A portrait of Fatteh’s elusive founder and editor-in-chief, Beza Lealem — resemblance not entirely guaranteed.
In their inaugural editor’s letter Beza Lealem explains why they launched Fatteh — the first magazine of its kind for LGBTQ+ people in Ethiopia and the global Habesha diaspora published in Amharic and English
EDITOR’S LETTER
Dear reader,
To say this magazine has been a long time coming would be an understatement. Between wanting it to be beautifully produced, its content to be high-quality, and — let’s be honest — a touch of procrastination from me thrown into the mix, it has taken a while to get here. But we’ve made it, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve achieved on a shoestring. It’s now time to introduce Fatteh to you and the rest of the community we created it for.
We may be a work-in-progress, but we’re also a one-of-a-kind. Fatteh is the first LGBTQ+ magazine of its kind in both English and Amharic, the working language of Ethiopia. Though we risk sounding a little grand, what we hope to do (in our own humble way) is shine a light on the millions of ‘invisible’ LGBTQ+ people living in Ethiopia and across the global Habesha diaspora. We are here to encourage all of you in this unique and vibrant community to step forward and be the authors and central characters of your own narrative.
Launching Fatteh in today’s world feels both urgent and deeply personal. We’re living at a time when LGBTQ+ rights are backsliding, even in some of the countries that were among the first to grant them. Thankfully, there are pockets of progress, but throughout much of Africa, homophobia and transphobia are on the rise, with countries tightening laws against us and introducing harsher punishments. The LGBTQ+ community in Ethiopia, like those in many nations across the continent, faces growing hostility in daily life as people endure violence, persecution and criminalisation. This must end.
Against this backdrop, I believe — now more than ever — in the power of community, journalism and storytelling to persuade, push back and advocate for our inherent rights to dignity, freedom and equality. Fatteh was born from a need: a need for visibility, for content in a language that has traditionally silenced us, and for a space where we can be uplifted without sugarcoating our struggles. We want you to see yourselves fully and authentically reflected in what you read — something that’s inconceivable in the mainstream Ethiopian media and not always present in other LGBTQ+ magazines. Let’s embrace our complexity.
Fatteh is here to inform, inspire, empower and even entertain you. We also hope to give allies and onlookers a window onto our world. This isn’t just a magazine; it’s a space to celebrate the full spectrum of our identities, challenge harmful narratives, and make room for LGBTQ+ joy in all its bold, messy, beautiful forms. Whether you’re here for our hard-hitting updates on pan-African news, cover stories on Ethiopian artists and creatives, or simply here to feel seen — thank you. I hope you find something in these pages that makes you stop and think, brings a smile, helps you feel connected, or just offers a moment to catch your breath.
Here’s to new beginnings: to covering the issues that matter, to telling the stories that’ve gone untold, and to sparking the change we need.
With pride, solidarity and a healthy dose of defiance,
Beza Lealem
Fatteh Editor-in-Chief