Best friends –
My name is Pamela. I’m a Senior Campaigner here at All Out. I live in Nigeria and I'm a proud lesbian woman.
Campaigning for LGBT rights in a country where it's illegal to be gay is risky. It's hard. At times, it can be exhausting. But it's so, so, important.
All around me, every single day, I see friends who are forced to live in constant fear. Afraid they'll be harassed, beaten, arrested... or worse.
By working on the ground in Nigeria, I can talk to LGBT people, activists, and officials in the region, working together to challenge violence and hatred, come up with plans to protect LGBT people, and slowly change hearts and minds.
Having a team member in Nigeria is not easy for All Out. It comes with the need for extra precautions to keep me safe. And that's why I'm reaching out to you today.
Even applying to work for All Out was rough. My former employer refused to give me a reference. They said I should have nothing to do with a group that fights for the rights of gay people.
87% of Nigerians still believe that homosexuality has no place in this country. LGBT people in Nigeria face horrendous discrimination and abuse – extortion by police, public beatings, and arrests. More often than not, the victims have no one to turn to.
But now, they have the power of All Out members, like you. Because I'm here in Nigeria, I witness these atrocities firsthand. I can work with those targeted to get their message out to All Out members worldwide.
All Out is building a world in which nobody has to sacrifice their family or freedom, their safety or dignity, because of who they are or who they love. Nigerian LGBT people also dream of building such a world.
I'm so proud to be an out African woman, campaigning in Africa for LGBT rights, and working towards a day in which I will be accepted for who I am. Please, help out today.
Thanks for going All Out,
Pamela Adie
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