Our Patrons and President

Lord Fowler (The Rt Hon. the Lord Fowler), has been Kaleidoscope Trust’s President since 2020. A staunch advocate for the rights of LGBTI+ people globally, his decades of advocacy have been of immense importance to the LGBTI+ community. In 1986, as then Secretary of State for Health, Lord Fowler led the UK’s first major public health information campaign to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS, an epidemic that disproportionately affected gay and bisexual men. Today he remains Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS, a patron of the British HIV Association, as well as a UNAIDS ambassador. In his role as an active crossbench life peer, he continues to be vocal in support of LGBTI+ people globally and in challenging the persecution of LGBT people worldwide.

Munroe Bergdorf is an internationally renowned activist, model, writer and broadcaster. As an activist she regular speaks out about trans rights, racism, women’s rights and other social justice issues. As a model she has appeared for some of the world’s top brands and made history by appearing as Cosmopolitan’s first trans cover star to celebrate their 50th anniversary. She is a UN Women Changemaker and a Contributing Editor for British Vogue. In February 2023 she published her highly anticipated debut book ‘Transitional’.

On becoming one of our patrons, Munroe said: “It should be clear to one and all within the LGBT+ communities that all of our rights are under threat. As ever, we need civil society organisations, people of goodwill and members of the public to fight hard to ensure no LGBT+ person is left behind. Joining Kaleidoscope Trust as a Patron means the world to me. Not only do I admire the intrepid work Lady Phyll leads on here in the UK, she is a demonstration that our rights at home will never be secure as long as our LGBT+ siblings across the world are not free, safe and equal. As a Kaleidoscope Trust Patron, I will use my platform and my voice to raise awareness and money to help ensure Kaleidoscope Trust can continue to do their vital work.”

Dustin Lance Black is a screenwriter, director, producer and LGBT+ rights activist. He is known for writing the film ‘Milk’, about the life and death of gay Californian politician Harvey Milk, which won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. His other writing credits include the film ‘J. Edgar’ and the TV series ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’.

He is married to Tom Daley and the couple have two children. On becoming Kaleidoscope Trust patrons, the couple commented: “Kaleidoscope Trust has led and coordinated immense and important work over the past decade and the team at the charity continue to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to upholding the human rights of LGBT+ people across the Commonwealth. We are honoured to join Kaleidoscope Trust, particularly in light of the ongoing threats to LGBT+ people in the UK and around the world.”

Tom Daley is an Olympic champion diver, television personality and celebrity knitter and crocheter. Tom made his Olympic debut aged just 14 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and has subsequently appeared at each successive Olympic Games, winning bronze medals in 2012 and 2016 and bronze and gold medals in 2021. He made history in 2013 when he shared a coming out video on his YouTube channel, telling his fans that he was in a relationship with a man and had never been happier. In 2022 he made a documentary entitled ‘Illegal To Be You’ to coincide with the Commonwealth Games, investigating the rights of LGBT+ people across the Commonwealth.

He is married to Dustin Lance Black and the couple have two children. On becoming Kaleidoscope Trust patrons, the couple commented: “Kaleidoscope Trust has led and coordinated immense and important work over the past decade and the team at the charity continue to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to upholding the human rights of LGBT+ people across the Commonwealth. We are honoured to join Kaleidoscope Trust, particularly in light of the ongoing threats to LGBT+ people in the UK and around the world.”

Kyle De’Volle is a celebrity stylist, designer, fashion consultant and style commentator. He is a talented innovator and influencer, engaging his creative skills and razor-sharp eye across multiple platforms within the fashion industry. Known first and foremost for his work as a celebrity stylist, Kyle enjoyed a long creative collaboration with Rita Ora. In addition to Rita, Kyle has worked with Cara Delevingne, Bruno Mars, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Andreja Pejic and Stooshe, among many others.

On becoming one of our patrons, Kyle said: “I was really shocked when I read the reports from Kaleidoscope Trust about just how dire the situation is for LGBT+ people across the Commonwealth and think it’s unacceptable that more of us don’t know – and therefore can’t help. It’s an honour to join Kaleidoscope Trust as a Patron. Self-expression and the freedom to live as who we are, and loving who we love, are human rights that absolutely all of us are entitled to. I’m looking forward to working with Lady Phyll and the team at Kaleidoscope Trust to raise awareness about how more of us can get involved to create a free, safe and equal world for LGBT+ people everywhere.”

Michael Gunning is a British-Jamaican former competitive swimmer and media personality. He has campaigned against racism and homophobia in swimming and for LGBT+ equality in sport. He worked with Tom Daley on the ‘Illegal To Be You’ documentary, highlighting how homophobia impacts athletes.

On becoming one of our patrons, Michael said: “As I make the transition into a new chapter in my professional life, I’m very excited to be joining Kaleidoscope Trust as a Patron. Kaleidoscope Trust does immensely impactful work, in collaboration with grassroots activists and civil society organisations across the Commonwealth, to ensure a free, safe and equal world for LGBT+ people. Visibility and representation are so important and I am honoured they asked me to use my platform and lived experience to raise awareness about the ongoing discrimination LGBT+ people are facing across the Commonwealth.”

Widely known as Lady Phyll, partly due to her decision to reject an MBE to protest Britain’s role in formulating anti-LGBTQ penal codes across its empire, Phyll has over 20 years of experience as an LGBT+ rights activist and anti-racism campaigner.

She spent a decade advocating for the rights of workers within the largest civil service union as a lead negotiator on behalf of Civil Service workers. Initially working as Head of Political Campaigns, she moved into the role of Head of Equality and Learning at Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Trade Union.

From 2019 to 2023 Phyll Opoku-Gyimah was the Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Trust, leaving to become the first full-time Chief Executive of UK Black Pride, the award-winning celebration and protest that she co-founded.

A community builder and organiser, Phyll is also a columnist and a public speaker, with a focus on intersectional matters of race, gender, sexual orientation and class.