Gabi Clayton – Page 8 – Friends Ugandan Safe Transport Fund

16 Oct

“If Everybody Runs Away, Who is Going to Help Others?” The Story of SM, a FNUR Conductor in Uganda

Am called SM. I was born in January 1973 in Jinja Township. I was born to GR and IM. I come from a family of 3 brothers and 3 sisters. Am the last born. I love swimming and beach volleyball, I also love wearing leather.

I went to Victoria Primary School and Wakitaka Senior Secondary School in Jinja town.

From early childhood, I developed a liking for fellow boys as compared to girls, and this didn’t go down well with my parents who always encouraged me to interact with both girls and boys. At the age of 15, I realized that I have strong sexual feelings towards FM who was our neighbor. This crush was too much, and it landed me in trouble when I wrote a love chat to F, though I did this innocently and I didn’t know what to expect. Everybody started judging me, and I was nicknamed Omusiyaga which means a gay man in our community.

My dad, who took close interest in this matter, thought I was mentally disordered, so he asked his doctor friend to talk to me and also check if there were any medical issues. To him, this was the most embarrassing thing to his family, as F’s parents reported the matter to the local authorities. Local officials called for a village meeting where I was punished publicly by the cane.

Later that week, after the doctor checked me out, he reported back to my dad that everything was okay, but only that I have a small and almost under-developed penis.

To avoid the shame on the village, dad organized that I join the boarding section of the school, at the school boys’ hostel, I accepted this offer with one heart, but I was equally feeling so ashamed of myself in the village.

Everything changed when I joined the boarding section of the school, I was happy and I also found boys who felt the same way. Somehow we had to hide everything from the teachers and school administration or I risked being suspended from this boarding section. In second school term, one of my friends told me I was so cute and lovely. This is when we both realized that sexually we are different from other people. I had my first kiss with WA on the eve of my 17th birthday. This was the most wonderful thing which ever happened to me while growing up. I even started sharing a bed in the mid of the night with A.

To fast forward, our happiness didn’t last long, as A fell in love with another boy, I felt used and abused, and somehow we started a fight which fight was reported to the school head. The headmaster just called both our parents and told them the news; this was like the end of my road. Though the school had suspended me, also my dad abandoned me at the school property, and he swore to kill me if I ever even tried to step on his compound.

I died alive. I considered taking my life, so I bought a rope and searched for a tree in the bushes near the school gardens. As I attempted to hang myself, a snake charged at me and I had to run. This was so traumatizing. Without transport or any money on me I walked for over 18km in the night to an uncle whom I was sure would be welcoming, only to reach his place when he had already received the news. So I become homeless at 17. I did all sorts of things to survive as a street boy, til I landed on a group of tourists who used to start at the Nile Backpackers in Jinja. This was a golden chance, or so I thought. I used to clean the compound and do the garden work, til some started paying me for sex. They could sleep with me, and once they left, another group comes in I did the same. Little did I know that I had become a sex worker, yes I was, and it gave me some money to even start a salon business nearby, I earned some money as I also grew in age, but my life was seriously in danger.

At 25, having spent years without hearing from my family, my mother came back to my life to haunt me, because Jinja is a small town, I was busted, and my secret life once again became an open book to everybody. Mom made it a point that she disowned me publicly, and told everybody who cared to listen that I am a gay sex worker. It was time to run and find another place to begin a new life. So I moved to Mukono about two hours away.

But because I had already mastered the art of survival, beginning a new life in Mukono wasn’t so hard; my own challenge was to find clients who wanted sex services. So financially, I was grounded but I got a job in a salon as a hair stylist, with this small job at least I was able to buy food and pay my rent.

