Profile

A Glimpse into Our History

FARUG is a lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex human rights organization founded in the July of 2003. FARUG started informally, gained experience, strength and support and then decided to organise more formally to achieve identified goals. In the early days of the formation of FARUG, a lesbian was killed and FARUG spoke out. That is how FARUG got to be known and that is when the owner of the bar where they used to meet threw them out. They became homeless but started using the facilities of the current Director’s mother to organise. Today FARUG identifies as the only local organization fully dedicated to LBTI issues in Uganda.



VISION of FARUG

The vision of FAR-UG is to build an organization, which will strive for the attainment of full equal rights of lesbians, bisexuals, Transgender and Intersexual (LBTI) women as well as the removal of all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and Empower LBTI women.



MISSION STATEMENT

To empower, lobby and press for the recognition of same sex relationships, especially lesbians in Uganda and thereby attain full equal rights and freedom in all aspects of life.



WHAT HAS FARUG CHANGED/IS CHANGING?

  • Prior to the formation of FARUG, lesbians were isolated and scattered. But some important changes; symbolic and real, have shifted the scene from deep in the closet to beyond the door.
  • Continuous attempts to and confidence to break into the cage composed of a set of well placed bars that keep LBTI locked into tiny, suffocating spaces, closely patrolled and defined by an uncompromising fundamentalist systems
  • Courage to ‘step through the trap-door’ of heterosexuality as the norm. For example, current Director of FARUG agreed to be interviewed as an open lesbian on TV and radio as well as public speaking at such prominent meetings as the World Social Forum in 2007. Recently another member was interviewed openly by one of the main news papers, the monitor
  • · Increase in the advocacy capacities of FARUG, stronger partnerships with mainstream human rights and women's rights organizations, increased visibility of LBTI, increased capacity to mobilize financial resources
  • Increased opening up debate and engagement within the feminist movement on LBTI issues
  • Relations with other sexual minorities especially CSW movement has improved a little
  • Physical space for FARUG members i.e. we have rented space for members to dialogue, watch videos, socialise etc. It allows LBTI to meet, interact and share with one another with the aim of giving a positive feeling of group identity, and reducing the harmful negative attitude many will have experienced from family, friends or public
  • Challenging prejudice and stigma on day to day basis and spear heading the campaign to combat homophobia in Uganda
  • In 2007 FARUG published its first newsletter 'Break the Chains' published for their awareness campaign in both Luganda, one of the local languages, and English and included personal profiles, a discussion about domestic violence and HIV/AIDS among LBTI women. The awareness campaign was called "Understanding Sexuality--A tool to Self Realisation." 'Break the Chains' is also FARUG's motto.
  • FARUG worked closely with SMUG (umbrella organisation) during the CHOGM meeting in Uganda to highlight issues of homosexuality