Outed Ugandan activist: I would never flee my country, it is my home
PinkNews.co.uk - 4 hours ago
Richard Lusimbo says he would never flee his home
A gay Ugandan activist, initially denied entry to Canada over fears he
would claim asylum, has said he would never flee Uganda.
Richard Lusimbo was one of a group of gay Ugandans due to attend
WorldPride Human Rights Conference,
who were initially denied entry over fears they would claim asylum.
They were granted a last-minute reprieve this month, following
intervention by ministers.
Lusimbo, 27, told CTV yesterday: "When I applied for the first time, I
was denied a visa.
"Uganda is home. It's where my family is. It's where my livelihood is.
It's where I've grown, and there's a lot of work to be done.
"Leaving the country wouldn't change the plight. Right now we have so
many young people who are gay but can't speak out. What's going to
happen to them if I left? It would mean no one would be representing
them.
"The best way to contribute to my nation is to be there, and I feel as
a citizen I have a right to be there and I also have a right to
contribute to the development.
"I always say that, if anything was ever to happen to me... death or
arrest, whatever it will be, that will be my time."
Recounting his outing, he said: "I got a text from my friend, and she
told me 'honey, have you seen the news?', and she told me to check out
the newspaper.
"I was on the front page with the headline 'how I became homo'... at
first I just went silent, then I went to check my Facebook - it was
full of hate messages, my inbox was full of hate messages, my phone
wouldn't stop ringing...
"What really shattered me was part of my family could not understand
this. They did not understand I did not give this interview to the
newspaper, and they just chose to out me.
"My high school, I was a head prefect, I did lots of stuff, and when I
was outed they completely [erased me]."
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WorldPride is due to be held in Toronto next week (Photo: Matt Mills)
5 reader comments
A group of Ugandan LGBT activists who plan to speak at WorldPride
Human Rights Conference will finally be allowed to enter Canada, after
initially being denied visas.
Last month, Canada had refused to grant entry visas to the 10
activists, who have been invited to speak at WorldPride Human Rights
Conference in Toronto, over fears they would claim asylum.
However, following the public backing of Toronto MP Craig Scott, the
group were able to re-start the visa application process, and are on
course to attend the event next week.
According to the Toronto Star, half of the activists have so far
received their travel documents, and the organizers hope the rest will
receive visas in time to speak at the conference, which begins next
Wednesday.
Conference co-chair Brenda Cossman said: "We're pleased that Ugandan
delegates will be joining LGBTQ thinkers and activists from around the
world for the World Pride Human Rights Conference.
"The conference is an important part of World Pride, and the Ugandan
voices are an integral part to that dialogue."
The activists will join more than 160 speakers and 430 delegates from
40 countries around the world, for the conference at the University of
Toronto.
Uganda passed a new anti-gay law last year, increasing the harsh
penalties for same-sex sexual activities.
Last week, Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa was unanimously elected
as President of the United Nations General Assembly, despite his
anti-gay views.
Kutesa, who openly supported the anti-gay law, previously claimed that
the majority of Africans "abhor" homosexuality.
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