Research project Navigating visibility in contexts of state-sanctioned homophobia

Activists often seek to be publicly visible to raise awareness, gain support from other groups and attract funding from organizations and states. However, visibility may also be tied to vulnerability, stigmatization and even violence. This is especially true in countries where powerful actors actively support hatred towards LGBTQ people. Our project aims to understand the visibility strategies and management of LGBTQ rights defenders in Uganda and Russia in particular. It also seeks to examine how development partners (un)intentionally influence visibility practices through rhetoric and funding preferences.

The project "Navigating visibility in contexts of state-sanctioned homophobia: development actors and LGBTQ rights defenders in Uganda and Russia" examines how visibility is managed and understood by different actors within the field of development cooperation.