Frank Mugisha

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Frank Mugisha (born 17 June 1979) is a Ugandan LGBT advocate who has won the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize for his activism. Along with Val Kalende, Victor Mukasa, and Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, Mugisha is one of the most prominent advocates for LGBT rights in Uganda.

Biography

Mugisha was born in a suburb of Kampala, Uganda. Raised in a strict Catholic family, he came out to his brother at age 14.^[1] Although his coming out estranged him from some family members, other friends and family have continued to support him.^[2]

While still at university in 2004, he founded Icebreakers Uganda, an organization created as a support network for LGBT Ugandans who are out or in the process of coming out to family and friends.^[3] Mugisha is now the executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an umbrella organization that consists of four groups, including Icebreakers Uganda.

Mugisha was close friends with fellow advocate and SMUG founder David Kato, who was murdered in January 2011 after successfully suing a tabloid named Rolling Stone for publishing the names of 100 LGBT Ugandans with an encouragement to "hang them".^[4]

Recognition

Mugisha was awarded the 2011 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and the 2011 Rafto Prize for his work pursuing LGBT rights in Uganda.^[5]^[6] He also received an honorary doctorate of the University of Ghent.^[7]

References

↑ Mugisha, Frank (22 December 2011). "Gay and Vilified in Uganda". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
↑ O'Bryan, Will (23 November 2011). "In Harm's Way: In the Face of Fierce Homophobia, Frank Mugisha Is the Face of Gay Uganda". MetroWeekly. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
↑ "Ugandan LGBTI rights activist Frank Mugisha to receive 2011 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award". Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
↑ "Court Affirms Rights of Ugandan Gays". Human Rights First. 4 January 22011. Retrieved 12 January 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
↑ "2011: Frank Mugisha, Uganda". Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
↑ "The 2011 Rafto Prize to Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and their leader Frank Mugisha". Rafto Foundation for Human Rights. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
↑ http://www.ugent.be/nl/actueel/nieuws/persberichten/eredoctor-intitutioneel-2013-mugisha.htm

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award laureates

CoMadres (1984)
Allan Boesak, Beyers Naudé, Winnie Mandela (1985)
Zbigniew Bujak, Adam Michnik (1986)
Kim Geun-tae, In Jae-keun (1987)
Gibson Kamau Kuria (1988)
Fang Lizhi (1989)
Amílcar Méndez Urízar (1990)
Avigdor Feldman, Raji Sourani (1991)
Chakufwa Chihana (1992)
Bambang Widjojanto (1993)
Wei Jingsheng, Ren Wanding (1994)
Kailash Satyarthi, Doan Viet Hoat, Nguyen Dan Que (1995)
Sezgin Tanrikulu, Senal Sarihan (1997)
Berenice Celeyta, Gloria Florez, Jaime Prieto Mendez, Mario Calixto (1998)
Michael Kpakala Francis (1999)
Martin Macwan (2000)
Darci Frigo (2001)
Loune Viaud (2002)
Coalition of Immokalee Workers (2003)
Delphine Djiraibe (2004)
Stephen Bradberry (2005)
Sonia Pierre (2006)
Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah (2007)
Aminatou Haidar (2008)
WOZA (2009)
Abel Barrera Hernández (2010)
Frank Mugisha (2011)
Librada Paz (2012)

Persondata
Name	Mugisha, Frank
Alternative names
Short description	Ugandan LGBT rights activist
Date of birth	17 June 1979
Place of birth	Kampala, Uganda
Date of death
Place of death

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