Religious Leaders as Agents of Lgbtiq Inclusion in East Africa

East Africa is one region where issues of sexual and gender diversity have become deeply politicized in recent years, often with the active support of conservative religious actors and also where there is a network of relatively well-organized LGBTIQ activists and groups campaigning for social, political, and legal changes. This article is informed by the collaborative work the authors have undertaken as part of the research project, ‘Sexuality and Religion in East Africa’ (SERENE) in the period 2020–2023, in collaboration with a group of local community-based organizations in Kenya and Uganda. Each of these organizations engages with religious leaders on issues of LGBTIQ equality and inclusion. The article maps these efforts and analyze the organisations’ strategies to understand the role of religious leaders as crucial actors in achieving social change, promoting equality, and building inclusive societies, specifically in relation to sexuality.