Gui Mohallem

Executive Director, VoteLGBT
Gui Mohallem is a visual artist and the Executive Director of VoteLGBT (Instituto Plena Cidadania), a Brazilian organization that mobilizes LGBT+ technologies, cultures, and policies so full citizenship becomes real for everyone. Gui co-leads the institution with Bru Pereira, guiding teams across data, mobilization, and culture, and linking community practice to institutional change. As an artist, Gui’s method is to look sideways at political problems and prototype unlikely combinations. They build bridges between datasets and stories, code and care, grassroots and institutions—turning evidence into tools and culture. In writing and talks, Gui explores the power of intersectional leadership and shares practical ways to make institutions more responsive to those historically excluded.

Organization vision: A world where an intersectional transition toward a democracy of care makes full citizenship possible for all people.

VoteLGBT’s approach combines data, mobilization, and culture to advance LGBT+ citizenship and political participation. Founded in 2014, VoteLGBT believes democracy is only complete when all people have voice, representation, and rights. Their model goes beyond elections: they strengthen leadership, transform narratives, and create systemic change. Day-to-day, they monitor and analyze LGBT+ political participation, producing reliable data that informs public debate and policymaking. Through initiatives like Sentinela, they track and report political violence against LGBT+ leaders, turning evidence into advocacy. They also support and train LGBT+ candidates, build networks of activists, and pressure parties and institutions to commit to inclusion. VoteLGBT’s cultural projects, such as LGBTflix, preserve community memory and spread positive narratives that counter stigma and expand representation. Everyday activities include research, training, digital campaigns, and collective mobilization. They connect local leaders to national and international forums, amplify diverse voices, and ensure that LGBT+ communities are visible in decision-making spaces. By combining evidence, activism, and culture, VoteLGBT acts as both a watchdog and a catalyst—protecting rights while imagining and building a more democratic society where all people can thrive.