Phyll Opoku-Gyimah

Opoku-Gyimah was born in Britain in 1974 and attended Bullsmoor School in Lea Valley, where she first became politically active.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-09|title=Lady Phyll: 'When Gloria Gaynor played, I danced as if I never would again'|first=Michael|last= Segalov|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jan/09/this-much-i-know-interview-lady-phyll-black-pride-uk|access-date=2021-02-15|website=www.theguardian.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2021-01-09|title='Pride Is Not Just A Celebration, It's About Change': Why Black Pride Matters|first=Twiggy|last=Jalloh|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/why-we-need-a-uk-black-pride|access-date=2021-02-15|website=www.vogue.co.uk|language=en}} She is of Ghanaian ancestry.{{cite web|url=https://boyz.co.uk/2018/07/me-myself-and-i-phyll-opoku-gyimah/|title=Me, Myself and I: Phyll Opoku-Gyimah|first=Dave|last=Cross|website=Boyz|date=6 July 2018|access-date=15 February 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://gal-dem.com/lady-phyll-director-black-pride-uk/|title=gal-dem in conversation with Lady Phyll, director of Black Pride UK|first=Kirsty|last= Osei-Bempong|website=gal-dem|date=26 June 2016 |access-date=15 February 2021}}

Opoku-Gyimah joined the civil service working for the Department for Work and Pensions benefit fraud section. They are a co-founder, trustee and executive director of UK Black Pride,[https://www.ukparliamentweek.org/phyll-opoku-gyimah/ "Phyll Opoku-Gyimah"], UK Parliament Week. which "promotes unity and co-operation among all Black people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent, as well as their friends and families, who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender".{{Cite web|date=2018-03-19|first=Narjas|last= Zatat|title=UK Black Pride founder 'Lady Phyll' talks diversity, white privilege and Black Panther|url=https://www.indy100.com/discover/phyll-opoku-gyihmah-uk-black-pride-black-panther-equality-women-8256016|access-date=2021-02-03|website=www.indy100.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2019-06-05|title='We are all dealing with so much': Lady Phyll on why Black Pride UK is necessary ahead of Haggerston Park festival|first=Emma|last=Bartholomew|url=https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/lady-phyll-on-why-black-pride-uk-is-necessary-3628862|access-date=2021-02-03|website=www.hackneygazette.co.uk|language=en}}

Opoku-Gyimah was appointed trustee of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights charity, Stonewall in January 2015 but resigned three years later when the charity announced it would partner with UK Black Pride.{{Cite web|date=2018-05-02|title=Stonewall trustee update|url=https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/stonewall-trustee-update|access-date=2021-02-03|website=Stonewall|language=en}} Opoku-Gyimah publicly refused an MBE in the 2016 New Year Honours.{{cite news |last=Broomfield |first=Matt |date=5 January 2016 |title=Black lesbian activist Phyll Opoku-Gyimah turns down MBE in protest at LGBT persecution by 'colonial regimes' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/black-lesbian-activist-phyll-opoku-gyimah-turns-down-mbe-in-protest-at-lgbt-persecution-by-colonial-a6796916.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/black-lesbian-activist-phyll-opoku-gyimah-turns-down-mbe-in-protest-at-lgbt-persecution-by-colonial-a6796916.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Independent|access-date=11 May 2018}}

With Rikki Beadle-Blair and John R Gordon, she is the editor of Sista!, an anthology of writings by LGBT women of African/Caribbean descent with a connection to the United Kingdom, released by Team Angelica Publishing in 2018, which includes work by 31 writers, including Yrsa Daley-Ward and Babirye Bukilwa.{{Cite book|date=2018-01-25|title=Sista!: An anthology of writings by Same Gender Loving Women of African Caribbean descent|id={{ASIN|0995516243|country=uk}}|language=en}}

