By Chris Tobias | Photos courtesy of: Mohamed Q. Amin, Caribbean Equality Project
As Pride Month unfolds under a shadow of heightened political and social anxiety, the work of grassroots organizations becomes more urgent than ever. The Caribbean Equality Project (CEP) is at the forefront of this effort, a New York City-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering and advocating for Afro and Indo-Caribbean LGBTQ+ communities. Founded in 2015 in response to anti-LGBTQ violence in Richmond Hill, Queens, CEP is not only a source of support—it is a symbol of resilience, leadership, and purpose. The urgency of their work cannot be overstated.
Mohamed Q. Amin, a fearless advocate whose own experiences as a queer, Muslim, Caribbean immigrant inform his deep commitment to social justice, is at the helm of CEP. As Executive Director, Amin has steered the organization through an era marked by regression in civil rights protections, state-sponsored fear, and the marginalization of queer and immigrant voices. In these uncertain times, CEP’s work is not just relevant—it is vital.
A Decade of Empowerment and Resistance
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Over the past ten years, CEP has built a legacy of community-led initiatives. These include providing immigration legal services to over 500 individuals, conducting public education campaigns that reached 10,000 people, offering mental health support to 200 community members, and leading voter registration drives that registered 1,000 new voters. Their Unchained bimonthly healing circles provide trauma-informed spaces for community care in Queens and Brooklyn. The organization also facilitates asylum support, organizes storytelling exhibitions, and leads voter registration, redistricting, and census outreach campaigns.
This work has intensified in the wake of recent federal policy changes. Amin reports a disturbing trend: ICE raids in neighborhoods, the detention of schoolchildren, and the arrest of even green card holders and U.S. citizens. CEP has responded with Know Your Rights workshops covering border crossings, gender markers on passports, and real ID implications—particularly urgent for undocumented queer immigrants.
In a recent and harrowing example, Amin accompanied a queer Jamaican asylum seeker to a six-hour ICE hearing, where the threat of deportation loomed due to the narrowing asylum eligibility window. The human cost of such policies—families torn apart, children traumatized, entire communities pushed into hiding—cannot be overstated. “Fear,” Amin notes, “is being weaponized.”
What Allyship Looks Like Now
In an era when corporate Pride campaigns have scaled back and DEI initiatives are being quietly defunded, Amin calls for a more grounded, meaningful form of allyship. “We don’t need rainbow capitalism,” he asserts. We need truth, solidarity, and protection.” He urges allies—friends, coworkers, neighbors—to recognize the urgency of the current social and political climate, remain vigilant, share resources, speak out against ICE raids, and donate directly to grassroots organizations like CEP.
Funding cuts from federal, corporate, and philanthropic sources have severely impacted CEP’s ability to offer free services to its most vulnerable members. Yet the need for those services—particularly among undocumented LGBTQ+ immigrants and asylum seekers—has only grown. The impact of these cuts is felt deeply, and CEP’s call to action is clear: “Stand next to us. Don’t stand on the sidelines.”
Celebrating Pride as Protest and Joy
Despite the threats, there are moments of hope and joy. CEP recently hosted its inaugural Little Guyana Pride celebration, drawing over 100 attendees to the Richmond Hill neighborhood where the organization was born. The event featured film screenings, health and immigration resources, and on-site voter registration. It was a celebration of visibility, yes—but also a reminder that ‘visibility is resistance.’ This phrase encapsulates the idea that being visible and proud of one’s LGBTQ+ identity in a society that often marginalizes or discriminates against such identities is a powerful act of resistance.
Mohamed Amin draws strength from his Caribbean roots and commitment to the next generation. “Our existence is resistance,” he says, “and every day I fight to make sure my community can survive and thrive.” For Amin, therapy and self-care are critical tools in this fight. The toll of advocacy is real, especially as trans youth face devastating legal setbacks and mental health support services are stripped away. “When you defund life-saving programs, people die,” he warns.
Building a Movement, Not a Moment
Looking ahead, Amin’s message is both hopeful and urgent: show up, educate yourself, vote, and speak out. From marching at NYC Pride to calling out homophobia in Caribbean households, every act of allyship matters. “Hate is taught,” Amin says. “It takes generations to unlearn—but it starts with calling it in.”
To support the Caribbean Equality Project, visit Caribbean Equality Project, join their Pride march contingent, follow them on social media, or donate to help sustain their essential programs.
Because Pride isn’t just a party—it’s a protest. And resistance, especially in times like these, is a sacred form of love.
This article is based on an exclusive interview with Mohamed Q. Amin, Executive Director of the Caribbean Equality Project, aired on DEI Now. Click here for the full interview.
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