Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Campaign Dubbed 'Sensible And Safer Practices' Launched in Uganda and Kenya

Collaboration with different LGBTIQQ, Women and HIV/TB Care organisations is a norm that has been around. When Nature Network, SWKPAAP, ROSCEA, MARPS In Uganda joined to form Advocacy Network Africa (AdNetA) the idea was to create platforms where planned health promotion could take place.

Along the way, MARPS In Uganda asked WAVE (a youth led Social Support organisation) to work together on an SRH Campaign from 25th May 2020-08 June 2020.

What constituted the planned health promotion was a rubric against which planned activities were outlined. The outline spanned 25th May 2020 to 08 June 2020.

The aim of the campaign is to provide opportunities:

1. To access SRH knowledge in a format accessible by those who would like to conduct an SRH Activity for their audiences

2. To use SRH knowledge to promote healthy living by those who access the information and use it to make life promoting decisions

3. To share the SRH knowledge among peers and thereby address misinformation or wrong information

4. To show case alternatives through which self determination by LGBTIQQ is possible

5. To create critical information, education and communication around SRH that is tailor-made, consumed, accessible and reproducible by LGBTIQQ

6. Approach SRH from a goal-oriented perspective: to increase awareness on how best to lead quality life; to use knowledge to organise oneself; to link up with opportunities to demand and access the complexity of  SRH services.

We hope by the end of the campaign this will have raised a critical number of persons who utilise SRH knowledge in form of information, education and communication (IEC) to promote healthy living goals. 

Affirmation is the new Liberation Theology, Professor Adriaan Van Klinken Points Out

Reading the book: "Religion, LGBT Activism, And Arts of Resistance in Africa; Kenyan Christian Queer," reveals facts behind Queer life and religion. 

Religion, can connect with LGBTIQ+, through, affirmation which in turn is necessary for resilience, celebrating identity, inclusion and dignity. These in turn cause tolerance toward LGBTIQ+.

Religious, political, economic, cultural and social factors are enablers for resilience which in turn ensure dignity of all persons. But, as issuess they may enable or stand in the way toward acquiring quality life aspirations. There are many other factors that trigger off this trend. However, nothing may beat the identity of persons. For LGBTIQ+ this fact is a daily lived experience. 

I took time to read this book, after we had finished a session with one of our interviewees on the subject of resilience. 

Simply put, resilience is the capacity to recover or to be tough. It is also persistence.

The book made me connect many aspects of life. It reminded me of another word I kept hearing  at the Church I go to.

"Affirming!"

My understanding of this was it meant expanding space for others to occupy. Or, bringing into a given organization more people who may not necessarily have the required conditions to make them members. It means, providing space at the table (as African-Americans say). Or sharing the cake (as Ugandans say).

It also means to encourage or offer emotional support. Indeed, affirmation compels humans to do. To act. It compels humans to use religious, political, economic, cultural and social factors as enablers for protection of human dignity hence, rights. This in turn is what builds resilience which in turn ensures dignity of all persons. Once these are in place, agency, autonomy and self determination are possible.

The book, from start to end, shows there is bitter-sweet relationship between religion and LGBTIQ+. These two entities either support or subvert each other.

Religion presents contexts within which LGBTIQ+ can draw motivation to engage in self determination. Or, it can also cause persecution and hate toward LGBTIQ+.

Professor Adriaan (see pg 169) argues that, religion provides opportunities for believers to acknowledge inclusion, loyalty, forgiveness, justice and community transformation. It is a love that frees from obsession to bring down, fault find, denigrate and judge others as un-religious like. Just because,  they do not belong to one's political party, ethnicity, religious belief, or status. 

Affirmation, is the new Liberation Theology.

Without opportunities like affirmation, humans fail to be authentic.

They fail to be honest with self when they are faced with barriers to quality living and engagement in life improving practices. This is so because, we all aspire toward certain ideals. Most importantly, humans aspire to be self preserving, self determined and self advocating. These are basic aspirations, before we move up the hierarchy and seek political, legal, social, cultural, physical, economic and spiritual support. We are faced with being enabled or subversion with which to go on or fail in meeting needs of our daily life.

If, LGBTIQ+ are denied opportunities such as citizenship, employment, mobility, education, housing, food and health, life can be hard. They cannot engage in their own self-determination.

Political, religious, economic, cultural and social barriers stand in the way toward acquiring quality life aspirations. Because, through them one's identity may be used to abuse human protection for the LGBTIQ+. 

LGBTIQ+ persons are aware of this because this identity shows how political, religious, economic, cultural and social factors can be used to support or subvert aspirations. These factors have to be in place for dignity to thrive.  This is what makes humans whole. Anything less, is destructive.

So, affirming spaces promote self esteem and confidence. They transform our understanding of the fuller picture of humans, their diversity and uniqueness at the same time. 

