Kenyan and queer: how going public as gay and non-binary has led to a life of activism and optimism

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09/12/2024

When Chris Muriithi (they/them) woke up to a stream of messages and missed calls one morning six years ago, their blood ran cold. Their foreboding grew into trepidation when they realised why everyone was reaching out: they had been outed as gay and the news was trending online. In the years that followed, Muriithi shuttled between fear that their identity would open them up to attack in a country where same-sex activity is criminalised, grief at some family and friends distancing themselves over the news, and anxiety over how the revelations would affect their daily life. Many LGBTQ+ people in Kenya remain in the closet for fear of being ostracised or facing reprisals, such as losing work or being kicked out of their homes.

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