Kushy Cliff
Kushy Cliff is a Tanzanian born and raised transgender person, self-driven activist and ethicist advocating for LGBTI rights based in Dar es Salaam. Kushy currently works as a member and Communications Officer for Tanzania Community Empowerment Foundation (TACEF), where they reach out to the LGBTI community in the country. Kushy is a fresh graduate from the University of Dar es Salaam, class of 2020, with an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Ethics. Kushy now applies ethics, especially sexual morality in advocating for human rights among the LGBTI community as they work with TACEF using their language proficiency in fluent Swahili and English, both orally and written. Kushy was influenced to work with TACEF since it targets a community they are part of that is the youth, as well as reach out and help the welfare of the LGBTI community as a minority in Tanzania.
Since mid-2016, the government has notably increased its repression of LGBTI rights defenders. Such defenders are therefore forced to keep a low profile and generally operate underground. Homophobia is widespread in Tanzania and same-sex relations are criminalised with a penalty of 30 years in prison if found guilty.
