Luc Agblakou

Luc Agblakou is a human rights defender who founded Hirondelle Club International, an organisation that has become a beacon of hope and solidarity for the LGBTIQ+ communityin Benin, Africa. Born in 1984 in Cotonou, Benin’s economic capital, Luc has dedicated his life to building a society where every person, regardless of their identity or sexual orientation, can live with dignity, safety, and equality.

The fifth of nine siblings and a self-made activist, Luc grew up in a bustling yet conservative society where discrimination, exclusion, and silence shaped the experience of LGBTIQ+ communities. From a young age, he was deeply moved by injustice around him, and had a natural affiliation toward fostering peace and non-violence. Luc credits his parentsfor their openness, which fostered his early organising for LGBTIQ+ people in his father’s living room, while many others had to hide from their families. With the trust and support of his family, Luc built a safe space for LGBTIQ+ people that eventually grew into a national movement.

The murder of a friend in 2010, when Luc was 26 years old, would become a defining moment for him as an activist. His friend was murdered by his own father simply because of his sexual orientation in a society that rejected him. While dealing with the grief of losing his dear friend, Luc decided that he could not sit by and watch anyone else die. He wanted to prevent this from happening to others. This prompted him to take his activism to the next level. No longer satisfied with holding meetings in his living room, he officially created Hirondelle Club in 2013. It is a grassroots organisation responding to the urgent need for protection, support, and visibility of LGBTIQ+ people.

Today, Hirondelle Club International, under Luc’s leadership, is the only LGBTIQ+ led organisation in Benin that has compelled the government to recognise and engage with the realities of LGBTIQ+ people in its public health and human rights frameworks and policies.

Since 2015, his advocacy ensured that LGBTIQ+ people were included in Benin’s national strategic plan to combat HIV/AIDS. By promoting inclusive prevention, access to healthcare, and community engagement, he challenged long-held prejudices and reshaped national narratives around health and equality, which was an instrumental achievement in a conservativesociety such as Benin, and gives hope to others in similar contexts.

Luc also engages directly in legal advocacy. Since 2021, his organisation has achieved three landmark court victories for LGBTIQ+ people facing violence and discrimination.

The approach to his work is holistic. His organisation offers peer-led therapy, psychosocial assistance, nutritional support, and empowerment workshops for young LGBTIQ+ people.

Luc’s work has come with challenging consequences, in a context where there are few legal safeguards for LGBTIQ+ people and defenders. He has faced regular defamation of his character, and faced serious threats and intimidation from both community members and state actors. He has been followed, harassed, and publicly threatened by officials. He is sometimes physically approached and told to his face that he will “disappear’’. Due to all of this, for his safety, he has had to relocate, more than once, and reduce his visibility in public spaces. His family has also been impacted, facing break-insat their home late at night, and having their dogs killed as awarning. He faces hard sacrifices and no longer attends family gatherings or frequents public spaces in fear of harassment.

Despite these dangers, Luc’s motivation remains strong. While many others may give up in the face of such challenges, where a normal life and freedom of movement seems impossible, his courage, resilience, and dedication make him a powerful force for change, in Benin and beyond. 

His greatest joy is hearing LGBTIQ+ youth say they finally feel seen, safe, and supported. From Benin’s still-conservative society to the broader context, looking to neighbouring countries where LGBTIQ+ people are being persecuted even more intensely, this is a huge achievement for him. He always remembers his friend that he lost – through his work he may have saved many other lives.

In 2022, his leadership and commitment to the defence of human rights was recognised, and he was nominated by the U.S. Embassy to participate in the U.S. State Department's International International Visitor Leadership Program. In 2023, he was also invited to participate in the PRIDE HEROES program.