Some parents defying the law and society by standing by their queer children, offering help where the Ugandan state only offers consequence, in a region where identifying as queer can lead to life imprisonment and “aggravated homosexuality” can lead to the death penalty. Mama Joseph, a family from central Uganda, is one of them, whose brother came out as gay at a time when being explicitly gay could have fatal consequences.
” Extremely African and quite queer” challenges the idea of “imported queerness”
Her words is not quake. Queerness and American identity are not incompatible with her, in her opinion. She has not left Uganda. She has not included her brother. ” People claim queerness is un-African, but I am aware that’s not the case. Some people claim that my child could have “taught” to be gay, so I didn’t lift him on international TV, she told DW. He did not enroll in boarding schools, which some people believe would occur. Her angry voice challenges the idea that homosexuality is a European import because I raised him right below, very American, and very queer. But I ask myself,” What exactly do they mean by “un-African” when people judge us. She said,” This journey hasn’t been easy. Being the mother of an American gay child comes with pain and isolation. But I’m glad of my son,” she continued, noting that companions have avoided her and that some family have threatened to.
In Ugandan houses, choosing like triumphs over dread
Some families have chosen passion over dread in living areas across the eastern African nation, including Mama Arthur, who shared her way of understanding with DW. When a kid confesses their gender, it’s difficult at first. The end is the most difficult for many of us parents. However, as time goes on, you begin to walk that same path with your child, develop a deeper relationship with them, and eventually become more close to you.” Her candor is indicative of a change in some Ghanaian families, where a new generation of parents is shifting away from traditional dogmas and favors honesty and closeness. I’ve always tried to guide my kids, to exhibit them what’s right and wrong. And because I created that room, they’re very forthcoming with me,” she said. People frequently cast a harsh light on gay children, but they do miss out on their god. These are great kids,” the mother ‘ cause extends beyond the house. They engage in public debates and group gatherings, even though doing so causes animosity between their companions, churches, and occasionally extended families. In 2021, Mama Arthur‘s brother came up to her. She initially was unsure and frightened, but over day she made the decision to walk with him. My baby became more open because I created that place. She told DW that she better acquainted with him. Understanding Uganda’s crackdown President Yoweri Museveni signed the action into law on May 26, 2023, despite widespread condemnation. Numerous LGBTQ+ Ugandans are escaping to adjacent countries like Kenya or lying due to the law’s enforcement. In this oppression, brave families are breaking ethnic and religious laws to sit with their kids in private living rooms and have whispered conversations. Mamas Arthur and Joseph, like them, are demonstrating with love rather than banners and protests.
South African moms: similar struggle, different laws:
Similar tales are emerging in South Africa, a nation where LGBTQ+ right are constitutionally protected but there still is social stigma. More than a decade ago, Mama Thandi, a long-time activist and supporter of gay children, has offered assistance to those whose families have rejected them. She told DW,” I am encouraging parents to love their kids so that they can tell the community how to love them.” Because South Africa is a liberal nation, there are many gay people who are being raped, murdered, and some who commit suicide, or who have problems with mental health, she said. ” The churches will hold prayer meetings for all these social problems, but homophobia perpetuates them,” Mama Thandi claimed. Mama Rihanna, Mama Joshua, and Mama Hajjat, three different Ugandan parents, faced severe public outcry after their kids were detained in obscenely publicized, high-profile cases involving LGBT+ in 2016 and 2022. As their names, faces, and accusations were published in the media, causing each person to understand the aftermath only. One sold her only cattle to pay legal costs, the other fled her house after relatives treated her badly, and the second was forced to keep her daughter from an abusive marriage. Their health, respect, and lives were each in danger in each case. Despite the stress, the parents have continued to be unshaken in their support. According to Mama Hajjat,” Gender doesn’t matter,” yet her accustomed husband started to change as soon as they saw their daughter’s strength. The problem is more significant for Mama Joshua. She claimed that the government is using LGBTQ+ individuals as excuses to conceal management problems, saying” Our kids are the easiest goal”. The mother featured in a video that DW interviewed at a screen of the film at Cheche Bookstore and Cafe in Nairobi, Kenya, are members of gay advocacy organizations that are connected to PFLAG-Uganda and Human Rights Watch under Chapter Four’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative.
International condemnation is aimed at Uganda’s tightening grasp:
Since the government’s passage, reports of incidents involving violence and prejudice against LGBTQ+ citizens in Uganda have increased significantly, according to Human Rights Watch. Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, requested last year that the laws become repealed. According to Turk,” The use of the death penalty and the criminalization of lawful same-sex relationships are against Uganda’s international human rights responsibilities,” according to the statement. However, the state has continued to be stubborn. The condition has defended the policy in court as a safeguard for” African values.” Critics, however, claim that it has exacerbated a culture of fear that drives LGBTQ+ Ugandans further into the profits and causes their families torn between loyalty and success. Despite global criticism, some donor countries are considering reversing their commitment to development aid. However, if people stay silent, global headlines mean much to mothers like Mama Joseph. She said,” I didn’t destroy my infant because of shame.” These people are slowly rewriting Uganda’s history one child at a time, one angry passion at a time as the second anniversary of the rules comes closer. They claim that moms are the cause of the revolutionary rather than crowds.
