An innovative, multi-partner, multi-pronged project that includes significant sub-grants and seed-funding for new LGBT NGOs in Africa: Destabilising Cis and Heteronormativity

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AAI hopes to positively affect access to health and other human rights through destabilising heteronormativity and destigmatising lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer sexual orientations and transgender, intersex, and gender non-confirming gender identities (LGBTIQGNC ) and all forms of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in African communities. In order to do this destabilising heteronormative, binary gender thinking is necessary. This requires an analysis and dialogue around the status quo, both in terms of gender, but also in terms of sexuality. Thus, in 2014 AAI began the Destabilising Heteronormativity Project.

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DH is a multi-pronged approach with targeted interventions in various arenas with various partners:

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1.    ACADEMIA: Conducting research and production of academic publications working in partnership with UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND and 10 other Southern African Universities.

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2.    AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION and SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM: Conducting research, advocacy and capacity building amongst the continents bureaucratic and political leaders in the AUC and Parliamentarians at SADC PF, based on AIDS ACCOUNTABILITY INTERNATIONAL’s existing relationships with these organisations.

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3.    LITIGATION: DH made a small investment in legal advocacy by using strategic litigation by making a sub-grant to INITIATIVE FOR STRATEGIC LITIGATION IN AFRICA (ISLA).

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4.    MEDIA: Use of advertising agencies to change societal perceptions working in partnership with ADVERTISERS ACTIVISTS COLLECTIVE.

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5.    SPIRITUALITY AND INCLUSION: Lobbying and advocacy among the faith based community members working in partnership with INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS LIVING WITH OR PERSONALLY AFFECTED BY HIV AND AIDS (INERELA+) and AFRICAN MEN FOR SEXUAL HEALTH AND RIGHTS (AMSHER).

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6.    SPIRITUALITY AND SCRIPTURES: Developing counter-intelligence based on the writings and knowledge of African spiritual leaders and other scholarly arguments to counter discrimination and stigmatisation of sexually diverse people, and building the capacity of sexually diverse and religious people to make these arguments, with THE HOUSE OF RAINBOW.

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7. WHOSEMYTRIBE.COM a public campaign to change social norms around sexual diversity with HOKA HEY.

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The role of AAI has been to take a lead role in the development of this initiative, advise in implementation, assure cross-pollination of prong work, and ensure implementation, monitoring and evaluation and reporting (both narrative and financial) at the end of the project.

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Project Manager: Please contact Lucinda van den Heever at lucinda at aidsaccountability.org.

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This work is kindly supported financially by funding partner Ford Foundation.

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