Board

Kimberly Frost
co-Secretary General
Elected at the ILGA World Conference, November 2024, South Africa.

Kimberly Frost (she/her) currently works for Local 1102 RWDSU/UFCW and serves as Executive board member/Treasurer for OUTreach, an LGBT Labor constituency organization that supports locals across the country. In addition to developing training and education materials for their nationwide membership, OUTreach offers scholarships for members to go to seminars and conferences, to build expertise and strengthen the Labor movement.

Kimberly is also president of Pride at Work NYC/LI- an AFL-CIO constituency group.  Pride at Work relies on the support of workers and allies around the country for our important work to make unions better for LGBTQ people and connect the LGBTQ community to the labor movement. The ALF-CIO is different from UFCW in that it reaches members in the trade unions, where there is a large need for representation and job protection.

“The work I participate in at OUTreach and Pride at Work is very near and dear to my heart.  Coming from Labor, our first goal is to make our member’s lives better.  We do that through union representation, union benefits and pensions.  That we get to add another level of protection to our LGBT members is an honor. As a lesbian, mother and union member, I am honored to help, educate and train members and staff to make sure that our LGBT community is protected at work and have the same quality of life as every other human.”

Kimberly holds a BA in accounting, and a Masters in Business Administration from Adelphi University.

Organisation: OUTreach

Yuri Guaiana
co-Secretary General
Elected at ILGA World Conference, South Africa, November 2024

Yuri Guaiana (he/him) is an opinionated freedom fighter and activist for human rights based in Italy. He is president of Associazione Radicale Certi Diritti, senior campaigner at All Out and secretary of LGBTI Liberals of Europe.

From 2011 to 2016, he has been leading Certi Diritti’s work to achieve marriage equality in Italy through strategic litigations which contributed to the achievement of a civil union law in Italy. He has also been leading the work of Italian coalitions at the UN, specifically around UPR and treaty body processes which resulted 17 recommendations to Italy on the Human Rights of LGBTI people in the latest UPR cycle, including a law against homophobia and transphobia, the recognition of same-sex parents, adoptions for same-sex couples and a ban on cosmetic surgery on intersex children. He has also worked for establish a network and then a creating an international organisation of liberal LGBTI organisations in Europe which resulted the funding of  LGBTI Liberals of Europe in 2018.

From 2013 to 2019 he sat in the ILGA-Europe Executive Board working in different roles, including the one of co-secretary, and gaining valuable experience in governing an international organisation.

Since 2017, he has been leading All Out’s work against the anti-gay crackdown in Chechnya  – including being detained in Moscow with local activists, as they tried to deliver 2 million petition signatures to Russian authorities – and the campaign against the Italian government endorsement of the World Congress of Families, one of the world’s most powerful anti-choice and anti-LGBT+ groups in the world, when they gathered in Verona this year. He has also been leading All Out’s work for a law protecting women and LGBT+ people from discrimination and violence in Italy.

organisation: Associazione Radicale Certi Diritti (Italy)

Hamlet Nkwain
Chair of the Bisexual Steering Committee
Elected at the 2024 World Conference in Cape Town, South Africa

Hamlet Nkwain (he/him) is the Chair of ILGA World’s Bisexual Steering Committee.

He has extensive experience as an activist in Cameroon, including a strong volunteering experience and serving on the Steering Committee of the Black Queer Travel Guide and as Executive Director of Working For Our Wellbeing in Cameroon. He is also an abstract reviewer for ICASA and the International Aids Society.

Nkwain is an award-winning activist with expertise in decriminalisation, gender diversity, equality, and parity. He holds certificates in gender and environment, international and African standards on freedom of expression, and the African human rights system. He has intervened in nearly 200 cases and is a leading consultant in Cameroon advocating for social justice and equality.

Organisation: Working For Our Wellbeing (Cameroon)

Obioma Chukwuike
Representative of the Intersex Committee for Africa, Chair of the ILGA World Intersex Committee

Obioma Chukwuike (they/them) is a dedicated advocate for intersex and human rights, a scholar with a Master’s degree in Environmental Conservation. They are the visionary Founder and Executive Director of Intersex Nigeria (Center for Healthcare Development and Youth Empowerment), a pioneering intersex organization in Nigeria committed to raising awareness and advocating for the rights and well-being of intersex individuals across the country.

