Mootoo (he/him)

Alain Mootoo (he/him) is the Chief Operating Officer of the CAMH Foundation. Alain is responsible for governance, strategy, risk management, business performance, human resources, development research, prospect management, customer service, operations and administration of the Foundation. Alain has over 20 years of leadership experience in the non-profit and for-profit sectors with organizations like Lumenus Community Services, Surrey Place, March of Dimes, Corus Entertainment, Ernst and Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Alain has leveraged his lived experience as an immigrant to Canada, a foreign-trained professional and a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to launch award-winning, innovative programs and events for marginalized populations in 140 communities across Canada. 

He has served as a Board Treasurer and a Board member with organizations like COTA, the Sherbourne Health Centre and Dancing Classrooms (Canada). Alain is a CPA, CGA, a Fellow of the Association of Certified Professional Accountants (ACCA) and holds a Master of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MMIE) from the Smith School of Business at Queens University. Based in Toronto, Alain has served on Dignity Network Canada’s Finance Committee since 2021 and is currently Finance Chair and Treasurer on the Board. 

Anan Bouapha (he/him)

Anan Bouapha, who is referred to by the HuffingtonPost as the leader of the country’s nascent LGBTI movement. In 2012, he founded Proud to Be Us Laos, the nation’s first civil society network promoting equal rights for people with sexual and gender diversity communities. As President/Founder, he was instrumental in organising the first Pride event in Laos. Anan was honored with the Asian Pink Awards (Asia LGBTI Rights Awards) in Singapore in 2014 and praised for his work in combating HIV and initiated the LGBT rights movement. His organisation “Proud to be us Laos” was ranked in the Top 9 World LGBT Change Heroes by The Guardian in 2016. In 2019, he was selected as one of the Grand Marshalls of Montreal Pride along with Steve Cruz of Star Trek and Monica Helms – The creator of Transgender Flag. 

Carlos Idibouo (he/him/they/them)

Carlos Toh Zwakhala Idibouo is a gender non-comforming AfroQueer. He owns a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Languages and a Pre-Master in Social and Community Psychology. Over nearly 25 years of activism for the recognition and protection of the rights of LGBTIQ+ communities in Côte d’Ivoire, at the regional level, and internationally, Carlos has primarily focused his work on developing institutional partnerships for the implementation of advocacy strategies, including responses to the impacts of linguistic disparities in the development of LGBTIQ+ movements.

As an experienced project management and organizational development consultant, Carlos Idibouo successfully manages issues related to Human Rights, HIV and Sexual Health, Gender-based violence, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Accessibility, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, both within LGBTIQ+ communities, institutions and corporations, applying an intersectional approach.

In 2016, Carlos co-founded la Maison de la Culture des Diversités Humaines, a feminist-led organization based in Côte d’Ivoire, that aims to using Cultures, Arts and Sports as a powerful tool to promote LGBTIQ+ communities’ Human rights, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Mental Health and Well-being and more broadly. Finally, Carlos Idibouo is co-founder and co-chair of Fierté Afrique Francophone (FAF), a network of about hundred queer organizations from across the Francophone African region, that aims to strengthening and developing the organizational capacities, coordinating the strategic advocacy actions and mobilizing financial resources to support its members.

Danilo Manzano (he/him)

Danilo is an LGBTIQ+ political activist in Ecuador and Latin America, communicator with a specialization in public relations, marketing, and conflict resolution mediation. Co-founder of the Diálogo Diverso Foundation in Ecuador, technical expert on LGBTIQ+ migration through the “Mi Casa Fuera de Casa” program, and Technical Secretary of the Regional Network for LGBTIQ+ Human Mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

International speaker on LGBTIQ+ political participation and human mobility related to sexual and gender diversity. Global connector of LGBTIQ+ organizations and activists.

