Solidarity Under Criminalization: Spotlight on Rainbow Family Support Alliance

“Inspired by [Audre] Lorde, I choose to set aside comfort, safety, and societal judgment to do what is necessary to set free and advance acceptance for my fellow LGBTQI+ individuals in Uganda. I will do it with zeal.” –Mr. Vincent Sekitoleko; Executive Director of Rainbow Family Support Alliance (RFSA)

We are honouring and celebrating Black History Month by featuring a black-led partner organization of Rainbow Railroad every week of February to explore how queer Black liberation informs the work they do. This week, we are featuring Rainbow Family Support Alliance from Uganda. 

Violence and discrimination against LGBTQI+ individuals and organizations are common in Uganda, and often perpetrated by state officials. Police routinely target, abuse, and arrest individuals based on their presumed sexual orientation or gender identity under anti-LGBTQI+ laws. 

Rainbow Family Support Alliance (RFSA) is an LGBTQI+ organization founded in 2015 . The organization aims to foster family acceptance and support for LGBTQI+ individuals facing family rejection in Uganda. RFSA envisions a future where LGBTQI+ people are accepted and supported by their families. 

Rainbow Family Support Alliance: Holistic Support for LGBTQI+ People At-Risk

For nearly a decade, RFSA has provided a range of services to comprehensively support LGBTQI+ individuals facing family rejection and discrimination. This includes reconciliation and reintegration efforts with families by educating families  on LGBTQI+ issues. They also offer relocation and shelter services for LGBTQI+ individuals at risk. RFSA also provides counseling and mental health support, legal guidance on family law, and essential safety and security training. 

RFSA actively promotes acceptance and understanding of LGBTQI+ family issues through continuous stakeholder engagement and by equipping allies with up-to-date information on the LGBTQI+ community. 

Since January 2023, RSFA’s partnership with Rainbow Railroad has significantly strengthened RFSA’s impact by helping to provide services including safe housing, relocation, professional counseling and mental health support for 73 LGBTQI+ individuals left homeless due to the passing of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. 

With the support of Rainbow Railroad, RFSA also provides relocated individuals with food and medical assistance. This is especially critical for those living with HIV/AIDS. RFSA has also been able to supply mobility aids to LGBTQI+ people with physical disabilities.

Pursuing Queer Black Liberation

RFSA’s services offer LGBTQI+ individuals the chance to heal, achieve greater emotional stability, and support others in similar circumstances.

The commitment and unwavering hope demonstrated by frontline activists of the Queer Black Liberation movement inspire and fuel RFSA’s work. 

Vincent Sekitoleko, Executive Director of RFSA, takes inspiration from Audre Lorde. 

“Inspired by Lorde, I choose to set aside comfort, safety, and societal judgment to do what is necessary to set free and advance acceptance for my fellow LGBTQI+ individuals in Uganda. I will do it with zeal. And in honor of my mother who used to say in challenging times that; nothing is permanent, it is only God who is permanent, pain does not kill us, inaction does. Signs are there that good news is soon, and so, I hold on.”

The Ongoing Impact of the Anti-Homosexuality Act for LGBTQI+ Ugandans

RFSA’s work continues under challenging conditions. LGBTQI+ support organizations in Uganda now operate covertly, meeting stringent security requirements due to the Anti-Homosexuality Act. RFSA’s staff and beneficiaries often face risks, including harassment and raids. Vincent elaborates on this: “We do most of the work underground. We have to disguise a lot and follow strict security procedures to survive. There are times when police have raided our office, beaten us and vandalized our space. And by the way; you never know when they will strike again.”

Despite working in a challenging environment, Vincent adds that whenever he meets an LGBTQI+ person whom RFSA has supported and they are happy and thriving in life, he gets a lot of joy and this motivates him and the team at RFSA to continue their work. 

RFSA remains a lifeline for LGBTQI+ individuals, nurturing both their resilience and community in the face of discrimination and isolation.

He also comments on what it is like to live under the Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda since 2023. Vincent shares, “For my sake, the freedom I used to enjoy is no more; I cannot meet my friends in public places as I used to do, I cannot go to the sports club, and when I walk on the street, I am tense thinking that someone may attack me.”

Queering the System: A Path Forward for Rainbow Family Support Alliance

To queer the system, for RFSA, is about transforming protocols to ensure they are inclusive and affirming of LGBTQ+ individuals. This includes revising asylum and immigration documents to recognize more than the binary gender options. 

Vincent stands in solidarity with LGBTQI+ individuals facing difficulties anywhere in the world. He says, “Be in touch with other LGBTQI+ people, and also try to know the LGBTQI+ support services that are around you, it will help you to get assistance.”

Vincent emphasizes the importance of the support that the organization has received from Rainbow Railroad. He shares the following message with Rainbow Railroad’s community. 

“We thank you for supporting Rainbow Railroad as they help and assist LGBTQI+ people in Uganda to endure the deadly waves of the Anti-Homosexuality Act. By supporting Rainbow Railroad, you have kept safe the lives of many LGBTQI+ people and their children, and so, you will be blessed. We pray that you continue supporting Rainbow Railroad to continue assisting the lives of LGBTQI+ people around the world.”