At 26, I had been in different battles with the police and the law but I had never been detained in a police cell. But I ran short of luck later in 2001 when I was arrested for cross-dressing (I was wearing a legging and a top for ladies) Though it was a small crime, I was paraded on UBC TV station and the news was that I dress like that so that I could take advantage of unsuspecting men who can take me for a woman, so that I could drug them and steal their belongings. Of course this wasn’t true, but without any legal support I was detained for more than 3 days. Somehow Mom who was watching the news saw me and she came down to the police station, not to bail me out, but to tell the police officers that I am gay and that she can even bring witnesses if am presented in the courts of law.

That evening on 18th Aug 2001 I was given a police bond which I jumped and moved on to Kampala leaving Mukono for good. Life in Kampala was about the sex trade and clients were available in different hotels and bars.

In 2010 I realized that I was living with HIV. This was the worst news and my whole world came down at once. I tried reconnecting with my parents but nothing worked out, though I went to [town name], as even some of my friends in Kampala started looking at me as a sick person and due to die any time. Without friends, I had to start making new friends and that’s how I got into contact with an organization which works with and for people like me. I got a lot of support regarding my HIV, and I made new friends and I even fell in love through our meetings with different people in the community.

The end of 2012 saw me being wanted by the police for a homosexuality case I never committed and that’s how I ended up into hiding at a safe place in [town name], knowing that I have nowhere to run, I considered applying for refugee status, but I resisted, this saying to myself if everybody runs away who is going to help others? So I started working hard and strong as an activist, mastering the art of working in hostile environment. In 2012/July I was assigned to T to be his assistant in the Human Rights Desk, Legal Aid and Risk Management.

I have been involved in many struggles, managing with very little resources. So many people have reasons to be afraid for their lives and know they cannot live here anymore, so I have helped in the crossing of over 83 LGBTQ out of Uganda to safer areas.

Despite living with HIV/AIDS am so happy with the work I do.

Change doesn’t just happen. It takes you and me. Please join with Friends New Underground Railroad and the Quakers who are believing in change.

Please make a donation to support the work of SM and the other conductors that Friends New Underground Railroad works with.

14 Oct

Join us! Hop on the Halloween Train Dance and Auction – A Benefit to SAVE LGBT UGANDANS – Friends New Underground Railroad

Halloween Night! Friday, October 31
7-10 p.m. A no-alcohol event.
Olympia Friends Meetinghouse
3201 Boston Harbor Rd. NE

Continuing the legacy of Quaker social justice, the Olympia Monthly Friends (Quaker) Meeting has created a “New Underground Railroad” to support Ugandans aiding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people who are fleeing their homeland for their lives.

$10 suggested donation, kids free
Dance to the DJ! Funk! Soul! Monster Mash!
Kids and adult costume contest!
Prizes for funniest and scariest costumes!
Live dessert auction l Silent auction

Download and share this poster for the event:

and this 4-up flyer:

More information?
Gabi Clayton — phone (360) 888-5291 or email:
gabiclayton@friendsnewundergroundrailroad.org

www.friendsnewundergroundrailroad.org

10 Oct

Emergency medical funds needed for an FNUR conductor who has assisted close to 300 LGBT Ugandans

We need to raise at least $875 in emergency funds to aid one of the FNUR Ugandan conductors who is in the hospital dealing with multiple medical crises.

On Monday this conductor, who collapsed from a clot and who has some medical knowledge, wrote:

“Its not all good and am in a situation where I can’t help myself. I have clot which is moving towards my vital organs. I am hospitalized right now and I need medical help now according to the medical report.”

He had surgery Monday for the clot and the operation was a success. We were able to send money to cover the operation. He was in intensive care and then the general ward.

Then yesterday, on Thursday, he was denied medication and medical care because of lack of money to pay the hospital bill.

The friend who has been assisting him and communicating with us wrote:

“To the hospital we are broke poor people who seem not to have anybody who can help us and we can’t give out any security details. Am going to ask the hospital to discharge him so we don’t accumulate the bed bill tonight. Besides he isn’t being attended to so its better I take him back to his roomed house where I will look after him. If he dies from the complex surgeries he had God knows I did my best.”

