ugandan gay organisation breaks the ice on homosexuality

By Nthateng Mhlambiso (BTM Senior reporter)

June 19, 2007: While Ugandan religious leaders and government are up in arms in the fight against homosexuality in the country, more gay organisations are emerging who aim to “protect and promote homosexuality”.

Established in 2004, Ice Breakers Uganda has recently surfaced with an undertaking to raise awareness about all gay people and their rights in the country, to stand up in defense of those rights and to create massive health awareness to gay people in risky sexual behaviors.

Ice Breakers Uganda whose dream is to see a Uganda of total justice devoid of discrimination based on sexual orientation and free of HIV/Aids, adds to Ugandan gay organisations such as Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG), Integrity and Sexual Minorities Uganda, an umbrella body of all homosexual organisations in Uganda. However Icebreakers Uganda is not a member of SMUG.

According to Ice Breakers Uganda’s co-founder, president and coordinator, Frank Mugisha, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex Ugandans still face serious challenges from society, the media and religious groups in the country. He indicated that members of society are presently supporting bishops refusing to attend religious gatherings that attract gay religious leaders.

“There are journalists who are very homophobic; they help the police in witch-hunting homosexuals. The law is the most prohibitive challenge that we are facing as LGBTI people as section 140 of the penal code criminalises “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” with maximum penalty of life imprisonment.” Mugisha said.

Elucidating what needs to be done to remedy the situation in Uganda Mugisha said “There is a need for intense information sharing, education, effective communication and training for human rights defenders to know the law so they can adequately protect homosexual in Uganda. He further said that gay people should be encouraged to come out, stand firm and speak for their human rights and suggest strategies for coming out.

“Ice Breakers also intends to create a safe place for meeting members, avail safe sex information material such as magazines and videos.  We also need to talk about sexual health and to advocate and campaign on gay rights through pro-LGBTI organisations.”

While some Ugandan gay organisations are pleased to see the struggle continue, they feel that working together in one voice as one organisation would work better.
“It is good to see that more and more gay people are joining the struggle however forming new organisations shows that they do not trust existing organisations.” Kasha Jacqueline, Director of Freedom and Rome Uganda said.

She added that when she met with the Ice Breakers officials earlier this week and asked why they are forming a new organisation instead of joining the existing ones, they [Ice Breakers Uganda] said that they are based far from other gay organisations in Uganda.

“They also said that some of the services they offer are not offered by existing gay organisations.” Jacqueline said.

Among other achievements, Ice breakers Uganda has carried out counseling to over 70 boys From Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. “We have conducted two minor workshops about men seeking men in Uganda and other workshops about homosexuality in general. This enabled us to estimate the number of LGBT people in Uganda”, Mugisha said.

Ice Brekers Uganda presently facilitates small seminars, and shares information via e-mail and telephone, they offer one to one counseling and networking sessions with sympathizers and human rights activists. “However we hope to expand our activities once we secure financial, technical and human resources”, Mugisha concluded.