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uganda press PHOTO award

Stuart Tibaweswa

has recently graduated with a BA in Industrial Art and Design at the Margaret Trowell School of Art, Makerere University, Uganda.

His interest in photography started when he was still a teenager and when his father gave him a point and shoot camera. That initial experience quickly developed into a passion for observing, questioning, and caring about other people through visual language. Stuart has participated in numerous workshops and trainings, in 2017 he also won the Young Photographer Award organised by the Uganda Press Photo Awards, and as a result he undertook a month mentorship programme the following year under the close guidance of French documentary photographer Frédéric Noy.

He was nominated for the 2018 Young Achievers Awards in the Film and Photography category and also emerged as the runner up in the “Middle Income in Uganda Photography” contest by Goethe-Zentrum Kampala in 2019. Stuart believes photography is a very important part of storytelling because it creates memories and intimacy, and being able to work on a project or assignment challenges him as a documentary photographer, to question himself about the situation and be the evidence of it through photographs.

 

www.stuarttibaweswa.com

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“WE ARE HUMAN”

Over the years, several events in Uganda have happened that have impacted the human rights affairs of the LGBTQ persons in Uganda. These events have been fueled by religion, cultural/personal beliefs and judicial decisions and politics, and explain the prevailing homophobia that has over time become normal in the Ugandan community. This has consequently led to negative outcomes for the LGBTQ community in the country, infringing on their rights ranging from; the right to equality and freedom from discrimination, the freedom of expression, freedom from arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention, the right to dignity and freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment.

In May 2018, Simon Lokodo, the Minister of Ethics and Integrity stopped an event prepared by the organization – Sexual Minorities Uganda, in celebration of the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. He also went ahead to obstruct a series of events for the LGBTQ community. In the same year Rebecca Kadaga- the Speaker of Parliament, banned a debate on the LGBT at the Inter-Parliamentary Union, with several Members of Parliament applauding her over what they termed as “consistently upholding and protecting Uganda’s cultural values.”

According to the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) report on human rights violations based on sexual orientation in 2018, thirteen incidents involving police raids and arbitrary arrests of suspected LGBT persons were recorded with most of them not charged according to the law.     

Many of these Ugandan LGBTQ persons have been victims of violence, social injustice, and discrimination, abandonment by their families hence leading them to live in fear of their lives, with many of them struggling to survive economically.

 

As minorities, this story seeks to project their voices and  views on democracy while highlighting their experiences of injustice in a year that Uganda goes into a presidential and parliamentary election.

 

