“My name is Kwesigabo Simon a total orphan. Am 22 years old born in masaka district in central Uganda and am a gay man.
On the 11th of September 2012, me and my boyfriend were in our rental room having sex then one of the neighbors in the next door heard our screams while having sex. He had always suspected me and my boyfriend being gay. On hearing the screams, he immediately to kalisizo police station and on the way there he went alarming neighbors on the village that he heard us having sex. He then came with all villagers and police right to our door and they knocked it. We didn’t open it which forced the police to kick it inside. Police found us all naked and threw all of us out thus handcuffing us. Immediately the mob started beating us with stones and sticks with nails saying that we were curses and needed to be killed. Later alone police took us away through the whole village naked dragging us in stones which pierced our bodies thus causing severe bleeding. No first aid was given to us and the police threw us in the cells. They told inmates that we were gay, the inmates started beating us until sleep took them over. I thank God that I didn’t die because the pain was too much. On the next day at 10am we were taken to hospital since we were in a critical condition. When we reached the hospital, the doctor who came to work on us was my former boyfriend who felt pity for me.

Police never minded guarding us in the hospital because they knew we were half dead. At 12am when the doctor was leaving work he told me and my boyfriend that he was not going to lock the back door and if any of us has the strength can escape and run away. He gave us pain killers to use on or way. We ran away and when we reached a place where no one knew us we separated. I ran to mbarara and after seven months as I was walking in town one person asked me “you gay you are still alive?” I thought you were dead. I then escaped the next morning and fled to Kampala city where I reside now. The scars are still paining me that sometimes I can’t go to work. That is my story of survival.”

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