“The current need from the money needed for his medications etc. Tube feeding all his medication and hospital bed admission and care and transport as I move up and down.

“Africa is such evil no money no medical care. [Conductor’s name] is on drips and connecting wires but one nurse understands he will disconnect him so that I don’t land into mob trouble which will compromise our security and exposes both me and [conductor’s name] who have kept a dark closet to help others on extreme danger

“am here with him in the general men’s ward. When am so broke and crying I rush out. Its 9am here and the situation isn’t so good since he hasn’t received any medication since 1pm when he was moved from the other unit.”

Then 12 hours ago:

“The hospital didn’t discharge us last night so am trying to get a discharge this morning.”

And an hour ago:

“For sound medical reasons [conductor’s name] had to remain in the hospital. Am now back to the hospital to watch him for a night. Sometimes the very people who are supposed to save lives end up being so heartless.”

Help us send the urgently needed money for this conductor’s hospital bills and for medication – antibiotics after surgery, painkillers, medication for his typhoid and malaria.

Please make a donation to help this man who has saved so many people!

Thank you.

06 Oct

CL’s Story – Living in the Jaws of Death Because of Our Sexual Orientation. And An Appeal.

Story from a passenger of Friends New Underground Railroad.

September 22, 2014

Dear Levi Coffin II,

How are you? I believe you are well. I got your contact from your representative here whose name am not free to mention in this letter.

My name is CA aged 23 and a bisexual. I have been a third-year student pursuing a bachelors degree in business administration at one of the private universities in Kampala until recently when our presence was threatened.

We are a group of LGBTs almost reaching 78 in number at this university and belong to a bigger group named —— that has membership across other universities both public and private. We estimate ——’s membership overall to be in the region of 900 or more.

I had my boyfriend at another university and we hit it off well save for the time when the anti-homosexuality law came into force.

We started getting threats from fellow students including one very sad one that I recall vividly. A girl who was open and was not shy about her sexual orientation confronted some guys who were pulling another girl’s hair at a basketball tournament and calling her names. The bold and open girl saw a scuffle and went near to find out what was happening. On realizing that the guys were now lynching her friend and accusing her of shaming their faculty by engaging in abominable acts of homosexuality, she held one of the guys by the collar and gave him heavy blows on the face. This infuriated his colleagues and they all pounced on her, almost leaving her for dead.

Three other members of —— at this university and I took her to the university sickbay. The university nurse was very receptive but just administered first aid and referred us to Entebbe Hospital. She was taken to the hospital in a university guild van. At the hospital, we were well received and the girl had a deep cut on the forehead that required stitches. These she got and other medical interventions.

After three days at the hospital, news spread that there was a group of girls that are lesbians and were taking care of a friend who was assaulted. The guys came in droves to the hospital to make an attack and were repulsed by the hospital security as they shouted and chanted anti-homosexuality slogans.

While this was good gesture from the hospital, it didn’t do us further good as the hospital management kindly asked us to pack our stuff and leave just for the safety of other patients and also the property which would be damaged if the guys attacked again. Now that this girl was slightly better, but still weak, we managed to take her to one of our friend’s room.

The rest of the girls and I went back to campus to continue with our studies, but we were totally wrong. I and my two other friends stayed in the hostel within campus. We arrived at around 8 pm. No sooner had we arrived and unpacked our stuff up than we were simultaneously confronted by four guys who were masked. One guy held me by the neck and I really struggled for breath and speech. I could not even scream for help.

One girl managed to escape and she called two of our friends in the adjacent rooms to come to our rescue. One of our rescuers came with a big club which she used to hit each of the three guys who were still pounding the girls hard. One guy was terribly injured and the other three ran away. The injured guy was picked up by university security and we later learnt that what happened to us was a machination of some members of the university guild. So the guy was let off easily, not prosecuted, and none of us was ready to follow up the case for fear of reprisals.

We secretly met and decided that we had to take another move for our safety. We had to shift from the university hostel and find accommodation in rented rooms outside the university where we would not be easily traced. We could come and attend lectures and disguise our movements back to our hideouts (rooms).