In 2021, Obioma authored the groundbreaking report The Situation of Intersex Persons in Africa During the COVID-19 Pandemic. This influential document highlighted the challenges faced by intersex individuals during the pandemic, including barriers to healthcare, mental health struggles, housing insecurity, and issues surrounding sexual and reproductive health, empowerment, and social justice. They also developed the toolkit Integrating Intersex Perspectives Into Healthcare Policies for Inclusive Practice in Nigeria, supported by the OutRight International UN Rights and Religion Fellowship. This resource serves as a comprehensive guide for healthcare professionals in Nigeria to promote inclusive practices.

Obioma serves as the Board Chair of the African Intersex Movement (AIM), of Pan Africa ILGA and ILGA World. A recognised leader in the global intersex community, they are also an alumnus of two prestigious human rights fellowships: the OutRight International UN Rights and Religion Fellowship and the International Service for Human Rights’ Human Rights Defenders Advocacy Program (HRDAP).

Organisation: Intersex Nigeria (Nigeria)

Alejandra Collette Spinetti Núñez
Chair of the Trans Steering Committee
Elected at ILGA World Conference, Cape Town, November 2024

Alejandra Collette Spinetti Núñez (she/her) is a literature and dance teacher. She has been campaigning for the human rights of trans people since 2000, and in 2011 and 2012 she initiated alerts demanding the clarification of the murders of trans comrades, which are still unresolved.

In 2012 she founded and chaired UTRU (Unión Trans del Uruguay) and since 2017 she has been president of the national organisation CTU (Colectivo Trans del Uruguay). She has been working with trans people deprived of liberty since 2014, and also with trans people in extreme poverty, trans children and adolescents, families with trans children, trans migrants, and non-binary people.

She works all over the country giving workshops and conferences in educational centres, health centres, detention centres, migrant shelters, and for the trade union movement. She also works in the articulation with territorial and regional organisations, and as a social and political consultant.

She has written several articles on different aspects of the transgender community that have been published in books in Cuba, Brazil and Mexico. She is a member of the first National Diversity Council where she participated in the drafting of the Comprehensive Law for Trans People (Law 19.864), was part of the panel that presented that project at the Presidency of the Republic on 17 May 2017, and defended the law in the face of the attack by the movement led by the neo-pentecostal churches and the political right to repeal it.

At national and international level she is:

– co-founder and general secretary of the Corpora en Libertad network (international network working with LGTBQI+ people deprived of their liberty)
– member of RIE (Ibero-American Network of LGTB Education)
– member of the Lac Observatory (network for the registration of hate killings of trans people in Latin America and the Caribbean).
– Trans Secretary of ILGALAC
– president of the Trans Committee of ILGA World
– member of the Trans and Dissident Bloc of Uruguay
– president of CTU Trans Collective of Uruguay
and was for three years co-chair of the Governing Board of the International Trans Fund.

Organisation: Colectivo Trans del Uruguay (Uruguay)

Angelica Polmonari
Chair of Women’s Steering Committee
Elected at the ILGA World Conference, Long Beach, May 2022

Angelica Polmonari (she/her) is a jurist and a lesbian transfeminist and LGBTQIA+ rights activist at the local, national and international levels within the major Italian LGBTI+ non-for-profit organisation Arcigay.

Within Arcigay, Angelica has assumed several leadership roles and has been organising local, national and international conferences, workshops, focus groups and training sessions on transfeminism, LGBTQIA+ and all women’s rights, and SOGIESC issues.

Being a human rights expert, Angelica worked as the personal assistant of the former Italian Minister for Integration and MEP of African descent, Ms. Cécile Kashetu Kyenge, at the European Parliament, and has been collaborating as project manager and SDGs expert with an Italian national NGO named IBO Italia. Throughout the last decade, Angelica has been advocating for LBTQIA+ women’s agency and visibility in society and politics by fostering their full participation in public life and decision-making.

Organisation: Arcigay (Italy)

Gabriel Barahona Escobar
Chair of Youth’s Steering Committee
Elected at the ILGA World Conference, Cape Town, November 2024

Gabriel Barahona Escobar (he/him) is a trans man, graphic designer, activist and human rights defender. Gabriel collaborates at regional and international levels with various platforms and networks of organisations, addressing intersectional issues affecting LGBTIQ+ people — such as human mobility, the situation of people deprived of liberty, enforced disappearances and the systematisation of bias-motivated violence. At the local level, he has developed advocacy strategies and worked with different actors to ensure the legal recognition of the right to identity for trans people in El Salvador.

Organisation: Comcavis Trans (El Salvador)

Akudo Oguaghamba
Pan Africa ILGA representative to the ILGA World Board
elected after the Pan Africa ILGA conference in Johannesburg, November 2025

Akudo Oguaghamba (she/her) is a queer feminist activist, human rights defender, and visionary leader advancing social justice, gender equality, and the empowerment of marginalised communities.

