Phyll Opoku-Gyimah (Dr Lady Phyll)

🖤Feeling moved and emotional seeing myself in @BritishVogue Magazine again, who would have thought - my inner child, this little dark-skinned British born African girl who was bullied and told was ugly, well well well look at me now - I am all about Black Queer Joy and fighting for our rights where we want to be free, safe and equal everywhere! This image reminds me of seeing African Aunties I admired as they exuded strength, resilience, fire in their belly & they displayed how fabulous they were at Ghanaian parties normally on a council estate. Plus I have always had Yaa Asantewaa front & centre as my ancestor’s guide me daily. I cannot thank my Ghanaian Brother #EdwardEnniful for seeing me and so many others #LoveYou
Photographed by #TimWalker
Styled by @KPhelan123
Hair by @alipirzadeh & @tasoshair
Make-up by @beasweetbeauty & @terrybarberonbeauty
Nails by @simmy_nailsandbeauty
set design by @Shona.Heath & @MigsBento
Production by @zoe_wassall at @greatsouthernproductions

#BlackLesbian #QueerJoy #Vogue #AfricanAndProud #YaaAsantewaa British Vogue Vogue #BritishVogue

I’m leaving X.

I joined this platform in 2010, back when it was a space for real conversations, real connections, and real change. Over the years, I’ve used this space to amplify Black liberation, LGBTQ+ rights, and fight for justice—loudly and unapologetically.

No platform is perfect, and we’ve seen challenges across all social media spaces. But the X of today is not the platform I signed up for. It has become a breeding ground for hate, disinformation, and the silencing of marginalised voices. Black and LGBTQ+ activists have been shadowbanned, harassed, and deplatformed, while misinformation thrives. Twitter’s own files confirmed ‘visibility filtering’—a form of shadowbanning—has been used to suppress voices, with Black and LGBTQ+ activists reporting lower reach, hidden tweets, and blocked hashtags. The platform once used to drive movements is now actively working against them.

The dismantling of content moderation has allowed hate speech to run rampant, while those calling out oppression are punished for speaking truth. I refuse to stay in a space that actively works against the very voices it once helped to uplift.

After nearly 15 years, it’s time to move on. The fight for equity, justice, and liberation doesn’t stop—it just finds new spaces to thrive.

I’m now on Bluesky, where community, truth, and resistance still have room to breathe. If you’re there, come through. Let’s keep building.

#WeMove #PowerInCommunity

Yesterday, I had the honour of delivering the keynote at the FCDO’s LGBT+ Histories and Futures event.

We reflected on the colonial legacies that still shape laws, policies, and lives—particularly across the 64 countries that continue to criminalise homosexuality, nearly half of which are in Africa. While progress has been made in some nations decriminalising same-sex unions and improving LGBTQ+ rights, the fight for true liberation is far from over.

The FCDO holds a responsibility not only to acknowledge the harm that has been done but to actively participate in undoing it. Real inclusion demands more than words—it requires systemic change, allyship across borders, and bold action to dismantle oppressive systems.

We must centre marginalised voices, amplify grassroots movements, and protect spaces like UK Black Pride that nurture belonging and connection. To our trans and non-binary siblings facing daily attacks on their rights: we see you, we value you, and we will not stop fighting with you.

Solidarity is our greatest strength, and together, we can create a future where liberation is more than a dream—it’s a reality for all. 💪🏿🌍

#LGBTQAdvocacy #UKBlackPride #GlobalSolidarity #Intersectionality #RadicalLove #NoOneLeftBehind

I was honoured to join the very first episode of the ROTA Podcast: Talking About Race, hosted by the remarkable Dr Kulvinder Nagre.

This is a conversation we must keep having—Black History is more than a month, and we explored the ways Black histories are not just marginalised but often erased. We also spoke about the ongoing fight for racial equity and why performative allyship is not enough.

I was joined by the brilliant Alba Kapoor from the @RunnymedeTrust, and together we unpacked the systemic inequalities that continue to harm Black and Global Majority communities across the UK.

This episode is a call to action, and I’m proud to have lent my voice to this vital discussion.

Listen here: lnkd.in/ef3SbKjJ

First day back at work yesterday and I’m already reflecting.

This year, we refuse to let uncertainty silence us. We choose action, we choose resistance, and we choose love—loudly and unapologetically.

The world may try to break us, but it will never erase us. Let’s rise together, protect each other, and fight for a future where every voice is heard, and every life is valued.

What will you stand for in 2025? Share your vision below and let’s inspire one another to keep building, resisting, and thriving.

Action is how we rise. Love, togetherness, and solidarity is how we thrive.

What will you stand for in 2025?