In a significant moment for LGBTQ+ advocacy, Clare Byarugaba, a Ugandan LGBTQ activist and diversity officer at Chapter Four Uganda, met Pope Francis in Rome earlier this month. Byarugaba, who is at the forefront of LGBTQ support in a country where same-sex relations are criminalized, described the meeting as an honor. She used the opportunity to discuss the harsh realities faced in Uganda, where same-sex sexual relations are punishable by life imprisonment or even death under the Anti-Homosexuality Act. Byarugaba shared on Twitter that the Pope warmly welcomed her and invited her to sit with him. “His Holiness reiterated that discrimination is a sin and violence against LGBTI people is unacceptable. He said the Church should never discriminate. He walks with everyone that has been denied their dignity. He further encouraged us to defend our rights.” The Anti-Homosexuality Act, signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni last year, has drawn widespread international condemnation. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously called it “deeply concerning,” highlighting the global outcry against Uganda’s severe anti-LGBTQ+ measures. Uganda is not the only African country with discriminatory anti-LGBTQ laws. The list is long, including names like Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia. #Queer Up The World View