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As of 2025, LGBTQ+ organising in Kenya stands at a defining crossroads, where legal regression and community resistance collide. While the courts have upheld Sections 162 and 165, refusing to decriminalise same-sex intimacy, queer communities now face new threats from legislative efforts like the Family Protection Bill. Framed as a pro-family policy, the bill seeks to criminalise what it calls “promotion of homosexuality,” placing human rights defenders, educators, artists, and health workers at direct risk. galck+ has been vocal in challenging the bill’s dangerous language and far-reaching implications, warning that its passage would roll back decades of progress and silence entire communities under the guise of morality. In this climate, galck+’s role has evolved, moving beyond defence toward a bold and strategic counteroffensive rooted in truth, care, and courage.
Galck+ is the national umbrella body for 20 LGBTQ+-led organisations working to advance the health and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, and queer people in Kenya. Aligned with our vision of creating a safe and enabling environment for LGBTQ+ individuals and organisations and underpinned by our mission – to increase the coalition’s ability to support its member organisations with rights-based, all-inclusive services by enhancing its capabilities, increasing its positive exposure, and lowering stigma. Our work has inspired cohesion among people who appreciate diversity and recognise that everyone deserves equal opportunities, regardless of their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender, or expression.
From documenting violations to building coalitions, galck+ is preparing communities not just to survive, but to lead. Its regional clusters continue to mobilise grassroots organisers, artists, mental health professionals, and legal experts to build a robust, community-led response. At the same time, galck+ is amplifying digital storytelling, launching civic education campaigns, and expanding safe spaces where queer people can find affirmation and refuge.
In a nation reckoning with the meaning of freedom, galck+ stands firm: LGBTQ+ Kenyans are not outsiders to the family, the nation, or the future. They are its heart. And no matter how loud the opposition grows, the movement will continue to rise, grounded in resistance, guided by love, and unstoppable in its pursuit of justice.
The coalition has built a comprehensive response model that addresses both individual needs and systemic barriers. Its Mental Health Initiative, launched in response to increasing demand for affirming psychosocial care, has grown into one of the most relied-upon resources for queer Kenyans. At the same time, its Emergency Security Response Mechanism documents and responds to threats, harassment, and violence across 25 counties, creating pathways for accountability and support. Through strategic partnerships with national agencies and health providers, galck+ ensures that LGBTQ+ communities are not left behind in the country’s public health response. This integration of service delivery and data-driven advocacy has positioned galck+ as a leader in rights-based, community-informed health programming.
But what truly sets galck+ apart is its people-centered approach to liberation. Its regional clusters: Batian, Lenana, and Nelion; foster local leadership and build power at the grassroots level, ensuring that the movement is both inclusive and sustainable. Its digital partnerships, such as the integration of legal and health resources within widely used queer apps, extend its reach to those who may otherwise be isolated. Through storytelling campaigns, creative media, and collective healing spaces, galck+ is reimagining what it means to be free, not just in law, but in everyday life. In a country where queer existence is politicised, galck+ continues to affirm that LGBTQ+ Kenyans deserve safety, dignity, and joy.
Galck+ is a reflection of this progress, with inclusion and diversity at the heart of everything we do. Our updated resolve is to create a space that is not segmented because our fight for freedom and love is the same, no matter what makes us different. We are committed to building an all-inclusive and empowering space that welcomes and fights for all identities, ensuring that every individual has the support and advocacy they need. This simply means that we are here for it, all of it, fighting different causes for different individuals with the shared goal of freedom, equality, justice, and better realities for everyone
Find out more about galck+ by visiting their website.
Editorial Note
The language used throughout this article aims to balance consistency with respect for our partners’ self-identification. While Kaleidoscope Trust generally uses the term ‘LGBTI+,’ we have preserved the original terminology used by galck+ in this article. We believe this approach acknowledges and respects the diverse ways in which individuals and groups describe themselves, helping to ensure authenticity and cultural sensitivity in the representation the global community.
The pressing LGBTI+ human rights challenges of our day can only be solved through collaboration, whether that be with grassroots or international human rights organisations, governments and funding bodies – and people that really care, like you.
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