As part of our ongoing commitment to keeping you informed, inspired, and connected, we’re excited to share the latest edition of our monthly article as we bring you updates and stories that highlight the progress, initiatives and purpose that drive our organization forward. In this article, we acknowledge the importance of the power of Community as we observed the Mental Health Month, celebrated the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersex phobia and transphobia and spotlighted the Make way Program, that has made a difference in our community. We hope you find value and inspiration in what we share. Enjoy!
INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA, BIPHOBIA INTERSEXPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA; ‘Celebrating the Power of Communities’
The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), observed annually on May 17, serves as a pivotal moment for the global LGBTQIA+ community to unite in solidarity, raise awareness about ongoing discrimination, and advocate for equal rights. This year’s theme “The Power of Communities” was highlighted, emphasizing the strength and resilience found within LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide. Find our full statement here Link. A safe space was convened for LBQ womxn in honor of this day, availing an opportunity for womxn to express themselves, have open conversations on how their bodily autonomy and access to reproductive justice continues to be hindered by the systematic barriers and homophobia. This was also an opportunity to set strategies on how to enable the continuity of their accessibility to SRHR and bodily autonomy irrespective.
We also utilized the podcast as a safe space for LBQ womxn to voice and share their experiences, highlighting the different systematic barriers that influence discrimination and violence against LBQ womxn. Listen to the candid conversation here https://youtu.be/3ULobI7qYDA?si=AlhGO8G7R1Bn7iGH
MAKEWAY PROGRAMM; Embracing Intersectionality for Health Equality and Justice.
Over the course of the Program implementation, the Make Way Program has supported inclusive and intersectional approaches to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), especially among marginalized communities, including LBQ womxn, persons with disabilities, adolescents, and other underserved groups. it was a vital opportunity to reflect on lessons learned, celebrate impact, and amplify community voices. The program has continued to provide safe spaces for womxn to freely exercise their rights and meaningfully engage in demanding for and accessing their SRHR rights and services.
An SRHR Autonomy Conversation
The SRHR Autonomy conversation that took place on 6th May 2025, highlighted Key discussions that included, Understanding SOGIE and Bodily Autonomy, current threats on SRHR Autonomy. LBQ womxn outlined how conservative, anti-gender ideology, criminalization of queer identities and restrictions on health care access are directly undermining their rights, emphasis was placed on how bodily autonomy intersects with sexuality and gender identity, further complicating access to SRHR. LBQ womxn highlighted systematic discrimination in health facilities, lack of inclusive healthcare services and fear of outing and stigmatization. The conversation on SRHR autonomy and anti-gender repression highlighted the urgent need to protect the SRHR of womxn who continue to face systematic barriers, stigma, and violence due to intersecting forms. The event was successfully concluded with LBQ womxn emphasizing that full bodily autonomy is a foundation to SRHR.
MPOX as an SRHR concern for LBQ womxn in Uganda.
The rising cases of monkeypox (MPox) in Uganda pose a growing public health concern. Despite this LBQ womxn remain invisible in public health messaging and health service delivery. While much of the global responses is centered around a certain key population, LBQ womxn have been largely excluded from public health messaging, care strategies, and outbreak response planning. As part of our ongoing commitment to breaking barriers to SRHR, we convened a safe space convene a Safe Space to host a Dialogue to raise awareness, share prevention strategies, and empower LBQ womxn with the tools and information needed to protect themselves and their communities towards Monkey Pox. This aimed at increasing awareness about monkeypox transmission, symptoms, and prevention among LBQ womxn as well as frame monkeypox as a critical SRHR issue, affecting bodily autonomy, access to care, and health equity. Through an intersectional lens, this initiative recognizes monkeypox not only as a public health issue, but also as an urgent SRHR concern for LBQ womxn whose health needs are too often overlooked.
Rethink Space in Commemoration of the International Day of Action on Women’s Health.
This year, Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) in collaboration with Freedom and Roam Uganda and The Alliance of Women Advocating for Change commemorated this day with a Regional Virtual Rethink Space on 28th May followed by an in-person Rethink Space in Uganda on 30th May. The space engaged photojournalists, journalists, creatives, content creators, and editors that advanced women’s health and bodily autonomy. The space also spotlighted stories through documentation, photography and creative arts that exposed gender blind and unresponsive ways of reporting on SRHR and Gender Justice issues in the media and in place offered a gender responsive lens to foster action and transformation. We utilized this space to popularize our recent research on the analysis on the Anti Homosexuality Law,https://faruganda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/AHA-RESEARCH-FOR-LBQ-WOMXN.pdf. This event aimed at shift public narratives toward dignity, agency, and the celebration of women’s health and bodily autonomy, hence efforts to increase societal awareness and respect for intersectional SRHR in the region, and Africa broadly.
Ba Queer Twogere; 28th Menstrual Hygiene Day
In Uganda, where silence is often a survival mechanism, podcasts have been a revolutionary act giving voice to the voiceless and building resilient, informed, and connected LBQ communities. We continue to utilize the safe space through our podcast the Ba queer Twogere to amplifying voices and experiences of LBQ womxn, this episode featured LBQ womxn voices in commemoration of the Menstrual Hygiene Day commemorated every 28th May. https://youtu.be/YfKHMBBBvVg?si=AwyGnOtQKImT0JRM
June is here, and we welcome PRIDE month, as we celebrate Queer Joy as resistance, we continue to call unto you to be part of the PRIDE celebration by sharing your pride stories as a way of celebrating queer joy as resistance.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Don’t forget to follow us on our social media for updates and our upcoming Second edition of the Newsletter. For more information or to get involved, please visit our website.