Vinka Silk (Transwoman), has been working as a hairdresser in Kampala, with one of her closest friends Kalvin, also a transwoman. Vinka spends most of her time indoors considering the uncertainties about her safety. “Policies are there, they just need to be enforced and implemented. If we talk of equality, freedom of speech and expression, plus access to medical care for all Ugandans, why can’t all this apply to us the LGBT as well! Are we not Ugandans? Are we not human beings? I was born in this government and have grown to see what it is. I really just wish to see change, maybe as the LGBT, we might find some hope in our country”
Vinka Silk (Transwoman), has been working as a hairdresser in Kampala, with one of her closest friends Kalvin, also a transwoman. Vinka spends most of her time indoors considering the uncertainties about her safety. “Policies are there, they just need to be enforced and implemented. If we talk of equality, freedom of speech and expression, plus access to medical care for all Ugandans, why can’t all this apply to us the LGBT as well! Are we not Ugandans? Are we not human beings? I was born in this government and have grown to see what it is. I really just wish to see change, maybe as the LGBT, we might find some hope in our country”
Sheeba Ntaate (Transwoman) “The political race in Uganda is one of the worst. I really don’t see meaningful youth engagement and the LGBT do not have an open space to take up positions. I think that the government should decriminalize sex work because this is work! And work is work! Most of us trans people make a living through this, since we are not accepted in most work spaces. I for one was suffering with sexual harassment where I was working last year and my bosses let me go”
Lillian Baraza (Bisexual), posses for a portrait outside her home in a suburb in Kampala. “In this country, and probably many others, you can’t be kissing or holding hands of your partner publicly if you are LGBTQ, they would burn you alive (laughs). I really want to see better leadership where everyone is equal and rights affect everyone the same way. Most importantly, the government needs to put in place medical services for the LGBTQ people, especially the gays and transgender because there is a lot of discrimination in health centers, where LGBTQ people are not served equally. Because I’m bi, it is easy to get away with it, but I sympathize with the trans and gay colleagues”
Sheeba Ntaate (Transwoman) “The political race in Uganda is one of the worst. I really don’t see meaningful youth engagement and the LGBT do not have an open space to take up positions. I think that the government should decriminalize sex work because this is work! And work is work! Most of us trans people make a living through this, since we are not accepted in most work spaces. I for one was suffering with sexual harassment where I was working last year and my bosses let me go”
Watson Samuel (Queer), covered within their rainbow flag at the Ice Breakers Uganda residence in Makindye. “The political space right now is really tense and I do not want to be part of it. I am eligible to vote, but I don’t think I will be voting because I don’t feel like anyone is worth my vote. If someone like Frank Mugisha (renown Uganda LGBT activist) said he was contesting for anything, I would go out and even rally for him because these are the people that have walked in our shoes and know what it means to be marginalized so they would definitely carry on our message. People in Power need to know that we are human, if they need to implement any policy regarding our community, they need to get to the grassroots, do research about us and understand us more than just a minority”
Watson Samuel (Queer), covered within their rainbow flag at the Ice Breakers Uganda residence in Makindye. “The political space right now is really tense and I do not want to be part of it. I am eligible to vote, but I don’t think I will be voting because I don’t feel like anyone is worth my vote. If someone like Frank Mugisha (renown Uganda LGBT activist) said he was contesting for anything, I would go out and even rally for him because these are the people that have walked in our shoes and know what it means to be marginalized so they would definitely carry on our message. People in Power need to know that we are human, if they need to implement any policy regarding our community, they need to get to the grassroots, do research about us and understand us more than just a minority”
Monalisa Akintole (Transwoman) “All my life has always been about fighting for space and just to be heard. So as a leader at Transgender Equality Uganda (TEU), we are always clamouring for people in political spheres to listen to us and give us opportunities to express ourselves but that never cultivates hope. It’s just word and word. I love leadership because it satisfies me, but it’s sad that with all the qualifications I have, it is hard to get this opportunity. Once you stand out and people see you are different from their usual gender identities, it will cease to be politics anymore but rather shaming you and I’m not ready for that.”
Monalisa Akintole (Transwoman) “All my life has always been about fighting for space and just to be heard. So as a leader at Transgender Equality Uganda (TEU), we are always clamouring for people in political spheres to listen to us and give us opportunities to express ourselves but that never cultivates hope. It’s just word and word. I love leadership because it satisfies me, but it’s sad that with all the qualifications I have, it is hard to get this opportunity. Once you stand out and people see you are different from their usual gender identities, it will cease to be politics anymore but rather shaming you and I’m not ready for that.”
Kalvin (Transwoman) “After the Miss Pride event in 2016, where I was a contestant, I got randomly arrested on my way back home by the police claiming I was cross-dressing to con people. It was really tough spending two days behind bars simply because of who I am. I was lucky to make some calls and got bailed out by some of the event organizers.”
Kalvin (Transwoman) “After the Miss Pride event in 2016, where I was a contestant, I got randomly arrested on my way back home by the police claiming I was cross-dressing to con people. It was really tough spending two days behind bars simply because of who I am. I was lucky to make some calls and got bailed out by some of the event organizers.”
Lj Roz Mark (Transwoman) “Voting isn’t the only option. We also need to do the advocacy and sensitize people about us. The people in power also have a major role to play in this, I feel like it’s unfair for them to only label us as homosexuals, because that is all society perceives about us. We want to feel like other normal human beings in this country.”
Boutras Anderson (Transwoman) “There is no open political space for us LGBT persons. If you are a gay person and people get to know that you are contesting for a Member of Parliament position, chances are high they will not be voting for you. I will not be able to vote next year because I have failed to get a national ID for two years now. The government needs to consider name change policies, as some of us especially the Trans people are not able to use our desired names of our gender identities on the identity cards.”
Keith Mayanja (Transwoman) “I was in the bar sometime with my colleagues when the police arrested us like thieves claiming that we were impersonating and dressed like women to scam people. The accusations were terrible as they went ahead to call the media to record us and put us on the news. It was such an embarrassing situation as one of my friend’s parents disowned them after watching it. We lost a sense of peace during the conversations on the Anti Homosexuality Bill ( a draconian bill that criminalized gays with life imprisonment or even worse, death penalty) . People would beat us, abuse us, and even deny us rights to some services. We were staying in the dark.”
Keith Mayanja (Transwoman) “I was in the bar sometime with my colleagues when the police arrested us like thieves claiming that we were impersonating and dressed like women to scam people. The accusations were terrible as they went ahead to call the media to record us and put us on the news. It was such an embarrassing situation as one of my friend’s parents disowned them after watching it. We lost a sense of peace during the conversations on the Anti Homosexuality Bill ( a draconian bill that criminalized gays with life imprisonment or even worse, death penalty) . People would beat us, abuse us, and even deny us rights to some services. We were staying in the dark.”
Divina Lorinda (Queer) “Politics is one of the reasons why we don’t have peace. The people in this political game should start seeing us from a more human perspective and realize that they are only spreading hate. We are not asking to be treated in any special way, we just want equality for all. I want to feel special and proud of my country”
Zack Asiimwe (Transman) “I surely fear matters of politics. I was almost killed during the last campaigns in Mbale while I was supporting our very own Sempijja Dalausi, a Transwoman, who was contesting for an LC4 Councilor position. From that time, I fear actively participating in campaigns or any political matters. I was beaten by a mob because of my sexual orientation. When I reported the case to the police with hope to get assistance, one officer dismissed my case while asking me to go away saying that he would instead arrest me. I don’t feel like Ugandan sometimes, I can’t wait till I get an opportunity to get asylum in a much fairer country.”
Zack Asiimwe (Transman) “I surely fear matters of politics. I was almost killed during the last campaigns in Mbale while I was supporting our very own Sempijja Dalausi, a Transwoman, who was contesting for an LC4 Councilor position. From that time, I fear actively participating in campaigns or any political matters. I was beaten by a mob because of my sexual orientation. When I reported the case to the police with hope to get assistance, one officer dismissed my case while asking me to go away saying that he would instead arrest me. I don’t feel like Ugandan sometimes, I can’t wait till I get an opportunity to get asylum in a much fairer country.”