The Board of Directors of Wikimedia LGBT+ announced today, 7 April 2025, that it has hired Bisi Alimi to lead the organization as its first Executive director, and Vic Sfriso as Director of programmes and community engagement.
Bisi Alimi’s experience bridges nonprofit, national government, and intergovernmental organization LGBT+ rights advocacy, public policy, community organizing, and media engagement. He joins Wikimedia LGBT+ from the Bisi Alimi Foundation, which advocates for LGBT+ rights in Nigeria, and Vengiance Production, which creates LGBT+ films about Queer African experiences. He splits his time between London, UK, and Lagos, Nigeria. His website is bisialimi.com
Vic Sfriso’s career includes academic research on LGBT+ experiences, sexual and reproductive rights, and international online community collaboration. They are currently Head of the Cooperation and Decentralization Program at Wikimedia Argentina, a coordinator for the Wikimedia Volunteer Supporters Network, and a lecturer at the Universidad de San Andrés. They live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and they are User:Vic Sfriso (WMAR) on Meta.
Owen Blacker, the chair of Wikimedia LGBT+, shares that “I am incredibly excited that we are taking a big step forward as an organisation, with two amazing hires. Bisi’s role as our first Executive director and Vic’s role as Director of programmes and community engagement demonstrates the Wikimedia Movement’s increased commitment to curating media for LGBTQ+ experiences and knowledge in Wikipedia and its related projects. For Queer knowledge in particular, this commitment also includes protecting and representing the people who develop this content as they face increased harassment, persecution and disinformation globally.”
Wikimedia LGBT+ is a virtual and global Wikimedia community organization of volunteers who develop LGBTQ+ content or who are interested in collaborating with LGBTQ+ editors. It was established in 2012 as one of the first global thematic organizations in the Wikimedia Movement. It supports programs including the Queering Wikipedia conference, the Wiki Loves Pride editing campaign, and efforts to increase safety for Wikimedia editors.
Bisi Alimi shares that: “I am excited to be joining the Wiki family at this pivotal moment in history when curating, collecting and archiving LGBTQI+ history is extremely important. In 2020, I joined the Wikimedia Movement with the support of Wiki for Human Rights in Nigeria with just one aim, increasing Queer African stories on the Wikimedia platform and within 5 years, I witnessed an astronomical rise in the amount of Queer Nigerian contents, and I am happy that I can work with many inspiring people to continue the legacy of Wikimedia LGBT+ and take the work to every corner of the world.”
Vic Sfriso says: “I’m thrilled to be here and support Wikimedia volunteers in creating a digital home for queer communities through Wikimedia projects. I believe these projects, along with open knowledge, serve as invaluable tools for preserving and sharing queer history and memories across the globe.”
About Wikimedia LGBT+
Wikimedia LGBT+ is an official registered Wikimedia user group dedicated to improving the Wikimedia movement through development of Wikipedia, other projects in the Wikimedia platform, and partnerships with organizations outside the Wikimedia Movement who share thematic and community interest in LGBT+ culture initiatives in partnership with the communities and institutions. For more information, see Wikimedia LGBT+ on Meta.
The image accompanying this blogpost is a composite made from Bisi Alimi at the Salzburg Global Seminar.jpg and Vic – 2025-03-13 (09).jpg, which are both licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, and Wikimedia LGBT+ logo.svg, which is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0. The composite was made by Owen Blacker and is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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