A Summary: In Kenya, LGBTQ refugees face persecution and death: A special report from Outreach
This article was published by Outreach: An LGBTQ Cathlic Resouce, Written by Ryan Di Corpo on 12/30/23
Jackie (left), a 28-year-old lesbian woman who fled persecution in Uganda after her 1-year-old daughter was killed, is seated with Nina, a 24-year-old transgender refugee, shortly after Jackie’s arrival at the camp, August 21, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Nina)
Plight of LGBTQ+ Refugees in Kakuma: The article highlights the dire situation of LGBTQ+ refugees in the Kakuma camp in Kenya, who face violence, discrimination, and inadequate support from both the Kenyan government and aid organizations.
In August, Uganda accused a 20-year-old man of “aggravated homosexuality,” a charge that carries the death penalty.
Role of the Church: The article examines the role of the Catholic Church in Africa, noting a lack of consistent support for LGBTQ+ rights despite Pope Francis's recent call for decriminalization of homosexuality.
During a homily this February, Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok of Lira, Uganda, called homosexuality a “death, which humanity must repent against.”
A group of LGBTQ refugees at the Kakuma refugee camp in 2020. (Photo courtesy of Nina)Persecution in Uganda: The article details the harsh realities of life for LGBTQ+ individuals in Uganda, where a draconian anti-homosexuality law has been enacted, leading to increased persecution and violence.
Wearing a rainbow bracelet on her right hand, Nina sits outside a shelter in the Kakuma refugee camp earlier this year. Her dreadlocks were later forcibly cut by the Kenyan police, she says. (Photo courtesy of Nina)
Asylum seekers wait outside the Department of Refugee Services in Kakuma on September 15, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Nina)
Impact of U.S. Evangelicalism: The article explores the influence of U.S. evangelical groups in promoting anti-LGBTQ+ agendas in Uganda, contributing to the hostile environment faced by LGBTQ+ individuals.
U.N.H.C.R.: LGBTQ refugees in the camp “face challenges in their daily lives as a result of discrimination and intolerance.”
Kenyan legislators have begun talks aimed at criminalizing “everything to do with homosexuality,” as one politician put it.
A young man and three children stand outside a U.N.H.C.R. shelter in Kakuma in October 2023. (Photo courtesy of Nina)
Global Context: The article provides a global perspective on the criminalization of homosexuality, highlighting that while Africa has a high number of countries with anti-LGBTQ+ laws, this is a global issue.
In October, Representative Tim Walberg, a Republican of Michigan, urged Ugandan leaders at the country’s National Prayer Breakfast to “stand firm” on its anti-homosexuality bill.
LGBTQ refugees in Kenya: “Our hope is nowhere, we are doomed and the only option we have right now is suicide.”
“I never thought that I would be a refugee,” said Emmanuel.
Check out the original article at the link below.