Well known among the trade union movement, she served on the Trades Union Congress (TUC) race relations committee and was Head of Equality at the Public and Commercial Services Union until June 2019.{{Cite web|title=From the chair|url=https://www.pcs.org.uk/from-the-chair-2|access-date=2021-02-03|website=Public and Commercial Services Union|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Roache|first=Quinn|date=2019-08-22|title=Trade unionists led the fight for LGBT rights, but the struggle for an equal world continues|url=https://www.tuc.org.uk/blogs/trade-unionists-led-fight-lgbt-rights-struggle-equal-world-continues|access-date=2021-02-03|website=www.tuc.org.uk|language=en}}

In May 2019, Opoku-Gyimah was appointed executive director human rights charity the Kaleidoscope Trust.{{Cite web|date=2019-05-15|title=Lady Phyll has been {{as written|ap|ppointed [sic]}} as executive director of Kaleidoscope Trust|first=Steve|last=Brown|url=http://attitude.co.uk/article/lady-phyll-has-been-apppointed-as-executive-director-of-kaleidoscope-trust-1/20948|access-date=2021-02-03|website=Attitude.co.uk|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516072130if_/https://attitude.co.uk/article/lady-phyll-has-been-apppointed-as-executive-director-of-kaleidoscope-trust-1/20948/|archive-date=16 May 2019}} She later resigned in November 2023, to become the first Chief Executive of the charity she founded UK Black Pride.{{Cite web|date=2023-11-19|title=Lady Phyll steps down as Kaleidoscope Trust leader to become UK Black Pride’s first CEO |first=Charlotte |last=Manning |url=http://attitude.co.uk/article/lady-phyll-has-been-apppointed-as-executive-director-of-kaleidoscope-trust-1/20948|access-date=2024-01-21|website=Attitude.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2023-11-16|title=Lady Phyll appointed as the first-ever Chief Executive of UK Black Pride |url=https://diva-magazine.com/2023/11/16/lady-phyll-chief-executive-uk-black-pride/amp/ |access-date=2024-01-21|website=Diva Magazine|language=en}}

Opoku-Gymiah has been a member of Sky’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council since July 2023.{{Cite web|date=2023-07-26|title=Sky appoints two new experts to its Diversity Advisory Council to amplify diversity and inclusion expertise |url=https://www.skygroup.sky/article/sky-appoints-two-new-experts-to-its-diversity-advisory-council-to-amplify-diversity-and-inclusion-expertise |access-date=2024-01-21|website=Sky Group|language=en}}

Opoku-Gyimah is well known for her activism on race, gender and LGBT+ rights in the United Kingdom. She is considered one of Britain's most prominent lesbian activists.{{Cite web|date=2021-02-15|title=Celebrating British LGBT+ icons for LGBT+ History Month|first=Charlotte|last=Summers|url=https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/celebrating-british-lgbt-icons-for-lgbt-history-month|access-date=2021-02-15|website=www.gaystarnews.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2020-08-13|title=Interview: 'Change is happening': UK Black Pride founder sees hope in 2020|first=Rachel|last= Savage|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-lgbt-racism-idUSL8N2FE4NB|access-date=2021-02-15|website=www.reuters.com|language=en}} She has raised the issue of racism in the LGBT community and spoken about the importance of intersectionality.{{Cite web|date=2020-08-18|title=Lady Phyll's guide to fighting for equality without burning out|url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/lifestyle/article/lady-phyll-uk-black-pride|first=David|last= Levesley|access-date=2021-02-15|website=www.gq-magazine.co.uk|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2020-08-30|title=UK Black Pride Doesn't Need To Justify Itself Anymore, It's Vital To U.K. LGBT+ Movement|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiewareham/2020/08/30/uk-black-pride-doesnt-need-to-justify-itself-anymore-its-vital-lady-phyll-opoku-gyimah-lgbtq-pride/|first=Jamie|last= Wareham|access-date=2021-02-15|website=Forbes|language=en}} She has been critical of Pride in London stating in an interview she felt the organisation "had a long way to go".{{Cite web|date=2020-06-11|first=Alice|last=Newbold|title="Queer People Of Colour Are Resilient & Resilience Is Power:" Lady Phyll On The UK Black Pride Movement|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/uk-black-pride|access-date=2021-02-15|website=www.gaystarnews.com|language=en}}