This game plan lasted for not more than three months and we were soon busted when the guys again attacked my room which I shared with three other girls. We were now locked inside at around 11:45 pm and ready to sleep. The guys banged the door and we shouted for help, thinking they were thugs, until we heard the guys threatening to torch us if we didn’t open the door. We refused to heed and fortunately our landlord alerted the police who were prompt in responding. When the guys saw the police patrol car lights, they took off. So we are happy that this time God was on our side and we survived assault.

We could not sleep in the room that night and had to go seek temporary shelter at a chapel disguised as having a night prayer. The following morning we fled to Nakawuka where one of our colleagues had an aunt. We were severally tormented by our fellow students and we realized that we had very limited space to express our discontent even to the administration. All previous attempts to have our tormentors well brought to book were futile as they seemed to be well protected.

Some 29 of us had leave the university” 6 went to Rwanda, 2 went to South Africa and 21 are desperate to flee as they are in constant fear of reprisals from the community any time they get wind of their sexual orientation.

Please all who will read this letter know that more students have left this university either at their own will or been expelled because of their sexual orientation. We have now concluded that this being a Catholic University paints a dark picture that catholic institutions are ideologically bankrupt in as far as respecting the rights of LGBTs. We are aware that even nursing students are expelled in droves based on reality or perception of their sexual orientation. No wonder this has not spared even the seminarians. They have also been showed the exit for either being perceived to be gays or expressing themselves as such.

Therefore, I and my friends (21 in all) are in need of support through the contact you have used before to get other victims out of Uganda. We are also proud and thankful to Friends New Underground Railroad (FNUR) for existing to provide support through their contacts to have people like us who are publicly tormented, hated and even killed for being what we are moved out!!!!!

By the way, let no one be deceived that the revocation of the law against homosexuality has made things any better for us. Instead it has invigorated the public to take the law into its hands and we are braced to see more lynching, abuse, evictions and sacking from employment.

All we want is kind-hearted people to help me and my peers flee the country as soon as practically possible because we can never predict when bad luck will strike and we are assaulted or even killed. We are scattered, but are in touch with the FNUR conductor here who knows how best to organize us and have us leave.

Besides, our confidence is now in FNUR, after the big name LGBT organizations here have stated categorically clear to us that they don’t have financial resources for people who flee. They encourage us to stay and confront the tormentor. To us this is unreasonably unfair as it would put many lives in harm’s way.

Please have all the freedom to share this letter if this will help bring to the fore what the LGBTs in Uganda are enduring even after the law was revoked.

Great news – CA was taken out of Uganda by one of the Railroad’s conductors on Thursday night along with four other lesbian women. So she and the others are on their way to their new lives.

So as of today – October 5, 2014 – our donors have financed the Ugandan conductors to aid 595 individuals to escape: 581 LGBTQ adults, 6 straight allies, and 8 children.

And we have 16 more in hiding with this conductor. We need your help to raise $185 each for the transportation costs, so we need to raise $2960.00.

Please help us with your donation and tell your friends:

Donate through PayPal here:

or find out about how to send a check here:
http://friendsugandansafetransport.org/donate/

Thank you!

22 Sep

J’s Story: Letter from the Wife of a Former FNUR Conductor

“One thing I have learnt is that if you are married to an African man you better gain a better understanding of what keeps him busy. In our African society, we women don’t pay a lot of attention to what our husbands are doing. But the recent events have really changed me and I think it’s my responsibility now to tell every fellow African woman to gain a better understanding of what her husband is doing.

“I was raised in a strict Christian family, and my dad expected the very best from me. Little did he know that the man I could call my husband and father of my children had a totally different approach to life. While still at the University, my mother mentioned that there must be something wrong with my boyfriend. Being a young excited university student I totally ignored my mother’s comments. Even after our cultural wedding and church ceremonies, my siblings never approved our marriage. But being a loving woman I assured my husband it will all be well and it will work out.

