On June 20, 2020, Sleepless in Monrovia (SiM) held its second Roundtable Event. This was SiM’s first virtual event and it was on the topic “LGBTQ+ Equality & Acceptance in Liberian Communities,” It was an integral part of SiM’s yearly celebration of Pride Month. The panelists for a SiM Roundtable are: i.) an expert well versed in the topic at hand ii.) author(s) of SiM with a published piece on the topic, and iii.) representative(s) from SiM’s administration.
Suma Massaley & Shari Raji
As such, we invited Jaylee P. Sarsih, the author of SiM’s publication, “99% +1% = 100%,” and an LGBTQ+ rights activist, Ms. Kwofie, to guide the topic under discussion. Shari Raji (Co-founder & CEO) and Suma Massaley (Co-founder & COO) served as the moderators.
Jaylee Sarsih, Authored of 99 % + 1 % = 100%
Ms. Kwofie, LEGBTQ+ Activist
The Roundtable 2.0 was streamed on SiM’s Facebook live for an hour and thirty minutes. More than 1,100 people joined the live discussion. The conversation was structured as a 1-hour discussion with panelists and a 30 minutes Question & Answer with the audience.
At the beginning of the discussion, Ms. Sarsih talked about her article’s motivation and her broad experiences with the LGBTQ+ community. She also highlighted the role religion plays in the quest for equality for LGBTQ+ folks.
Then the conversation moved to Ms. Kwofie, who answered a series of questions around the reality of LGBTQ+ folks in Liberia. Ms. Kwofie also talked extensively about the existence of Liberia’s LGBTQ+ movement. She debunked harmful myths and misconceptions surrounding LGBTQ+ folks, while providing substantial information around the experiences of Transgenders in Liberia.
SiM received more than 45 questions from the audience during the Q&A segment. Trans issues, misconceptions around health complications for gay people, and countering homophobia were the highlights.
In the end, both the panelists and moderators talked about the significance of Pride Month for them and Liberia.
Overall, the Roundtable 2.0 was a resounding success. It gave voice to “taboo” LGBTQ+ issues, provided safe spaces for marginalized folks, and debunked harmful misconceptions around the LGBTQ+ community.
