Bombastic - an LGBTI magazine from Uganda

"We live in a life of fear" is how Vincent, a Ugandan activist, describes the plight of Ugandan LGBTI (lesbian, gay, sexual, transgender and intersex) people in Uganda. "You don't know what the neighbors are thinking about you, today you may be laughing with him, tomorrow he may be the person who will attack you," Vincent said.

Sarah Jackson, East Africa regional director for the rights group, Amnesty International, told DW "there has been a real rise in discrimination, in harassment and in violence" of LGBTI people in Uganda last year.

LGBTI people can't expect any protection from the authorities. Homosexual acts between men have been punishable by law in Uganda since 1950 and between women since the year 2000. Vincent said many of his friends have fled to neighboring Kenya. "People don't feel safe, it's not the government that makes them feel insecure, it's the rage of citizens," he said.

Breaking new ground with Bombastic

In a bid to try and counter homophobia rampant in her country, Ugandan human rights activist Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera started Bombastic magazine. She persuaded Vincent to join her on the editorial staff. There is a permanent team of five, supported by 35 freelancers.

Most of the Ugandan media pursue hate campaigns against gays and lesbians depicting them as being bereft of cultural or religious values. "The media do not let us - LGBTI - put across our own points of view," Vincent said. "We want to talk to the population and inform them."

The first edition of Bombastic appeared in December 2014 and was called "Our Voices, our Stories, our Lives." The cover showed a man's face with a glittering mask and feathers and inside were 69 pages of personal accounts LGBTI Ugandans had written about their own lives, often anonymously.

The need to share one's experiences with others was so great that not all of the articles that had been submitted could be published, Vincent told DW. Almost every account tells of exclusion and despair, but the self-confidence and pride of the contributors shines through their writing nonetheless. There is also criticism of Uganda's homophobic society by heterosexual academics and priests.

"My understanding is that these are attempts to really try and humanize some of these issues and to show the people behind the prejudice," Amnesty International's Sarah Jackson said of the magazine.

The first edition of Bombastic had a print run of 15,000. It is available free of charge in hospitals, churches, supermarkets, gas stations, and from NGOs. The editorial team also sent copies to President Yoweri Museveni, all ministries and every member of parliament. In addition, there have already been 30,000 downloads online from the Kuchu Times server.

The first reaction from the Ugandan political establishment came from Simon Lokodo, state minister for ethics and integrity. He warned Bombastic of possible arrests.

Threat to media fredooms

The risks that members of the Bombastic team are running are considerable. "There have been threats and targeted attempts at intimidation on the part of the government, but at the end of the day it is our duty to do our job," said Vincent. It was clear to him from the very beginning that they would be confronted with one obstacle after another. "Everybody wants to know when the next edition is going to appear. Bombastic is supposed to be published once every six months, but at the moment we are suffering from a lack of funds," he said.

As well as financial problems, there could soon be fresh legal difficulties as well. New tougher legislation could seriously interfere with the publication of Bombastic or even make it impossible, Jackson said.

"There is a new bill which is known as the 'Promotion of Unnatural Sexual Practices.' It could have implications for publishing, for broadcasting, for freedom of expression and essentially it could impact on any organizations working on public health issues around same sex relationships. There would be huge implications for individuals who are LGBTI, individuals who are perceived to be LGBTI, and also for the broader civil society and public health movement in Uganda," Jackson said.

The Bombastic editorial team was therefore under huge pressure to publish its first edition before the new legislation passed into law. An anti-gay law was removed from the statute book on a legal technicality in August 2014 - after being in force for six months - but a new draft bill was introduced in December 2014 as yet another attempt to step up discrimination of Uganda's gays and lesbians.

But the future of the draft bill is uncertain. "Museveni has drawn parliament's attention to a warning from the United States that the bill could have an impact on Uganda's economic development," Jackson said. Such curbs and regulations frighten off investors, who find them extremely unsettling. However, 2016 is an election year in Uganda and in view of the prevailing climate of opinion among the population, the passing of the bill would increase Museveni's chances of being re-elected.

"The rest of Africa is watching the draft bill's progress in Uganda very closely. Uganda's decision will have far-reaching consequences for the continent. "Countries in the region could follow Uganda's example and also pass legislation against LGBTI people," Jackson said.

Meanwhile the Bombastic editorial team are preparing for the possible consequences of the new legislation. "We expect the legislation anytime soon," said Vincent. But he refuses to be discouraged.

"What we have to do is stand up and fight, because even if you run away, these people won't run away, but if we stand and fight them then their attitudes will change."