Grâce Divine Ingabire (she/her)

Grâce Divine Ingabire is based in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and is a bilingual (English and French) medical doctor and has a degree in project management. Feminism, Gender Equality, Economic and Social Inclusion, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Human Rights are the subjects she is passionate about. Her interest in these subjects led her to leave her medical career and pursue work with community-based organizations. The capacity building of new LGBTQ+ organisations is her main focus. Enhancing them that they can be able to work and to apply for funds. Reading, writing, dancing, watching movies and series, going on adventures – she is always up to a challenge! -, and meeting new people are some of Grâce’s hobbies. Grâce was nominated to the advisory committee by Égides, Alliance internationale francophone pour l’égalité et les diversités.

Fernando Us Alvarez (she/her/he/him)

Fernando Us Alvarez is a Maya K’ichè Indigenous person, a survivor of Guatemala’s civil war, and a sexual dissident. Fernando uses the pronouns she/he. For the past four years, Fernando has been working with the Pan American Development Foundation with responsibilities for supporting LGBTI groups in the Mesoamerican region (Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras). Prior to that, Fernando worked as a popular educator with UDEFEGUA – the Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders – an organization that defends the political space for human rights organizations and provides support to human rights defenders under threat. In UDEFEGUA, among other responsibilities, Fernando was the liaison with feminist and LGBTI groups in Guatemala and throughout the Central American region, helping activists and organizations develop safety and security plans so they can significantly minimize the risk of attacks. 

From 2010-2013, Fernando served as Project Officer with Project Counseling Service (PCS), a regional Latin American organization, partnered with DNC Member Inter Pares. At PCS, Fernando worked on the Dignity Network Canada Global Advisory Board program dealing with issues of migration or “forced uprooting”, connecting with grassroots groups throughout the “northern triangle” region and Mexico. She/he is a founding member of REDMMUTRANS – the Red Multicultural de Mujeres Trans (Multicultural Network of Trans Women), a grassroots group composed in large part by Indigenous trans women from several rural departments of Guatemala. Fernando is also a member of REDNAS – the Red Nacional de Diversidad Sexual y VIH de Guatemala (National Network on Sexual Diversity and HIV of Guatemala).

Joseph Messinga Nkonga (he/him)

Joseph  Messinga Nkonga is a Cameroonian activist committed to the cause of sexual and gender minorities in Francophone Africa. With a degree in communications, he began his activist journey in 2016 as a columnist for a local radio station in Cameroon. In 2017, he joined the NGO Affirmative Action, a sub-recipient of Global Fund grants, where he held the position of Communications Director for three years. Over the years, Joseph has held various leadership positions.

In civil society:

– Board member of the Transgender Positive Vision association;

– National Coordinator of the IDAHOT Cameroon Committee (2016-2018);

– Alternate member of the Unity platform (2019-2020);

– In 2020, he co-founded Fierté Afrique Francophone (FAF), a regional alliance of

organizations committed to the rights of sexual and gender minorities in

Francophone Africa, for which he now serves as Permanent Secretary.

Internationally, Joseph sits on :

– Francophone coordinator of PRIDE Afrique 2020.

– the International Advisory Board of the Dignity Canada Network ;

– the International Steering Committee of the ICASA Conference;

– the Global Advisory Group on Key Populations (GBGMC);

– two thematic working groups of the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC).

He is also the promoter of an inclusive communications agency, dedicated to the training and socio-professional integration of young LGBTQI+ people and the strategic support of human rights organizations. A visionary, Joseph firmly believes that sustainable change comes from the communities themselves. He works to strengthen their power to act, weave lasting alliances and make francophone voices heard in regional and international decision-making arenas.

Kenita M. Placide (they/them)

Kenita M. Placide is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE). ECADE, is an independent umbrella organisation, inclusive of organisations operating in the small islands in the eastern Caribbean from the Virgin Islands to Grenada. Placide has advocated around HIV and human rights inclusive of women, youth and LGBTI issues, for over 15 years and has worn many hats to bring attention and funding to the smaller islands in the eastern part of the Caribbean. 

