The San Francisco AFRICA Leadership Institute (SFALI)

HOW can we COLOR OUR WORLD WITH PRIDE without our WORLD by our side? San Francisco Pride 2014 Community Grand Marshal, Melanie Nathan, has invited a group of LGBTI people from several African countries to come to San Francisco Pride, as a voice for Africa, to march in her PRIDE contingent, under the S.F. Pride theme “Color Our World with Pride.”

It is highly likely that even with the help of a California Senator, the State Department will deny many of the visas. This is because LGBTI people in Africa generally cannot provide enough proof to satisfy the State Department that they will return home. This serves to exclude LGBTI people in Africa from opportunities such as this, to visit the U.S.A., to dialogue with our LGBTI community.

SFALI has been established to cross this bridge.

Here is your opportunity to fund this quest and to set the stage to participate in the dialogues that could shape the future of LGBTI Africa.

Melanie notes:- “I am deeply honored that San Francisco pride has recognized my global advocacy work, by appointing me as a Community Grand Marshall for “Color Our World With Pride,” 2014.  However my voice is miniscule when we have an opportunity to meet and hear from those who are directly impacted, suffering the persecution and harsh consequences of onerous Anti-Homosexuality laws.”

San Francisco and people around the world are invited to support this critical project – to help give Africa’s LGBTI community a voice in the U.S.A.; to come and dialogue – so we can all learn from each other and find ways to decriminalize homosexuality in Africa. 

This imperative project is bound to shed light on how hard it is to get the State Department to provide visas for LGBTI people who are persecuted and denied the very criteria that the U.S. State Department has established for their visa requirements.

It is time for us here in the U.S.A. and San Francisco, to show the world that when we are LGBTI, we are one, and that everyone has the basic human right to one’s sexuality.  The extent of the criminality and harsh punishment such as  life in prison placed on LGBTI Africans is untenable.  We must bring Africa’s LGBTI people here to the U.S.A. so we can provide joint leadership on the issue.

Imagine this….

You live in a country where being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) is unacceptable and not tolerated, to such a radical extent, that it has life or death consequences. If you are gay (includes all LGBTI) you can be imprisoned for life.

If your parents, friends, employers, landlords, teachers, suspect or discover you are gay– you are banished, disowned, fired and evicted– and worse yet, you are attacked by mobs, assaulted, tortured, blackmailed or handed over to the authorities to face up to life in prison.

Your life is over! Simply because of who you are.

You are spat on, beaten, ridiculed, called Satan – even the local church and village elders have abandoned you – and your government deems you a criminal – you have nowhere to turn. You are likely to be on the streets – often alone.

And now you have found some hope…  an extraordinary opportunity… to participate in PRIDE - in a friendly non-hostile environment.

One of the most stunning Pride celebrations in the world.

 San Francisco Pride 2014 and a theme that not only embraces you - it beckons you – a theme that says we want you – we love you – we are one – it is a moment in time to “COLOR OUR WORLD WITH PRIDE.”

Together we can be proud and change the world.

These funds will be used to further this project and to sponsor attendees for Pride. If we do not get visas, we will use the funds to help LGBT people from Africa, including future events and workshops in the fight against persecution and anti-homosexuality laws.

KINDLY participate in gobal care and change now!

These donations are tax deductible.