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We are proud to announce the launch of the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Fellowship at the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights at the Harvard Kennedy School. Working directly with the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program, this initiative supports scholars and practitioners focused on producing high-impact research on some of the most pressing LGBTQI+ topics of our time.

Our inaugural class of Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Fellows will focus on advancing timely and transformative scholarship. Beyond their individual research projects, fellows will also become active members of our academic community—hosting study groups, seminars, and public conversations, and participating in the overall programming of the Carr-Ryan Center.

From Magnus Hirschfeld, Alfred Kinsey, and Evelyn Hooker to Esther Newton, John D’Emilio, and Lee Badgett, research has long played a vital role in deepening our understanding of LGBTQI+ people and advancing the fight for equality, dignity, and human rights.

Today, as LGBTQI+ communities around the world face renewed attacks—driven by myths and misinformation and amplified by social media—it is more important than ever to support and elevate rigorous, relevant research. Such work helps us better understand the full diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC), how these identities are weaponized in political and social arenas, and how policy can be leveraged to confront the current backlash and longstanding disparities these communities face.

“We are thrilled to announce our first cohort of Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Fellows,” says Dr. Timothy Patrick McCarthy, Faculty Chair of the Carr-Ryan Center’s Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program. “Joining Senior Fellow Jessica Stern, these eight individuals represent the brilliant talent and global diversity of our community and movement. Their original research projects and other public engagements will deepen and broaden our work at a time when we need to ask bold questions and encourage new connections and collaborations in the face of fierce backlash.”  

“For generations, research has helped reclaim our humanity from the shadows of stigma and silence,” said Diego Garcia Blum, Director of the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program. “This fellowship carries that legacy forward—fueling new knowledge, challenging harmful myths, and empowering a rising generation of thinkers to shape a more just and inclusive world.”

2025-26 Fellows

Lamyaâ Achary (They/Them)

Dr. Lamyaâ Achary is a sociologist, human rights researcher, and Pan-African feminist whose work interrogates the intersections of gender, sexuality, power, and state violence across North Africa. Rooted in decolonial feminist theory, their research challenges dominant narratives by centering the knowledge, resistance, and lived realities of communities historically excluded from institutional frameworks. For over a decade, Dr. Achary has conducted research and advocacy in politically sensitive and legally repressive contexts, focusing on gender equality, sexual diversity, and the shrinking of civic space. They have worked and collaborated with leading regional and international organizations, including the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Astraea Foundation, and the African Women’s Development Fund, where they serve on the board of directors. Dr. Achary also works as a documentary photographer, engaging visual methodologies to explore political memory, intimacy, and the contested boundaries of public and private space.

Research Summary:

This research investigates how queer and feminist grassroots movements in North Africa engage in knowledge production as a means of resisting marginalization and structural repression. In contexts where political and legal structures systematically suppress dissent, documentation emerges as a critical and strategic practice. Documenting and archiving thus safeguard collective memory, affirm marginalized subjectivities, and assert the epistemic right to self-representation. Focusing on community archives, cultural production, and alternative narratives, the research analyzes how these initiatives challenge dominant frameworks and contribute to broader efforts toward justice and visibility. Archiving is examined not as a passive repository, but as a dynamic political tool, enabling collective survival and the reclamation of erased histories. Grounded in decolonial feminist theory and queer thought from the Global South, this project draws on over a decade of research and collaboration with civil society actors across the Maghreb. Through qualitative methods, including interviews and analysis of grassroots materials, the study explores how knowledge can function as resistance, advocacy, and care. This work contributes to ongoing policy and academic conversations around human rights, epistemic justice, and the role of grassroots knowledge in shaping more inclusive futures.

Nayyab Ali (She/Her)

Nayyab Ali is a globally celebrated human rights defender, gender policy strategist, published author and researcher, social scientist, and a leading voice for transgender inclusion from Pakistan, with 12 years of experience. She has advised various ministries of the Government of Pakistan on inclusive policies and frameworks. Currently, she serves as the Incharge of the Transgender Protection Unit and Additional Incharge of the Gender Protection Unit at Islamabad Police, where she has pioneered transformative policing models to address gender-based violence and protect marginalized communities, particularly in a Muslim-majority country. Nayyab is a first legally recognized transgender woman to contest elections for Pakistan’s highest Legislative assembly and become the first Muslim woman to do so. Nayyab Ali is a US Department of State Alumni, has participated in the International Visitor Leadership Programme.

Nayyab played a pivotal role in drafting Pakistan’s landmark Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, one of the most progressive transgender rights laws in the Muslim world. Her legal and policy expertise has positioned Pakistan as a regional model for gender-inclusive legislation and rights-based governance. With over a decade of experience, she has designed and led numerous groundbreaking initiatives, including the Trans Inclusive City campaign, Tahaffuz Markaz (protection centers for transgender individuals), and dedicated police units. She developed SOPs and training frameworks that have catalyzed systemic change across law enforcement agencies.

