Decades of discrimination combined with economic insecurity have meant that Black queer communities have been disproportionately affected by the multiple frontiers of the pandemic and the socio-political unrest of 2020. The Movement Advancement Project has identified that between 70%-95% of Black and Latinx households have experienced one serious financial problem since the pandemic began, or that more than half of these communities have been unable to get medical care or had medical services due to COVID.

The virus may not discriminate, but it is jumping on the back of the avenues of discrimination entrenched within society through years of racism, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny. Lady Phyll, founder of UK Black Pride  and Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Truth, joins WoWFest to discuss the impacts of the pandemic on Black queer communities and the vitally important activism and community work needed to secure a future we all deserve to live in.

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah is the nucleus of the award-winning celebration and protest that is UK Black Pride. Widely known as Lady Phyll – partly due to her decision to reject an MBE in the New Year’s Honours’ list to protest Britain’s role in formulating anti-LGBTQ penal codes across its empire – she is also the executive director of Kaleidoscope Trust, an organisation working towards the liberation of LGBTQ people around the world; a community builder and organiser; an Albert Kennedy Trust patron, and a public speaker focusing on race, gender, sexuality and class. She’s regularly called upon to advise nascent LGBTQ organisations around the world to help leaders create cogent organising strategies, establish robust partnership networks and work effectively in service of the LGBTQ community.

Chaired by Chloe Cousins, (she/her) is a youth worker and community organiser based in Manchester. Chloe is the Strategic Lead for Rainbow Noir, a social, peer support and community action group for LGBTQ people of colour and a LGBTQ youth worker and Co-Director at Colours of Youth Network, a UK-based organisation supporting QTIPOC youth and youth workers. Chloe is passionate about creating spaces for QTIPOC to find connections, inner love and joy, she is also a big fan of plants, trainers, living room dancing and eating cake.

Purchase your ticket here

You can purchase your copy of The Book Of Queer Prophets which includes an essay by Lady Phyll from our local independent bookstore News From Nowhere here.

Don’t forget to get your WoWFest Festival Pass, granting you access to the entire festival.

Header Image: Lady Phyll, by Kofi Paintsil. All Rights Reserved © Kofi Paintsil