From Whispers to Roaring: 20+ Years of Queer Organizing in Uganda

What does queer liberation actually look like?

Join Pepe Onziema as we embark on a profound journey through two decades of LGBTIQ+ organizing in Uganda—a story of courage forged in shadows, visibility claimed against all odds, and joy that refused to be silenced.

In this first episode, Pepe takes us from the fragile, coded whispers of the late 1990s and early 2000s—when queer community meant meeting in backyards and bars, earning trust one friend at a time—to the revolutionary moment of August 16, 2007, when masked faces dared to speak the words: Gay Ugandans exist.

We'll witness the movement's evolution through pivotal moments: from the iconic first pride march at Lake Victoria in 2012, to courtroom battles against tabloids and oppressive laws, to the personal costs paid by community members like David Cato. Along the way, we'll explore how external support transformed grassroots collective care into professionalization, and how survival organizing became a dream of freedom.

This is a story of whispers becoming roars, of fear transforming into fierce joy, and of a community refusing to disappear.

Listen in to understand: Where did we come from? How far have we come? And what does liberation truly mean?

The Legacy Pulse returns with stories, lessons, and a heartbeat that refuses to stop.