She entered the Labour Party internal contest to replace Heidi Alexander as Member of Parliament for Lewisham East when she stood down to work for the Mayor of London. She left midway through the race following an allegation of an antisemitic tweet and Janet Daby was selected as the candidate and elected to UK Parliament in the by-election on 14 June 2018.{{Cite web|date=2018-05-09|title=UK Black Pride exec Phyll Opoku-Gyimah confirms run for Parliament in Lewisham by-election|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/05/09/uk-black-pride-phyll-opoku-gyimah-lewisham-east-labour-by-election/|access-date=2021-02-03|website=PinkNews |first=Nick|last=Duffy|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|title=HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media|url=https://consent.yahoo.com/v2/collectConsent?sessionId=1_cc-session_460715dd-af68-4ac0-b981-e79091d3b0ea|access-date=2021-02-03|website=consent.yahoo.com}}{{Cite news |last=Yorke |first=Harry |date=2018-05-13 |title=Labour candidate for Lewisham East by-election withdraws as it emerges she compared Israel-Palestine conflict to 'Nazi persecution' |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/05/13/favourite-replace-heidi-alexander-labour-mp-withdraws-emerges/ |access-date=2022-12-14 |issn=0307-1235}}

Opoku-Gyimah made headlines when she attended the British Academy Film Awards in 2018 with British actress Andrea Riseborough.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-30 |title=Race storm erupts after Andrea Riseborough's best actress Oscar nomination |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jan/30/race-storm-erupts-after-andrea-riseborough-best-actress-oscar-nomination-to-leslie |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=The Guardian |language=en}} She attended the ceremony as show of solidarity with women who had experienced discrimination as part of a campaign against sexism.{{Cite news|date=2018-02-18|title=Blackout on the red carpet: best dressed a non-issue at Baftas|first=Jess|last= Cartner-Morley|author-link=Jess Cartner-Morley|url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/feb/18/baftas-red-carpet-blackout-times-up|access-date=2021-02-03|website=www.theguardian.com|language=en}}{{Cite news|date=2018-02-18|title=Baftas red carpet 2018: from Angelina Jolie to Lupita Nyong'o – in pictures|author1=Joanna Ruck |author2=Scarlett Conlon |author3=Hannah Marriott |url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2018/feb/18/baftas-red-carpet-2018-from-angelina-jolie-to-lupita-nyongo-in-pictures|access-date=2021-02-03|website=www.theguardian.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2018-02-19|title=Bafta Awards 2018: (Most) stars wear black to bring Time's Up to Britain|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43106728|access-date=2021-02-03|website=www.bbc.co.uk|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2018-02-19|title=EE British Academy Film Awards - Red Carpet Arrivals|url=https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/phyll-opoku-gyimah-and-andrea-riseborough-attend-the-ee-news-photo/920094710|access-date=2021-02-03|website=www.gettyimages.co.uk|language=en}}

Opoku-Gyimah was appointed a Grand Marshall of New York Pride in 2019, during the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots.{{Cite web|date=2020-02-09|title=DIVA columnist and UK Black Pride co-founder Phyll Opoku-Gyimah announced as Grand Marshal at World Pride 2019|url=https://divamag.co.uk/2019/04/12/diva-columnist-and-uk-black-pride-co-founder-phyll-opoku-gyimah-announced-as-grand-marshall-at-world-pride-2019-%F0%9F%8C%88|access-date=2021-02-15|website=divamag.co.uk|language=en}}

She was named on a list of 100 Great Black Britons in October 2020, as part of the initiative by Windrush campaigner Patrick Vernon {{post nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}} and historian Angelina Osborne to celebrate Black British people during Black History Month.{{Cite web|date=2020-10-01|title=LGBT+ titans Munroe Bergdorf, Edward Enninful and Lady Phyll named among '100 great Black Britons'|first=Vic|last=Parsons|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/10/01/black-history-month-great-britons-munroe-bergdorf-edward-enninful-lady-phyll|access-date=2021-02-15|website=www.pinknews.co.uk|language=en}}

