Mohamed Q. Amin

Mohamed Q. Amin (he/they) is an Indo-Caribbean, Queer, and Muslim immigrant, an LGBTQ+ rights activist. In 2015, he turned trauma into activism by founding the Caribbean Equality Project, a NYC-based immigrant rights organization that advocates for Afro- and Indo-Caribbean LGBTQ+ voices in New York City. Amin is a survivor of anti-LGBTQ+ hate violence, whose intersectional and transnational organizing is grounded in the power of storytelling and advocacy, centered on protecting LGBTQ+ immigrants and asylum seekers, fighting for immigration reforms, worker's rights, racial justice, mental health, and building political power through civic engagement in Caribbean neighborhoods in NYC.

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Amin spearheaded the "Caribbeans Count" campaign, dedicated to ensuring that Indo-Caribbeans were accurately represented in the 2020 Census. This initiative played a crucial role in the reported 7.8% population growth in the Borough of Queens. Notably, the 2020 Census marked the first instance of counting same-sex households, and Amin was at the forefront of educational efforts to ensure the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people.

Between 2021 and 2023, Amin was a leading voice during the City and State redistricting cycle, advocating for fair and equitable maps for AAPI communities, particularly in Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park in Queens. For three consecutive years, Amin was featured on the City and State Queens Power 100 list, amplifying his political organizing, redistricting advocacy, and being a Steering Committee member of the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition, which secured a historic $30 Million Investment in the FY 2023-24 New York State Budget for the AAPI Communities, benefitting over 150+ organizations, including Caribbean Equality Project.

Amin is a cultural producer, the Director of My Truth, My Story, an oral history campaign, and the curator of two multimedia, interdisciplinary exhibitions, Queer Caribbeans of NYC | Stonewall 50 and Live Pridefully: Love and Resilience within Pandemics. In 2017, he co-founded the annual LGBTQ+ Community Iftar at The Center, a multicultural space for Queer Muslims in NYC, and leads the Phagwah Social Justice Collective, a Hindu-centered coalition of LGBTQ+ and gender justice organizations that participates in North America's largest celebration of Holi/Phagwah in Queens, NY. Amin is the executive producer of Caribbean Queen, a short film that explores the intersectionality of queer joy, Caribbean culture, and belonging within the thriving Caribbean diaspora in New York City.

Amin has over 15 years of experience in community organizing and organizational leadership, and holds a B.A. in Economics from Queens College, his alma mater.

To learn more about Amin, connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @MohamedQAmin.