Five years ago, CHEVS began on the premise that young people are not merely beneficiaries in the movement toward justice and equality for all. But we weren’t just young; we were also a team of young queer people who had constantly witnessed our identities erased and undermined within the movement and society. So, we claimed our centre as a youth-led organisation working towards the inclusion of queer communities across West Africa.
Over the years, that centre has taken several shapes and forms. As we headed to our fifth year, we knew it was time to reflect on our values, beliefs, and politics, especially during a global crisis and the rising fundamentalist movement. This drove us into a year of reflection with our team, community, board members, consultants and funding partners. Through this co-dreaming process, we examined what has remained constant and what has changed both within CHEVS and the broader LGBTQI+ and gender justice movements.
Today, I’m excited to introduce our new identity birthed from this process. First, we name ourselves CHEVS (not an abbreviation), a youth-led feminist collective strengthening LGBTQI+ communities in West Africa to build power and collectively challenge systems of oppression antithetical to our liberation through movement building, advocacy and narrative change efforts.
Building a new identity that matched our strategic focus was underscored by our communication values of Afro-centricity, community-centeredness, courage, and inclusivity.
Afro-centricity
Grounded in our culture and heritage, we shape narratives that forge a positive queer African identity and narrative, reclaiming our place in the post-colonial African society.
Community-centredness
Lived experiences of the community and contextual knowledge are at the forefront of our communications.
Courage
As Audre Lorde said, “That visibility which makes us most vulnerable is also the source of our greatest strength.” Hence, we are confident, daring, and unapologetic about our politics or the issues we advocate for.
Inclusivity
Through our communication, we reflect our communities' diversity, beauty and joy, amplifying a wide array of voices and issues across intersectional themes in West Africa.
We believe these are central to amplifying the stories of our community, challenging harmful narratives, reclaiming agency, challenging oppression, and effecting transformative change.
We’re Proudly Young, Queer and African
“Building stronger movements to lead a positive bolder narrative is what our new brand and strategic focus is all about.”
— Marline Oluchi, Policy & Advocacy Lead, CHEVS
As part of our brand refresh, we are not only unveiling a new logo but also embracing a bold identity that reflects the vibrancy of our movements.
Our redesigned website highlights our values of youth-centeredness, accessibility, and language justice — which we will continue to improve on. We’ve also simplified it to make it easier to learn about our work, highlight stories of our community, and access our knowledge base.
In launching our new brand identity, we acknowledge the inherent complexities of being so visible in a hostile context. However, we know that bold narratives are essential to amplifying the strength of our communities, reclaiming our agency, and weaving liberated realities for queer communities.
Thank you to the fierce team at CHEVS, our community advisors, board, funders and creative partners for working alongside us to bring this dream to life.
