{"id":476,"date":"2025-10-21T16:10:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T14:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/walkofpride.amsterdam\/?post_type=hero&p=476"},"modified":"2026-06-30T13:38:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T11:38:23","slug":"david-kato","status":"publish","type":"hero","link":"https:\/\/walkofpride.amsterdam\/en\/heroes\/david-kato\/","title":{"rendered":"David Kato"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Author: Lena Kurzen<\/em>
Trigger warning: Deze tekst bespreekt homofobisch geweld<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Kato Kisule was born in 1964 in Nakawala, his family\u2019s ancestral village not far from Kampala, the capital of Uganda. He had a twin brother, John Wasswa Mulamba. The name Kato, which David was given, literally means \u201cthe second-born of a twin.\u201d They were raised in a conservative and staunchly religious family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education played an important role in David\u2019s life. He attended King\u2019s College Budo, a prestigious secondary school, and later studied at Kyambogo University, one of the largest in Uganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work in education, also in South Africa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After completing his studies, he worked as a teacher and lecturer at various schools and educational institutions. It was while teaching at the Nile Vocational Institute in Njeru, about 60 kilometers from his birthplace, that David first realized he was attracted to men. That eventually led to his dismissal as a lecturer in 1991, at the age of 27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few years later, he moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he was able to find work as a teacher. There, he witnessed how the country was transforming from a society defined by apartheid into a multicultural democracy in which LGBTQ+ rights were explicitly enshrined in the constitution for the first time. During this period, he felt the strength to come out as gay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUganda\u2019s first openly gay man\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Inspired by the civil rights movement in South Africa, David returned to Uganda in 1998 at the age of 34, bringing this activist momentum with him. Homosexuality was illegal in Uganda\u2014as it still is today\u2014and punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Upon his return he chose to organize a press conference at which he came out publicly, despite the danger, and advocated for LGBTQ+ rights. This earned him the epithet \u201cUganda\u2019s first openly gay man.\u201d He was arrested and spent Christmas in jail before his twin brother, John, arranged his release on bail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John tried to make him understand that he was the only visible LGBTQ+ activist in Uganda and that no one supported him. Further arrests\u2014and the constant threat of arrest\u2014did not deter David from continuing his work for LGBTQ+ rights, however. Increasingly he came into contact with other LGBTQ+ activists in Uganda, who did in fact exist and who were active as an underground movement. He also maintained close ties with LGBTQ+ activists and organizations outside Uganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SMUG<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2004, together with other activists, he founded SMUG (Sexual Minorities Uganda), making his activism increasingly visible. The organization gained a broader reach and brought greater international attention to the difficult situation of LGBTQ+ people in Uganda. At the same time, this increased the danger that David and his colleagues faced in their own country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Documents released by WikiLeaks in 2011 include a report of a debate in Kampala in which David spoke out for LGBTQ+ rights. During this event, he was openly mocked by representatives of the Ugandan Human Rights Commission, which was supported by the United Nations. David and his colleagues from SMUG were warned that they might be arrested immediately after the debate and left early to avoid that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2010, David left his teaching work to devote himself fully to SMUG and to working to oppose the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill. He did everything in his power to prevent the situation for LGBTQ+ people in Uganda from deteriorating further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bill, proposed in various forms during that period, attracted widespread international criticism. Critics pointed out that LGBTQ+ people could face the death penalty under certain conditions and that the legislation would encourage violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fellowship at the University of York<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Partly to protect him from the dangers he faced in Uganda, David was awarded a fellowship at the University of York in England in 2010. That allowed him a temporary stay in a safer environment, without having to fear for his life every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His time in York gave him the opportunity to reflect on the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda and to consider future strategies. The academic environment and contact with master\u2019s students inspired him, and he was able to draw on experiences from LGBTQ+ emancipation movements in other countries for his work in Uganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murdered in his own home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In that same year, a Ugandan tabloid published a list of 100 individuals, including photos and addresses, calling for their execution because of their homosexuality. David and other SMUG members with whom he worked closely were included on this list. They filed a lawsuit against the newspaper and ultimately won the case in January 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this, on January 26, 2011, David was attacked in his home in Mukono, not far from his birthplace, by a man who struck him on the head with a hammer. The attacker fled, and David died a few hours later on the way to the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human rights organizations worldwide called for a thorough investigation into the murder, arguing that there were clear indications that David had been killed because of his sexual orientation. The local police denied this and claimed it was a robbery unrelated to his sexuality or activism. Later in 2011, the perpetrator was arrested and sentenced to 30 years in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Father of the LGBTQ+ movement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

David\u2019s death was mourned worldwide. The murder was strongly condemned by human rights organizations across the globe and by political leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, who praised his courage and dedication to freedom and justice for all. David\u2019s successor at SMUG, Frank Mugisha, remembered him as follows: \u201cHe became a father to me in the movement. He became a supporter of me in the movement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In particular, David\u2019s belief in the rule of law, his persistent and public fight for justice, and his calls on others to remain steadfast are widely praised. His tireless determination continues to inspire people and organizations around the world to this day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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