With over a decade of experience, she has led advocacy on sexual and reproductive health and rights, women’s economic empowerment, and the rights of lesbian, bisexual, queer women, and gender non-conforming persons in Nigeria and beyond.

She is the founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Health and Equal Rights (WHER) Initiative, where she leads impactful work in human rights advocacy, socio-economic empowerment, safe housing, psychosocial support, and strategic litigation.

Under her leadership, WHER has reached more than 4,500 lesbian, bisexual, queer women, and gender non-conforming individuals through innovative, life-changing programs.

Akudo has served as co-Chair of Pan Africa ILGA and on the Boards of All-Out and Vision Spring Initiative, Nigeria.

She is a recipient of multiple awards, including the Pride Leadership Award (WISE), Trailblazer of the Year (2024), the Global LGBTIQ Leadership Recognition Award (2024), and the Human Rights Partnership Award (2025).

Akudo holds a BA in French language and culture from Imo State University and an MSc in Project Management from the University of Roehampton, London. An EQUITAS Alumni and Data4Change Fellow, she brings expertise in human rights, advocacy, governance, and strategic leadership.

Organisation: Women’s Health and Equal Rights (WHER) Initiative (Nigeria)

Richard Lusimbo
Pan Africa ILGA representative to the ILGA World Board
elected after the Pan Africa ILGA conference in Johannesburg, November 2025

Richard Lusimbo (he/him) is a Ugandan human rights leader and one of Africa’s most prominent advocates for the rights, health, and dignity of marginalised communities. He is the Founder and Director General of Uganda Key Populations Consortium (UKPC). This national coalition unites key population-led organisations to collectively define priorities and advocate on issues including civic space, programming sustainability, and resource access.

With over two decades of experience in movement building, policy advocacy, and institutional leadership, Richard is a widely respected LGBTI and human rights activist across the continent. Beginning his activism in his early twenties, he has been a trailblazer in youth-led leadership and has helped strengthen human rights movements at the national, regional, and continental levels.

Prior to founding UKPC, he served as Research and Documentation Manager at Sexual Minorities Uganda and Programs Manager at Pan Africa ILGA, where he continues to serve on the Board as Co-Chair. Globally, Richard is a member of the UNAIDS Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics, contributing African perspectives on inequality, criminalisation, and the lived realities of key populations.

His leadership is characterised by principled advocacy, strategic institution-building, and a sustained commitment to advancing equity and human rights for communities most affected by exclusion and criminalisation.

Richard holds a Master of Philosophy in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria, and a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Uganda Christian University. He is an alumnus of Lund University’s International Training Programme in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

Organisation: Uganda Key Populations Consortium (UKPC)

Claire De Leon
Asia representative of the Women’s Steering Committee
Elected at ILGA Asia Conference, Kathmandu, February 2025

Claire De Leon (she/they) is a lawyer working on gender equality and human rights. She has been involved in LGBTQI rights advocacy in the Philippines for over 10 years, previously serving as Executive Director of Babaylanes and as Secretary-General of Lagablab LGBT Network.

Claire previously worked in human rights and transitional justice bodies in the Philippines, including the Human Rights Victims Claims Board and the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, where she contributed to the formation of the Analysis Unit and later headed the Center for Gender Equality and Women’s Human Rights.

At present, Claire is working on gender equality policy reform under The Asia Foundation’s Coalitions for Change project. She also serves as the President of the Board of Babaylanes and as a Senior Lecturer at the University of the Philippines Department of Women and Development Studies.

Tashi Tsheten
ILGA Asia representative to the ILGA World Board
elected at the ILGA Asia conference in Kathmandu, February 2025

Tashi Tsheten (he/they) is the current Coordinator and Program Manager of Queer Voices of Bhutan (QVoB) and also a member of the Core Working Group of Youth Voices Count (YVC).

Queer Voices of Bhutan is an advocacy platform in Bhutan which works to create safe spaces and awareness surrounding SOGIESC issues, based in Thimphu (the capital city of Bhutan). Organised in 2018, Queer Voices of Bhutan seeks to address issues surrounding social, political, economic, and legal challenges faced by the diverse community in Bhutan.

organisation: Queer Voices of Bhutan (Bhutan)

Olena Shevchenko
ILGA-Europe
Elected at ILGA Europe Conference, Online, October 2020

Olena Shevchenko (she/her) is a human rights defender and educator from Ukraine whose focuses are LGBT rights and women’s rights. She is a head of Insight, a public organisation she and two of her friends founded and officially registered in 2008.