“Throughout our university days, my husband had kept a big secret: he was welcoming and accepting of all gay people. When I learnt about this later in life, I thought he was gay. That’s when I confronted him, and we talked about it; yes by then I was a very homophobic and hateful person. His explanations didn’t make a lot of sense since I was this born-again Christian. I talked about it with my mother who confided in me that my brothers always found my hubby in bars with boys dressed like women, gals and gals kissing but still mixed with them freely. This explained my mother’s hatred towards my husband. It was hard for everybody in the family to understand. My father stood his ground and re-stated his words, “I warned you against that man, I never wanted him to be your husband and now you are a disgrace to this family.”

“My only option was divorce, but as a Christian that wasn’t an option besides everybody in the family concluded without reason that my hubby is gay. To make it simple for you to get a picture, I was no longer welcomed at home and also my children were no longer accepted by their grandpa and granny. From there onwards I realized I have only my hubby, I wanted to make it on my own but I didn’t want to raise my children as a single mother.

“SK (my hubby) did all he could to make me understand. He is not a liar so I believed him though it took years for me to come to terms with what was happening. About four years ago, he told me about his lesbian sister and the pains and her struggle. This touched my heart and I decided to befriend his sister. She told me so much about herself; this was very important as it slowly softened my heart and as time went by my hate towards gay people died. To me. she did a good job to make me non-homophobic. When she got serious problems with my hubby’s family after the signing of the anti-gay law and yet we didn’t have the money to help her leave Uganda to go to Germany where she had contacts, I proposed to my hubby that we sell our car to help her escape. It all worked well, she left Uganda and she is now settled in Berlin, Germany starting a new life.

“This was the beginning of a whole new chapter in our life. My hubby started operating secret movements to help gays escape Uganda through very risky missions. Later, he got into contact with a one Levi of Friends New Underground Railroad and the Quakers. Through their support, my hubby was able to help over 80 gay people escape the horrible situation in Uganda. At one point, we housed over ten gays in our garage at our house. The Friends New Underground Railroad came in to help, and they were moved to (interim country). It was a good work but so stressful and financially draining, and my children always wondered why we are keeping those people in the garage.

“In the course of his actions, he become so empowered and strong. Little did he know that he was raising his risk. He risked so much while giving out information to the homophobic in our small town. When the anti-gay law was overruled; the locals took the matters in their own hands and we became targets. This was the hardest situation I had to deal with: I was always crying how about my children, and what can I do. The Friends New Underground Railroad was right there to stand with us up to the last minute. Yes, it was time for us to run and leave Uganda. Uganda is no longer home. We left behind entirely everything; everything and we are starting from zero.

“The Friends New Underground Railroad and their supporters have been so helpful in getting us settled, now that we are living in Kigali Rwanda where everything is different from Uganda. It will be awhile before we get back to the normal life we were used to. My three children have to learn French. I was lucky that because I can speak and write French, so it was easy for me to get a job. But my hubby hasn’t been so lucky, and it has affected his esteem within the family.

“One day, I will be strong enough to tell my story on camera. As for now we still have so much to deal with, we request the world for privacy as we try to recover.”

…..a wife to a former Conductor (JK-Mrs)

Note: On September 2, 2014 we released Statement of a FNUR Conductor, xxxxx aka “Katende Sam (Mr.)” and that links to J’s husband’s statement: “Never say Never” by xxxxxx aka Katende Sam (Mr.) here in PDF format.

Of course, the work of the Friends New Underground Railroad continues!

We have a waiting list of 21 LGBT people and we need to raise $3885.00 to cover a conductor’s expenses to get them out of Uganda. We also a debt of $2300.00 which is the balance as yet not repaid emergency loan to FNUR which was used to get 45 LGBT people out who were in a critical situation.

PLEASE HELP by making a donation to support the work of other Ugandan conductors who are working in the field!

Thank you!