As Executive Director of Transgender Rights Consultants Pakistan and a key member of the Commonwealth Equality Network, she champions social inclusion on a global scale. Recognized with seven international honors including the Franco-German Human Rights Prize, the GALAS International Activist Award, and the WIN DRR Award for Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction. Nayyab has served as Transgender Inclusion Advisor to UNDP Pakistan. She has represented Pakistan at high-level global events including CHOGM and CEDAW reviews, and is a featured speaker at international conferences. She has developed numerous legislative drafts and national strategic frameworks, conducted scientific research, and served as an independent expert and consultant for various governmental bodies, international organizations, and UN agencies. Nayyab continues to be a strategic force in shaping global social justice and inclusive policy discourse.

Research Summary: Reimagining Gender Justice in Muslim Countries

A Comparative Analysis of Sharia Interpretations and the Global Anti-Gender Movement. This research will investigate the intersection of Shariah law, global discourse, and transgender rights in Muslim-majority states, with Pakistan as a focal point. Despite being the only Muslim country to legally recognize gender self-identification through the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, Pakistan has recently faced backlash from the Federal Shariah Court, reigniting global debates on Islam’s compatibility with gender diversity. This study will critically analyze how varying interpretations of Sharia influence transgender rights, drawing comparisons across Commonwealth Muslim nations. It will also examine the impact of the global anti-gender movement, rooted in rising transphobia and conservative backlash on legislative and policy reforms in these countries. Through legal case studies, interviews, and comparative analysis, the research will offer actionable strategies to strengthen gender justice and religiously harmonious legal protections. Outcomes will include policy briefs, academic publications, and international workshops collaborating with the Carr- Ryan Center, providing a roadmap for advancing gender equality within Islamic contexts. This project aims to empower policymakers and civil society across the Global South and the Commonwealth to resist anti-gender narratives while fostering inclusive, faith-informed gender frameworks.

Jean Freedberg (She/Her)

Jean Freedberg (she/her) is a lifelong champion for human rights, democracy and equality. Throughout her career, she has worked at the intersections of policy, communications and movement building to support advocates around the world fighting for LGBTQI+ rights, gender equality, democratic governance, and genocide prevention.

Most recently, Jean led the Global Partnerships program at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) strengthening the global equality movement through a network of Global Innovators. She held key roles at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, serving as Communications Director and contributing to its genocide prevention program by sharing the lessons of the Holocaust for future generations.

Jean was in senior leadership at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), first as Country Director in Guyana, focusing on constitutional reform and women’s rights, and later as Public Affairs Director in Washington D.C., helping to increase U.S. support for democratic institutions worldwide.  She served as Communications Director at Amnesty International USA, and began her career at Humanitas International, founded by folk legend Joan Baez.

Born in South Africa, Jean was active in the anti-apartheid movement —a commitment to justice and equality that still guides her work. She is a proud graduate of the University of Cape Town and holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Research Summary: 

 Jean's work will combine theory and practice, embodying the Center’s vision of building a bridge between human rights ideas and advocacy.  In partnership with the leadership of the Global LGBTQI+ program, she will help design and implement a robust online and in-person learning environment to serve the ����vlog���� Global LGBTQI+ Changemakers Network. She will leverage Harvard’s unparalleled learning and educational resources to support LGBTQI+ advocates around the world, and help maximize the potential of the recently created, and now much-needed, Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program. Courses will cover the basics of LGBTQI+ rights, models of advocacy, organizational development, changing hearts and minds, transgender and intersex rights, and other cutting edge topics. 

Reginald W Greer II​ (He/Him)

Reggie Greer is a public engagement strategist and LGBTQI+ advocate who most recently served in the Biden-Harris Administration as Senior Advisor to Jessica Stern, the Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, at the U.S. Department of State. He previously served as White House Director of Priority Placement and Senior Advisor on LGBTQ+ Engagement for President Joe Biden as well as National LGBTQ+ Engagement Director on the 2020 Biden-Harris Campaign. Reggie joined the Biden-Harris campaign after serving as LGBTQ Victory Institute’s first-ever Constituent Engagement Director where he supported LGBTQ+ elected and appointed leaders around the country.

Prior to joining Victory Institute, Reggie served in the Obama-Biden Administration as Deputy Director of Public Engagement at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Reggie began his tenure at USDOT as a special assistant to Secretary Anthony R. Foxx. In 2009, Reggie received his Bachelor of Arts in Government and History from Georgetown University, having concentrated his studies in education and social policy. Reggie is a native of Wichita Falls, Texas. 

