BUSINESS PROFILE
Executive director of The Kaleidoscope Trust and co- founder and executive director of UK Black Pride
Kaleidoscope Trust’s Lady Phyll
Phyll Opoku- Gyimah, better known as Lady Phyll, is the executive director of The Kaleidoscope
Trust, a charity that influences British and international institutions to support LGBTQ activists to help bring change in countries where LGBTQ people do not have equal rights. She discusses her experience as co- founder of UK Black Pride, and why she won’t take “no” for an answer.
Where did you get the nickname Lady Phyll?
It’s a sort of joke. In 2016, I turned down an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List to protest against this country’s colonial legacy and because the UK has not done nearly enough to help our LGBTQ siblings across the world liberate themselves from homophobic colonial- era laws. The colonial and imperialist legacy of this country has had life- ending consequences. It is not something to be celebrated, in my opinion.
In August 2019, you became the first black woman to lead an international LGBTQ human rights charity in the UK. What does this appointment mean to you?
Black queer and trans women continue to be the most marginalised, most disrespected, most vulnerable communities in the world and so to take the reins of an organisation committed to the liberation of LGBTQ people around the world fills me with an immense sense of purpose and drive. Across the world, black queer and trans women are leading the liberation movement, from grassroots organisations across Africa and the Caribbean, to the Movement for Black
Lives in the US. I feel part of a community of women and queer people who refuse to accept the status quo. A better world is possible.
It is an immense honour to serve LGBTQ communities around the world.
You are the co- founder and executive director of UK Black Pride, Europe’s largest celebration for LGBTQ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent. What have you learned since the founding of UK Black Pride that you bring to The Kaleidoscope Trust?
When we set up UK Black Pride in 2005, we didn’t receive any support from mainstream
LGBTQ organisations. They just didn’t see the point of us having a space to celebrate ourselves and our lived experiences. I learned very quickly that if I took “no” for an answer, we wouldn’t be able to launch. Each year, UK Black Pride has brought with it new challenges and opportunities. From raising money to put on the event, to reaching larger communities through social media and communications, it’s been a baptism of fire. So, I’m bringing all these lessons, skills and networks to bear at the trust. This LGBTQ liberation movement is global and it’s a natural extension of the work I’m helping to do at UK Black Pride.
What has been the biggest challenge in your role at the trust?
As with any new role, learning the ropes of an organisation has taken some getting used to, and the move from working in a trade union to a much smaller organisation has taken some adjustment. But more than anything, I’m excited. I walk into work every day inspired and motivated. I feel very lucky that my day job is now my gay job.
What has surprised you about your role?
Nothing has been surprising, per se, as
I’m used to working at high levels within organisations, and after leading UK Black Pride, I really have seen it all. One of the aspects of my role that I’m surprised I get to encounter so often is a global community of LGBTQ activists. At Kaleidoscope, we’re going to be doing much more work in
2020, to amplify the voices and stories of grassroots activists who are really changing the game across the world. I guess I’ve also been surprised by the scale of the ingenuity and of the transformations taking place at such micro levels across the world.
When you add up all these changes, all these activists, all this passion, it becomes clear that we are on the verge of such tremendous change for the better.
What does the year ahead look like for Kaleidoscope?
I’ve been doing a lot of planning and strategising with the team and we’ve come up with some exciting new ventures that will help raise the profile of LGBTQ activists around the world. But a lot of what we do is behind the scenes: we raise money, liaise with activists, and pull together conferences and programmes. Our work is about supporting activists so they can do their work effectively. A lot of what we’re working on is refining those processes, figuring out how to continue to be great allies to our siblings around the world and raising money in support of those activists and organisations.
How can people get involved?
Stay tuned! We’ll be launching initiatives to engage the LGBTQ communities here in the UK and further afield who want to help or who have skills and experiences to contribute. For now, share our posts on social media and connect us with your organisations if you think there’s an opportunity for sponsorship and partnership. This work is about people and networks. The global LGBTQ communities are fighting a different fight than the one we are and they deserve your support, encouragement and attention.
What advice do you have for people struggling with the decision to come out in the workplace?
Coming out is a deeply personal decision and if you decide that it’s something you’d like to do, then any number of factors can inhibit you. We know that not all workplaces are created equal and they don’t all create the right types of environments for LGBTQ people to thrive and feel included. Each person must take the risks and benefits into account for themselves. Also, people are within their rights not to share every aspect of themself with everyone. Some people prefer, in professional environments, to keep their private lives private. We have a tendency to associate being out with being proud. I know plenty of people who are very proud to be part of the LGBTQ communities but who are not out in all aspects of their lives.
“I feel very lucky that my day job is now my gay job”