Pepe Julian Onziema

Pepe Julian Onziema (born 30 November 1980) is a Ugandan LGBT rights and human rights activist. He began his human rights work in 2004. A trans man, he has participated in organizing LGBT pride celebrations in Uganda.

Onziema is the Director of Programs at Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an LGBTI advocacy organization. SMUG provides research, documentation, and evidence to advocate for policy change in Uganda.

The interview developed into a heated dispute when pastor and anti-gay activist Martin Ssempa appeared on the same episode to discredit Onziema. Ssempa misgendered Onziema, and using fruits and vegetables, demonstrated various sexual acts he described as "sodomy" while shouting over Njala in both English and Luganda.

Advocacy In 2014, Onziema denounced a local tabloid list of "200 Top Homo" Ugandans, many of whom did not identify as gay. The article was released just one day after President Yoweri Museveni enacted the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 that included life imprisonment.

That year, Onziema "led a successful challenge of Uganda's infamous law that made homosexuality a crime punishable by death." He united 55 Ugandan civil society organizations including parents, educators, and caregivers to "form a coalition to fight the law."

Awards and other media appearances In 2012, he was named a Global Citizen by the Clinton Global Initiative for his work in human rights advocacy.

In 2013, Pepe was shortlisted for the David Kato Vision and Voice Award, an award in honour of his murdered friend and fellow advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities Uganda, David Kato.

In 2014, he was interviewed by John Oliver on the American television series Last Week Tonight about the human rights situation for LGBT people in Uganda. Initially, Onziema was "very skeptical" and refused to appear on the show, feeling "done with media." However, Oliver made Onziema feel very comfortable and respected, particularly Oliver introducing Onziema as a trans man. The episode positively affected Onziema's reputation in Uganda, causing him to receive increased support at home.

In 2016, Onziema was one of multiple activists arrested at Uganda's fifth gay pride event in Kampala. Onziema was taken into police custody and other inmates were ordered to beat him so severely he required hospitalization, losing hearing in his left ear. The Uganda Police Force claimed no one was injured, while Onziema countered they are not listening to members of the community who remained as survivors or victims. He claims the police not only inflict physical violence on members of the LGBT community, but also psychological trauma.

At Uganda Pride 2022, Onziema said when asked how the week's events fit into the global struggle for LGBT equality: Uganda has been named as one of the worst places to be gay, which means that all eyes are on Uganda. For us to celebrate our visibility [amidst all the hostility] is very important. Despite the hardships he faced in Ugandan prisons, Onziema stated:I love this country to bits, and my work is to make it the kind of place that it really is. It's beautiful. It has beautiful people, and I'm just doing my ounce of something to preserve it for people who will come after me.