Research Summary: The global LGBTQI+ movement has reached a perilous crossroad. Anti-rights actors - here in the U.S. and across the globe - are using LGBTQI+ issues, especially transgender issues, to sow division, undermine democratic principles, and distract people from other critical issues. In the United States, officials in Washington and scores of legislators nationwide are working to strip LGBTQI+ individuals of nondiscrimination, healthcare, education, and other legal protections that provide safety and security under the law. And, across the globe, instances of discrimination and violence are ticking up and anti-LGBTQI+ bills are proliferating at an alarming rate – bills that further criminalize homosexuality, impose heavy penalties, and restrict freedoms of association and expression.   The LGBTQI+ Policy Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School would seek to explore fundamental questions around the politics surrounding LGBTQI+ issues, policy implementation, and movement strategy. This first-of-its-kind policy lab would seek to complement the work of LGBTQI+ human rights defenders and organizations globally and serve as a think-tank for the LGBTQI+ movement where experts and leaders can safely share best practices, policy messaging, and research.
 

Jamie Keene (She/Her)

Jamie Keene is a policy leader on civil rights, democracy, and racial and economic justice. She served in the Biden-Harris White House as Special Assistant to the President for Equality and Opportunity, where she was the first commissioned officer appointed to advance LGBTQI+ equality. She was also one of the architects and implementers of the administration’s historic equity agenda. Jamie has been an advisor on presidential transitions and campaigns on a range of policy issues, and has served in local government for the cities of DC and LA. Jamie is a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute and Economic Security Project. 

Research Summary:

Jamie’s work at the Carr-Ryan Center will explore how escalating attacks on queer and trans communities in the United States are linked with rising authoritarianism at home and around the world. Drawing on her experiences as a policymaker, Jamie’s research will work to place the erosion of rights for trans people in the United States in the context of global anti-gender retrenchment. 

Okwara Masafu (�����/�ճ���)​

Okwara Masafu is a Kenyan human rights attorney and leading advocate for LGBTQI+ equality. With deep expertise in SOGIE-SC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics) and the law, they have served in various senior roles at the National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission of Kenya. Okwara has led groundbreaking litigation and strategic advocacy efforts, including high-profile cases like #JusticeforEdwinChiloba and campaigns against anti-LGBTQ legislation. Their work spans legal aid, judicial engagement, community empowerment, and policy reform, making them a respected voice in the fight for justice, dignity, and equality for LGBTQI+ communities across Kenya and beyond.

Philomena Polefrone (She/Her)

Philomena Polefrone, is the Associate Director of American Booksellers for Free Expression, the free expression initiative of the American Booksellers Association. She received her doctorate in American Literature from Columbia University, where she also served as a Lecturer in Contemporary Civilization, and is the author of "The ABA Right to Read Handbook: Fighting Book Bans and Why It Matters" (2024) as well as articles in American Literature, ISLE, Extrapolations, Public Books, and more.

Research Summary:

Independent bookstores play a pivotal role in the fight for free expression as key stakeholders, often plaintiffs, and sometimes defendants in the legal battles that established the precedent determining the fate of books today. Yet the role of bookselling in this landscape is poorly understood in comparison to that of publishers, libraries, and schools. In a series of researched but accessible articles, I will show that independent booksellers are at once the vanguard and the final line of defense for the right to read in the US. One article will trace the role of bookstores in landmark free expression cases. A second will investigate bookseller advocacy in the McCarthy period and the 1980s, moments in which the backbone of the current free expression defense was formed. Another will profile longstanding booksellers who have witnessed the censorship crisis since 2020, including adversarial or violent encounters and legislation eroding the right to distribute books freely. A final article will focus on bookstores that counteract book bans by expanding the commercial sphere to compensate where other fora have been deliberately narrowed.

Kimahli Powell (He/Him)

Kimahli Powell is a senior leader in the INGO field with expertise in community building and strategic advocacy with a focus on international development, law and policy, HIV/AIDS, and internally displaced persons. Kimahli completed his undergraduate studies in Political Science at the University of Ottawa. He holds a Doctor of Laws from the University of Victoria. Among his career highlights is supporting Dignitas International’s innovative work in supporting community based – system health strengthening in Malawi, as well as helping launch the HIV Legal Network’s constitutional challenge to Jamaica’s anti-sodomy law while developing a monitoring and evaluation framework on legal advocacy.

At Rainbow Railroad, Kimahli led the organization through transformational growth, helping thousands of people in the process. Under his leadership, Rainbow Railroad expanded its international reach and completed successful crisis interventions in Chechnya, Egypt, Uganda, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Most recently, Rainbow Railroad achieved a historic partnership with the Canadian government and working partnerships with the US government and the UN Refugee Agency. Kimahli has served as a board member for ILGA, former Chair of the Dignity Network and is a current board member of the Foundation for Black Communities and Refugee Council USA.  Kimahli is a regular contributor to international media with appearances on CNN, MSBC, CBC, BBC and a profile on 60 Minutes. 

Jessica Stern (She/Her)

Senior Fellow

Jessica is one of the world’s most distinguished LGBTQI+ human rights leaders. Appointed by President Joe Biden, Stern served as the U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Persons, where she led U.S. foreign policy efforts to combat violence and discrimination against LGBTQI+ people globally. She is also the former Executive Director of Outright International and a co-founder of the United Nations LGBTI Core Group.