During United Nations General Assembly week in September 2026, African Queer Voices Executive Director Steven Muleme attended a Kiki social gathering at Stonewall in New York, part of the week’s side events.

Alongside formal meetings on human rights, these social spaces offered an opportunity to connect with others in the LGBTQ+ community, share conversations, and build relationships in a more relaxed setting.

For AQV, community connection is an important part of advocacy. Relationships can create opportunities to exchange knowledge, offer mutual support, and explore future collaboration. These connections matter as we develop our work supporting African LGBTQ+ immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.

The gathering was a reminder that solidarity also grows through everyday moments of conversation, belonging, and shared community.