International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission Launches Indiegogo Campaign for Uganda's 1st LGBTI Magazine

For Immediate Release

Thursday, August 20, 2015
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, 212-430-6018, strimel@iglhrc.org

(NEW YORK) –The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has launched an Indiegogo campaign to support Uganda’s first magazine, offering articles and short stories about the nation’s LGBTI community. Bombastic Magazine was created in 2014 by Kasha Jacqueline, one of the founders of the Ugandan LGBTI movement and recently honored as the Grand Marshal of New York City's 2015 Pride Parade.

Started on August 13, IGLHRC’s campaign is more than halfway toward its goal of raising $5,000, which will be used to hire a professional editor and print and distribute 30,000 copies reaching every major population center in Uganda.

The Indiegogo campaign is hosted live atwww.iglhrc.org/bombastic and will run through October 12th, 2015.

IGLHRC is honored to help support a magazine that fills a void in reporting about LGBTI people in Uganda’s mass media.

“In a country where LGBTI people have so frequently come under attack, this fearless magazine is spreading the truth and helping to connect people who otherwise would be isolated from a growing support network in Uganda,” said Jessica Stern, executive director of IGLHRC.

Kasha Jacqueline said: “This publication demonstrates the powerful role storytelling plays in transforming social attitudes towards the LGBT community. We were shocked to see how well the magazine was received and how much change was triggered with only 20,000 copies. We know Bombastic will play an important role in the future of our movement, and need the support of the international community to take the next step.”

A true grassroots effort, volunteers distributed 20,000 copies of Bombastic’s first edition across the country (often left on doorsteps, windshields, and mailboxes), triggering an unexpected outpouring of support and national visibility.

The magazine was covered in the Ugandan press, picked up by high ranking politicians, and read by isolated LGBT Ugandans.

Kasha’s team has received hundreds of requests for a second edition, prompting her to reach out to IGLHRC for support running an international crowdfunding campaign.

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International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission

Every day, LGBTI people’s human rights and dignity are abused around the world in ways that shock the conscience. IGLHRC fights to protect and advance dignity and human rights by empowering people on the front lines, holding leaders accountable and measuring our impact through positive change in people’s lives.

We work with the United Nations, regional human rights monitoring bodies and civil society partners. IGLHRC holds consultative status at the United Nations as a recognized non-governmental organization representing the concerns and human rights of lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender and intersex people worldwide.

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