209 / INTERVIEW ADRIAN, EYE OF THE STORM A courageous linkman between the gay movement and the rest of Ugandan society 028
Interview / Adrian Jjuuko Adrian Jjuuko’s ofce is a fortress. The young lawyer is protected by high walls with barbed wire, a heavy metal gate and a guard house that is always manned. If necessary he can escape through the red door at the back. So far he has not had to do that, but anyone who publicly defends gay rights in Uganda must be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Adrian is not afraid. There have been a few attempts to break in but it was never clear what the purpose was. It is highly likely that there are people who want to harm him or his clients. Adrian defends farmers whose land has been expropriated, but he has become known as an advocate for sex workers and LGBT rights. This raises resistance in the ultraconservative Uganda, and so threats, which are also directed at his family, are a daily reality for Adrian. Hatred of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders is growing by the day in Uganda, where homosexuality has been punishable since time immemorial. When President Yoweri Museveni signed a law in 2014 that made punishments much more severe, it seemed the last constraint on violence had been removed. Hatred and prejudice Worldwide, the Ugandan anti-homosexuality act gained notoriety. It banned the ‘promotion of sodomy’ and punished ‘serious forms of homosexuality’ with life imprisonment. Homosexuals and lesbians, but especially transsexuals, have become outlaws since this law was passed. They are beaten up in the street and are no longer protected by the authorities. If they report abuse to the police they run the risk of being punished themselves. Adrian’s law rm, the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) could barely keep up with the ood of new clients after the law was adopted. The number of arrests, beatings, threats, evictions and deportations of LGBT tripled in a very short time. HRAPF represents the victims of this abuse and works behind the scenes on new legislation. Adrian’s opponents, however, are doing the same. The anti-homosexuality act was the result of a long hate campaign by fundamentalist Christians, led by American evangelicals with big budgets. Touting the Bible, they succeeded in stirring up large sections of the Ugandan population against anyone who is not like them. According to the preachers, homosexuals recruit young people, rape teenage boys and ‘do it’ with animals. They believe that human rights activists like Adrian Jjuuko are agents of the West, who want to replace God’s holy matrimony by a ‘culture of sexual licentiousness’. A ne line to walk In the summer of 2014 the anti-homosexuality act was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court in Uganda, in legal action taken by HRAPF and other organisations. Later that year President Museveni expressed concerns about the impact of the act for Uganda’s international position. Both events were a great victory for activists, but a favorable outcome is still far from evident. The MPs and lobby groups responsible for the rejected law immediately set about drafting a new version. Although the anti-homosexuality act has been struck down for now, the aggressive attitude of the Ugandan government and the population towards LGBT has barely changed. It is still extremely dangerous to openly defend the rights of LGBT, so HRAPF chooses not to do this directly but to speak out for human rights in general. It proved a successful strategy in the case against the anti-homosexuality act. Another danger Adrian and his colleagues have to be aware of constantly is their cooperation with Western governments and non-governmental organisations like Hivos. This cooperation makes their work possible and their voice stronger, but it also makes them vulnerable to criticism that their struggle is a Western one. Caught between two worlds Those who know Adrian know that he is driven by his conscience. He was ‘different’ once too; as an orphan he was constantly subjected to bullying and discrimination. He understands how unjust it is to be judged on things you have no control over. Rights should apply to everyone. In his ght for LGBT rights, Adrian translates words into deeds: he is not attracted to men but he will certainly defend them. His work can be lonely. Adrian has to balance between Western organisations and Ugandan authorities. He is a linkman between the gay movement and the rest of society. Nowhere does he truly feel at home and he is never completely safe, but Adrian is resolute and calm, like the eye of a storm. Although he is surrounded by the thick walls of his ofce, he will not hide away. Photography © Hivos | Edward Echwalu 209 029
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