The former Executive Director of United and Strong in St Lucia, Placide led the first presentation by United and Strong to Saint Lucia’s Constitution Reform Commission in 2009 and to the Universal Periodic Review process at the United Nations in 2010. She is founder and organiser of the only Caribbean Women and Sexual Diversity Conference from 2013 to present. Placide is a member of the Regional Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund, the Americas Representative for the Commonwealth Equality Network, the Caribbean Advisor Emergency Response with the Freedom House Dignity for All LGBTI Assistance Program, and on the Management Committee of the Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities. Placide is a member of the UN Women LGBTI Informal Reference Group.

Midnight Poonkasetwattana (he/him)

Based in Bangkok, Midnight has been Executive Director of APCOM since 2011. APCOM is an organization working with a network of individuals and community-based organizations across 35 countries in Asia and the Pacific. With years of experience working in multi-sectorial partnerships with governments, donors and the United Nations, Midnight particularly enjoys working with community groups and civil society organisations to build their capacity to better promote the rights of gender and sexual minorities. Midnight’s work as APCOM Executive Director has been globally recognised through various awards and honors, such as Mark King’s MyFabulousDisease.com’s 16 HIV Advocates to Watch in 2016, “IAPAC 150” Pioneers in AIDS Response and AVAC’s Omololu Falobi Award for excellence in HIV prevention research community advocacy. 

Besides his work in APCOM, Midnight is a member of various advisory and steering committees, including the global IDAHOT committee and the Freedom House’s “Dignity for All”; as well as a civil society International Steering Committee member of the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund. Before joining APCOM, Midnight worked for Purple Sky Network where he engaged with MSM and transgender communities in the Greater Mekong areas. He previously supported the implementation of HIV and human rights programmes in various countries throughout Asia and Eastern Europe as part of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. Midnight obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia in 2002 and completed his Masters in Globalisation and Development in 2009 at the School of Oriental and African Studies through the University of London.

Pepe Onziema

Pepe Onziema is a transman, human rights activist and community leader who is currently Program Director for Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). Onzeima has over fifteen years working experience in grassroots organizing, community led advocacy, human rights programming and management, grants writing and reporting, advocacy focusing on social justice and civil liberties at national, regional and international spaces. He is an international award-winning campaigner, educator and influencer working towards the attainment of equality and dignity for marginalized persons in Uganda and across Africa. 

Onzeima is an excellent communicator with the ability to listen closely, step back, analyse and work toward solving challenges. He has registered incredible accomplishments including being at the forefront of the co-founding of Uganda’s LGBTIQ movement and its sustenance; being a plaintiff in various lawsuits local and international; demanding for civil liberties more significantly being one of the petitioners in the constitutional challenge that led to the annulment of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2014, and being a proven leader in cross-disciplinary advocacy and state engagement on the rights of marginalised persons in Uganda. Onzeima brings a wealth of experience with regional and international bodies such as the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR), the East African Court of Justice and the Human Rights Council through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

Zhanar Sekerbayeva (she/her)

Zhanar Sekerbayeva is one of the co-founders of the Kazakhstan Feminist Initiative ‘Feminita’. She is a feminist, a powerlifter and a poet. In her works she aims at expanding the concept of gender in the general public discourse through activism by mainstreaming questions of gender identity in Academia and making Central Asia visible as a region. Zhanar graduated with Summa Cum Laude from the ‘Gumilev’ Eurasian National University in 2005, as well as from the ‘Lomonosov’ Moscow State University in 2009. In 2014 Zhanar enrolled at the European Humanities University (Lithuania) MA program in Sociology with focus on gender and culture, and finished at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, PhD program. Zhanar was nominated to the advisory committee by The Equality Fund.

Artemis Akbary (they/them)

Artemis Akbary is a queer Afghan refugee and internationally recognised LGBTIQ+ activist and human rights defender based in the Czech Republic. They are the Executive Director of Afghanistan LGBTIQ+ Organization (ALO), leading efforts to advance the rights, protection, and dignity of LGBTIQ+ people in conflict and post-conflict settings, with a primary focus on Afghanistan. Under Artemis’s leadership, ALO has provided protection and life-saving support to over 700 LGBTIQ+ Afghans since 2021, alongside documentation of human rights violations and international advocacy.

