“To ensure inclusion of all women, we must work as a wider movement and across movements.”
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For so long, all women have been prejudiced and looked at as the weaker sex. It gets worse when one identifies as part of the sexual minorities (LBQ) who are already held at the lowest regard because of societal homophobia and stigmatization.
Together with DeJones Deus and Pepe Oziema, Tim birthed the idea of “Voices: Combating Homophobia in Uganda” in 2012. The main objective of the project was to tell and share stories by LGBTI Ugandans to tackle homophobia.
Several gay and bisexual men that have been targets of cyber harassment confirm that the perpetrators utilize social media platforms, text messages, emails including other digital tools to post and share negative content about the way they choose to relate, making homophobic remarks that mock their looks and mannerisms especially if they are visibly feminine.
This move signifies the continuous alienation and discrimination of LGBT issues from various platforms which negatively impacts efforts towards the promotion and advancement of human rights not only in Uganda but on regional and international forums.
Recently, it has been estimated that over 10% of Uganda’s total population is already living with chronic Hepatitis B infections which is responsible for 80% of all liver cancer cases in the country.
Another challenge arises when clients promise to pay more money for raw sex without using condoms. The urgency to meet their essential daily needs doesn’t leave any room to bargain or negotiate which puts them at risk of contracting HIV/ STDs.
Coming out of the closet about one’s own sexuality and mental condition by speaking out can be difficult but it eliminates living in fear.
Thirdly, we need to break myths about mental health in regards to sexuality and gender identity. One time, I met a psychiatrist who believes that homosexuality is a mental problem and yet everyone including heterosexuals are prone to mental health issues.
Even though it is a positive experience that contributes to the improvement in one’s mood, boosts their esteem and minimizes gender dysphoria because they feel in charge of their own bodies, binding can cause complications on an individual’s physical health.