Embedded Files
Above: A powerful moment captured at the refugee camp in Kenya, before some of our community members relocated to South Sudan. Around 100 LGBTQIA+ community members — including men, women, and children — stand together in courage and solidarity. In the background are humble shelters and rainbow flags, symbols of hope, identity, and equality. This gathering reflects our shared resilience, unity, and the ongoing struggle for freedom, safety, and human rights across East Africa. All faces in this photo, like others on this page, have been blurred for safety.
About
About
We work to protect human dignity, challenge discrimination, and build a future where every queer person can live freely, proudly, and without fear
We work to protect human dignity, challenge discrimination, and build a future where every queer person can live freely, proudly, and without fear
Our mission is to create safe, inclusive, and empowering spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals across East Africa through support, advocacy, and visibility. We work to protect human dignity, challenge discrimination, and build a future where every queer person can live freely, proudly, and without fear by offering emergency shelter, protection, HIV/AIDS support, and long-term support for LGBTQIA+ individuals fleeing violence and discrimination.
Above: A vibrant moment from the 2022 Pride Parade at Kakuma Refugee Camp, where LGBTQIA+ refugees came together to celebrate love, identity, and resilience. In the center, a participant dressed in a rainbow suit proudly holds the Ugandan flag, surrounded by fellow community members and colorful Pride flags. Despite the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ refugees, this celebration radiates hope, courage, and the unshakable spirit of freedom.
Freedom Spectrum of East Africa is a grassroots initiative led by displaced LQBTQIA+ people in South Sudan near Gorom Camp and Juba and in Kenya at Kakuma Camp. The initiative is also supported by a small international team of volunteers in Denmark and the United States.
Together, we're working together to organize and support a community of nearly 470 LGBTQIA+ refugees, including children, living in South Sudan near Gorom Camp and Juba in Kenya at Kakuma Camp.
We're applying for fiscal sponsorship to formalize operations, access more funding opportunities, and expand our capacity to provide necessities, safety, and long-term support. Donations are not tax deductible at this time.
Above: Lesbian-led families gather beneath the Pride flag at Kakuma Refugee Camp, joined by children and fellow LGBTQIA+ community members. Despite the challenges of displacement and discrimination, the image reflects unity, care, and the strength of families living through hardship. It’s a moment of togetherness and shared responsibility in the ongoing effort to build a safer and more inclusive future.
From Kakuma to Gorom in search of safety
From Kakuma to Gorom in search of safety
The following is the account from one of Freedom Spectrum for East Africa's community organizers. To protect his safety, we're using the pseudonym, Malik, to refer to him.
One day, UNHCR told us the words we had feared the most: 'There is no adequate protection for LGBTIQA+ refugees in Kenya. If you want safety, you will have to look elsewhere.'
One day, UNHCR told us the words we had feared the most: 'There is no adequate protection for LGBTIQA+ refugees in Kenya. If you want safety, you will have to look elsewhere.'
I still remember the day we realized Kenya was no longer safe for us.
We were LGBTIQA+ refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp, already running from persecution in our home countries. We had come to Kenya hoping to find protection, dignity, and maybe even the chance to rebuild our lives.
But instead, we were met with violence, insults, and constant threats. Every day felt like a fight to stay alive. Many of us reported attacks to the authorities and to UNHCR, but little changed.
One day, UNHCR told us the words we had feared the most: “There is no adequate protection for LGBTIQA+ refugees in Kenya. If you want safety, you will have to look elsewhere.”
It felt like a door slamming shut. We realized no one was coming to save us.
We live each day in fear, always looking over our shoulders, never sure what tomorrow will bring.
We live each day in fear, always looking over our shoulders, never sure what tomorrow will bring.
Some of us managed to raise enough money for transport. Others had nothing — not even bus fare. Many stayed behind in Kakuma, either too scared to travel or too poor to leave. With heavy hearts, we said our goodbyes, unsure if we would ever see each other again.
We decided to move to Gorom Refugee Settlement in South Sudan, believing it would be safer. But the moment we arrived, reality hit us hard.
Gorom was not the sanctuary we hoped for. The homophobia here is even worse. Local people threaten to kill us simply because of who we are.
We live each day in fear, always looking over our shoulders, never sure what tomorrow will bring.
We dream of a place where being LGBTIQA+ is not a death sentence, but simply part of being human.
We dream of a place where being LGBTIQA+ is not a death sentence, but simply part of being human.
And yet… there is one thing keeping us going: hope.
We’ve been told there might be a chance for resettlement to safer countries — places where we can finally live in freedom, where love is not a crime, and where we can heal from the trauma we carry.
For now, we wait. We hope. We survive one day at a time — for ourselves, for the friends we left behind in Kenya, and for the future we dream of a place where being LGBTIQA+ is not a death sentence, but simply part of being human.
How to help
How to help
GoFundMe will convert our goals and your gift to your local currency.
Support financially
Support financially
Please support us on GoFundMe or email us to learn how to send funds directly to community organizers on the ground.
LGBTQIA+ refugees in East Africa are facing severe discrimination, displacement, and barriers to basic needs such as food, safety, housing, healthcare, education, and employment.
By contributing financially, you're providing critical support, emergency relief, and long-term opportunities for resilience and empowerment.
Above: At Kakuma Refugee Camp, Malik (an alias), a gay community organizer, stands beside a lesbian mother shortly after she gave birth, offering essential supplies and emotional support. The moment reflects the care, solidarity, and shared responsibility that sustain the LGBTQIA+ refugee community in the face of daily hardship.
Above: A group of LGBTQIA+ community members stands together holding a large rainbow Pride flag — a symbol of solidarity and visibility. Many carry colorful packages of mosquito nets, distributed as part of a community-led health initiative. The group appears serious and united, with one person at the front raising a fist, a gesture often associated with strength and advocacy. The background is open sky.
Above: Two LGBTQIA+ community members stand outside near a shelter, holding a large yellow package of maize flour together. Around them are several boxes and bags of food supplies, including flour, maize meal, cooking oil, and other essentials. This scene captures a community-led donation effort, where relief items are being shared among members. The two individuals look directly at the camera, reflecting a moment of solidarity and shared responsibility. Faces in this photo, like all others on this page, have been blurred for safety.
Volunteer with us!
Volunteer with us!
We could use your help with enhancing this website, strategic planning, accounting, budgeting and much more! If you have skills to or time share please get in touch with us at support@freedomspectrumofeastafrica.org.
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