The Promise of Double Living. Understanding Young People with Same-Sex Desires in Contemporary Kampala

Development cooperation and the stratification of lesbian, gay, bi- and transsexual activism: international donors, elite activists and community members during Uganda Pride 2022

“…Despite being well connected to the community and the cause, we could not record the interviews, as this would have resulted in significant difficulties in recruiting participants. Many LGBT+ individuals, including activists in LGBT+ organisations, hide their same-sex desires (see, for example, Svensson and Strand, 2023). Anonymity is thus a pivotal strategy in navigating norms and contemporary interpretations of non-conforming sexuality and gender displays.…”

“…Uganda has a culture historically centred around the ideals of empiisa and ekitiibwa, which are more focused on procreation (with large families as the norm) and delegated parental responsibility (with a different kind of bond between children and their parents as the norm) compared to the West. As a result, hiding same-sex desires (or not blatantly flagging them) and leading a double life become viable options, which are neither considered strange nor inauthentic (see, for example, Svensson and Strand, 2023).…”

Theorizing a denial reaction to coming out: Revising Goffman's stigma through a sexual identity process model

“…Recent research challenges this, proposing that people engage in clandestine queer relationships and sociability before revealing their sexuality to family (Boucai, 2022;Doyle & Barreto, 2023). Emergent views are more conducive to queers of color, who often experience cultural impediments to coming-out (Gattamorta & Quidley-Rodriguez, 2018;Siraj, 2018;Svensson & Strand, 2023). Linearity is seldom possible for those with intersecting sexual and ethnic stigmas.…”

“…Since its original publication in 1963, sociologists have proposed revisions to Goffman's theory of stigma, making it a better fit for understanding queer experiences. These amendments largely undertake stigma responses, describing selective disclosure in sexual contexts while concealing in ethnic and familial contexts (Doyle & Barreto, 2023;Svensson & Strand, 2023;Winder, 2023). While this is a crucial…”