Gabi Clayton – Page 5 – Friends Ugandan Safe Transport Fund

28 Apr

“I remember everything” – message from a Friends New Underground Railroad passenger

A message from Shantal Mulembe:

“Hey dude, tsup? Ope u r cool, i finally got a job, with a tel communication company. My immediate boss and all my workmates know that am a lesbian, nobody judges anybody here. They just don’t mind and expect the best from me when it comes to working. Am in customer care, sometimes am in the call center. Guys I can’t thank you enough. I know without FNUR and the loving Quakers, I could be long dead and maybe even forgotten. Shit was tight in Uganda, I remember everything and how we escaped in the dead of the night. I could like to share some of my recent pictures with you guys. See how happy I look. Am free and am making new friends. Since am a lesbian Uganda is no longer home”
– Shantal Mulembe

Please donate to Friends New Underground Railroad so we can fund other LGBTQ people like Shantal. Thank you!

16 Apr

Our One Year Anniversary – Rejoice – and More Work!

Today (April 14th) is the one-year anniversary of the Friends New Underground Railroad.

Through the work of the courageous conductors – all African, both gay and straight – and your support, 1,004 LGBT individuals and endangered allies have now left Uganda and are in countries all around the world.

Quite frankly, we are stunned. None of us – neither the conductors without whom this work is impossible – nor Olympia Friends Meeting, the sponsors of the Railroad, had any idea that the need would be this great, or that you would be so generous. We are thankful, and humbled, by what we have been able to do together.

The most recent passengers have one of the most harrowing tales to tell. Twenty-seven left a hiding place after having been mobbed, sexually abused, raped, and beaten. They had been there for almost three months, virtually without food, little water, and absolutely no medical care – and tremendously frightened. One of the conductors finally moved them, but it was found that six of them had developed health difficulties so severe that they couldn’t initially complete the journey. We are now pleased to report that, after many trials and tribulations, all six are now out of Uganda, and in a hospital where their care is being paid for by a very generous benefactor.

But, sigh, work continues. We now have 16 lesbian college students who have escaped mob action.

They were able to contact one of the conductors and are now in deep hiding. They are very scared. It’s going to cost us $2,960.00 to get them all out, way more than we currently have. The conductor will break them up into groups, and, if all goes well, get them out in groups of three or four, as funds become available.

Please consider giving us an anniversary gift. It is rare that you will get to potentially save the life of someone under such direct threat, so do it now. Even small donations mount up – as we’ve learned this year. Donate here.

And celebrate with us – you deserve it!

Gabi

09 Apr

“And no Hope.” A Plea from One of Our Conductors

I chatted with one of our conductors today. He wrote:

“I have 27 people to cross.
It is increasingly becoming dangerous.
The 27 people are Catholic students aged 20 to 35 from a seminary and a nun’s house.
They are 19 gay men, 4 lesbians, 1 transman and 3 transwomen.

“We are living in a small house.
One meal a day.
No lights.
No power.
And no Hope.

“So risky.
If there is a way u can help, please help. We need to get them out.”

Gabi:

“Did specific incidents or threats happen to them for them to run?”

Conductor:

“Mob justice before they connected with me.
Undressing the trans to check their genitals.
Rape attempts on the lesbians to cure them of lesbianism
Some have been assaulted physically.”

So we need to raise $1404.00 to move these 27 people in hiding out of danger.

We also have another conductor who has five lesbian college students hiding in another rural part of Uganda whom we need to move. This will cost an additional $925.00.

So we need $2329.00 to fund the escape of these 32 LGBT people.

Please help us. Every donation – large and small – helps.

Donate here via PayPal:

And here for information about sending a check.

Thank you!
Gabi Clayton
FNUR project manager

23 Mar

News: “Government spent over 600M on PR campaign over anti-gay law” AND from last October, “Tough sell marketing Uganda to gay travellers”

Government spent over 600M on PR campaign over anti-gay law

March 19, 2015 | NTV

“Government used over Shs600 million to clear Uganda’s image in the US congressional caucus after the controversy raised by the endorsement of the anti-gay law.”

