The Emerging LGBTQ Leaders of Color (ELLC) Fund is thrilled to welcome Eman Desouky (she/her) as our new Program Director! Eman (pronounced like emancipation) comes to this work, first and foremost, as a queer femme mama of a magical 9-year-old human deeply rooted in her ancestral lineage. As a cultural worker, movement organizer, and retired DJ, the throughline in Eman’s work has always been the straddling of queer and trans-BIPOC liberation, the dignity and self-determination of Palestinian and all Arab/SWANA peoples, and international 3rd world feminist solidarity.
This work has reinforced Eman’s belief that the “folks most impacted by the limited imagination and poor design of our institutions are the ones who should lead—because our cultural contributions, justice struggles, and innovations are what pave the way for our collective dignity and humanity.”
We spent some time learning about what brought Eman to the ELLC Fund and the principles that guide her work. Learn more about Eman below!
Where do you come from? (place of origin or growth, racial and/or ethnic identification, etc.)
My most recent ancestors come from the Nile Delta region, where the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile meet. My people are voyagers and wayfinders. We traveled across oceans and seas for centuries before the colonizers ever set foot in our lands. I identify as an Afro-Arab—an Arabic-speaking person of African descent. My people were colonized by the Arabs, but I continue to be rooted in ancestral practices that pre-date Muslim and Arab conquests of my motherland.
I am rooted in the SWANA region (“South West Asia North Africa,” A less colonial term for the area most commonly referred to as the “Middle East”) where my family of origin currently resides, and here in the United States, where my chosen family lives on unceded Ohlone land in Northern California. I have lived in and been shaped by the U.S. West, the South, the Midwest, and the Northeast.
How have your lived experiences and background informed and influenced your approach to your work?
My family was deported back to my parent’s homeland, Egypt when I was 16 years old. I have always, since a young age, been acutely aware of the injustices of U.S. imperialism and the “War on Terror” on my people. From a young age, I watched how the injustice of the U.S. government played out on my family, played out on me as a QTBIPOC person, and the ways in which these different systems of oppression intersected in a very specific way.
I learned about this intersectionality at a young age and have since been extremely moved to do everything I can to untangle these systems of oppression and help lift up communities that live through these intersectional oppressions on a daily basis.
What is your role at Borealis Philanthropy? What do/will you do in this position? What is your vision for this role and your Fund? What do you hope to accomplish?
As the ELLC Fund’s Program Director, I’ll be focusing on raising and mobilizing resources to frontline movement organizations led by queer and trans-BIPOC leaders, ensuring they have the resources needed to sustain their efforts and effect change.
The urgency of this mission cannot be overstated. For every $100 awarded by U.S. Foundations, only 25 cents specifically support queer and trans communities. As I step into philanthropy for the first time, I’m eager to leverage my fundraising experience in this new context—especially as we see escalating challenges faced by queer and trans leaders and movements.
I’m honored to be part of Borealis and the ELLC Fund specifically, where I’ll be working in deep partnership with Nichelle and Steph to channel resources to vital grassroots efforts and forge new partnerships with those who share our vision and commitment.
What excites you most about this moment in youth, BIPOC, queer and trans-led organizing—and/or in philanthropy’s investments in these areas?
Folks who are the most marginalized in our communities are often the ones leading this work in very ingenious, creative, and powerful ways. When I think about queer and trans-led organizing, I think about how our partners are the ones on the frontlines leading vital work across movements, across the nation. Our contributions, perspectives, and brilliance are so important and change the landscape of movement work, but they are also deeply undervalued and under-resourced.
As a resource mobilizer, this is why I’m passionate about directing support to our underserved community members. And I’m excited about the continued growth of our vision and to partner with other philanthropic organizations and institutions who are equally excited about investing in queer and trans BIPOC solutions in this crucial moment that we are in.
What gives you hope? What brings you joy?
My nine year old daughter brings me so much joy. Being a parent has been a very healing journey for me , one that fills me with hope in the face of all the forces of evil that are coalescing their power in this current moment. I also produce a long standing QTBIPOC music event here in the Bay Area called Soulovely and watching my community come together in their joy on the dancefloor brings me great joy as well.