About us

Who are we?

We are four African trans and intersex activists –  Liesl Theron (South Africa), Victor Mukasa (Uganda), Julius Kaggwa (Uganda) and Gabrielle Le Roux (South Africa). 

We have been actively involved in various ways and in various capacities before and during the inception years of the African trans and intersex movement as it is known today. Over the years of working with and alongside each other, we have become good friends and after many discussions we realised that we had a shared aim to combine all of the information that we have been part of and collected over the years and to present it on one platform that will be easily accessible to all who are interested. 

One of the main reasons behind the creation of this website was our passionate refusal to let the history of the trans and intersex movement in Africa become lost, or misunderstood, distorted, and misrepresented, all of which would weaken the current and future work of trans and intersex individuals and organisations on the continent. As we were part of the beginnings of the movement, in documenting this history as accurately as we can, we want to provide a clear understanding of the strength of the trans and intersex movement on the continent by documenting evidence of how long and how hard African activists and organisations have worked towards human rights for trans and intersex people on the continent. 

Bearing witness to the events that helped shape and influence the African trans and intersex movement, and providing readers with the chance to bear witness to it, will strengthen the movement and prove that it is a force to be reckoned with – a force for change.

Liesl Theron

(SHE)

Liesl Theron is one of the co-founders of Gender DynamiX (GDX), founded in 2005. GDX was the first organisation in South Africa, and the first registered organisation in Africa focusing its work on trans advocacy.

Read more about Liesl Theron.

Victor Mukasa

(HE)

Victor Mukasa started speaking out in the local Ugandan media about oppression of LGBTIQ+ people in the country in 2002. His work continues to impact many lives in the LGBTIQ+ community in Uganda, Africa, the African Diaspora, and worldwide.

Read more about Victor Mukasa.

Julius Kaggwa

(HE)

Julius Kaggwa is an intersex activist from East Africa.

Gabrielle le Roux

(THEY + SHE,)

Gabrielle Le Roux is a self- and community-taught artist, film-maker, and queer feminist activist who, since 2001, has been collaboratively creating projects that combine portraits and stories as an intervention for social justice since 2001.

Read more about Gabrielle Le Roux.