Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera puts her life on the line every day to keep her little revolution alive. This young African woman is a dedicated gay rights activist. She had to leave her native country Uganda after a tabloid called for her to be hanged along with fellow activists. But she returned and refuses to abandon her struggle for acceptance for herself and her gay countrymen and women.
“In Uganda people are often ignorant about homosexuality,” explains Nabagesera in a surprisingly soft voice. “When you go to [Uganda's capital] Kampala and ask about gays they’ll say: ‘Kill them!’ And when you ask why, their answer is ‘Because my preacher in church says that it’s a sin against God. Because politicians say it’s a crime. So that is why we should kill them.’”
My Little Revolution
2011 was the year of revolutions. From the Arab Spring which led to the toppling of undemocratic regimes to the rise of new markets and global protest against the greed of financial institutions.
But there have also been small revolutions. From the end of December we are featuring some of these life-changing events in our seasonal series, My Little Revolution. The story on this page is one of them.
Naïve
Nabagesera never set out to become an activist: “I was expelled from five schools, because I refused to dress as a ‘proper woman’. I like wearing boyish clothes, so I continued to wear jeans, wide shirts and sneakers. I finally managed to graduate because my mother told my last university I had a mental illness. But what I did not understand was why my being a lesbian caused so many problems. I went to an internet café and gathered information about homosexuality in Uganda, and that’s when I found out it was illegal. I was openly living a gay life, and people thought I did that out of stubbornness. But actually, it was because I was naïve, I had no idea.”
After discovering there were laws that criminalised her lifestyle, Nabagesera set out to find groups supporting the LGBT community (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans-gender). “I contacted a South-African LGBT organisation and started FARUG (Freedom and Roam Uganda) and later fused with LGBT organisation SMUG (Sexual Minorities Uganda). Our strategy was simple: to raise awareness in our own community. We gave workshops, held meetings and tried to analyse the penal code and constitution.”
Facing a tough reality
At first, Nabagesera and her fellow activists felt they were making progress, but then the situation in Uganda worsened. Local tabloid newspapers began a hate campaign in 2006, publishing the names and photos of homosexuals with captions such as ‘homo terror!’ In 2010, Nabagesera’s name was mentioned in the Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone in an article headlined: ‘Hang them: they are after our kids!’ Nabagesera and her friend and fellow activist David Kato sued the newspaper. They won the case, but soon after, David Kato was murdered, bludgeoned to death in his home.
“The damage was done,” says Nabagesera in a quavering voice. “And it’s still going on. People had to move or flee the country after David’s death. I was evacuated by a human rights organisation from Uganda for two months, and when I came back my landlord evicted me from my house.”
Kato’s death forced a lot of LGBT activists to face reality. “We all thought, ‘It could be me tomorrow,’ but I – and with me a lot of others – said, ‘This is when we need to stand together and fight.’ But others in the community got scared and stepped back into the closet out of fear. The way David was murdered was so brutal, knowing how the government reacted… they said it was not a crime and his murder wasn’t linked to Kato's sexuality.”
Step by step
So how does someone pursue a revolution when their life is endangered and the government and the church are against them? “We are not in a rush”, Nabagesera explains. “We cannot just change the law on paper if the mindset stays the same... Step by step, we need to sensitise people, create awareness, change attitudes and mindsets. It’s a big challenge, but in the end we want to be liberated, we want equality, we want justice”.
Nabagesera recently won the Martin Ennals award, a prestigious prize for human rights campaigners. “It gives me hope to know we are not alone in this struggle. I know the world is watching us. We knew in the beginning this struggle wasn’t going to be easy, we knew sacrifices would have to be made. The day we said we were homosexuals was the day we started our revolution.”
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Dear Kasha, thank you for your bravery. Putting you voice and life out strong to challenge oppression and discrimination in this country. I can clearly see from most of the comments above from Ugandans why there's more urgency for education to eradicate ignorance among Ugandans especially on the issue of homosexuality. We used to be one of the most tolerant societies in Africa until colonialism. This bible you are using to condemn homosexuals is in its very self a colonial/western tool of control. Why are you so-called 'religious' Ugandans holding onto it like your life depends on it?? Keywords 'Bible, Western'. We Ugandans are hypocrites, acting like we are most religious, truth is we don't practice religion only when it is for political gain or when it suits us to oppress others. Aluta Continua Kasha and gay activism in Uganda, Africa.
Iknow this girl very well,she is using a gay thing to remain in the u.k she has no papers.
pliz enjoy your life in private since this lifestyle has been here as long as you can remember. all other forms of sexual perversion are practiced and enjoyed by so many all over the world all the time in their privacy by people of all walks of life. Since homosexuality is genetic, you dont need to teach and persuade others to join you coz soon or later they will be.
they are right because we all have different fillings and choice let the churches and gov not decide for them.
