Arrested, harassed and excluded from society: What it’s like to be LGBT+ in Uganda

Portia Crowe speaks to members of the LGBT+ community in Kampala about the daily persecution they face

A man takes part in a gay pride event in Entebbe, Uganda (AFP/Getty)

When angry neighbours started to surround the shelter, Eric Ndawula tried to remain calm.

The 23-year-old volunteer at Let’s Walk Uganda – a charity and shelter for LGBT+ youth – messaged his supervisor, checked the emergency exit and, finding it was blocked, gathered the other young men inside.

As the crowd outside swelled into a mob, and people shouting homophobic slurs tried to scale the compound’s walls, Ndawula dialled a lawyer for advice.