I am a passionate advocate for the rights of LGBTQI+ individuals in Uganda and one of the few openly LGBTQI+ activists in my country. My journey of activism is driven by my belief that Human Rights are inherent, and therefore non-negotiable, I have also always felt a deep commitment to freedom, justice and equality, and for over 11 years have dedicated my time to fighting for the rights of individuals, who, like me, live in a volatile society where state & non-state violence, and institutional discrimination is prevalent.
From 2012 to 2014, I coordinated a National Coalition of over 50 organizations that successfully challenged the oppressive 2009 Anti-Homosexuality Law. Additionally, as Co-Convener of the Convening For Equality, I lead a vibrant social movement that has organized to lead the national fight against the draconian anti-homosexuality law 2023, and other emerging anti-rights, and anti-gender legislation. As the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Chapter Four Uganda, I am dedicated to creating transformative initiatives that promote understanding and acceptance between LGBTQI+ individuals and their families, and promote the LGBTQI+ individuals’ civil liberties through legal and social avenues of support.
At Chapter Four, I founded PFLAG- Uganda, the first of its initiatives in Uganda which has created a safe space for dialogue and reconciliation between families and their LGBTQI+ children. Parents of LGBTQI+ individuals in Uganda have been an important and critical voice of allyship as the community fought a renewed afront on our lives with the 2023 Anti-LGBTQI+ law.
As a certified mindfulness and meditation teacher, I offer my teachings of mindfulness and meditation practice as a form of radical self-care to a community grappling with unresolved trauma caused by living in a country that seeks to erase us, a country that negates us to the margins of society as second-class citizens.
I also co-founded the Uganda Kuchus Aquatic Team (UKAT), Africa's first LGBTQI+ swim team, which uses the power of aquatic sport to advocate for inclusion and non-discrimination. My work goes beyond resistance; it’s about building a future where everyone can thrive without fear.
I am a certified Diversity Trainer through USAID/CDC, and I have worked with institutions like the National Democratic Institute and advised the World Bank on LGBTQI+ issues in East Africa. I am honored to have received several prestigious accolades for my tireless advocacy work, including with the Coalition, the 2011 US State Department’s Human Rights Defender Award, the 2014 Oak Human Rights Fellowship, and the 2018 Aspen Institute’s New Voices Fellowship. In 2023, I was awarded the Embassy of the Netherlands Human Rights Tulip award. This year, I am honored to be the recipient of the 2024 William D. Zabel Award from Human Rights First for my long time commitment to advocacy towards the promotion of LGBTQI+ rights in Uganda, often at great personal cost.
I have led coalitions, galvanized partners and allies to fight repressive anti-rights laws and raised social consciousness with both national and international communities to join us in solidarity to combat the ongoing injustices and discrimination faced by Uganda’s LGBTQI+ community.
I invite you to join me in this vital cause by supporting my personal project, PFLAG-Uganda. With your support, I will be able to realize my dream of establishing steadfast, meaningful allyship within our families that no one can dismiss. I firmly believe that parents, whose love and commitment no one can question, will change the trajectory of LGBTQI+ rights in Uganda and the rest of the continent.
As the saying goes, none of us is free until all of us are free. Let us collectively strive for a world where everyone can live authentically and without fear, where we can thrive and contribute to our country in meaningful ways, without the burden of fear and uncertainty that Anti-Rights legislation imposes on us.
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