Pepe Julian Onziema

Pepe Julian Onziema
Born (1980-11-30) November 30, 1980 (age 43)[1]
Uganda
Occupations

Pepe Julian Onziema (born November 30, 1980) is a Ugandan LGBT rights and human rights activist.[2] He began his human rights work in 2003.[3][4]

Onziema is the Director of Programs at Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an LGBTI advocacy organization.[5][6] SMUG provides research, documentation, and evidence to advocate for policy change in Uganda.[5] They also provide LGBT+ members with safety and protection from discriminatory hate crimes.[5]

In 2012, he was named a Global Citizen by the Clinton Global Initiative for his work in human rights advocacy.[7]

In 2014, Onziema formed a coalition of 55 Ugandan civil society organizations to protect LGBT rights in the country.[8] That year, UK-based charity Stonewall named Onziema Hero of the Year.[9]

A trans man, he has participated in organizing LGBT pride celebrations in Uganda.[10]

As of 2019, Onziema has been arrested or detained seven times,[8] incurring violence in which he lost hearing in his left ear and needed to be hospitalized.[11][8]

  1. ^ "Pepe Julian Onziema". Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  2. ^ When Elephants Fight, the Grass Suffers: Interview with Gay Rights Activist Pepe Julian Onziema, by Daniella Zalcman, at the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting; published April 14, 2014; retrieved July 3, 2014
  3. ^ LGBTI - making love a crime Archived 2016-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, at Amnesty International USA; published June 25, 2013; retrieved July 3, 2014
  4. ^ Interview with civil society activist: Pepe Julian Onziemam, at Civicus.org; published May 1, 2011; retrieved July 3, 2014
  5. ^ a b c Pepe Julian Onziema, Program Director SMUG, retrieved May 17, 2023
  6. ^ Pride 2022 - Pepe Onziema, retrieved May 17, 2023
  7. ^ 2012 Clinton Global Citizen Awards Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, at the Clinton Global Initiative; published 2012; retrieved July 3, 2014
  8. ^ a b c Bambury, Brent (October 4, 2019). "Ugandan LGBT activist says threats and violence won't stop the fight for civil rights". CBC Radio. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  9. ^ Stonewall’s hero of the year award goes to Pepe Julian Onziema, by Alexandra Topping, at the Guardian, by Alexandra Topping; published November 7, 2014; retrieved November 11, 2014
  10. ^ Why Gay Pride Celebrations In Uganda Were Discreet, by Gregory Warner, at WBUR-FM/National Public Radio; published August 5, 2013; retrieved July 3, 2014
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).