Emergency in Uganda

If you tried to donate to this campaign previously and were unable to, I wanted to apologise for any inconvenience you may have encountered. There was a technical issue with the donation page showing up for some people, which has now been fixed. Dear friends – Whenever I go to Uganda to work with All Out's local partners, I witness firsthand the extreme harassment and abuse LGBT+ people are put through on a daily basis. The simple act of trying to come together as a community can be met with hate and violence. Abuses against transgender women are especially horrendous. That's why the work of our partners at the Eastern Regional Women's Empowerment Organisation (ERWEO) is so important. They help people like Monica*, who thought she was meeting up with a friend from online, but was violently attacked and sexually assaulted, just because of her gender identity. Quite often, women like Monica have no resources and nowhere safe to turn to. ERWEO can provide at least 12 trans and queer women who have been victimised with lifesaving housing and other emergency support. We just need 480 more people to donate – can you help? – Matt *Name changed Previous email: -------------------

**The email below includes a personal account of a violent sexual assault. It may not be suitable for all readers.** Dear friends , A few years ago, I met Geoff* online. He was from Uganda's capital, Kampala. I'd spent my entire life in a small, rural town. When he invited me to visit, I was thrilled. I'd never been to the capital before. But it was a trap. When I arrived, two men assaulted and raped me. Later I found out I contracted HIV from the attack. They assaulted me just because I'm a transgender woman. It was a violent, targeted, transphobic attack. They wanted to "teach me a lesson." After that horrifying day, I felt more alone and terrified than ever before. I needed help. There's an organisation in Uganda that can help women like me – they're called the Eastern Region Women's Empowerment Organisation. ERWEO provided me with medical and psychological support, so I could heal from the trauma. But there are so many other transgender and queer women here in Uganda who have been victimised like I was and haven't gotten the help they deserve. I'm hoping All Out members can help change that. Luc, chip in €5 today to help support trans and queer women who have been victimised in Uganda. If 1,000 people donate, ERWEO can provide safe housing and psychological support for at least a dozen transgender, bisexual, and lesbian women who have been assaulted. It's not unusual for transgender women like me to be victimised because of our gender identity. I've met other women who were tricked online or beaten up by strangers. And many are blackmailed or extorted by landlords. Because of this, we're much more likely to become homeless or get arrested. We have little to no access to public services. ERWEO is the first and only organisation trying to change that by helping transgender and queer women in rural Uganda access safe housing and psychological support. But right now, they're only able to help a tiny percentage of women who need it. We're facing a crisis. Please, donate to help at-risk trans and queer women in Uganda today. Thanks for going All Out, Monica* *I'm not using real names for my own safety. SOURCES:  ● ERWEO's Facebook Page  ● Rule by law: Discriminatory legislation and legitimized abuses in Uganda – Amnesty International, 2014  Want to support All Out's ongoing work? Our tiny team stretches every dollar to make it count. DONATE TODAY

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