Lady Phyll, the co-founder and executive director of UK Black Pride, the world’s largest free Black Pride celebration, will join LGBTQI refugee not for profit organisation Micro Rainbow as patron. In light of sustained hostility to asylum seekers and refugees, the addition of Lady Phyll as a patron highlights an increasing understanding of the intersectional approach necessary to tackle inequalities experienced by LGBTQI people, but which is often missing in mainstream organising.
Micro Rainbow provides safe housing for LGBTQI asylum seekers and refugees, all of whom are fleeing violence, discrimination, and persecution in their home countries. Micro Rainbow also provides holistic support to LGBTQI refugees and asylum seekers through its Social Inclusion and Moving On programmes.
Lady Phyll comes on board as a patron as Micro Rainbow celebrates ten years of providing support to LGBTQI refugees and asylum seekers. Since its establishment in 2012, Micro Rainbow has supported more than 5000 LGBTQI people fleeing persecution, helping more than 1000 in 2021 alone. The Housing Programme provides over 22,000 safe nights for LGBTQI refugees every year, with houses across the UK. Lady Phyll’s patronage comes at a time when the cost-of-living crisis means that the support provided by Micro Rainbow is needed more than ever. Her platform, knowledge and experience will help support Micro Rainbow to create opportunities for LGBTQI people to fulfil their potential in life and create innovative models for social change that are sustainable, scalable and replicable.
Lady Phyll co-founded UK Black Pride in 2005, which has since become the world’s largest free Black Pride celebration. Alongside her voluntary work leading UK Black Pride, she’s the executive director of international LGBTQI human rights charity Kaleidoscope Trust, which works with civil society and grassroots activists to uphold the human rights of LGBTQI people across the Commonwealth. She serves as Secretary for the Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN), the only LGBTQI network to be accredited by the Commonwealth; and she is regularly called upon to advise nascent and emerging LGBTQI movements around the world. In June 2022, she was named International Grand Marshal for Pride Toronto, and in July 2022, she delivered Global Black Pride’s first ever human rights conference.
Micro Rainbow CEO, Sebastian Rocca:
“Micro Rainbow is delighted to welcome Lady Phyll as our first patron. As an organisation we have massive admiration for Lady Phyll’s work, her commitment to upholding human rights and her solidarity with LGBTQI people across the world.
“Many of our beneficiaries have attended and felt welcomed, supported and celebrated at UK Black Pride. We are delighted to have a patron who understands the obstacles faced by LGBTQI refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, and we look forward to working together going forward.”
Lady Phyll:
“The mission of Micro Rainbow is very close to my heart. Since its founding, UK Black Pride has been a welcoming and safe space for asylum seekers and refugees, and I’ve seen first-hand the tremendous impact the charitable organisation – and its dedicated team – have in the lives of those in need of a soft place to land and a welcoming embrace. Any talk of LGBTQI equality or liberation is moot without the inclusion of our asylum-seeking and refugee siblings and I’m excited to use my platform, networks and experience to assist the organisation in their mission to work in service of LGBTQI asylum seekers and refugees.”
