This post was submitted by John "Jolly" Bavoso

A combination of biology, psychology and anecdotal evidence has led us to acknowledge that our responses to dangerous situations can be reduced to “fight” or “flight”. Sometimes, however, our options aren’t so cut-and-dry, black-and-white or mutually exclusive. Sometimes you have to run to carry on a fight, continuing to push back against danger even as you’re forced to flee it.

For many sexual minorities around the world living under homophobic governments, leaving their home country is the best way to ensure that they can continue the fight for their rights from a safe distance. For every Val Kalende or Walter Trochez who chooses to stay and work against his or her own government domestically, there are those who escape to countries like the U.S. to marshal international support and dream of the day they can safely return to their homes.

With the recent attention and international backlash aimed at Uganda over the last few months, more and more Ugandan ex-patriots have come forward to fight against their government’s hateful policies.  One such activist goes by the name Moses and you may recognize his masked face from a clip like the one above that played during an episode of The Rachel Maddow Show, in which he appeared at a press conference for an event protesting the National Prayer Breakfast with a bag over his head to protect his identity. Below, Moses shares more of his personal story with TNG.

Flight

Growing up gay in Uganda was not an easy or pleasant experience for Moses.

“Homosexuality is seen as out of character – deviant behavior [in Uganda]. It is seen as impossible for a person’s child to be gay. It’s abnormal. It’s seen as a Western ploy to recolonize the country,” Moses recalls during a recent conversation via email. “It was very hard for me to come out to people but my behaviors would tell.”

Eventually, through a mix of familial and societal pressure, Moses married a woman. When he couldn’t perform sexually, he was prescribed drugs and it was through this method that he was eventually able to have a child with his wife. However, following a sexual assault by a male police officer that he could not report and years of living in constant fear of being outed by family members, co-workers and even media outlets known for publicly “naming and shaming” sexual minorities, Moses knew he could not stay.

“There is nothing more disturbing in this world than living in fear,” he says. “So, when I was invited to attend an HIV/AIDS conference, that is how I found my way here to the USA. That was in 2009. This was the time when the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was also introduced in Parliament, so I decided to seek asylum.”

Achieving asylum in the U.S. is particularly difficult, however, for sexual minorities.

“Seeking asylum isn’t easy. It is a long process and takes time,” he explains. “I arrived in this country not knowing anyone. This has been a challenge, but people have responded to my outcry and that’s why I am here. Bureaucracy like in any other nation slows down most of the process. But patience pays.”

Fight

Moses hasn’t been sitting on his hands in the meantime. He has become active in a very public campaign against the proposed homophobic legislation in Uganda, even as he has had to hide his identity to protect himself and his family back home. This work led to his most recent appearance in the national media as a spokesperson for the American Prayer Hour, which was held last month.

“I was in Texas and received an email from Truth Wins Out inviting me to participate, but at first I was reluctant and fearful,” Moses says. “I responded ‘yes’ after two days of intense consultation. They hooked me up with the HRC, who sponsored the trip.

“I worked as a teacher back in Uganda, so speaking before people isn’t always a problem, although this was going to be aired on many national channels and maybe international ones, so I had to prepare myself for that. I said what I had experienced personally and my view of the consequences of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. I enjoyed it because this was the time for me to bring out all the issues that affect gay people in my country and Africa at large.”

Ultimately, the important issue for Moses is not the law itself but its consequences for the lives of individuals.

“I was always in constant fear. I had many thoughts, of reporting myself to the international organizations like Amnesty International, but feared exposing myself to the authorities where I would be subjected to more arrests and torture. Always in fear, fear and fear and now that the law is in Parliament, I fear going back to this country and I also have great fear for my gay friends there for the hell they are going through,” he explains.

“The world we are living in is dynamic. It’s high time people realize that and come to terms with it and accept homosexuality and let people live open lives.”

And, in his own humble way, Moses is hoping to help bring this about for everyone, regardless of the country they find themselves in.

---

First time here? See what we're all about... Get involved... Send us a tip!...

---