Activists For Gay Rights in Uganda Risk Lives To Publish LGBT Magazine
Most African countries are a testament of how much LGBT visibility is needed in them. And Uganda is one of them.
Now, despite risks to the livelihoods of publishers, interviewed subjects, experts, writers and more, the country is getting just what it needs in the form of a courageous gay magazine, Bombastic.
According to The Independent:
‘Campaigners in Kampala have launched Bombastic to “share the realities of being gay” in Uganda, where homosexuality activity is illegal, the mainstream media is openly hostile towards gay people and the government has repeatedly tried to introduce new laws to ban the “promotion of homosexuality.”
‘“Bombastic came about because we wanted to put right many of the falsehoods spread by the Ugandan media, which regularly publicly humiliates and degrades homosexuals,” said Jacqueline Kasha, a lesbian activist and the magazine’s organiser. “Instead, we are sharing our stories in the hope that we can change social attitudes. The people we are trying to reach out to are the people who are threatening to burn our houses and beat us.”
The first issue of the free magazine contains 20 personal stories, as well as articles on the clergy and homosexuality and health advice; 15,000 copies were printed before Christmas last year and a further 15,000 are expected to be delivered this week.
“We are not journalists and I don’t respect the media here in Uganda,” Ms Kasha said. “The media is furious with us because we are reclaiming our stories. We expect them to retaliate. We are always frightened, but nobody else is going to stand up for us; our community needs a face.”
Kasha has gone on to report that volunteers for the magazine have already been detained in parts of the country, while she has received threats of court action from Uganda’s Christian clergy.
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PS: This is a follow-up on the idea of support proposed by Sensei. The official email address is kds.system14@gmail.com. And the support system is comprised of three categories: members of the gaybourhood who are struggling with their HIV positive status, those recovering from Kito attacks, and those suffering from bouts of depression.
If you intend to volunteer as a counselor, simply send a mail to the address above, indicating your interest and which category you want to play a part in.
And if you are a brother (or sister) suffering through any of these three phases, kindly send a mail to the address above, and we’ll do our best to get you the help you deserve.
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26 Comments
Lord II
January 06, 17:02Oh that line got me…”we are always frightened, but nobody else is going to stand up for us; our community needs a face.”…..wow! just wow!
Max
January 06, 17:03Wow…
trystham
January 06, 17:04Uganda will accept this thing by force. LOL! I imagine they be like “in ur faces suckers”
pinkpanthertb
January 06, 23:05Seriously o. That nation is on a short road to acceptance of homosexuality if its LGBT maintains their doggedness.
tobby
January 06, 17:18I’d advice them to just stop
Max
January 06, 17:26Why??
pinkpanthertb
January 06, 23:03Pray tell, why?
Pete
January 07, 04:25Why will they stop? Why criminalize something that has no effect on your life? They are not asking for special privileges, only the right to love
Max
January 06, 17:24Who’ll be our face in Nigeria?
Lord II
January 06, 18:02My exact thots Max…
Peak
January 06, 18:23Hmmmm *the million dolla question
gad
January 06, 20:59You can. Can’t you?
Ace
January 06, 18:37One, i am excited! More than two posts today. Finally more reason to refresh the page.
Second, thumbs up Ugandans. Tell your story
gad
January 06, 21:11A welcome development but I bet you the road is going to be rough and tortures. I remember the days of the “African Pilot” a daily used to give a voice for the struggle for political independence from Britain. Many might even lose their lives and freedom. Again, I remember the era of the ” the church behind the iron curtain”, a period in the former Soviet Union when Max and D,s grandparents tried to wipe Christians off the surface of the earth but instead the blood of the martyrs became a strong and formidable foundation for Christianity. Thus the story of gays shall be in Africa but alas our greatest enemy is ourselves.Fellow gays…sad
Pete
January 07, 04:22Gad,you remember the days of the African pilot edited by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe? Or you heard about its exploits? The Iron curtain fell not cos of the church but cos events like the weakening of USSR’s influence (read about the cold war), the USSR was the standard for all communist countries. Hell,even China had to tweak their own brand of communism. Only North Korea & Cuba remained true to the communist principles ; Cuba is on the path to change while NK is a pariah nation.
My Chemical Romance
January 06, 23:19I wonder if it is possible in present day Nigeria…
@post..I wish them all the best because they will need it, the battle has not even began yet.
pinkpanthertb
January 06, 23:59On the contrary, it has begun, Chemical.
Dave
January 06, 23:55Even the name Bombastic is an appropriate “in your face” we are here and we have every right to be here and anywhere name. Uganda still lives in the past as do many other countries. Being openly gay is anathema when it should be mainstream. And dating as a homosexual should be able to be done without stigma. In case there is anyone reading this who wishes to find a gay partner, http://gayboyz.com/ is a site that researches and reviews personal sites. I do think by the way, that like here in the US, it will be the media leading the way ahead of the government of Uganda in finally accepting what should have been accepted there years ago. Good luck and stay brave.
pinkpanthertb
January 06, 23:59You’d think that’d be the case, the media speaking on behalf of that minority. But at the end of the day, the media in African countries is a majority report.
Pete
January 07, 04:15PP,why will Dave brazenly advertise a guy hookup site here? I thought we had rules against such
gad
January 07, 04:23In as much all these gay hook ups disgusts me, I don’t think the rule as we know it has been violated. Kd should not be used as another hook up site like the notorious manjam but one can refer another to manjam from here. Pls correct me if I’m wrong
pinkpanthertb
January 07, 05:00I only just saw his comment. And i believe he’s a first time commenter. So I’m letting it slide. Thanks for your diligence, Peter.
Pete
January 07, 07:14PP,it is Pete & not Peter
pinkpanthertb
January 07, 07:20Potayto potahto. But the correction is duly noted.
KyrxxX
January 07, 07:55Hmmn…… Nice! But I don’t really get the name of d mag!
Am sure when we finally get ours in naija it would have a name like “TB”(I hate that name!).
Constant
January 07, 17:27A brave step…I wonder when such will occur in our dear Nigeria…….