Sports
Out and proud in Uganda
LGBT athletes find openness and obstacles in various sports
![Uganda Pride, gay news, Washington Blade](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2016/04/Apako_Williams_and_Jay_Mulucha_and_Mr_Pride_2015_at_Uganda_Pride_460x470_by_Katie_G_Nelson_used_with_permission.jpg)
![Uganda Pride, gay news, Washington Blade](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2016/04/Apako_Williams_and_Jay_Mulucha_and_Mr_Pride_2015_at_Uganda_Pride_insert_by_Katie_G_Nelson_used_with_permission.jpg)
From left are Apako Williams, Jay Mulucha and Mr. Pride 2015 at Uganda Pride. (Photo by Katie G. Nelson, used with permission)
Last year, the Washington Blade spotlighted United States lawyer Nate Freeman on his journey across Africa to raise awareness for LGBT rights through his Out in Africa Ride foundation.
Freeman is back in Africa to continue the work that was started on that ride. The obstacles for social change in the LGBT community in Africa are great, but Freeman has encountered a number of organizations fostering change on a grass-roots level.
Last year, he rode his bike from Cairo to Cape Town to meet with LGBT activists in 10 different countries. He now works in Kampala, Uganda for Human Rights Awareness and Promotions Forum, an organization that provides free legal aid services for LGBT people.
Those services include assisting LGBT people who have been arrested and training paralegals to represent LGBT people in their communities. Money raised from the Out in Africa Ride (outinafricaride.org) has funded a project to help LGBT non-profits comply with all the necessary legalities, such as registering the organization and instituting a proper board of directors.
Uganda criminalizes same-sex relationships and the environment for LGBT people there is difficult. A number of committed Ugandan activists are involved in important work to create a better environment for the future.
After Freeman settled into his work in Kamapala and began networking, he was pleasantly surprised to find a fledgling LGBT sports community in the area.
Organizations such as the Uganda Network for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Persons, FEM Alliance, Freedom and Roam Uganda and Sexual Minorities Uganda all have members and staff who are LGBT athletes. So far, Freeman has encountered LGBT athletes in the sports of rugby, basketball, soccer and swimming.
Warry Ssenfuka, executive director of Freedom and Roam Uganda, is also captain of the national Uganda womenās rugby team. She is openly lesbian and says that while many remain in the closet for fear of discrimination, the rugby world has become a safer place for the LGBT community. Although Ssenfuka has been attacked verbally, she usually ends up as friends with those who have criticized her.
āOur efforts are all about benefitting the communities and sports offer a huge opportunity for camaraderie,ā Freeman says. āGaining acceptance for LGBT people requires a multi-pronged approach and it will focus on the arts, business and sports in addition to the legal and health issues that the communities face.ā
Often times, it is just the āwhisperingsā of their sexual orientation or gender identities that set up the obstacles for the LGBT athletes and results in their teams being disbanded.
The soccer team has been shut down for a year though members are still playing pick-up and are looking to compete again. The Magic Stormers basketball team is now experiencing the same problems and the lack of sponsors has led to loss of court time, jerseys and good players.
Two members of the Magic Stormers, Apako Williams and Jay Mulucha, are trans men. Williams, executive director of the Uganda Network, and Mulucha, executive director of FEM Alliance, were victims of a hate crime several months ago perpetrated in a sports bar by fellow athletes.
Despite the attacks, Williams and Mulucha hope they can take a basketball team to compete in the 2018 Gay Games in Paris.
āIf we come out and show that we are strong,ā Mulucha says, āwe can encourage even those people in the LGBT community who have lost it all to have hope.ā
As a test case to pave the road to the Gay Games, Freeman is looking for an opportunity to send six swimmers to Edmonton, Canada for the International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics Championships in August.
He is being assisted by Williams and Mulucha, as well as by Diane Bakuraira, an administrator at Sexual Minorities Uganda who trained on the national Uganda swim team. Because she was gender non-conforming, she was never asked to compete in international competitions. For her, the world championships are an opportunity to increase visibility.
