My name is Augustine kayemba and I am a queer Gay refugee originally from Uganda. Today, I live in Juba Town, South Sudan, where I lead and represent a group of over 850 LGBTQ+ refugees each one a survivor of unimaginable pain, persecution, and abandonment.
In Uganda, being queer is treated as a crime punishable by life imprisonment or even death. I grew up hiding who I was, terrified every day of being discovered, outed, or killed. In 2019, after facing repeated threats and brutal attacks, I fled for my life to Kenya and found refuge in Kakuma Refugee Camp. But Kakuma, meant to be a place of safety, became another place of horror. Queer refugees there are routinely attacked, denied medical care, and forced to live in fear and isolation. I witnessed and experienced the kind of suffering no human being should endure.
Still, I chose to become a voice for those who had been silenced. I spoke out. I advocated. But speaking out made me a target again. When threats escalated, I relocated with other LGBTQ+ refugees to Gorom Refugee Camp in South Sudan hoping, once again, for safety. But there was no peace waiting for us. South Sudan is a country in the middle of a violent civil war and one of the most dangerous places on earth for queer people. Here, being LGBTQ+ is criminalized, and punishment can mean life imprisonment or death.
Recently, the South Sudanese government forced us out of Gorom camp altogether, claiming they could no longer guarantee our safety. Since then, we have been living in Juba Town a bustling city where queer people are especially vulnerable. The Islamic fundamentalist communities here are deeply hostile toward us. Many of our members are forced to sleep on the streets. Some are sick with malaria, typhoid, untreated infections, and HIV/AIDS, and have no access to doctors, hospitals, or even basic medicines. Others are starving. We are barely surviving.
Our members include children, trans women, gay men, lesbians, and intersex people. Some have been raped. Some have died from preventable illnesses. Some have never had a safe place to call home. The heat reaches over 45°C (113°F), and we shelter under torn plastic sheets or unfinished buildings. There is no protection from the elements, no food security, and no medical care. The recent ban on U.S. funding to programs that support LGBTQ+ refugees has only deepened the crisis. Those of us who were in line for resettlement are now stuck, forgotten, and at risk every day.
Despite all of this, we continue to fight for survival. We still believe in our right to live, to love, to be free. I share my story not just for me, but for the hundreds of queer souls I represent each one carrying trauma, and yet still holding on to hope.
We urgently need your help.
If you want to support us or learn more about our ongoing struggle, please follow the links below. Every act of solidarity counts. Even $20 can provide a month of shelter for one person. Together, we can save lives.
🌍 https://www.gofundme.com/f/survival-funds-for-lgbtq-kakuma-refugees?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&lang=en_US
https://lgbtqrefugeessudan.squarespace.com
Queer 🌈 🏳️⚧️ 😂 Refugee & Representative of LGBTQ+ Refugees in East Africa
