In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni has refused to sign into law a draconian anti-LGBTQ bill which allows for the death penalty in some cases and criminalizes even identifying as gay. Instead, Museveni urged the Ugandan Parliament to make the legislation even harsher. Museveni made the announcement Thursday as he praised lawmakers for their efforts and rejected international pressure to undo the controversial measure. The intensifying violence against the LGBTQ community has forced many to flee. This is a Ugandan photographer and LGBTQ activist speaking from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Papa De DeLovie Kwagala: “Queer people can’t get medication. Queer people can’t get education. And at the moment, there is a lot of mob justice that is happening, beating people up, killing people. Suicide rates are also rising, because, again, living the crisis of this is traumatic. You know, many people can’t really handle that, so before the government kills you, people are killing themselves.”

Click here to see our interview with Ugandan LGBTQ activist Frank Mugisha.