Welcoming the New Year with Hope, Gratitude, and Vision
As we welcome and step into the fresh aurora of the new year, we embrace it with hope, beautiful wishes, and a golden outlook for the future. At the same time, we carry forward the gratitude, love, and wisdom gifted to us by the year just concluded. The past year, 2024, has been one of profound growth, connection, and collaboration for Gay Christian Africa.
In 2024, we had the privilege of connecting with over fifty organizations and associations across Africa, each working tirelessly to ensure the acceptance, safety, and well-being of LGBTQ+ persons. These organizations span across multiple countries, as well as those extending their reach to African immigrants and refugees in Europe and Canada. These encounters have allowed us to form strong, lasting relationships with several organizations, contributing to the success of two retreats held early in the year. These retreats were deeply appreciated by our queer community, and we’re thrilled that participants are eager for more. This feedback is helping us dream bigger and plan even more ambitious initiatives for the year ahead.
Looking forward, we aim to expand our retreats from the two held last year to five in 2025. These gatherings offer a space for reflection, growth, and mutual support, and we are excited to continue this important work. Alongside our retreats, we will keep nurturing our Ubuntu Online Dialogues, with hopes of organizing an in-person gathering as well. These dialogues serve as a powerful platform for sharing stories, experiences, and insights, helping to strengthen our collective spirit and advocacy.
As part of our commitment to preserving and celebrating our rich storytelling tradition, we are working on a beautiful surprise this year. Stay tuned, as we are excited to share more about this new project soon.
At Gay Christian Africa, our mission remains steadfast: to ensure that the faith of LGBTQ+ individuals is not weaponized against them, nor should it become a burden. Through dialogue, shared experiences, and connection, we believe we can navigate the beauty of our faith in a way that shapes a positive future for queer people in Africa and beyond. Our work challenges the narrative held by those who use faith and cultural traditions to deny us our existence or humanity.
With concrete hope and a deep sense of purpose, we look forward to lifting up our queer community in 2025—empowering them to live their faith, values, practices, and lives with joy and strength. Together, we will continue to shape a future full of love, acceptance, and dignity for all