• Independent on Sunday Pink List, 2011 (64), 2012 (11)
• Black LGBT Community Award
• Big Society Award nomination (2012)
• World Pride Power List (2012)
• European Diversity Awards Campaigner of the Year in 2017.{{Cite web|last=Itie|first=Harry|date=2018-05-31|title=Cover Star: Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Co-Founder & Director UK Black Pride|url=https://therustintimes.com/2018/05/31/cover-star-phyll-opoku-gyimah-co-founder-director-uk-black-pride/|access-date=2021-06-29|website=The Rustin Times|language=en-US}}
• Pride Power List (2021){{Cite news|last=Greenhalgh|first=Hugo|date=2021-07-24|title=LGBT+ campaigners demand inclusion at first UK 'Reclaim Pride' march|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-lgbt-rights-idUSKBN2EU0NW|access-date=2021-08-03}}
• Honorary doctorate by London South Bank University (LSBU).{{Cite web |date=2022-01-17 |title=UK Black Pride's Lady Phyll shares powerful words after 'life-changing' honour |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/01/17/lady-phyll-honorary-doctorate/ |access-date=2022-06-23 |website=PinkNews }}
• British LGBT Awards.{{Cite web |last=CommunityNews· |date=2018-02-09 |title=Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Edward Enninful, Demi Lovato and more nominated for British LGBT Awards. See full list here |url=https://therustintimes.com/2018/02/09/phyll-opoku-gyimah-edward-enninful-demi-lovato-and-more-nominated-for-british-lgbt-awards-see-full-list-here/ |access-date=2022-06-23 |website=The Rustin Times |language=en-US}}
• Lifetime Achievement Award.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-27 |title=National Inclusion Week: UK Black Pride's Phyll Opoku-Gyimah on making meaningful change for diversity in the workplace |url=https://www.newschainonline.com/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/national-inclusion-week-uk-black-prides-phyll-opoku-gyimah-on-making-meaningful-change-for-diversity-in-the-workplace-227016 |access-date=2022-06-23 |website=www.newschainonline.com |language=en}}
• Radley handbags.{{Cite web |title=Meet our Woman of Spirit - Lady Phyll |url=https://www.radley.co.uk/radley-stories/women-of-spirit/lady-phyll-interview |access-date=2023-01-28 |website=Radley and Co Ltd. |language=en-GB}}
• Dr Martens boots {{Cite web |last=magazine |first=adobo |date=2022-05-31 |title=Campaign Spotlight: Watch Dr. Martens inaugural pride campaign 'Pride Generation,' a series of short films by PRETTYBIRD Director Jess Kohl |url=https://www.adobomagazine.com/campaign-spotlight/campaign-spotlight-watch-dr-martens-inaugural-pride-campaign-pride-generation-a-series-of-short-films-by-prettybird-director-jess-kohl/ |access-date=2023-01-28 |website=adobo Magazine Online |language=en-US}}

• {{Cite book|title=Sista!: An anthology of writings by Same Gender Loving Women of African/Caribbean descent with a UK connection|date=2018-01-25|publisher=Team Angelica |isbn=978-0995516243|editor-last=Opoku-Gyimah|editor-first=Phyll|editor-last2=Beadle-Blair|editor-first2=Rikki|editor-last3=Gordon|editor-first3=John R.}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.nus.org.uk/en/news/black-history-month-trailblazers---phyll-opoku-gyimah/ Opoku-Gyimah] at National Union of Students, Black History Month trailblazers.
• [http://wow.southbankcentre.co.uk/2014/artists/phyll-opoku-gyimah/ Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209025917/http://wow.southbankcentre.co.uk/2014/artists/phyll-opoku-gyimah/ |date=9 December 2014 }} at the South Bank Centre
• Narjas Zatat, [https://www.indy100.com/article/phyll-opoku-gyihmah-uk-black-pride-black-panther-equality-women-8256016 "UK Black Pride founder 'Lady Phyll' talks diversity, white privilege and Black Panther"], indy100, 16 March 2018.

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Category:Living people

Category:1974 births

Category:Black British women politicians

Category:British charity and campaign group workers

Category:English people of Ghanaian descent

Category:Black British LGBTQ people

Category:English LGBTQ politicians

Category:Politicians from the London Borough of Islington