āThe world has low perceptions of LGBT people and of Africans,ā she says. āWe want to show that we can compete.ā
The idea for sending the swimmers is a long shot for two reasons: visas and funding.
LGBT Ugandans have had a difficult time getting visas to Canada in the past including a contingent of Ugandans who were invited to Toronto Pride in 2015. Freeman is hoping the Justin Trudeau government will be more open to granting visas and that the Ugandans can allay any fears about those who may seek asylum.
āāWe have identified a team of swimmers who we believe pose an extremely low risk of seeking asylum,ā Freeman says. āThese swimmers are all employed and well-connected members of the community who want to remain in Uganda with their families to fight for greater equality.ā
As for funding, Freeman has been in contact with a network of high-end donors in several U.S. cities who are interested in global LGBT issues. The problem facing the request for sports funding is that human rights organizations and health organizations are where donors usually offer their support.
āObviously I am advocating for all LGBT issues, but the law isnāt going to change here in the near future,ā Freeman says. āA big push for all of the issues would result from economic assistance and more visibility of the athletes.ā
He says the desire for visibility and openness is the same thing driving LGBT athlete all over the world.
āIn some ways, this is the reclamation of their own body by saying they can still use it to play athletics,ā says Freeman. āThe government and society canāt dictate what they do with their own bodies.ā
![Uganda Pride, gay news, Washington Blade](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2016/04/Nate_Freeman_and_Apako_Williams_and_Jay_Mulucha_and_Diane_Bakuraira_insert_courtesy_Nate_Freeman.jpg)
Top (l-r) Nate Freeman and Apako Williams; bottom (l-r) Jay Mulucha and Diane Bakuraira (Photo courtesy Freeman)
Sports
Every MLB team except this one celebrated Pride
Right-wingers react to ābacklashā against Rangers: āBullying is unacceptableā
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/MLB_Pride_logo_insert.jpg)
Once again, the Texas Rangers opted not to celebrate Pride last month with a dedicated day or night on its 2024 promotion schedule. And once again, the American League West team is the only Major League operation to do so.
This repeated omission by the reigning World Series champs has sparked what one conservative news site calls a āridiculous backlash.ā As the Washington Examinerās Kimberly Ross wrote this week:
āThere is no getting away from these ubiquitous celebrations. Instead of āto each his own,ā major league teams are nearly required to give in and perform in an effort to placate the loudest crowds. Itās not good enough to include everyone at all times. You must kowtow or else. This kind of bullying is unacceptable, and itās worth pushing back against whether youāre a regular citizen or the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers.ā
But the only evidence of the ābacklashā was a balanced report by Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press that appeared on the website of KSAT-TV in San Antonio, detailing the frustrations of local LGBTQ advocates and fans. His report was posted by the AP under the headline: āWhy are the Texas Rangers the only MLB team without a Pride Night?ā The virulently anti-trans British tabloid, the Daily Mail rehashed that same AP piece but added that LGBTQ groups were āFURIOUSā without substantiating that claim with a single quote.Ā
At most, DeeJay Johannessen, chief executive of the HELP Center, an LGBTQ organization based in Tarrant County, where the Rangers play, told the AP he felt ākind of embarrassed.ā The Daily Mail headline writer was apparently ākind ofā clickbaiting.
āIt’s kind of an embarrassment to the city of Arlington that their team is the only one that doesnāt have a Pride night,ā Johannessen said. Local advocate Rafael McDonnell said, āIt pains me that this remains an issue [after] all these years.ā
How painful? McDonnell told the AP he considered not attending the championship parade with his boyfriend when the Rangers celebrated their first World Series championship last fall. Ultimately, he decided to go. So much for āFURIOUS.ā
McDonnell is the communications and advocacy manager for the Resource Center, which is an organization that grew out of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. He added that his group has worked with the Rangers, at their invitation, to help them develop a policy of inclusion, starting about five years ago.
The team has sent employees to volunteer for programs supporting its efforts in advocating for marriage equality and transgender rights.
