LGBT Cambodian activist, slain Cameroonian honored

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran living in Southern…

The David Kato Vision & Voice Award announced today:

Cambodian Transgender Activist Sou Sotheavy Wins 2014 David Kato Vision & Voice Award

Renowned Ugandan activist Frank Mugisha will present Sou Sotheavy with the award on stage at the prestigious Teddy Awards ceremony in Berlin this Friday.

11 February 2014 [Berlin] – The David Kato Vision & Voice Award is proud to announce that the 2014 award will go to Cambodian transgender activist Sou Sotheavy. Now 75 years old, she has spent the last two decades working to establish a national network of organizations to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people across the country. Sou will receive the award on stage at the prestigious Teddy Awards ceremony this Friday at the Berlin International Film Festival.

“I am tremendously moved to be given this award that to me symbolizes the struggle for rights and freedom for LGBT people in Cambodia,” said Sou. “I think of the torture and suffering that I have endured throughout my life. Today, I am fortunate to live a life that I have always dreamed of, a life that allows me to help LGBT Cambodians escape the torture, contempt, and discrimination that exists in many families and in Cambodian society.”

David Kato, who is considered a father of Uganda's gay rights movement, appears here in a scene from the movie "Call Me Kuchu." Kato was murdered in 2011. — David Kato, who is considered a father of Uganda’s gay rights movement, appears here in a scene from the movie “Call Me Kuchu.” Kato was murdered in 2011.

Awarded annually, the David Kato Vision & Voice Award is presented to an individual who demonstrates outstanding courage and leadership in advocating for the rights of LGBT individuals, particularly in challenging circumstances and unsupportive policy environments. The award provides winners with a global media platform and a $10,000 grant to support their efforts.

“Grassroots activists around the world are leading the work to secure LGBT rights and defend our communities,” said Jack Beck, Program Manager of the award. “Yet so often these crucial efforts go unrecognized and unfunded. Through the David Kato Vision & Voice Award, we are able to provide activists with a platform to elevate the issues that are affecting their communities, as well as much needed funding to sustain and expand their work.”

Sou was born on 8 December 1940 in Takeo province, Cambodia. Before the radical communist regime of the Khmer Rouge took over in 1975, she studied performing arts in the capital of Phnom Penh and worked as a military nurse. Her first involvement with human rights advocacy began in 1985 when she conducted HIV/AIDS outreach for the Khmer Development Freedom Organisation (KDFO). In 1999, realizing the need for special attention to LGBT issues, Sou established the Cambodian Network for Men Women Development (CMWD), the first Cambodian NGO to support LGBT people, where she continues to serve as president today. Active throughout 15 provinces, CMWD has provided much needed capacity building to LGBT groups, providing invaluable support for local programs and advocacy.

Until today, CMWD and Sou’s efforts have received no international attention. By acknowledging the importance of her work on these issues, Sou hopes the David Kato Vision & Voice Award will inspire and encourage more people to join the movement against discrimination in Cambodia and around the world. With more funding and volunteer activists working with Sotheavy in the provinces, she will reach out to a broader audience and support more LGBT people and organizations in Cambodia’s remote rural areas, where the education level is low, discrimination is rampant, and LGBT people remain forced to hide their true identity.

“I have been working without funds for a very long time,” said Sou. “This award will allow me to help my organization, train my team, and ultimately strengthen the rights of LGBT people in Cambodia. On the day I receive the award, my wish is that LGBT people from around the world will help support our LGBT communities in Cambodia, who are now facing a resurgence of violence from authorities. I will fight until the end of my life. I will not stop until the rights for LGBT exist like for other people.”

LGBT rights activist Eric Lembembe of Cameroon was murdered in July 2013. (Photo courtesy of Facebook)

The 2014 David Kato Vision & Voice Award is presented in memory of Eric Ohena Lembembe, who served as Executive Director of the LGBT human rights organization CAMFAIDS in Cameroon before he was brutally murdered in July of 2013.

“As we celebrate Sotheavy’s life and work, the global movement for LGBT rights continues to mourn Eric’s loss and the loss of so many other LGBT activists and community members over the past year,” said George Ayala, David Kato Vision & Voice Award Advisory Committee Member and Executive Director of the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF). “We commemorate Eric’s legacy and the lives of everyone we lost last year; their memory and contributions will continue to ripple brightly through our communities for years to come.”

Frank Mugisha, Chair of the David Kato Vision & Voice Award and Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), will present Sou with the award on stage at the Teddy Award ceremony this Friday in Berlin. The award presentation will be accompanied by a short film profiling Sou and an on-stage interview with Mugisha.

The David Kato Vision & Voice Award (DKVVA) recognizes and supports the work of leaders who strive to uphold the human rights and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people around the world. More information about the DKVVA can be found at http://www.visionandvoiceaward.com.

The Teddy Award is an award given at the Berlin International Film Festival, celebrating films and individuals that communicate queer themes and content on a large scale and contribute to more tolerance, acceptance, solidarity and equality in society. Learn more at http://news.teddyaward.tv/en/.