An African proverb reminds us: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Its original author may be unknown, but its message speaks directly to the experience of LGBTQ+ people in Tanzania: lasting change takes solidarity, collective effort, and people willing to stand together when the journey becomes difficult.
The road we walk
For many LGBTQ+ Tanzanians, life is lived in careful calculation. We choose which friends to trust, which routes to take home, and which parts of ourselves to leave behind at the door. We know the sleepless nights, the days spent hiding, and the constant fear that follows us from one place to the next.
We know what it costs. Some of us have lost our homes when a landlord found out, our jobs when a rumor spread, and our education when it became unsafe to attend. Some have lost family, the people who were supposed to be our first shelter. Some have faced arrest, violence, and blackmail. Many have been turned away from health care and other basic services simply for being who we are.
A law that closes doors
Much of this suffering traces back to one source: the provisions of the Penal Code that criminalize homosexuality, laws inherited from the colonial era. Their harshness is only part of the harm. Their reach extends far beyond the courtroom. They are used to justify expelling students from school, to push health workers and other service providers into refusing care, and to give employers and landlords a reason to turn people away. A law meant to punish a few ends up closing doors on many.
[OPTIONAL: cite the specific Penal Code sections and penalties here, once confirmed by your legal team.]
One story among many
A young student came to LGBT Voice Tanzania with no one to turn to. He had lost hope in his future and believed his education was over. With our support, his university fees were secured, and he was able to finish his studies. Today he is a graduate with a good job.
To protect his privacy, we do not share his name or details. His story is not unusual because of what he overcame. It is unusual because someone stood beside him. Every young person in Tanzania deserves that.
What solidarity has already made possible
Hope is not an abstraction for us. It is something we build with our hands, together with the people who support us. Through LGBT Voice Tanzania:
- Hundreds of people have accessed legal aid free of charge.
- Hundreds of people have received trauma therapy.
- More than 120 people have received relocation and emergency support, including temporary shelter.
Behind every number is a person who found that they were not alone. Our work is giving hope to people who had lost it, and that is the purpose that keeps us going.
Why the fight is worth it
Some will ask whether the struggle is worth it, when the cost is so high and the road so long. We answer with a question: what is the alternative?
Every person deserves to live without fear, love without punishment, and work, study, and receive care without hiding who they are. These are not special privileges. They are basic human rights.
Every step forward makes the path safer for those who come after us. A young person who today believes they are alone may one day grow up in a Tanzania where they are simply free. That future is worth every sacrifice.
To those who disagree
We know that some readers hold objections, and we respect that they are sincerely held.
- “This is against our culture.” Tanzanian culture has always prized utu, the understanding that our humanity is bound up in one another’s. Culture at its best protects the vulnerable. It does not discard them.
- “This is against my faith.” We do not ask anyone to give up their beliefs. Most faith traditions teach compassion, mercy, and care for the person in need. We ask only that no one be denied safety, education, or health care.
- “This is an imported idea.” LGBTQ+ people are Tanzanians. We are born here, raised here, and we work, study, and pray here. It is the law that criminalizes us that was imported, brought by colonial rulers.
- “What about the family?” Families are meant to be our strongest shelter. Many of the people we support are working toward understanding and reconciliation with their loved ones, and we have seen what is possible when a family chooses love over fear.
Fear also harms everyone. When people avoid clinics because they are afraid, public health suffers for the whole community.
Why we cannot do it alone
Courage is not the problem. We have never lacked courage. What no individual or small organization can carry alone is the sheer weight of the work: legal defense for those who are arrested, safe housing for those who are thrown out, therapy for those who are traumatized, and a steady voice in the public conversation.
One voice can speak. Many voices together cannot be ignored. A single lamp lights a corner, while a thousand lamps light a whole road.
We need people who add value
We are not asking for sympathy or passive membership. We are looking for useful people: people who bring a skill, a profession, time, or resources, and who are ready to put them to work for the dignity of others. Solidarity does not mean speaking for us. It means standing beside us, following the priorities of those who live this reality, and respecting that we decide how visible we can safely be.
How you can stand with us
Start small:
- Share this article, with care for your own safety.
- Talk to one friend or family member about why dignity should not depend on who you love.
- Learn the facts, and challenge myths when you hear them.
Go further:
- Volunteers: Give your time as a peer supporter, driver, mentor, or event helper.
- Lawyers: Offer legal advice, representation, or training for paralegals, and help us defend people who have nowhere else to turn.
- Doctors, nurses, and counselors: Provide stigma-free care, therapy, or training for health workers.
- Professionals and creatives: Writers, designers, translators, accountants, and technologists all strengthen our work.
- Donors: We are a registered organization. Every contribution goes through our official bank account, and we account for every cent we receive. Click here to Donate
- Landlords, employers, and service providers: Commit to treating everyone with dignity and non-discrimination.
To offer your skills or time, write to us at info@lgbtvoicetz.org. We use a secure email host, and we treat everyone’s personal information with strict confidentiality.
If you need support: Reach us confidentially at emergency@lgbtvoicetz.org. You are not alone, and your future matters.
The road ahead
The road is long, and we will not walk it fast. But together, we will walk it far, all the way to a Tanzania, and a world, where equality is not a dream but simply how things are.
Together, we go far.