Although McDonnell said members of the Rangers staff keep in contact with him, he told the AP he canāt recall any conversations with the team since its five-game victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in last yearās World Series.
āFor a long time, Iāve thought that it might be somebody very high up in the organization who is opposed to this for some reason that is not clearly articulated,ā McDonnell said. āTo say that the Rangers arenāt doing anything for the community, well, they have. But the hill that they are choosing to stake themselves out on is no Pride night.ā
The Rangers did celebrate Mexican heritage during a game last month, and also host nights throughout the season dedicated to other groups as well as the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, first responders, teachers, and the military. The team also recognizes universities from around the Dallas-Fort Worth area and other parts of the Lone Star State. But not Pride.
Why? The Rangers issued a statement, very similar to one from 2023. It lists various organizations the team has sponsored and steps it has taken internally to ācreate a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment for fans and employees.ā
āOur longstanding commitment remains the same: To make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball ā in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do ā for both our fans and our employees,ā the team said. āWe deliver on that promise across our many programs to have a positive impact across our entire community.ā
āI think it’s a private organization,ā said Rangers fan Will Davis. āAnd if they don’t want to have it, I don’t think they should be forced to have it.ā Davis is from Marble Falls, about 200 miles southwest of the stadium in Central Texas and attended a recent game with his son’s youth baseball team.
āI think if it were something where MLB said, āWeāre not participating in this,ā but the MLB does participate in it. And the Rangers have chosen not to,ā said Rangers fan Misty Lockhart, who lives near told the ballpark. Lockhart told the AP she attends almost three dozen games every season. āI think that’s where I take the bigger issue, is they have actively chosen not to participate in it.ā
While Lockhart says she doesn’t see Pride night as a political issue, she suggested there would be more pressure on the Rangers if their stadium was downtown, in the heart of Dallas County, where the majority of elected officials are Democrats. Tarrant County, home to Arlington, Fort Worth and Global Life Stadium, is generally more conservative, just like the governor, lieutenant governor, legislature, and fans like Will Davis.
āIn something like this, this is a way for people to go as a state,ā Davis told the AP. āWe don’t want the political stuff shoved down our throats one way or the other, left or right. We’re coming out here to have a good time with friends or family and let it be.ā
Unfortunately, some Rangers fans decided they could not ālet it beā the one time the team welcomed local LGBTQ groups to a game as part of a fundraising event, as it does for other groups. This was in September 2003, two years after the Chicago Cubs hosted what is considered the first-ever Pride game. At that time, Rangers fans raged about the invitation on a website, and showed up to protest outside the stadium before that game.
The Rangers never extended that invitation again.
Sports
Haters troll official Olympics Instagram for celebrating gay athlete and boyfriend
Campbell Harrison clapped back at online trolls
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Campbell-Harrison-kisses-Justin-on-Instagram.png)
Olympian Campbell Harrison has already conquered an eating disorder, anxiety, depression, and disappointment for skipping the Tokyo Summer Games so he could support his older sister in her battle with cancer.
So, heās saying āno wuckaāsā (meaning, āno problemā in Aussie lingo) to the bigots, trolls, mongrels, and “drongos” (meaning, ādicksā and āfools,ā respectively) who plastered their disapproval in the comments of an Instagram post celebrating him as the first LGBTQ sport climber in Olympic history.
The post wasnāt even his; the official Olympics Instagram account shared pictures from his qualifying climb from November 2023, and tagged Harrison earlier this week.
āCelebration kiss for the ages ššā reads the caption. āAfter not making it to Tokyo 2020, Australian sport climber Campbell Harrison did not give up and four years later secured a quota spot for the Olympic Games #Paris2024. It was an emotional victory celebrated together with his partner, Justin.ā
Harrison, having seen the negative comments multiply, took them in stride with a snappy response that included a tag to his boyfriend, Justin Maire, whose account is private.
āAll these people mad cause we’re hotter than they are š,ā Harrison wrote.
