Abstract:
Over the last decade, human rights have established a resilient presence in the international relations making LGBTIQ rights more critical than ever. In Kenya, LGBTIQ persons face various forms of violence, forceful evictions, and even death. The government considers the rights of these persons as a non-issue and has relatively neglected them, leaving LGBTIQ organizations and activists to come up with innovative strategies of creating awareness on their rights. This study explored the strategies used in creating awareness on the rights of LGBTIQ persons in Kenya from year 2010 when Kenya promulgated a Constitution with a bill of rights, to the year 2022. The study used a mixed research approach design, which included components of both qualitative and quantitative research designs. Queer Theory and Human rights-based approach theories were applied as the two share the aspiration of fighting social injustices and inequalities. The study revealed that local and international trends such; social interactions through various forms of media, public figures Coming Out, film, movies, documentaries, various forms of sports such as athletics and football, strategic litigation, various forms of art, books and literary materials, strategic partnerships with government agencies and learning institutions are some of the trends that have been used in creation of awareness of LGBTIQ rights in the said period. The study found that the general experience of creation of awareness of the rights of LGBTIQ person is Kenya is progressive albeit rather slowly. The study concludes with a set of practical recommendations initiatives such as policy and law reforms, continuous advocacy and strategic litigation in order to create a conducive environment for promotion of awareness on LGBTIQ rights in Kenya.