Insight is unique among other LGBTQI organizations because of its trans and intersex inclusiveness and feminist approach. Before founding Insight, Olena volunteered for 3 years in a feminist-lesbian organisation and was a senior teacher for 4 years at the National Pedagological University in Kiev. Today Insight, under her leadership, has become a visible and significant player for advocacy both nationally and internationally.

In 2012 Olena was elected as a Co-chair of LGBT Council of Ukraine – a new all-Ukrainian umbrella association, where she is also the head of the advocacy and PR committees. In 2010 Olena was elected as a Board member of IGLYO (International LGBT youth organization). This experience brings an international integration and globalisation perspectives in to her local work. She has edited two research papers on the situation of LGBT families in Ukraine and the situation with Transgender rights. In 2014 became an author of the book ABC on LGBT rights.

Organisation: Insight (Ukraine)

Rachael Moore
ILGA-Europe representative on the ILGA World Board, and representative of the Bisexual Steering Committee for Europe and Central Asia

Rachael Moore (she/her) is a dedicated LGBTQIA+ activist, DEI consultant, and nonprofit leader with over a decade of experience in policy analysis, intersectional advocacy, and community empowerment. With a background in youth movements and LGBTQ+ rights, she has worked extensively to challenge discrimination and push for systemic change in both social and professional settings.

In 2018, Rachael co-founded Rainbow Nation, an organisation that amplifies the visibility of queer, trans, Black, and Brown individuals. Committed to the principle of “Nothing about us without us,” Rainbow Nation works to address the aftermath of racism, transphobia, and xenophobia within the LGBTQ+ community by providing support groups for QTBPOC individuals and organising community-building initiatives.

She currently serves as a board member of ILGA Europe and the EU representative on the ILGA World Bisexual Steering Committee, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights across Europe and Central Asia. Her work continues to push for inclusive and safe(r) spaces for marginalised communities at all levels of society globally.

organisation: Rainbow Nation (Belgium)

Florencia Paltrinieri (she/they) is a lesbian, non-binary, transfeminist, Peronist, and human rights activist within the LGBTI+ movement. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication, specialising in Media Production, from the National University of General Sarmiento. She lives in Merlo, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.

She is currently President of Conurbanes por la Diversidad, an organisation she has been part of for over 10 years, which works to advance the rights of diverse populations in the suburban areas of Buenos Aires. She is also a member of the coordinating committee of the National front of LGBTI+ organisations Orgullo y Lucha.

Her career combines fieldwork, community organising, and public administration, with a focus on strengthening social organisations. Since 2017, she has worked in the Digital Media department at the Public Defender’s Office of the City of Buenos Aires.

Organisation: Conurbanes por la Diversidad (Argentina)

Victor De Wolf (he/him) is a gay, cisgender, communist man with a degree in Cultural Production and a Master’s degree from the Culture and Territoriality Program. He was born and lives in the city of Niterói, in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

An activist in the LGBTQIA+ movement for over two decades, he helped found the Grupo Diversidade Niterói in 2004. In 2009, he began coordinating the Youth Collective of ABGLT and joined the organisation’s board in 2011. He has served as the organisation’s secretary-general and secretary of international relations, and became its president in 2024.

In addition to his work in the social movement, he has a broad and recognised professional experience in public cultural management: he has served as Secretary of Culture for the city where he resides, and currently directs one of the most important museums in the country — the Museum of Contemporary Art of Niterói.

Organisation: ABGLT – Brazilian LGBTI Association

Rob Boulet
co-Chair of ILGA North America and the Caribbean
Elected during the 2024 ILGA World Conference in Cape Town, South Africa

Rob Boulet (he/him) is a bi, nerdy advocate from Northern Ontario, Canada, who has spent over two decades working for greater equity for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. Growing up in a rural Canadian community, he experienced both the beauty of nature and the challenges faced by queer and trans people, which shaped his dedication to creating spaces where everyone can thrive.

His background combines education, technology, and advocacy to drive change. After attending Canadore College, Rob used his skills to improve access to learning and digital tools, particularly for underserved communities. At Nipissing University, he worked as a Learning Systems Technologist, leading initiatives to make education more inclusive and accessible. His focus was on creating environments where all students could succeed, not just implementing technology.

Labour justice has been another core aspect of his work. Through OPSEU/SEFPO, Rob held various leadership roles, advocating for fair contracts and safer workplaces. One of his key achievements was co-developing a policy motion for the Canadian Labour Congress, which reinforced his belief in collective action to create systemic change.

His involvement with the Rainbow Alliance Arc-en-Ciel (RAA) has been another avenue for building bridges. Rob has helped organize events and campaigns addressing workplace discrimination and mental health, always focusing on connection—bringing people together to create change and amplify marginalized voices.

