The Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya is a union between differen organisations in Kenya striving to improve the situation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. It was established in May 2006 by local and regional activists of the Urgent Action Fund, a women’s rights organization.
Legacy
As the nationalumbrella organization, GALCK made considerable gains in increasing the voice and visibility of the sexual orientation gender identity and expression movement until 2011/2012. The latter period, characterized by organizational and financial management challenges, brought almost all GALCK’s regular functioning to a standstill. In 2013, in a demonstration of extraordinary resilience, the community established the GALCK Reloaded Task-force to re-activate and restructure the Coalition and re-establish its position at the center of the Kenyan SOGIE movement. Since then, the Coalition under the stewardship of the voluntary GRT has grown from strength to strength, shedding a very positive and promising light on the future of the Kenyan SOGIE movement.
Member organisations
Founded in 2006, six organizations are members of GALCK:
Minority Women in Action – "advocate for the rights of LBTI women... by engaging with national and international structures".
Gay Kenya Trust – seeks to be the "leading human rights advocacy organization for the attainment of a society that is inclusive and free from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation".
Persons Marginalized and Aggrieved – formerly known as the Mombasa Brotherhood, seeks to "create, raise and promote public awareness, tolerance and acceptance of PEMA in the society".
Activities
GALCK's resource centre in Nairobi opened in 2008. The centre functions as offices for the six organizations. A week before World Aids Day on 1 December 2008, GALCK mobilized 230 LGBTI people to attend voluntary counselling and testing services held at the centre. This was the first time in Kenya that VCT services specifically targeted LGBTI people. Important lessons were learned about the existing VCT policy and implementation gaps, and GALCK is working with the National AIDS Control Council, in collaboration with Liverpool VCT, Care and Treatment, to address these gaps. One notable gap is that HIV prevalence among the LGBTI community was found to be 23 percent, double the previous estimate of 9.3 percent. GALCK has built coalitions with mainstream organizations, like the Kenya Human Rights Commission, and with HIV/AIDS bodies, including LVCT and the NACC. Thanks to these relationships, GALCK was involved formally in the drafting of the National AIDS Strategic Plan for 2010-13. GALCK is also involved in the review of the National Voluntary Care and HIV Testing Form, so that information collected and counselling given during testing is reflective of the needs of the LGBTI community.