Artemis’s work centres on international advocacy, justice, and accountability, including engagement with UN Special Procedures and the UN Human Rights Council. They have spoken at the European Parliament and other global and regional forums, and are widely recognised as a strong voice for marginalised communities. Artemis has extensive experience advocating for LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum seekers at the EU level and in the Czech Republic, including training authorities and service providers on SOGIESC inclusion.

Previously, Artemis worked as a radio producer at Radio RanginKaman and has served as a consultant to international organisations and NGOs on forced displacement and intersectional human rights. They serve on the executive boards of ILGA Asia and IGLYO, and hold an academic background in International Relations and European Politics, with expertise in Queer, Peace, and Security.

Jean Chong (she/her/they)

Jean Chong is the Executive Director and founder of the Asia Feminist LBQ Network, a Asia regional organization based in Bangkok, Thailand. She is also a founding member and previous chairperson (2011-2023) of the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, a regional Southeast Asian LGBTIQ organization. In her past roles, she has worked for OutRight International as their China Program Coordinator and serves as an Asia advisor to various foundations. 

At home, Jean also co-founded and leads Sayoni, a queer feminist organization in Singapore since 2006. Her activism began as a volunteer and Vice Chairperson with Safehaven in 1999, a gay Christian support network. Jean was also a founding member and chairperson of an inclusive church, Free (First Realize Everyone is Equal) Community Church and was involved in various grassroots initiatives and campaigns to repeal 377A in Singapore. Jean holds a Masters of Human Rights and Democratization from the University of Sydney (EU scholarship). She is the winner of the AWARE Champion for Gender Equality and Justice Award 2018 in Singapore and the APCOM Community Hero Award for the Asia Pacific region in 2018.

Karam Aouini

Karam is a Tunisian medical doctor and human rights activist, a dedicated advocate for equality. He is currently the Head of Artistic Projects and Communications for the Mawjoudin for Equality initiative. Mawjoudin is a Tunisian organization that works to promote and strengthen the rights and political participation of Queer individuals as agents of change through advocacy, capacity building, artivism and social support services. The communities supported by Mawjoudin often face multiple forms of discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics. 

Karam studied medicine at university. Alongside his medical training, he became involved in activist work and subsequently took on leadership roles within Mawjoudin, first as a member and later as a projects’ chief. He was the founding director of the Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival (MQFF) in 2018; a milestone for queer culture in Tunisia. His work spans festival direction, artistic curation, and theatrical production.

As an activist and physician, Karam also leads the STI screening unit at Mawjoudin, focusing on sexual health. His advocacy is firmly rooted in the fight against systemic discrimination and violence targeting people with non-normative sexualities and gender identities.

Ogochukwu Jones Okolie (they/them)

Ogochukwu Jones Okolie is a trans non-binary, queer human rights activist and MEAL specialist driving impact leadership and movement strengthening across West Africa. Their work is rooted in dignity and feminist practice, focusing on the safety and autonomy of LGBTQI+ people in criminalized contexts, particularly those shaped by displacement and social exclusion. With over six years of experience, Jones specializes in power-shifting within humanitarian systems and ethical data use. As a movement builder, they have mentored young activists and LBQ women to strengthen evidence-based advocacy and responses to gender-based violence. Their research has been presented at international spaces such as, the 2025 Rainbow Railroad Queer Forced Displacement Symposium, the 2024 IAS HIV Research for Prevention Conference, Changing Faces, Changing Spaces (2023), African Pride Accelerated (2023), and the Global Health Network Conference (2022). An alumna of the Equitas International Human Rights Training Program, YALI West Africa, and the AMEL Project, Jones bridges grassroots organizing with international frameworks. They currently serve as a Grantmaking Panel Member with the International Trans Fund, ensuring community-informed resourcing for trans movements globally. Their leadership reflects a sustained commitment to solidarity efforts and transformative change.