Affirmation runs on a special fuel called action on a road called identity, in a car called inclusion and the destination is dignity.

The book, from start to end, shows the relationship between religion and LGBTIQ+.

Reading the book: "Religion, LGBT Activism, And Arts of Resistance in Africa; Kenyan Christian Queer," reveals facts behind Queer life and religion. Ideally, affirmation is necessary for resilience, identity, inclusion and dignity. These in turn cause tolerance toward LGBTIQ+.

Affirmation is necessary for resilience, identity, inclusion and dignity. 

Brian Raymond a Transgender Refugee Leader in Kenya shares a post-election story

The thrill of meeting an international journalist after staying indoors for a number of days is worth talking about. So when I was asked to share this article I obliged.

The meeting took place on a chilly August Nairobi day on 11th/8/2017, we suggested to meet with Marie after the Kenyan general elections. I was a bit scared venturing out due the tension that was all over the country before they announced the newly elected president. 

We agreed to meet by 2pm but there was much delay because of the long distance from where I come from to where we had suggested to meet. The traffic is still light so this also made me get to my appointment late.

Marie was very happy to meet me. We went through the jovial preamble and we hugged. We had to look for a convenient place. I was so excited to meet Marie because we had planned for this meeting days before the general election. We had to put it on halt. Before the meeting she introduced herself and said she was a journalist working for ActionAID. She said she was going to be writing an article about me which would be published in their magazine. 

She asked me why I fled to Kenya: 

I replied that, it was due to persecution and a life that had changed after the fact that in my community where we were living many people were always pointing fingers at me, heckling and making my life uncomfortable.  All this was because of my sexuality, body appearance and the expectations my friends had of me. I faced all sorts of pain and stigma. I was ridiculed on all occasions. But, when I was threatened by youths who said out-loud how they planned to beat me up, I could not take it any more. I just got a few clothes, a small bag and fled to Kenya.

But, nothing prepares one for a  life as a refugee. Pressures of being in an environment one is not used to, the fact that one has to look for places to do shopping, recreation and socialization all demanded attention. It became a daily conversation even among other refugees. Luckily enough we were organized enough to start a self help space. We came up with an idea of starting up an organization with my fellow Ugandan refugees who also faced similar problems. We decided to use our talents in order to change people's negative attitude against LGBTIQQ through different skills. The skills included: dressing, food preparation, craft making, netball, music, dance and drama. 

Before coming to Kenya I used to work with Dr. Stella Nnyanzi at Makerere university as a research assistant and field work officer on different research projects under the Law, Gender and Sexuality (LGS). I used some of the organization development skills I had acquired through working at these different projects to start up an organization. This organization has helped 70 LGBTIQQ refugees some of whom are living with HIV. This kind of work has introduced me to wider networks and referral service points. It is through one such experience that I was invited to be part of the ActionAid training. I want to also mention this. I have had the opportunity to be trained by Dr. Tom R. Muyunga-Mukasa who now lives in USA. These two doctors are a great resource not only to me but to many on the LGBTIQQ community. Dr. Tom, is so patient with many of us and he is a dedicated, dependable and thorough mentor. He has helped many LGBTIQQ CBOs with organization development and planning comprehensive HIV activities.

She asked me, how the campaign training changed me:

During the training, I was introduced to the concept of  Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA). According to me, it is like putting on spectacles to enable one see better. It now makes it easier for me to look at my responsibilities from a more impacting angle.  I am able to first think harder through issues. I have some kind of compass guiding me. I now know how to ask why, who , when and where. I can connect cause and effect. I now ask why things happen and what solutions exist to address issues as applied to marginalized persons. 

I learnt the importance of working with others, allowing there to be channels of communication, the importance of giving feedback and taking it whether positive or negative.  I am now skilled at making successful campaigns, making reports and documentation as a way of assessing the impact of an activity. I came to know the importance of stories as tools for social change. It is important to compose and share a story. It is important to plan activities, make online mobilization and mobilize resources. I now know the importance of planning what to do.

The message I pass to my fellow LGBTIQQ members:

My message is that we shouldn't give up. In order to have a successful movement, let's not be selfish with information, most people hate LGBTIQQ because they are fed with false information and others are ignorant, let's love one another so that we stop the hate speeches. 

In my  conclusion with the wonderful journalist, I linked LGBTIQQ life with HIV/AIDS. I still find people who fear HIV and take time to accept their status when found positive with the virus. I have also come across those who accept their status and begin an aggressive self-care. Our organization has engaged  in advocacy to stop the spread of the virus. I call upon my friends to  advocate for Human Rights not Gay rights because Gays are also human beings. Let us be creative in passing out information and educative strategies in order to stop discrimination and stigma among ourselves. She was so grateful with dialogue we had. I am so happy, I am sharing this article. It makes me feel there are those who will be motivated to organize their thoughts and share their stories. Stories motivate and enable us to emotionally unburden. Thank you.