Uchechukwu Onwa
Uchechukwu Onwa (he/him/his) is Co-Director, Queer Detainee Empowerment Project. He is a Nigerian-born organizer, trainer, abolitionist, and movement strategist, who fled his home country due to the repression and persecution he faced as a gay man. He has over 9 years of experience working in community outreach, public health, and human rights. He is a high-impact voice for the LGBTQ+ community and a social justice advocate. Uche has also been a strong advocate for the abolition of all cages in the US, particularly in Atlanta where he served as an impacted community member on the Mayor’s Commission on immigration detention that guided Mayor Bottom’s decision to sign a policy that ended the detention of immigrants in Atlanta City Detention Center, in New Jersey, and in New York. He currently works as the Co-Director/Organizing Director with Queer Detainee Empowerment Project (QDEP) focusing on building and strengthening the membership base while maintaining partnerships and coalitions with other organizations. He also leads QDEP’s Leadership Development Program for Cisgender Queer and Trans Women and Gender Non-Conforming Immigrants. His work has been recognized and awarded by the former New York City Mayor, Bill De Blasio, and the Bronx Borough President for his advocacy work and fights for inclusion for the LGBTQ+ refugees/immigrants in New York City in 2020. He was recently recognized as one of the LGBTQ+ Power Players of 2022. Uche’s work has been featured in Windy City Times, Shondaland, Plus Magazine, Buzzfeed, Pulitzer Center, Gay City News, Advocate Magazine, AMMetroNY, PoliticsNew and many more. When he is not organizing for queer and trans immigrants’ liberation you can find him doing some fun thing with his tribes.