14 Sep

Alert/Appeal: 27 Nursing Students in Danger! Please Help Us Get Them Out!

FNUR has received word from a trusted ally on Friday that 27 lesbian nurses have been expelled from a Catholic mission hospital in eastern Uganda. Their families won’t take them in, and they are currently in hiding, in situations that will not last for long. The local council is about to mount a search for them (we have no idea what would happen to them if they were to be found.) This is an area where they have been brutal attacks on LGBT individuals. They all want to get out just as fast they can.

Because of the immediate danger, we have already paid the $70 each it is going to cost to get them to safety (a total of $1,890), and we hope to post further on this dangerous evacuation shortly. But when it comes to the funds, we don’t actually have them! (We’ve gotten a loan from a supporter.)

We know we keep asking, but when so little in the way of funds can potentially save a life, we aren’t shy!

FYI we will be asking again as we have another 23 people waiting with another conductor.

Please help! Donate here.

14 Sep

Article: Friends New Underground Railroad

Thank you to Friends Journal for writing this article about FNUR:

Friends New Underground Railroad
Friends Journal – by Staff – September 1, 2014

“Earlier this year a group of Quakers from Olympia (Wash.) Meeting started the Friends New Underground Railroad (FNUR), a project to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals living in Uganda leave the country in order to flee terrible persecution resulting from the passage of the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act.”

Read the article here:
http://www.friendsjournal.org/fnur/

10 Sep

Breaking the Silence – from a Ugandan Passenger

On 9/8/2014 1:27 AM, BI wrote:

Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Maybe the Mother Mary, Mother of God be on our side till the end of time. Through the works of FNUR who the Lord touched to be a blessings to our the marginalized I feel confident to state that am out of danger. I also bless —— which didn’t fail me and stood by my side till I arrived in Toronto ON Canada, though am still here at Seaton House Shelter. I know God will lead all through till am fully accepted and given a better status here in Canada. I find this country a darling, so welcoming and multiculture. People are friendly though am undergoing a lot of big cultural shocks. Am getting used to the food and Seaton House Shelter is so supportive when it comes to paper work. I have already gotten a legal aid lawyer, did my medicals and am yet to hear when I will be called to the immigration court.

When I joined the seminary, my dears were to serve the people at the pulpit, well all those dreams came to an end when we were outed, I had kept my orientation a top secret all my life but a mail I received from my ex boyfriend changed my life. My name was added on a long list of those suspected to be gay and we were closely watched.

When the Bishop opened his war on us the gay during the Easter Sunday message, the seminary directors didn’t take any chances we were suspended and police was called upon to investigate the matters.

It was time for us to run and hide, we are so blessed to have —— who came out to help us, I can’t really share so much details as I don’t have the authority to do so but we ended up in Kenya where we were welcomed and supported to leave.

Since it was hard to get asylum from Kenya, we used tricks and we were granted visitor’s visas to Canada, some of our friends were not so lucky because they were denied visas, miracles kept on happening and I was given a donated airticket (topped up with donated airmiles)

When I arrived at Pearson International Airport I declared my self and I was detained at a facility for processing, 2 days later I was accepted at Seaton House Shelter.

The process of getting a protected person status and later on a permanent residence status is long and painful but atleast I feel safer here.

I will keep on updating you with everything and am forever grateful to FNUR and ——, the Canadian Embassy in Nairobi and the Canadian Federal Government.
God Bless you all and Mother Mary Pray for us

+BI … (GoodSpeed)

Right now there are 11 expelled university students in hiding and waiting for FNUR to raise the funds to get them out of Uganda. At a cost of $185.00 each to transport them we need to raise $2035.00. Please donate to support the work of the brave Ugandan conductors who are hoping to aid these passengers soon!

Addendum:

On Easter Sunday 2014, the Bishop of Jinja Charles Wamika used his sermon, which was broadcast widely on the radio, to attack LGBT people living in Uganda. He called on Catholic hospitals and clinics to refuse to treat known or suspected homosexuals, commanded parents to publicly renounce their LGBT children, and ordered Catholic schools, colleges, and universities to expel known or suspected lesbian and gay students.