My dear sister Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, for God's seek better come back to your senses! Your acts coursed the untimely of own dear mother Juliet. When saw your pictures she developed pressure and passed on within few days. all you are doing, you are doing them against the will of God who created you. You are just doing all these to get money, can you point out any body who was against you in Uganda that you are behaving the way? But you are fully aware that its taboo for African culture for a man to have sex with a fellow man, the same with the women. explain to us how procreation would take place in this arrangement? I am sorry, but the hyenas are more understanding than some of you. They know that they have to have sex male and female to have young ones. Jacqueline, the only way is to repent and come back to your God.
My problem with this Gay People is:
In African Culture even for Hetero-sexual's its abominable to curdle or kiss your partner in Public; how come gays want to do theirs infront of our children not in their private rooms.
Hetero-sexuals did not fight their way to be recognized by society here in Africa or say their is no such a thing us a "hetero-sexual rights" but why "gay rights", why advocacy for whats natural, it should be natural justice, en should manifest by its own cause or its divine power. no one can determine or prevent its manifestation since its a natural thing the same way hetero-sexual-ism manifested.
I am who i am because of where i come from and a culture i grow up from. culture does not force me to accept it when i grow up but i cant force culture to accept me or those who practice it to abandon it to join me in my new culture. if i abandon my native culture i move on, i go to my new culture because it accepts me and i practice it their where its accepted. u can not force society to adopt what has never been practiced by them.
Say in Uganda we have Baganda culture and their practices, the Acholi culture and what they practice, their territories and acceptability, one does not force the other into the others' culture or worse attempt to practice the others culture on the others territories without mutual consent. Africa (Uganda) is different and has its norms so European cultures cannot be forced on us Africans and those Africans who chose to adopt this western cultures and norms should go to Europe where such cultures and norms are practiced OR else your struggle will not pass very soon. For where i come from my Father used tell us that he Rather goes Hungry but know that his children are safe, Ugandans will abandon European Aid but rather have their conscience well
That is Vividly true, she has found her new home where her practice is accepted. so live Your life Here in Europe and Stop tormenting our souls here at home.
YOU ARE SPOILING OUR RICH CULTURE.
God is love so please love one another, life is too short, see the suffering around you or all over the world, hunger, mother can't feed their children, war. Gay people are humain beings, generous, kind, in fact they are the best, better than some of you who r casting a stone. take a look in the mirror.
stupid woman
Only Three questions for Kasha
One: Did God create Adam and Eeve or Adam and Steve?
Two: Even if you don't believe in the Bible, why do you go for entertainment/joy right in the sewage?
Three: If Your father had married a man, would you be making all these complaints? I thank you.
EVERYBODY RESERVES A RIGHT TO BE PROTECTED,BY FOR GAYS INDEED YOU SHOULD BE HANGED,GOD GAVE YOU THESE BODY PARTS EACH WITH A SPECIFIC ROLE TO PLAY WY TURN A PART USED FOR DEFEACATING INTO A PART USED FOR PRESSURE,THATS TOTAL MADNESS,THE WHITES ARE JUST SPOILING OUR CULTURE
As a male I prefer intimate relationships with beautiful African women.They are terrific.
Homosexuals on the increase in Africa? Blame it on the so called Heterosexuals. Its the latter producing the former. Gays per se would never produce any gay. However Ugandans are taking the gay issue to another level. It is clear that joblessness, poverty are bitting issues in Uganda, so most of those LGBTs Youths are using the issue as a conduit to attract sympathy and secure them asylum in a better land.It might have worked for a few, but not all. Kato's death could have been a sheer coincidence. Personally, if guys do their things with consenting adults(I won't peep in to the bed room to see who is acting as who),the all issue might come to pass, the noise will die out.
FRANK YOU ARE RIGHT,THEY ARE SEEKING FOR ASYLUM IN COUNTRIES LIKE USA.
These Ugandans are hoodwinking europeans and americans that they are targeted by gov't. I was surprised to meet bazungu who had been told that the pink teargas sprayed on Nandala Mafabi and Ken Lukyamuzi recently was sprayed to a gay rights parade and police used pink (gay color in west) to identify them for lynching. I was shocked by the misinformation but as Ugandan I knew someone was making money out of these lies.
I think this i a hood winking article. i knew Kato very well. he was not killed because he was a gay it is because of insecurity in his home area. pls state facts well. some people want to use this chance to make gains in gay money. No wonder i tried to penetrate them to get the core of gay community in uganda they make sure you dont join them or else you enter into their money making machine.
First of all let me say the death of Kato was really a bad thing.But i strongly believe that it was connected to the rampant bar welding thugs who kill people in the dark to rob them of their possessions like money,phones,etc.
However the timing of it was easily connected to his sexuality because of course of his strong attachment to the gay activism associations.Otherwise why has there been no more attacks on gays.And let me tell you im one of the gay activist here in Uganda and in my neighborhood,i labor to explain to locals that being gay is a reality just like one is born left handed or cross eyed.
