ANOTHER COUNTRY

[VOICES] Alex Hopkins tells the story of two men who have escaped Uganda, quite possibly the worst country in the world to live in if you're gay.

 

The young man’s body lies on the floor in the bathroom of a slum dwelling on the outskirts of a city in Uganda. The body does not move.  The hot air is filled with the toxic fumes from an old gas boiler. About an hour later there is a phone call to a leading gay rights activist. The young man has been rushed to hospital. By the time the activist reaches the scene the man, who was in his late 20s, is dead: Sam Odyiambo had taken his own life.

Meanwhile, in the city of Malmo in Sweden, a 24-year-old Ugandan man sits in
an internet cafe. For just over a month he has been living in the third most populous city in the country, yet he has rarely felt more alone. This young man, Sentongo, is gay. He now lives in a Swedish refugee camp. Neither of these men knew one another, but if they had met, they would have shared the bond of having been born in the most dangerous country in the world to be gay. If they had shared their stories they would have seen notable similarities. Their histories speak of systematic persecution, senseless violence, and a level of fear that it is almost impossible for Western LGBT people to imagine.

While the world waits to see if Uganda’s heinous anti-homosexuality bill is passed in the next parliamentary session, both of these men have escaped from their daily nightmare. For Sam Odyiambo, the pressure had simply become too much and he chose the only route to peace that he could envisage – a solitary death. Sentongo has been one of the fortunate few to escape to a country where he can finally stand a chance at grasping freedom. Yet his body and psyche bear the marks of one of the most brutal regimes the gay world has ever known...

‘My body is in a very bad way and is covered in scars from constant beatings,’ he confides from the small room he now shares with two Somalian refugees. ‘I am constantly weak and tired and spend my days sleeping and moving around as much as I can.’ Sentongo’s voice is soft and cautious and it takes him time to gather the courage to divulge his experiences. He has to keep his voice down in case his roommates come back. They do not know that he is gay and would turn on him if they knew. ‘Well, they are from Africa,’ he remarks sadly...

To read the rest of Alex Hopkin's revealing story, check out ISSUE 3: THE ART ISSUE of Out There magazine. On sale now.