( See this April 20, 2014 article: “Ugandan Catholic Easter Message Calls for Genocide of Gays” by Melanie Nathan for more background on the Bishop’s sermon.)

On that very day, the director of the seminary in Jinja expelled 22 seminarians, alerted their parents, and sent their names to the police chief in the area for further action. (Friends New Underground Railroad has copies of the order of expulsion, and a copy of a letter from the Police Chief to the director, with a copy to the Bishop, assuring them he would take action.)

The seminarians immediately went into hiding for fear of mob attack, and, with the courageous action of one of the Railroad’s conductors, made their way out of the country, eventually finding their way to several countries in Europe, and to Canada. IB was one of these seminarians.

10 Sep

We Have Received Photographs of the Buyende/Itukira Murders

Friends New Underground Railroad is now in possession of photographs from the site of the murder of six known or perceived-to-be gay, lesbian, and transgender people at the Itukira market in Buyende District, in eastern Uganda. The photos were taken the night after the killings. One of the bodies had been abandoned at crossroads in the area and was being picked up by the police. The photos are bloody and gruesome, and indicate that the individual had first been stoned, and then burned, as had been reported to FNUR by three independent people, and discussed in multiple reported radio reports including this one which we shared in a previous post.

“We will not be releasing the photographs,” emphasized FNUR co-manager Gabi Clayton. “We understand and appreciate the media’s interest in sensationalized visuals, but our paramount interest is in the safety of LGBT folks and their allies, many of whom are still in the area. Any linkage to the source of the photographs could prove deadly to the person who took them and possibly to others. We have been asked by the source of the photos not to release them at any cost, and we will honor that request.”

FNUR continues to receive reports of very heavy police presence in the area. Since the murders, conductors associated with the Underground Railroad worked to get 62 individuals from the area (58 LGBT and four straight allies who were in serious danger) to safety. With financial assistance from FNUR, 511 individuals have now managed to leave Uganda, with at least 281 settled in countries of final destination, including Sweden, Rwanda, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, South Africa, Norway, France, and Canada. With clearance from the Ugandan conductors, interviews and testimonies from those who felt compelled to leave Uganda are now being obtained and released.

“We still have people on our waiting list,” noted FNUR co-manager Talcott Broadhead. “The situation is still extremely dangerous in many places for LGBTQ individuals and their allies. We hope that LGBT and human rights groups in Kampala will continue the difficult work of fighting the re-enactment of a new, even stiffer anti-homosexuality law (which was reintroduced last week). But our passengers have found themselves in a position that, for their lives and safety, they simply can’t wait.”

Right now there are 11 expelled university students in hiding, waiting for funds to get them out of Uganda. At a cost of $185.00 each to transport them we need to raise $2035.00. Please donate to support the work of the brave Ugandan conductors who are hoping to aid these passengers soon!

10 Sep

Article: “Group’s goal: Help oppressed Ugandans”

by Don Underwood – Springfield News-Leader – September 2, 2014

“Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International has reacted by documenting the crimes against the LGBTQ community. In addition, the Unitarian Universalist Association at its recent General Assembly passed a resolution (http://www.uua.org/statements/uua-support-uganda-new-underground-railroad-safely-extract-lgbtq-people-persecution) calling upon UU members to support the FNUR, share information on the topic and support asylum seekers. …”

“… And, finally, you can join members of the First Unitarian Universalist Church (springfieldunitarians.org/) of Springfield at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 21. We will share information on the FNUR and discuss the issue during our monthly Soup/Salad and Social Action meeting. You are invited to join us.”

Don Underwood is a member of the Social Action Committee at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Springfield and a former News-Leader Opinion page editor.

Read his article in full here:
http://www.news-leader.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/09/03/groups-goal-help-oppressed-ugandans/15004051/