That said though,i admire and support the works of guys like Kasha who have gone out of their way to cause awareness and the plight of gay people especially in Uganda and Africa as a whole.
Why cant you understand that some people are born
with a predestined sexual orientation? In other words, they r born gay, bisexual, and even asexual --I have met them.
On the other hand, pedophile, the raping of women, those are crimes, and they should be punished to the full extent of the law. No mercy for
But gay/bi people have the right to live their lives as they please, within the boundaries of a respectable society. Who are you to condem them? One must challenge the false rethoric of all religions. If there is a God, I am sure she/he wouldnt want his/her gay/bi daughters and songs to suffer and live a life in darkness, abused. If there is a God, she/he also created
gay/bi people to live along its ilk. He created diversity.
Peace.
Isaac Wanna: you are using the Bible (a Western import) to condemn a practice that the Arabs found in Uganda. Did you know that Kabaka Mwanga was gay? Now you do. You are defending your children's future? Check out the headline in the Monitor today about 14 women dying in childbirth in just one day. Is that African values, or what the Bible says should happen?
Kasha,like someone mentioned above u hve tken this to a livelihood level. But i bet u,learn tht the changes sweeping d world over now,will get u back to ur senses,this is africa my daughter.
Please understand that the intent of my comment is NOT to condemn homosexual; but rather, to take a christian and african tradition stand against the Homosexual Agenda.I must be seen as gay-basher since i must speak the truth about the sin of homosexuality. The Bible condemns all humanity as guilty, dirty, rotten, hell-deserving sinners (Romans 3:10-23; 6:23). Thankfully, Jesus came to SAVE SINNERS!
In africa we are defending our children's future and desstiny. we don't want them to practice the most kinky and perverted forms of sexual licentiousness-pedophilia, satanic bondage, physical torture, bisexuality, transvestitism, and even bestiality. If you doubt this, I invite you to consider the wicked lives of some of these moral degenerates like Kasha. she has taken this to another level of livelihood source.
Let everyone do what s/he wants within he bounds of the law, and do not make everything you do or like to do, publicly known, even if you like to screw cows and camels.
I agree everybody should be able to do as they wish within the bounds of the law.
In a fair and inclusive society and according to the most basic moral guidelines, those bounds of the law are guided by the principle that one's activities should not harm others. In this case the law however is as much the problem as the mentality: it simply doesn't allow for (homosexual) activities that do not harm others (with the exception of the broken hearts on the battlefield of love).
It is absolutely necessary for publicity and education to teach the peolple about the essential harmlessness of homosexuality. Even family oriented campaigns have to acknowledge that producing (marginally) less offspring is a blessing, not a danger to modernising societies. Besides that, there are no other real effects to a society from accepting homosexuality. All this talk of enticing kids into perversions is rubbish; suppression is more likely to lead people down the (self-)destructive path of perversions. People need to see that 'Hang them, they're after your kids' actually should be turned into 'Don't hang them, they are your kids!'.
In the future African kids growing up and discovering their own particular sexuality may not need to fear being murdered over who they love thanks to heroic activists such as Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera.
Keeping your head low never ever improved the lifes of anybody anywhere. If, according the post by Val Kalende, this means that imperialist Western attitudes, which are being disbanded in the West anyway, are removed from African societies as well and more tolerant original cultural acceptance is reinstated, then all stand to gain.
The underlying problem is part of a global issue: do we accept a Rule of Law based on Universal Equality, or do we allow the diverse, contradictive and exclusive religious laws to continue to imprison and suppress our bodies, minds and societies, based on the literalist interpretations of writings that don't even seem to contain knowledge that the world is actually round?
PS: screwing cows, camels and such beasts is most likely to hurt the one who does it most... . After noticing a small annoyance (if at all noticeable) of a comparatively tiny penis being inserted somewhere up back, one kick backwards from such beasts will be enough to make 'em sing to a different tune ;)
It is a difficult struggle but one with many stories of progress. Thank you for sharing your story Kasha.
Also, I tend to believe homosexuality is not taboo in Africa. I think it is the way in which we have organized our movements that makes Africans think we are advocating for something that is alien to Africa. The terms we use are too Western and not easily absorbed by our people. In African tradition, homosexuals were neither condemned or vilified. There was a live and let live attitude about such relationships.
It is a taboo a big time taboo in Africa and most especially Uganda. Since we still have our morals and people hear have tried to copy the western culture my dear ones for this will not be accepted at all and will not work and for those who are looking for some money like her from there let them lie u but as for us here will fight it bigtime. NEVER,NEVER,NEVER will it be ambraced
It was colonialism and the spread of Christianity that changed these views in Africa. Otherwise, our society is tolerant and it is still tolerant to some extent. What we need is to challenge the rhetoric of the Christian Right and claim back our culture as Africans. White colonialism has already done enough harm to Africa.
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