From Uganda’s first lesbian forum to 16 Days of Activism: Advocating for the rights of LBQ women in Uganda
By Owengeye Tina, Freedom and Roam Uganda
The birth of a new movement
Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG) was born in 2003 as a sister to the women’s movement. We were born with a mission to organise lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women to demand recognition for sexual diversity, justice, dignity and equality. FARUG was born to create autonomous and brave spaces for LBQ women to collectively fight for freedom from violence and discrimination.
Our organisation is a place that feeds minds, bodies, and souls and where the struggle for human rights and dignity intentionally collide. We fiercely promote, demand and protect the rights and well-being of LBQ women most of whom are excluded, marginalised and exploited just because they exercise their right to choose whom to love.
The space where gender and sexual orientation are free to intersect
On 19th and 20th July 2019 FARUG celebrated 16 years of existence as the first and longest serving LBQ women rights organisation in Uganda. To mark the occasion we hosted the first ever Uganda Lesbian Forum (UGALEF), a forum that brought over 50 LBQ women from 10 different organisations around the country together.
In her opening remarks Executive Director Ssenfuka Joanita Warry remarked on just how momentous the forum was, “The dream has finally come true! I don’t know how many years we have dreamt of this. I have tried over and over again to write a speech about today but I am still speechless. Most [LGBT] gatherings have always focused on men who have sex with men. Among 30 participants, you would find only two lesbians. Today we are here as a team. I am so happy to see all of you here!’’
Often finding ourselves silenced in the women’s movement and excluded from the LGBT movement, the struggle for equality for LBQ women is unique. Co-founder of FARUG Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera led a session on the history of the LBQ movement in Uganda during which she reflected upon her own experience advocating for the rights of LBQ women throughout her time:
“We fought! We want to be free and move freely in our country. I am glad to be in such a space [UGALEF]. We need to safe guard these spaces fiercely. The movement has grown, I see so many new faces. I remember vividly in one of the conferences how some participants packed their bags and left simply because there was a lesbian. I stayed because it was also my space,’’
Kasha also stressed the importance of working collaboratively within and across movements to secure rights for all, “All of us can play a part. You don’t have to be at the frontline but you can do something.”
Being an intersectional feminist means looking at the different power structures that contribute to discrimination and oppression. African feminist and lawyer Professor Sylvia Tamale led a session on why intersectionality should be a key pillar of feminism and led us to question and deconstruct gender norms. “Gender is socially constructed by society. Most things are socially constructed to maintain status quo, hierarchies and inequalities which fuel and sustain patriarchy in our communities.’’
16 Days of Activism: raising awareness on the lived realities of LBQ women
UGALEF culminated in the premiere of a documentary to launch our research report ‘The Lived Realities of Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Women of Uganda.’ This report produced in collaboration with Womankind covered participants from across areas of Uganda including; Gulu, Lira, Mbarara, Arua, Busia, Mbale, Masaka and Kampala. The report documented the everyday experiences of LBQ women in Uganda.
This year for 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we hope to further the reach of the report. We will be sharing its findings to raise awareness on the violence faced by LBQ women in Uganda. We aim to use 16 Days to build the knowledge of the general public about the everyday realities of LBQ women. We believe that educating people on the realities of LBQ women is the best way to dispel the myths surrounding women from sexual and gender minorities. Dispelling myths will increase tolerance and result in reduced violence and abuse of LBQ women.
We hope that our actions during the 16 Days of Activism will result in change at all levels of society. Together with other social justice movements, we’ll continue to work towards an equal society free from violence for all women.
To our partners thank you for the overwhelming support all these years. We are always grateful.
