Help Support Six Ugandan LGBTQ Refugees

Homophobia and transphobia are harmful attitudes and behaviours directed at individuals who identify as LGBTQ+, and they are happening in every part of Uganda.

Often when someone is discovered to be part of the LGBTQ family by the community they live in, if law enforcement is not present, the community takes the situation into their own hands. This is done by beating up or even killing the person in cases where the community is too rigid in maintaining their cultural values. At the family level, one may be disowned and chased from home by his or her own family members, or they may be handed to the police or to the community to be tortured. Family members may even decide to torture the LGBTQ members themselves.

These behaviours stem from ignorance, fear, and a lack of understanding of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities by the people of Uganda. This has resulted in discrimination, violence, and exclusion, impacting the mental and emotional well-being of those affected. Homophobia and transphobia have caused stigma, and prevent LGBTQ+ individuals from living openly and authentically.

My name is Thomas, and I am organizing this campaign to provide for the basic needs of 6 Ugandan asylum seekers who fled their homes and are seeking asylum in a location that cannot be disclosed for security reasons.

Their stories are below:

Hello, I go by the name Jamal. My family and friends rejected me after discovering that I was gay, and plans were made to kill me. I was not even able to finish my studies in school.

I ended up running to the streets of Kampala, where life was even harder. I adopted behaviours like drug abuse to fit in the new society I had joined. After living on the streets for almost 2 years, one of my family members discovered my location. They had not given up on seeing me dead, so I left the streets and started renting a house somewhere on the boundaries of Kampala.

I was advised by close friends to leave the country and seek asylum outside Uganda, and so I did. I am now in a country I cannot name due to safety concerns.

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I am Ssebuuma, a member of the LGBTIQ community, and an Ugandan citizen. Right now I am hiding myself in a neighbouring country because of the terrible situation I went through in Uganda. I faced problems with the homophobic community in Uganda, my house was destroyed, and I was injured badly. As we speak, my current situation is terrible.

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Hi, I go by the name Eve. After puberty people saw me as a woman, but inside myself I knew I was a man, and I decided to follow my feelings. My family rejected me immediately after I came out as transgender. It's a long story, but to cut it short, I ended up getting asylum outside Uganda.

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I am called Keith, a transgender, and I fled my home country, Uganda, to seek asylum in a neighbouring country. I was being persecuted, discriminated against and was disowned by my parents.

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I am called Aisha Alaam, a lesbian, who was chased away from my country by my family due to homophobia. I am facing and I am still facing discrimination and attacks from homophobic people. I do not have parents, I have no food, I cannot not study due to lack of support. Sometimes, I wish I was dead rather than living this kind of life.

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My name is Immaculate, also known as Les Immy. I had no other option but to flee from my homeland Uganda as I would be killed by community members, including my own parents, who found out I am lesbian and accused me of spoiling other young children. Right now in a place that I do not wish to reveal due to security issues. I am struggling a lot in order to survive.

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The funds from this campaign will provide 6 people with ongoing needs such as food, soap, and charcoal for cooking. It will also provide for the costs of medical care when the need arises, and for one time items such as mosquito nets and bedding.

We appreciate the time you took to read this, and we humbly request your help in supporting the needs of these individuals while they wait for resettlement in a safe third country.

Thank you.