Bombastic Magazine, the only LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex) magazine in Uganda, calls for articles for its new issue.

The second issue of the Kuchu Times publication will delve into more real life experiences of sexual minorities with a focus on education, religion, law and advocacy, the journey of the Ugandan LGBTI movement, societal conception of LGBTI persons, fashion,politics,sports,health as well as possible solutions to issues that continue to affect this marginalized community.

We are excited to offer all community members, friends, and LGBTI activists in not only Uganda but Africa yet another opportunity of contributing to their next issue.

The Bombastic team believes that the practice of advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes. More specifically, advocacy is the deliberate process of influencing those who make or have responsibility for implementing policy decisions.

Description

It is very difficult to find spaces to sensitize and create awareness about LGBTI issues as that is considered promotion of something termed as criminal. The few spaces available like radio and television talk shows are always there to instead degrade the activists in attendance and expose them to all kinds of abuses from both the anti-gay guests and the callers into shows.

In print media the price is over billed for LGBTI activists to put any statement. The media council has a gay guideline to all media houses on how to deal with LGBTI issues thus they could face closure like in the past where some have been fined for hosting LGBTI persons ,hosts suspended etc. The media has been very influential in creating a very hostile environment towards the advocacy and sensitization work of LGBTI and human rights defenders fighting for sexual rights in general.

It’s from the above background that the media does this with impunity since they are protected by the homophobic institutionalized laws in the country. We have seen media witch hunt since 2006 in Uganda where people perceived to be LGBTI have been exposed, described and addresses of their residences exposed to provide the perpetrators an easy way to target them. Some have gone further to incite the public to hang people perceived to be LGBTI. We have had cases where we have lost friends, family and colleagues because of the media witch hunt.

It’s from this background that we decided to use the same methods the media is using to send out our own stories, written and told by LGBTI persons to share with the public our concerns, plights but also share with them what their Government is not telling them.

Application

If you are interested in contributing to the second issue of Bombastic, please send an email to [email protected] and [email protected]. You can also suggest a topic of your own choice, as long as it is related to perspectives of LGBTI people .

Interested contributors are welcome send in their articles no later than 30th November 2015   

1) The article should be in a Word Document format with a short paragraph describing if the author would prefer anonymity or not.

2) Please attach a recent picture if you are open to having it in the publication

3) The articles can be written in any language

Any further inquiries can be forwarded to [email protected]