See: http://www.ntv.co.ug/news/local/19/mar/2015/government-spent-over-600m-pr-campaign-over-anti-gay-law-5011

[fruitful_sep]And this one from last October that we hadn’t seen before:

Tough sell marketing Uganda to gay travellers

October 19. 2015 | NTV | By AFP

“Uganda is probably the last place a gay holidaymaker would want to visit, but tourism bosses in the east African nation are nevertheless trying to achieve the seemingly impossible. …

“Selling Uganda to gays is one of several curious initiatives the Ugandan Tourism Board has come up with this year as it tries to counter a drop in tourism — a key earner for impoverished Uganda that accounts for 8.4 per cent of GDP.”

See: http://www.ntv.co.ug/news/lifestyle/01/oct/2014/tough-sell-marketing-uganda-gay-travellers

09 Feb

Praise Wancha: “The caring sister went ahead to tell me how such evil was trying to eat me up, to make me a lesbian.” — A Friends New Underground Railroad Story

Praise Wancha

I am called Praise Wancha, born in Mbale Nkokonjeru. I lost both my Parents to HIV/AIDS when I was hardly a year old (so am told) so I was taken on by the little sisters of Saint Francis in an Orphanage they supported.

I was loved and appreciated, I didn’t know I was an Orphan till the age of 12. Though I had so many questions, I really never minded the answers, after all I had so many “mothers” around me who loved and cared for me so much.

One thing in life which really bothered me was that I never had a father figure, kids at school used to tell all sorts of stories about their fathers, well it was really hard for me to miss what I didn’t know.

As I grew into teenager hood, something was not strange but rather different, I was attracted to fellow girls. I tried fighting it and caused more pains in my heart. I was confident enough to go and openly tell one of the sisters about my internal struggles. The caring sister was so touched and she explained to me what it means, and she went ahead to tell me how such evil was trying to eat me up, to make me a lesbian. We prayed and we were in agreement with God that it will all be well.

Little did I know that I was being stalked and watched closely by all the sisters and the Mother Superior.

Despite my efforts to force my self to get attracted to boys in school, I failed, the more I tried the more I hate to even associate with boys within the high school.

This was hard for me, these internal struggles made my class grades and marks drop, to heal my self, I started becoming so stubborn and bullying other students and a tomboy.

Chance came my way when another girl who was different from other students joined our school, it didn’t take long for us to start dating, we even made agreements to start sharing a decker-bed. This landed us into trouble and just before our final exams we were both suspended.

The sisters weren’t impressed and I was put into isolation and asked to dedicate my self to a life of prayers, this made me become suicidal and I attempted to take my life on more than 3 attempts. Inside me, I came up with a plan to run away. I lied to one of the sisters that I wanted to go for confession to the father. The sisters were impressed, so I was allowed to go.

I never returned, I disappeared. This took me to a whole new world, a life of drugs, crime and scandals. This drew a lot of attention to me and my other fellow gals, so we decided to move to another town. We just kept on moving from one town to another. We risked so much. At 21 I looked as though I was an old woman of 50 yrs, drugs had taken a heavy stand on me, I accepted to seek for help. I did some little research and it landed me into the hands of one activist who changed my life. This man who has lived his life for others talked to me and he was the first person who made me feel that there is hope in life.

He worked with other volunteers to help me fight my drinking and drug problems, he had created safe spaces for lesbians and we socialized and even start thinking big, some of us were even enrolled into life skills training, where I learnt making baking. By 2013 I was making a living by baking cakes, I had both gay and straight clients.

But when the Ugandan government went harder on the gays, there was a lot of unrest within our community and when the radio stations started outing our names and addresses, Uganda wasn’t home after the president signed the AHB into law. Several of us went into hiding and by July of 2014 we had gotten help to leave Uganda, thanks to a rather little known Organization called FNUR. These guys rock despite all the criticisms they managed to save some of our lives without so much long waiting. They coordinated with people on the ground and we were transported out of Uganda.

Am now settled in Kigali Rwanda where am living my life, earning a living by making cakes for all sorts of events. Thanks FNUR for saving my life and God bless you all.

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Please make a donation to support the work of Friends New Underground Railroad so that we can help other people like Praise Wancha.
http://friendsugandansafetransport.org/donate/
Thanks!

Download Praise Wancha’s story in pdf format here.

05 Feb

Shocking Comments by Republican Human Rights Chairman

February 5, 2015 – African HRC Staff

Human Rights Chairman – ‘Homosexual Rights Are Not Human Rights’ Chris Smith

Republican Chris Smith of New Jersey, who currently serves as a senior member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and is chairman of its “Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organization Subcommittee,” has come under fire for comments he made during a January 27th subcomittee hearing-

He boldly told the panel- “I am a strong believer in traditional marriage, and do not construe homosexual rights as human rights.” Smith made his comments before badgering a witness as to whether “the Obama administration has hindered U.S. aid to Nigeria by supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.”

