Nafis Halifin

Nafis Halifin is a courageous youth leader redefining advocacy, mental health, and justice for queer students in Malaysia. As the founder of Pride in Research, he leads one of the country’s first youth-driven initiatives integrating mental health support, legal literacy, and academic research tailored to LGBTQ+ youth—a community too often silenced in Malaysian society.

Growing up in a B40 household, Nafis understands the intersection of economic hardship and identity-based marginalization. He works tirelessly to provide free, trauma-informed mental health support for queer students facing bullying and isolation. Through collaborations with licensed therapists, Pride in Research ensures access to safe, affirming spaces rarely found in schools or clinics.

In 2025, Nafis co-launched OutLoud Support with Legal Dignity—a workshop that offered queer students both emotional refuge and practical legal tools to assert their rights. For many participants, it was the first time they realized they had any.

Beyond direct support, Nafis also leads a nationwide study examining how campus culture, policies, and staff attitudes shape queer students’ well-being and academic success. His goal is to drive data-informed reform in Malaysian higher education.

Rooted in compassion, intersectionality, and evidence-based action, Nafis’s leadership embodies quiet courage. In a country where LGBTQ+ issues are often met with silence, he continues to speak with empathy and purpose—proving that advocacy can be both tender and transformative.

To me, making an impact means transforming awareness into action, creating change that outlives my presence. It’s not about being visible, but about shifting systems so that others, especially those unheard or unseen, can live with dignity, safety, and opportunity. True impact happens when compassion becomes structure.