Julius Kaggwa

Julius Kaggwa is a prominent Ugandan intersex^[1] and transgender activist and executive director of intersex support organization Support Initiative for People with atypical sex Development (SIPD).^[2][3] In 2010, Kaggwa was a joint winner of the Human Rights First Human Rights Award.^[4][5] The following year, he was a joint winner of the Human Rights Defenders Award.^[6]

Julius Kaggwa
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.
Born	Uganda
Occupation	Executive Director of Support Initiative for People with atypical sex Development
Known for	Intersex and transgender activist
Website	sipduganda.org

Activism

Kaggwa campaigns on health, support and human rights issues facing intersex people,^[7] and also gender non-conforming people, and against the Ugandan "Anti-homosexuality" Bill.^[8][9]

Kaggwa has described how intersex infants may be mutilated or terminated due to the stigma surrounding their birth, and mothers may be stigmatized.^[10] SIPD aims to change cultural attitudes, and support appropriate medical care.^[10] Intersex conditions are viewed as a medical issue, in contrast to homosexuality,^[10] but as a committed Christian, Kaggwa argues that violence and discrimination against LGBT people is incompatible with his faith.^[11] In 2016, Kaggwa described how increasing discrimination against LGBT people in Uganda has contributed to a lack of safety for intersex people.^[12]

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.^[13]

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.^[6]

Selected bibliography

• Kaggwa, Julius (October 9, 2016). "Understanding intersex stigma in Uganda". Intersex Day. Retrieved 2016-10-26.
• Kaggwa, Julius (2016-09-16). "I'm an intersex Ugandan – life has never felt more dangerous". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
• Kaggwa, Julius (August 24, 2012). "Life's No Play, But Certain Characters' Voices Are Heard Loud and Clear in Uganda". The Huffington Post. The World Post. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
• Kaggwa, Julius (April 18, 2010). "Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill Doubly Endangers LGBT Community and Human Rights Activists". The Huffington Post. The World Post. Retrieved 2015-07-20.

References

1. Kaggwa, Julius (2016-09-16). "I'm an intersex Ugandan – life has never felt more dangerous". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
2. "Press Release – For Immediate Release Kampala, Human Rights defenders call for action to protect Intersex Children and people in Uganda". SIPD Uganda. December 9, 2014. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
3. "Our Team". SIPD Uganda. 2014. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
4. . Human Rights First. October 21, 2010. Archived from the original on 2015-07-04. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
5. "Julius Kaggwa: 2010 Human rights award honoree". ILGA. December 14, 2011. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
6. "Winners of the Human Rights Defenders Award". United States Department of State. May 18, 2012. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
7. "How do you cope if you're born with an ambiguous gender?". BBC World Service. September 12, 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
8. Middleton, Josh (June 13, 2013). "5 Questions with Ugandan Trans Activist Julius Kaggwa". Phillymag.com. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
9. "Ugandan advocate shares experiences at trans conference". Philadelphia Gay News. June 20, 2013. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
10. Richter, Ruthann (March 4, 2014). "In Uganda, offering support for those born with indeterminate sex". Stanford Medicine.
11. Kaggwa, Julius (August 24, 2012). "Life's No Play, But Certain Characters' Voices Are Heard Loud and Clear in Uganda". The Huffington Post. The World Post. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
12. Kaggwa, Julius (2016-09-16). "I'm an intersex Ugandan – life has never felt more dangerous". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
13. . Human Rights First. October 21, 2010. Archived from the original on 2015-07-04. Retrieved 2015-07-20.