Harrisonās mother, Yvette, shared her support: āI could not be more proud of you my beautiful son. You and Justin are such a beautiful couple and we love you both very much. š³ļøāššā¤ļøā
There were plenty of other supportive comments, and haters were called out, too: āI love all the people following the @Olympics page due to the Olympic spirit (among other values), who donāt see the irony of bashing an Olympic athlete because of who they love,ā wrote out travel writer and LGBTQ rights advocate Mikah Meyer.
The person managing the official Olympics Instagram account was asked to do a better job curating the comments, which were largely vitriolic and cruel. The account posted this plea: āLet’s keep our community positive ā¤ļø Please ensure your comments are respectful and avoid any language that could be offensive, or harmful to others. We reserve the right to remove comments that do not adhere to this guideline.ā
Gay Olympic champion diver Matthew Mitcham commented: ā15 years ago I kissed my partner on camera when I won in Beijing 2008. This one post by @olympics has received more hate than I did in my whole career.āĀ
Today is Harrisonās 28th birthday. He, his boyfriend and his mother recently spoke with Climbingās Holly Yu Tung Chen. She wrote:
āCampbell arrived in the world on June 28, 1997, screaming inconsolably. Unlike his three other siblings, who were all āpeaches and cream,ā said Yvette, baby Campbell was “squishy and cuddly, yes ā but he had a lot to say from the word go.”
āCampbell started climbing at age eight when Russell took the children to the Victorian Climbing Centre and noticed Campbellās immediate vigor. Itās the age-old climber tale: Campbell almost immediately lost interest in the other sports he dabbled in, including swimming, soccer, and track and field. All he wanted to do was climb.ā
Harrison told Climbing although he never actually ācame outā as gay, he never hid his sexuality, and simply made sure his parents and siblings knew who he was. For example, when he told the family heād be joining Climbing Cuties, an affinity group for queer climbers, they told him to have fun. On another occasion, Harrison let them know heād be taking part in a panel for queer climbers, and his parents asked if they could attend.
As for his boyfriend, Harrison told Climbing they met cute.
āIn the age where most people meet online, we had the classic story of catching each otherās eye from across the room,ā said Harrison. Maire told the reporter he recognized Campbell from social media, where the climber does not hide their relationship, and that often results in comments that his posts have āgotten too political.ā
āHow is that political?ā he asked, rhetorically, noting that most of the hateful comments he receives online come from Americans. āWhy should I change the way I feel just because of someone elseās perception of me?ā he said.
Last November, the only climber to top the menās finals route during the IFSC Oceania Qualifier in Melbourne was Harrison. Watching him ascend were his parents and boyfriend, as he clipped the final draw and collapsed inward, his hands covering his face as he was lowered down. He had punched his ticket to Paris with this win.
Once he was on the ground, Harrison made a beeline to Maire, where they hugged and kissed, as recorded on Instagram.
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2023/06/20230616_Pride_Night_OUT_at_the_Mystics_insert_23_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key.jpg)
The Washington Mystics will be having their upcoming Pride game on Saturday against the Dallas Wings.
The Mystics Pride game is one of the teamās theme nights they host every year, with Pride night being a recurring event. The team faced off against the Phoenix Mercury last June. Brittney Griner, who Russia released from a penal colony in December 2022 after a court convicted her of importing illegal drugs after customs officials at Moscowās Sheremetyevo Airport found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage, attended the game.Ā
Unlike the NBA, where there are currently no openly LGBTQ players, there are multiple WNBA players who are out. Mystics players Emily Englster, Brittney Sykes, and Stefanie Dolson are all queer.
The Mystics on June 1 acknowledged Pride Month in a post to its X account.
āCelebrating Pride this month and every month,ā reads the message.
Celebrating #Pride this month and every month š³ļøāšš«¶ pic.twitter.com/yFhDoggAVZ
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) June 1, 2024
The game is on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Entertainment and Sports Arena (1100 Oak Drive, S.E.). Fans can purchase special Pride tickets that come with exclusive Mystics Pride-themed jerseys.
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