On Thursday 27 June 2019 The Refugee Coalition of East Africa (RefCEA) will host the 2nd annual International LGBTQI Refugee Day. One week after World Refugee Day on 20 June and coinciding with LGBTQI celebrations around the globe during the month of June, International LGBTQI Refugee Day celebrates the solidarity and strength of LGBTQI refugees and acknowledges the unique struggles and challenges faced by sexual identity refugees worldwide.
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In commemoration of #PrideMonth2019, Freedom and Roam Uganda organised the first ever Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Women Directors’ Forum. Supported by Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa (OSIEA), the two-day convention took place at an undisclosed location.
Binyavanga Wainaina, a renowned Kenyan author and frontline LGBTQ activist has passed on- the outspoken human rights defender died at 10:00pm on 21st May 2019, after suffering a stroke.
The LGBTIQ refugees were first isolated, then alienated from the protection system and then left to survive in Nairobi. This was without the needed capacity building, sustainable solutions or networks and, regard to the nature of their background and potentials. These are now evident. These gaps have led to consequences never-seen before in Nairobi.
“We also need to become a more united global LBQ movement,” stressed Julie. “We need to reach out to each other to form an international bond that will not only strengthen our numbers, but empower our resolve and give us a better position from which to tell them ‘Enough Is Enough’. This is a movement that women too can lead.”
“The actions taken by Police on a day dedicated to fighting homophobia and transphobia goes to show why this day is important and why we must continue the fight. It also goes to show how institutionalized homophobia is. We are sad but take solace in the fact that the bigger statement about the state of the rights of LGBT people in Uganda has been made. We call upon National allies and development partners to continue to support efforts to ensure that all Ugandans enjoy their constitutionally guaranteed rights” said Nicholas Opiyo, the Executive Director of Chapter Four Uganda.
In an interview with Kuchu Times, Musa Bukenya the Executive Director of Kuchu Shiners Uganda said that the creation of the shelter was to curb the increasing rate of homelessness among MSMs and transgender persons especially those living with HIV.
21.7 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) In 2017 – an increase of 2.3 million since 2016 and 8 million in 2010. However, this level of treatment scale-up is still not enough for the world to meet its global target of 30 million people on treatment by 2020.
“We need all women to be lifted. We need all the concerns of women to addressed in ways that were implored in the Bible and that’s why it was made for women, by women, about women and with women. It’s us teaching us and therefore growing with each other.”
Uganda LGBTIQ human rights defender Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera yesterday received the Bonham Centre Award in Toronto Canada. Ms Nabageserahas been the forefront of the Ugandan LGBT movement and was honoured for her work towards bettering the lives of sexual and gender minorities in Uganda