BOMBASTIC COVER PHOTO FEMALE TO MALE TRANSGENDER Our Voices, Our Stories, Our Lives © 2015 Having our goals and vision clearly embedded at the back of our minds has been one of the factors FROM THE EDITOR that has kept us strong to continue with this work even amidst Uganda’s hostile environment. We will not stop until we have reached each Ugandan and spread the right information regarding LGBTI persons as it is not fair for them to have one sided information that is not even close to the truth. I would wholeheartedly like to thank all the people that have worked tirelessly to have this issue out on time. The people who so generously donated their money for the development and printing of the magazine, we are forever indebted to you. The Kuchu Times team that spent sleepless nights to make sure the magazine was up to standard, thank you very much and of course all the readers, followers Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera and supporters of Kuchu Times and Bombastic, we would not be able to do this without you. Greetings our esteemed readers, This Edition of Bombastic covers different topics from Transgender, religion, human rights, parenting Mbalamusizza nnyo mwenna mu biti byammwe to sports among many others. We hope everyone It is with great excitement and pride that I present to can find a piece to relate to; one that will give them you the second edition of Bombastic Magazine. The enormous hope to hang on in spite of what they articles carried herein are not fictional- they are the might be dealing with. Times are quickly changing and we must help our societies change with them; I lives of several Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender believe that everyone should have a right to be who and Intersex Ugandans. People, like you and I, who they are and not be judged for it and hopefully with have been stigmatized for so long are now opening this magazine, more people will adapt this belief up and sharing their lives with the world like never too. The online version can be accessed from our before. online media platform which also has a television The first issue of Bombastic, published and and Radio. Join the more than 2million viewers to distributed in December 2014 and more copies given keep updated about our work. out in July 2015 evoked emotions and responses we I wish you all great reading and do not forget to get never even dreamed of. People reached out to us to back to us with your reactions and comments avail them with more information on LGBTI issues and noted that most were anti LGBTI simply because FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY all the information handed down to them made our Aluta Continua community out to be nothing but immoral and out to get their children. We had parents asking us how best they could mend their relationships with their LGBTI identifying children and others inquiring how they could help their children cope with the stigma that comes with Editor In Chief being a sexual and gender minority in Uganda. On the whole, we achieved what we set out to do and Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera attitudes are changing gradually. Communications Director On the downside, we experienced a number of obstacles especially during the distribution of the Jannet Lisa magazine. The Minister of Ethics and Integrity Fr. [email protected] Simon Lokodo on several occasions threatened to have us arrested and even said he would have all the Administration Director published copies burnt. Some of our field volunteers Muganzi Ruth were also apprehended and others intimidated but none of that stopped them from resiliently going [email protected] ahead with the task at hand. Programs Director Chanel [email protected] TRANSGENDER TRANSGENDER realized the oddity of our family. But it was I WON’T APOLOGISE FOR my family. It was the family that accepted BEING ME my own oddity. I was a very girly By Cleo Kambugu kid growing up I remember my When I was approached by the not lack but learnt from an early it came to me. mother being called Bombastic magazine team to be age to appreciate the fact that to my kindergarten However my mother made sure the main feature of this year’s money was a visitor and ought because I refused to clearly translate my father’s edition, I was flabbergasted to be respected when he came to play with toy cars sentiments into physical terms. and torn to pieces about what I by. We were constantly reminded like other boys and She was a woman of the whip. would have to say to the readers that the world owed us nothing was scrambling for She did not speak much because or where I would get the time to and anything good that would dolls. That evening words served no purpose. Her write. You see, I haven’t written in come out of our lives would be she bought me a sentiments could only be a long time, and that can leave out of hard work not because we Barbie doll with transcribed into painful lashes. anyone pretty rusty. And for me, were born with a silver spoon in golden long hair and She did not have a designated writing is not something that I can our mouths. We were taught that pink dresses. Very area to apply her strokes; it will at my pleasure, it comes to life would be full of many ups and soon I would start to was all over the body. Keeping me and the words come crushing down, and the test of our maturity emulate my choice quiet as she administered her onto the page like a wave. That’s and resilience would be how we of clothes with medicine meant defiance and why I have been procrastinating dealt with the deserts because my dolls’ clothes. stubbornness, the more you doing my autobiography for the they would come in legion. Oddly enough, I do turned the more she whipped, longest time; the time and the not remember any We were taught to value and so you had to scream, yell, and determination to see it through one questioning respect the people we met on beg for forgiveness. It was only have just never come. my choice of our way up because we would then that she would understand clothes, and my very I have been scratching my head, meet them on our way down. But that you felt remorseful and feminine demeanor. trying to look for the words-so most of all, our father valued and understood your fault. It was the Every so often, I that they can come out right, so he gave us an education. We did only way for her to understand was complemented that my message could make an not go to the best of schools, and that you felt the pain you caused about my legs impact. When someone puts me were not able to afford all the her. and beauty and on a pedestal then all of a sudden niceties that some kids could but compared with I fall into this perfectionist mode we were able to go to school. I was a hard headed kid growing my sister. I also where nothing I want to say up; they used to call me Dennis remember that they seems right or good enough. But It was not an option, whether you the menace. I would often find used to call me girl’s I will tell the story of my life … wanted to go to school or not. myself in some sort of mischief, here here here here Phototext text text text By Your Your Your Your Eddie Mokaya None on Recnrd name. It wasn’t out of ridicule; my life! At the end of every school term, and she made sure to remind we would queue up to give him me of my flaws. But she was a they really likened me to a girl. kids who are glued to the silver were divided. I guess it is at this I was born in a small Kampala our reports. It was a ceremony loving mother, and I have come In Primary school, I was called screen. But the games we played moment that I remember my suburb called Bakuli, in a marked with tears and laughter to appreciate her even more as an a boy girl and had the weirdest were played by both boys and world crushing and I felt lost. polygamous family of twelve depending of course on what adult. I now know that her canes of relationships with my friends girls alike. The world asked me to choose. It children. Though my father had your report card had. My father were not because she hated us. My who were boys. They were not wasn’t much of an option really, sired children from different was not a violent man so he mother had three kids- me being sexual but they were always oddly as it asked me to conform more women, it was his wish that all never whipped or spanked us at the middle born, my older sister protective of me, and I loved it. I There was no wrong in a boy to boyhood, a gender I didn’t his children grew up together school or at home. He however and younger brother. Though did not have so many friends who playing salamia or skipping the really relate with. Though I still in one home, and knew each made you appreciate and ponder we weren’t many, I guess it was were boys though.