03 Feb

Mukwenda Elijah: “Through thick and thin, I was finally accepted and am living happily in Norway.” — A Friends New Underground Railroad Story

Mukwenda Elijah

Could you believe me if I told you that without the love, care and passion of FNUR to help the fleeing queers from Uganda, I could be dead by now. After being exposed publically for being gay in May/14, I was short of options.

I wanted just to die but having been a client to one organization which was serving queers in my areas, I approached and told them, my life is at danger and immediate risk. This was after my rental house was burnt down by a gang of homophobic thugs.

Yes, am so grateful to FNUR for what they did for me. Through thick and thin, I was finally accepted and am living happily in Norway. The opportunities here are endless but I have to learn the Western culture and also the Norwegian language.

Thanks once again FNUR.

Mukwenda Elijah
Oslo Norway
23^rd Dec 2014

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Please make a donation to support the work of Friends New Underground Railroad so that we can help other people like Mukwenda Elijah.

http://friendsugandansafetransport.org/donate/

Thanks!

Download Mukwenda Elijah’s story in PDF format here.

03 Feb

O.K. wrote, “Should I be killed for being different or who I love or what I do in the bedroom…?” — A Friends New Underground Railroad Story

What does it take to change the world? I know it’s a lot but one thing is real, change doesn’t just happen it takes every one of us. Change starts within.

Unlike in other countries where that’s true, in Uganda its different – the Ugandan parliament is proud and happy that they are making laws to ensure that any gay person is killed and anybody who associates with the gays is guilty of a crime. I can’t believe that in 2015 educated Ugandans can still do that. Well it happens and is still happening.

Several ordinary Ugandans take the laws in their own hands and find it comfortable to stone any suspected gay person. They can’t wait for the law to take its own course. They can’t wait for the police to do their work though. I don’t expect any gay person to get justice in Uganda because almost everybody is against the gay persons.

I know I was born gay, yes I was born this way. Should I be killed for being different or who I love or what I do in the bedroom with my boyfriend? I don’t think that’s right.

I commend the work of Organizations like Amnesty International and FNUR who came out openly to help gays escape Uganda and also call upon the Ugandan government to stop such crimes against humanity.

When everything seemed blue, FNUR came out openly to help those gays willing to flee Uganda. I am among the few lucky ones who benefited from underground rail operations funded by FNUR. Though am at my final destination within Africa, for the horror I went through while still in Uganda I am still traumatized and I can’t expose my location.

Thanks FNUR.

Yours truly
O.K.

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Please make a donation to support the work of Friends New Underground Railroad so that we can help other people like O.K.

http://friendsugandansafetransport.org/donate/

Thanks!

Download O.K.s story in PDF format here.

30 Jan

NEWS: Nine young gay men, attacked by mob, arrested and tortured by Uganda police – They were subject to torture in jail

28 January 2015 | by Joe Morgan | Gay Star News

Nine young gay men, who were attacked by a homophobic mob, were arrested by Uganda police and tortured while in jail.

They could face charges of sodomy, and could be punished with life imprisonment.

Read the whole article here: http://www.gaystarnews.com/ARTICLE/NINE-YOUNG-GAY-MEN-ATTACKED-MOB-ARRESTED-AND-TORTURED-UGANDA-POLICE280115

28 Jan

The First Ugandan Transgender Love Story (VIDEO)

by Jonny von Wallström
Huffington Post / 12/09/2014

“For the past 18 months I’ve been working on a documentary called The Pearl of Africa, which captures a personal story about love, hate and being transgender in one of the world’s most transphobic places, Uganda.

“I first met Cleopatra Kambugu in June 2012 when I was introduced to her through friends. I was fascinated by her determination to be the first Ugandan transgender woman accepted for her true gender identity. Despite the hate and violent history in her country, she wanted to humanize trans people.”

Read the whole article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonny-von-wallstrom/the-first-ugandan-transgender-love-story_b_6291260.html

The YouTube channel for all six episodes of The Pearl of Africa” including the one above are at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP4iXOk2RqiXsAZA0nRO_hQ

Website for the film “The Pearl Of Africa”where you can learn more about it and about Cleo: http://pearlofafrica.tv/