“Today, safety means sleeping without fear of a knock on the door,” Steven says.
Steven didn’t leave Uganda with a plan. He left with the knowledge that staying would cost him his life.
In 2024, Steven survived a brutal knife attack — an attempt to silence him for speaking out against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 (AHA 2023) and for demanding equal rights for LGBTQI+ people. “It became clear that staying in my home country was a death sentence,” he says. “So I had to leave everything behind to survive.”
Today, Steven lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. But the safety he is building now came at an immense cost, forced by laws that have made existence itself dangerous for LGBTQI+ people and the activists who defend them.
Long before he was forced to flee, Steven was already known as a visible activist, working to amplify LGBTQI+ voices and challenge state-sanctioned violence and discrimination. That visibility made him a target, but it also connected him to a global community.
“As an activist on the ground in Uganda, I was well aware of Rainbow Railroad’s transformative work,” Steven explains. “Following the attack on my life, I reached out for emergency assistance. They were instrumental not only in my relocation but also in my continued advocacy.”
Photo: Ayesha Habib
New Beginnings and a Renewed Focus
Forced displacement doesn’t end when someone reaches safety. In many ways, that’s when the hardest work begins.
The past year marked profound transitions for Steven. One of the most significant moments was “formally stepping down as Co-Executive Director of Coloured Voices Media Foundation in December.” He describes it as “a difficult decision, but it marked a necessary transition to focus on my new life and studies here in Canada.”
What surprised him most was his ability to endure. “Balancing a physically demanding full-time job while pursuing rigorous studies seemed impossible at first, but I have found a rhythm,” he says. “I learned that my drive to succeed is stronger than my fatigue.”
Even from afar, Steven’s impact continues. He speaks with pride about Coloured Voices Media Foundation, the organization he co-founded, which recently launched a shelter for unhoused LGBTQI+ youth in Uganda. “I’m proud of our grassroots work starting to yield tangible impact.”
2025 reshaped how Steven understands activism. “The year forced me to transition from being solely a ‘frontline activist’ to becoming a student and a resident, building a foundation,” he reflects. “It taught me that stepping back to build personal stability is not a sign of weakness, but a strategy for long-term survival and advocacy.”
The challenges were real and relentless. “The most challenging part was navigating the instability of housing and the high cost of living in Vancouver,” he says. Searching for housing while working and studying, compounded by a car accident and insurance barriers, tested both his finances and resilience.
What carried him through was community and family. “Living with my close friend, Aggrey, has been a pillar of support,” shares Steven. “Knowing I have family here with me makes the challenges of a new country much more manageable.”
Through it all, Steven arrived at a powerful truth about himself: “I’m resilient, proud, and enough.”
Safety, Home, and the Year Ahead
For many LGBTQI+ refugees, safety is not an abstract concept. It is deeply physical, emotional, and immediate.
“Today, safety means sleeping without fear of a knock on the door,” Steven says. “It means expressing my opinion and my identity without the threat of violence or imprisonment. It is the peace of mind to plan for a future, rather than just trying to survive the day.”
His understanding of home has evolved alongside that safety. “Home used to be the place where I was born, but now I realize home is where I am safe and valued,” he reflects. “Vancouver has become home because it is where I am building my life, pursuing my education, and living authentically, even though my heart remains connected to Uganda.”
As the new year begins, Steven’s hopes are grounded and forward-looking. He is focused on completing his degree, stabilizing his housing, and “finding new ways to integrate my legal education with my activism.”
He is also clear about what must change systemically, urging policymakers and community leaders to focus on housing. “When newcomers have secure housing, they can focus on integration and education much faster. We need policies that ensure refugees aren't spending all their energy just trying to keep a roof over their heads.”
Steven wants people to see refugees for who they truly are. “We are not just ‘refugees,’ we are professionals, scholars, and hard workers,” he says. “For example, while I work in freight to support myself, I am also a law student at the University of British Columbia.”
To those who made his journey possible, his message is clear and deeply felt: “Thank you for believing that my life was worth supporting. Your help didn't just move me to a different country; it gave me a second chance at life, education, and dignity.”
As he steps into the new year, Steven dedicates his journey to those still fighting. “While I am physically here in Canada, my heart remains with the fight for LGBTQI+ rights,” he says. “I am using every opportunity here to ensure that one day, everyone can be free, regardless of who they love.”
Steven’s story is one of courage, but no one should have to survive violence to live freely. Around the world, LGBTQI+ people are being criminalized, attacked, and forced to flee simply for who they are. Your support makes safety possible.
Donate today to help Rainbow Railroad create pathways to safety and ensure that more people like Steven can move from survival to stability, and toward a future filled with dignity, freedom, and hope.