Debunque It Episode 12: Uganda’s Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights and Global Solidarity with Richard Lusimbo

In this episode of Debunque It, host Andrea Houston speaks with Richard Lusimbo, Director General of the Uganda Key Populations Consortium (UKPC), about the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, HIV care, and human dignity in one of the most hostile environments on earth. Uganda made international headlines in 2023 when it passed one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws, criminalizing identity itself and escalating decades of state-sponsored homophobia. Richard shares how this law has reshaped daily life for LGBTQ+ communities, sex workers, and people living with HIV, while exposing the devastating impact of U.S. funding cuts and far-right influence on global health and human rights. We discuss the realities of raids, arrests, mob violence, online harassment, and shrinking international solidarity—and how queer and trans Ugandans are courageously organizing, resisting, and building resilience. Richard’s story is a powerful reminder that the struggle for equality must be international, intersectional, and deeply rooted in solidarity.

You can learn more about UKPC here: https://ugandakpc.org/