the Quingdom
As a queer person living in Uganda, a country that condemns homosexuality and constantly rejects any form of expression other than the “normal”, I have seen and experienced first-hand the oppression, cruelty, and injustice that we face for choosing to fight for ourselves.
I have also seen how the international media has focused on the brutality of the government, further perpetuating the ideology of violence for the consumption of the west, at the expense of those of us who bravely remain authentic, risking our lives and our social standing.
So I was inspired to celebrate our sacrifices by documenting the beauty of being true to oneself in extremely dangerous circumstances and our wish for freedom. I simply want these images of my friends to normalize our freedom, to uplift and inspire anyone seeing them be true to themselves.
Although these images may seem unremarkable to those in countries where freedom of expression is legal, we bear the pain of our freedom every day. For our own sanity, seeing ourselves portrayed in the way we so much desire to be, our normal brings about hope and a new faith - the force of which challenges our realities.
These images are not directed, nor are the words that accompany them my own. They are all from the hearts of those that sacrifice every day for moments of solemnity like this, to be validated in their own skin, to be perceived in both their most vulnerable and most confident states, to be able to become their dream selves, to be free to be.
— DeLovie Kwagala, the Quingdom (2021)