The Initiative For Equal Rights

The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs) is a registered non-profit organization in Nigeria. It works to protect and support the rights of marginalized people in the country.

TIERs provides help and resources for sexual minorities. It also organizes educational programs, workshops, and seminars to support advocacy and awareness.

The organization conducts research on issues affecting marginalized communities, producing reports and polls on issues regarding the rights and public opinion of sexual minorities.  It has also documented and reported human rights abuses in Nigeria.

 History 
The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs) was founded in 2005 to respond to discrimination against sexual minorities. It works on HIV prevention, human rights protection, advocacy, and general human rights issues. The organization is based in Lagos.

 Programs 
TIERs has partnered with Nollywood to produce films which represent queer characters and experiences in a positive light, as most Nigerian films portray negative stereotypes of queer character. In 2016, the organization released Hell or High Water, a short film which deals with societal expectations regarding sexuality in Nigeria. It sponsored the 2018 film “We Don't Live Here Anymore”.

TIERs has released 10 publications on issues concerning human rights, sexuality and gender orientation, violence, social rights and cultural relativism.

 See also 

 Olumide Makanjuola, former director of TIERs
 List of LGBT rights organizations (en)
 Violence against LGBT people (en)
 Trans Media Watch
 All About Trans

 References 

Category:2005 establishments in Africa
Category:Human rights organizations
Category:Organizations based in Nigeria