As an ILGA World Board Member, Rob sees the role as an opportunity to connect with global communities and strengthen the 2SLGBTQIA+ rights movement. His priorities include:

• Amplifying marginalized voices, ensuring rural, Indigenous, and other underrepresented communities have a seat at the table
• Expanding access to resources, and developing tools and platforms to help member organizations grow
• Strengthening labour-queer alliances, recognizing the connection between queer and labour struggles
• Championing inclusive leadership, and advocating for practices that reflect the diversity of ILGA’s membership.

Outside of advocacy, Rob recently became a motorcycle rider. He’s launching a travel blog and podcast in 2025 to explore identity, regional history, and labour rights through the experiences of queer and trans individuals. The project aims to share untold stories and highlight the resilience of these communities.

His journey has shown him the experience of both being seen and unseen, navigating spaces not designed for people like him, and fighting for a better future. Rob believes in the power of community, collaboration, and collective action, and he works toward a world where everyone can live with dignity and pride.

Organisation: Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO)

Ratu Eroni Ledua Dina (Lady Rhonda)
ILGA Oceania co-Chair
Appointed during the 2024 ILGA World Conference in Cape Town, South Africa

Lady Rhonda, indigenous birth name Eroni Ledua Dina (she/her), is an Itaukei (Indigenous person from Fiji) Vakasalewalewa with maternal links to the Kingdom of Tonga. Lady Rhonda adorns the honorific ‘Ratu’ in front of her indigenous name to denote her rank and birth into a chiefly household so she’s formally styled as Ratu Eroni Ledua Dina in more formal traditional spaces.

Lady Rhonda is a powerful human rights activist and defender, with specific passions on promoting the rights of Fijians with gender diverse and/or expansive identities such as Vakasa, Sian and Trans (VST+) and by that extension the rights of all MVPFAFF+ (i.e. all Pacific Indigenous gender diverse identities that exist).

It is with this passion she co-founded the Trans Affirmative Action Guild (TAAG), which strives to provide an open, safe, inclusive space and community that is committed to addressing basic human needs, building pathways toward new expanded career and life opportunities, fostering a sense of common purpose, and advocate for social justice.

Organisation: Trans Affirmative Action Guild (TAAG) (Fiji)

Margherita Coppolino (she/her) is an inclusion/intersectionality consultant and photographer. With an outstanding network of contacts in government, business and social justice organisations, Margherita has a proven ability to inspire and influence a wide range of stakeholders on inclusion/intersectionality issues. She has strong commercial acumen and ability to frame inclusion issues in a commercial context.

Margherita has undertaken the Australia Institute of Company Directors training and has sat on several Boards in executive and non-executive positions. In 2022, she was appointed as ILGA Oceania Chair (and to the ILGA World Board), and Vice Chair on Drummond/&Queer-space Board.

In 2017, she was nominated as the National Ethnic Disability Alliance’s (NEDA’s) President. Margherita was appointed to the Victorian Ministerial LGBTI Taskforce in 2020 and SBS Community Advisory Committee in 2019. Previously, she held the position of Chair on Arts Access Victoria and Australia Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) Boards.  She has also held non-executive positions on Spectrum Migrants Resources Centre and Action on Disability Within Ethnic Communities, Women with Disabilities Australia and Short Statured People of Australia.

In 2020, Margherita moderated the Queering the COSP Side Event at United Nations CRPD COSP 13 and was a panellist member on the 2018 LGBTIQA side event at the United Nationals CRPD COSP11 in New York.  She was also on the Intersectionality Panel at the Outright Advocacy Summit 2020.

Margherita is a first generation Australian, born to a Sicilian mother who migrated to Australia in 1959. She was born with a Short Statured condition and is a proud feminist and lesbian. In her spare time, you will find Margherita either taking photos, volunteering, working out in the gym, travelling, wine and whisky tasting, and chilling with friends.

organisation:  Inclusive Rainbow Voices LGBTIQA+ People with Disability (Australia)

Julia Ehrt (she/her) is the Executive Director at ILGA World and a widely respected LGBTI activist and community leader.

Before joining ILGA World, she was the Executive Director of Transgender Europe, where she contributed significantly to how trans issues are perceived and debated today in Europe and beyond. She served as a founding Steering Committee member of the International Trans Fund (ITF) until 2019 and as a board member of the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) for six years.

She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, and a signatory to the Yogyakarta Principles plus 10.

Julia holds a PhD in mathematics and lives with her partner and child in Berlin and Geneva.

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