Julius Kaggwa
{{Short description|Ugandan intersex activist}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Julius Kaggwa
|image = Hillary Rodham Clinton with 2011 Human Rights Defender Award recipients.jpg
|image_size =
|caption = U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton poses for a photo with recipients of the U.S. State Department’s 2011 Human Rights Defender Award including Julius Kaggwa in Kampala, Uganda on August 3, 2012.
|birth_name =
|birth_date =
|birth_place = Uganda
|occupation = Executive Director of Support Initiative for People with atypical sex Development
|known_for = Intersex and transgender activist
|website = [http://sipduganda.org sipduganda.org]
}}
Julius Kaggwa is a prominent Ugandan intersex{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/16/intersex-ugandan-lgbt-gay-rights-life-never-felt-more-dangerous|title=I'm an intersex Ugandan – life has never felt more dangerous|last=Kaggwa|first=Julius|date=2016-09-16|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-08-15|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} and transgender activist and executive director of intersex support organization Support Initiative for People with atypical sex Development (SIPD).{{cite web |url=http://sipduganda.org/press-release-for-immediate-release-kampalahuman-rights-defenders-call-for-action-to-protect-intersex-children-and-people-in-uganda/ |title= Press Release – For Immediate Release Kampala, Human Rights defenders call for action to protect Intersex Children and people in Uganda |author= |date=December 9, 2014 |website= |publisher=SIPD Uganda |access-date=2015-07-20 |quote=}}{{cite web |url=http://sipduganda.org/our-team/ |title= Our Team |author= |date= 2014 |website= |publisher=SIPD Uganda |access-date=2015-07-20 |quote=}} In 2010, Kaggwa was a joint winner of the Human Rights First Human Rights Award.{{cite web |url=http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/event/2010-human-rights-award-dinner |title=2010 Human Rights Award Dinner |author= |date=October 21, 2010 |website= |publisher=Human Rights First |access-date=2015-07-20 |quote= |archive-date=2015-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704154032/http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/event/2010-human-rights-award-dinner |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://ilga.org/julius-kaggwa-2010-human-rights-award-honoree/ |title=Julius Kaggwa: 2010 Human rights award honoree |author= |date=December 14, 2011 |website= |publisher=ILGA |access-date=2015-07-20 |quote=}} The following year, he was a joint winner of the Human Rights Defenders Award.
Activism
Kaggwa campaigns on health, support and human rights issues facing intersex people,{{cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p047mtl4 | title = How do you cope if you're born with an ambiguous gender? | work = BBC World Service | date = September 12, 2016 | accessdate = 2016-09-17}} and also gender non-conforming people, and against the Ugandan "Anti-homosexuality" Bill.{{cite web |url=http://www.phillymag.com/g-philly/2013/06/13/ugandan-civil-rights-leader-phillys-lgbt-equality-bill-fight-rights-country/ |title=5 Questions with Ugandan Trans Activist Julius Kaggwa |last1=Middleton |first1=Josh |date=June 13, 2013 |work=Phillymag.com |access-date=2015-07-20}}{{cite web |url=http://www.epgn.com/news/local/6081-22941639-ugandan-advocate-shares-experiences-at-trans-conference |title=Ugandan advocate shares experiences at trans conference |author= |date=June 20, 2013 |work=Philadelphia Gay News |access-date=2015-07-20 |quote=}}
Kaggwa has described how intersex infants may be mutilated or terminated due to the stigma surrounding their birth, and mothers may be stigmatized. SIPD aims to change cultural attitudes, and support appropriate medical care.{{Cite web| last = Richter| first = Ruthann| title = In Uganda, offering support for those born with indeterminate sex | work = Stanford Medicine| date = March 4, 2014| url = http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2014/03/04/in-uganda-offering-support-for-those-born-with-indeterminate-sex/}} Intersex conditions are viewed as a medical issue, in contrast to homosexuality, but as a committed Christian, Kaggwa argues that violence and discrimination against LGBT people is incompatible with his faith.{{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/julius-kaggwa/uganda-lgbti-rights_b_1821740.html |title=Life's No Play, But Certain Characters' Voices Are Heard Loud and Clear in Uganda |last1=Kaggwa |first1=Julius |date=August 24, 2012 |work= The Huffington Post |publisher=The World Post |access-date=2015-07-20}} In 2016, Kaggwa described how increasing discrimination against LGBT people in Uganda has contributed to a lack of safety for intersex people.{{Cite news| issn = 0261-3077| last = Kaggwa| first = Julius| title = I'm an intersex Ugandan – life has never felt more dangerous| work = The Guardian | accessdate = September 16, 2016| date = 2016-09-16| url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/16/intersex-ugandan-lgbt-gay-rights-life-never-felt-more-dangerous}}
Awards and recognition
In 2010, Kaggwa was a joint winner of the Human Rights First 2010 Human Rights Award for his work leading the fight against an anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda, and helping to create a more tolerant environment for sexual minorities.{{cite web |url=http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/event/2010-human-rights-award-dinner |title=2010 Human Rights Award Dinner |author= |date=October 21, 2010 |website= |publisher=Human Rights First |access-date=2015-07-20 |quote= |archive-date=2015-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704154032/http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/event/2010-human-rights-award-dinner |url-status=dead }}
As a member of Uganda’s Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law, Kaggwa was a joint winner in the Human Rights Defenders Award, 2011.{{cite web |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/05/190315.htm |title=Winners of the Human Rights Defenders Award |author= |date=May 18, 2012 |website= |publisher=United States Department of State |access-date=2015-07-20 |quote=}}
Selected bibliography
- {{Cite web| last = Kaggwa| first = Julius| title = Understanding intersex stigma in Uganda| work = Intersex Day| accessdate = 2016-10-26| date = October 9, 2016| url = http://intersexday.org/en/understanding-stigma-uganda/}}
- {{Cite news| issn = 0261-3077| last = Kaggwa| first = Julius| title = I'm an intersex Ugandan – life has never felt more dangerous| work = The Guardian | accessdate = September 16, 2016| date = 2016-09-16| url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/16/intersex-ugandan-lgbt-gay-rights-life-never-felt-more-dangerous}}
- {{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/julius-kaggwa/uganda-lgbti-rights_b_1821740.html |title=Life's No Play, But Certain Characters' Voices Are Heard Loud and Clear in Uganda |last1=Kaggwa |first1=Julius |date=August 24, 2012 |work= The Huffington Post |publisher=The World Post |access-date=2015-07-20}}
- {{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/julius-kaggwa/ugandan-anti-homosexualit_b_463810.html |title=Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill Doubly Endangers LGBT Community and Human Rights Activists |last1=Kaggwa |first1=Julius |date=April 18, 2010 |work= The Huffington Post |publisher=The World Post |access-date=2015-07-20}}