It’s always been clear for queer people in Uganda that we need each other. The friends who are the only people you can inform of a budding new relationship; the same ones who’ll help carry your stuff after the break-up. No questions asked. The day your landlord finds out about you and evicts you, they are the ones you stay with. In a moment like that, you will need a place to stay and with born families rejecting us, there's no place else to fall back to but the community. This became even clearer during the COVID-19 pandemic and that started the journey for FAMACE.
FAMACE is an acronym for Farming, Art, Mental Health Advocacy, Collaboration, and Ethical human-centred design. It is organized by a queer collective who look for ways to combine their love for nature, farming and art with activism. The FAMACE healing studio supports several queer people each month who are dealing with trauma and shock after experiencing homophobia, transphobia, and alienation from their families and/or communities. This home is where queer people come to hold space —friends, and community members are sure they have a place to stay or talk things through any time and be welcome.
UPDATE:
It’s been over a year since the Ugandan president signed the anti-homosexuality bill into law on 26th May 2023. On April 3, 2024, Uganda’s Constitutional Court upheld the provisions of this law, including the death penalty for what it's calling 'aggravated homosexuality' and prison terms for identifying as LGBTQI+. This law has led to a violent wave of homophobia: queer people have been arrested, attacked and harassed on the streets, evicted from their homes and fired from their jobs.
Unfortunately, the police raided FAMACE's premises on 24th February 2024, making our haven unsafe and increasing local surveillance. This has made it necessary for us to relocate to get off the radar of the police and ensure our safety and well-being.
Amidst this heightened trans/homophobia and state surveillance, the collective is struggling to continue its meaningful work and needs your financial support. Your assistance will go towards finding a new home, covering rent expenses, and improving the security of the premises.
Buy FAMACE plants for $5 each.
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